Wish List: We test an outdoor pizza oven and spy seven other sizzling ideas

Esther McCarthy puts a pizza oven to the test, finds woven seating that earns its floorspace, and admires sustainable art

Tried and tested

We put the Ninja Artisan outdoor pizza oven to the test at a small garden gathering — seven adults and seven (discerning) kids, a production line of dough, and children who had never been so invested in dinner. 

The verdict? It was an unqualified success. The headline claim is a 12-inch pizza in three minutes or less, at temperatures up to 370C, and it delivers.

The crust blistered properly, the base had genuine char, and all from the patio. Hands up, we used store-bought bases, but plans are already in place to make our own dough for the next outing. 

Four cooking functions — pizza, bake, air fry and prove — mean it earns its counter space beyond pizza night, and five pizza presets (artisan, thin crust, New York, pan, and custom) remove any guesswork. 

The chef’s view window and interior light are small but genuinely satisfying touches — seeing a pizza cook at speed never gets old. Watch that cheese bubble, baby! 

Electric rather than wood-burning, it’s safe on a deck or balcony; we had it on top of a bench on the patio with no bother — it comes with a weather-resistant cover for year-round outdoor living, and includes a stone, peel, bake tray and air-fry basket.

Everything you need, straight out of the box. For outdoor entertaining this summer, it’s hard to argue with it. The Ninja Artisan Outdoor Pizza Oven & Air Fryer is €399.99 at Currys.ie.

Sketch-turned-streetwear

Drawn by hand in rural Ireland, worn in Los Angeles — Aoife Hill’s stunning illustrations have landed her commissions with Universal Music Group, YouTube and the New York Islanders. Her fish sketch-turned-streetwear for LA label S’envoler Studio is the origin story. Aoife models the hoodie here at Hook Head. Prints and apparel at Senvoler.store; commissions via Aoifehillillustration.com.

Sustainable art

Vernon Carter’s Silent Earth was recently exhibited at The Engine Room Gallery, Belfast — wood carvings and salvaged-material assemblages that feel genuinely urgent. His Eco-Punk practice pushes back against ecological collapse, Lough Neagh included, with sculptures that are visceral, life-affirming and long overdue in Northern Ireland’s cultural landscape. See engineroomgallery.com.

Take a seat

Woven texture, natural warmth, and that quietly coastal look that’s all over interiors right now — and at €29.99, Aldi’s woven sitting pouffe is one of those rare pieces that earns its floorspace. It lands in stores on July 2. See Aldi.ie.

Makes scents

West Cork perfumer Lucy Hagerty captures the exact moment honeysuckle meets salt air in La Bougie’s Honeysuckle & Sea Salt — a fragrance she describes as her homage to the hedgerows and coastline she loves. The scents are hand-crafted in small batches using botanical oils; candle €33, diffuser €42, see Labougie.com.

Take flight

Stained glass that has nothing to do with church windows — West Cork artist Gaby Aubin brings birds, animals and marine life into light and colour in Where Wings Meet Water, running July and August at Blackwater Valley Makers, Fermoy. Free admission; opening reception July 4, see Blackwatervalleymakers.com.

Child's play

A child’s fridge drawing becomes a keychain, hoodie, chopping board or, as pictured here, a ridiculously cute and unique keep cup. Cork-based Little Heirloom transforms kids’ doodles and handwritten notes into keepsakes that will stop you in your tracks. Made in Rosscarbery, prices start at €16, and €2 from every sale goes to LauraLynn Children’s Hospice. See Littleheirloom.ie.

Time to escape

For families or groups who want something genuinely different this summer, the Centre Parcs Longford Forest site has a new offering, an escape room. Escape the Forest drops up to eight players into an outdoor woodland escape room, solving riddles and hunting map pieces against the clock. Great for mixed ages, no special fitness required. See Centerparcs.ie for more details.