A outdoor cooking category that has emerged over the past handful of years is the charcoal oven. They’ve long been a staple in commercial kitchens because of their versatility and easy temperature control.
A charcoal oven is a metal box that has a bed of charcoal at the bottom. Temperature is controlled by adjusting an air intake damper on the bottom and an exhaust damper on the top. Inside of it, there are racks to optimize the cooking area.
One of the prominent brands in the consumer charcoal oven category is Kaveri. Their H1 model is their original product, it’s a freestanding charcoal oven on wheels. It carries more of a value price tag than other competitors.
They’ve expanded their product line with the H Mini, a smaller, tabletop charcoal oven. It’s perfect for smaller spaces or for transporting. It would be great for an elevated tailgate.
Features and Specs
- Retail price of $799 (check price)
- Has a wide temperature range of 210 degrees F to 720 degrees F
- Weighs 48 lbs for more portability
- Has 150 square inches of cooking area and it’s expandable to 300 square inches
Versatility
Where the H Mini really excels is in versatility. It has a temperature range that goes low enough to smoke and high enough to sear or even cook pizza.
It can cook basically whatever you want but they call out 4 grill modes. They’re smoke, bake, roast, and cooking pizza, based on the temperature range.
It not only has a wide temperature range but the oven is really efficient, so it gets to the desired temperature quickly and holds it. The insulated design lets you cook for up to six hours and will cook for as long as three hours off one lb of charcoal.
Cool Exterior
The oven comes in two different colors, Blue Oyster and Medium Rare, but that’s not all I mean by a cool exterior. They designed the exterior of the oven to stay cool to the touch.
That shows off how well it’s insulated and it’s also an important feature for a portable cooker. That prevents burning your hands and, because the oven sits on two sleds, it prevents you from burning a picnic table. Being able to set it directly on a table or surface is great feature that’s often overlooked with portable grills.