How Chicago Brick Oven’s Hybrid Dual-Fuel Ovens Work: Wood Flavor with Gas Convenience

A great outdoor cooking experience should not force you to choose between convenience and authentic wood-fired flavor. That is the idea behind Chicago Brick Oven’s hybrid dual-fuel pizza ovens. Designed to combine gas-powered convenience with the flavor and character of real hardwood, these ovens give home cooks greater control over how they heat and cook.

A dual fuel pizza oven can be started with gas for fast, predictable heating and then supplemented with wood when you want the aroma, smoke, and flavor associated with traditional wood-fired cooking. The result is a versatile outdoor pizza oven that brings together modern American engineering and the cooking principles of traditional Italian brick ovens.

What Is a Hybrid Dual-Fuel Pizza Oven?

A hybrid dual-fuel pizza oven is designed to operate using both gas and wood. Instead of relying exclusively on a wood fire to build cooking temperature, you can use the gas burners to heat the oven quickly and maintain a consistent cooking environment.

Chicago Brick Oven hybrid models, including the CBO-750, use a specialized two-burner gas system together with a refractory cement dome and a dedicated area for burning hardwood.

This gives you two distinct advantages:

• Gas provides speed and temperature control.
• Wood provides authentic smoky flavor and the experience of cooking over a live fire.

You can use either fuel independently when appropriate or combine them during the same cooking session.

How the Two-Burner System Works

The hybrid system uses two burners positioned to create different types of heat inside the cooking chamber.

Infrared Hearth Burner

The infrared hearth burner is positioned directly beneath the cooking floor. Its purpose is to deliver strong, consistent heat through the hearth while helping create the intense bottom heat needed for pizza and other foods.

That direct heat is particularly useful when you want a properly heated cooking surface or need to sear meats and other ingredients.

Ambient Back Burner

The ambient back burner is positioned toward the rear of the hearth. It produces indirect, rolling heat that helps establish a consistent oven environment.

Together, the two burners provide more control over how heat moves through the cooking chamber rather than relying on a single heat source.

The Role of the Refractory Cement Dome

The burners are only part of the system. The oven’s dome plays an equally important role in cooking performance.

Chicago Brick Oven uses a low, igloo-shaped dome inspired by traditional Italian wood-fired oven design. The shape is engineered to help heat move efficiently through the cooking chamber while the refractory material absorbs and stores intense heat.

As the dome becomes saturated with heat, it contributes radiant heat back toward the food. At the same time, the oven’s airflow helps create convection, while the heated cooking floor provides conduction.

This combination of radiant heat, convection, and conduction is what makes a brick oven much more versatile than a conventional outdoor cooker.

How FlameRoll™ Technology Moves Heat

One of the defining technologies behind Chicago Brick Oven’s cooking performance is FlameRoll™.

The low-dome design encourages the flame and hot air to roll horizontally across the ceiling before moving down the sides of the cooking chamber. This creates an active heat pattern throughout the oven rather than concentrating heat in one location.

With temperatures reaching up to 1,000°F, this high-heat environment is designed for fast cooking and authentic Neapolitan-style results. When properly preheated, Chicago Brick Oven ovens can cook Neapolitan pizza in approximately 90 seconds.

The visible flame is also part of the experience. You can see the fire working across the dome while the pizza cooks, creating the unmistakable atmosphere of live-fire outdoor cooking.

How to Add Wood for Authentic Flavor

One of the biggest advantages of a hybrid pizza oven is that you do not have to build a large wood fire just to get wood-fired flavor.

Start by using the gas ignition to bring the oven up to temperature. Once the refractory cooking chamber is hot, place suitable hardwood pieces in the designated wood-burning area toward the back or side of the hearth.

The heat already present in the oven can ignite the wood quickly, allowing you to introduce real wood smoke and flame without spending the same amount of time building a traditional fire from scratch.

You can continue using gas while the wood burns, or use the wood independently depending on the cooking method and the level of fire and smoke you want.

Why Combine Wood and Gas?

The biggest benefit of a dual fuel pizza oven is flexibility.

Wood is valued for the flavor and aroma it contributes to food. Gas, meanwhile, offers fast ignition and convenient temperature management. Combining the two allows you to choose the cooking experience based on what you are preparing and how much time you have.

For example, you might use gas to rapidly preheat the oven before adding hardwood for a wood-fired pizza session. For everyday cooking, gas can provide a straightforward way to maintain heat. For special gatherings, adding wood creates the visual experience and flavor associated with cooking over a live flame.

This flexibility makes a hybrid oven particularly useful for homeowners who regularly entertain outdoors.

More Than a Pizza Oven

Although pizza is one of the most popular foods to prepare in a Chicago Brick Oven, the high-temperature cooking environment is not limited to pizza.

A properly heated CBO oven can be used for:

• Artisan bread
• Roasted meats
• Ribs
• Fish
• Vegetables
• Desserts
• Cast-iron dishes
• Multiple foods during the same cooking session

The combination of a heated refractory dome, hot cooking floor, and active flame allows you to experiment with different cooking techniques while maintaining the character of live-fire cooking.

Built for Outdoor Cooking Performance

Chicago Brick Oven was founded in 2006 after its founders experienced the problems associated with imported wood-fired ovens, including long shipping times, high import costs, shipping damage concerns, and limited local support.

The company was created to provide an American-made alternative engineered specifically for demanding North American conditions.

That engineering philosophy continues in its hybrid cooking systems. Chicago Brick Oven combines traditional low-dome oven principles with modern American engineering, proprietary refractory cement reinforced with stainless steel fibers, and certified safety standards.

CBO ovens are UL Certified and NSF4 Certified, making certification an important consideration for both residential and commercial applications.

The Bottom Line: Wood Flavor Without Giving Up Convenience

A Chicago Brick Oven hybrid dual-fuel pizza oven is designed for cooks who want the best of both fuel sources. Gas makes it easier to ignite, heat, and manage the oven, while hardwood allows you to introduce the smoke, aroma, and live-fire character that make wood-fired cooking distinctive.

By combining a two-burner gas system, refractory cement dome, dedicated wood-burning area, and FlameRoll™ technology, CBO creates an outdoor cooking system built around performance and flexibility.

Gas gives you convenience. Wood gives you flavor. Chicago Brick Oven gives you both.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use wood and gas at the same time in a Chicago Brick Oven hybrid oven?

Yes. CBO hybrid ovens are designed to let you add hardwood while the gas system is operating, allowing you to combine convenient gas heating with wood-fired flavor.

How hot does a Chicago Brick Oven hybrid pizza oven get?

Chicago Brick Oven ovens can reach temperatures of up to 1,000°F, depending on the model and operating conditions.

Can I cook something besides pizza in a dual-fuel pizza oven?

Absolutely. CBO ovens can be used for artisan bread, meats, fish, vegetables, ribs, desserts, and cast-iron cooking in addition to pizza.

Why use gas before adding wood?

Gas can bring the oven to cooking temperature quickly and predictably. Once the refractory chamber is hot, hardwood can be added to introduce authentic wood-fired aroma and flavor.

What makes Chicago Brick Oven hybrid ovens different?

CBO combines traditional Italian low-dome oven design with American engineering, proprietary refractory materials, FlameRoll™ technology, and UL and NSF4 certifications to create high-performance outdoor cooking systems.