Most of the comparisons I see stop at the price shown on the product page. Someone puts a fixed barbecue at €781 next to a wood-fired oven at €1,304, notes the gap, and thinks they are informed. Then comes delivery: the oven arrives at the property boundary on a pallet, and that is where the real bill begins: who moves it, what it sits on, who builds the low walls. The initial ranking no longer holds.
To build a comparable budget, you need to compare two ready-to-use projects, not two catalogue lines. A fixed barbecue kit has to be assembled. A delivered wood-fired oven often arrives already assembled, but it needs a support and some setting up. In both cases, "delivered" does not mean placed at the final location or installed. That is the distinction I explain here, at MY BARBECUE as elsewhere.
What are we really comparing between a fixed barbecue and a wood-fired oven?
We are comparing the cost of the finished project, not the receipt. And these two products do not do the same job. The fixed barbecue kit is a structure you assemble yourself. The wood-fired oven is a pre-assembled unit, which in turn requires a support structure to be built beneath it. The masonry item can therefore reverse the ranking you get from looking at product prices alone.
Here are two concrete examples published by MY BARBECUE, with their conditions. Prices should be rechecked when you request a quote or place an order, because they change.
|
Solution |
Example |
Price shown including VAT |
To budget for in addition |
Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fixed barbecue kit |
AV312F: 133 × 59 × 220 cm, 550 kg |
781,20 € (regular price shown €868) |
DIY assembly stated at about 2 hours. The assembly mortar is not supplied. |
2 to 3 weeks. Delivery to the property boundary, 3.5 to 21 t truck. Handling and installation not included by default. |
|
Delivered wood-fired oven |
Flamma 100 cm: fire bricks, thermometer, door, stainless steel outlet |
1 304,10 € |
Oven presented as already assembled. The product page recommends two low walls about 15 cm thick to set it on. Stainless steel outlet included, but no extension or Cap. Weight not stated. |
1 to 2 weeks. Delivery to the property boundary, 3.5 to 21 t truck. No installation at your home by default. |
The gap between these two product prices is **€522.90** in favor of the barbecue. That is not the gap between two finished projects. The oven needs load-bearing low walls, heavier handling, and possibly flue accessories. The barbecue needs mortar and your assembly time, or an installation quote if you hire someone. Until those items are costed, the €522.90 tells you nothing about what each project costs by the day you cook on it.
What "delivered" covers, and what it doesn't
This is the point that surprises the most people. On both product sheets, delivery is described as at the property boundary, with access required for a 3.5 to 21 tonne truck. It does not promise transport to the installation spot, moving it around the garden, placing the oven on its low walls, or assembling the barbecue.
For an oven like the Flamma, whose product sheet doesn't state the weight, this nuance is anything but theoretical. A block of fire bricks placed on a pallet at the end of the driveway is one thing. The same block moved to the back of the garden and hoisted onto two low walls is another. Confirm with the seller how unloading is done and who takes over afterward.
As for transport, be careful not to assume a zero cost out of habit. The MY BARBECUE FAQ mentions free transport in mainland France, but the site footer states that delivery costs are calculated at checkout. The product sheets I looked at give no standard amount. To get an accurate figure, check the cart at the delivery address rather than presuming. The same FAQ notes that a surcharge may apply when access requires a small truck because of traffic restrictions, and the product sheets mention fees in case of difficult access.
There is also installation. The site offers a service via NeedHelp on some product sheets, specifying that it is an independent platform and that the contract is concluded with the service provider. No price appears in what I looked at. If you want installation included in your comparison, ask for a separate quote and don't include an assumed amount.
One last mix-up to avoid: transport insurance and the warranty are not installation. The product sheets show included transport insurance and a two-year warranty. Neither covers handling on your property or installation. These are three separate things that are often lumped together in an imaginary "all-inclusive" package.
The items to include in a comparable budget
Here is the grid I use. It doesn't produce a ready-made final figure, because public data doesn't honestly allow for that. It lists what you need to get priced, item by item, for each project.
|
Project item |
Fixed barbecue kit |
Delivered wood-fired oven |
|---|---|---|
|
Product and included accessories |
Price of the barbecue. Check the details of the included items on the product sheet. |
Price of the oven. Distinguish what is actually included from accessories sold separately. |
|
Base and ground |
Check whether a stable, sturdy surface already exists. If not, budget for preparing one. |
Budget for the two load-bearing low walls and their preparation, as indicated in the product sheet. Don't assume they are included in the price of the oven. |
|
Assembly or installation |
Your assembly time, or a labor quote. Allow for the mortar, which is not supplied for the AV312F. |
Handling and placement on the base, or an installation quote. No home installation is included by default. |
|
Delivery and access |
Basket rate, truck access, possible surcharge. Who moves the items from the edge of the property? |
Same check. With the weight not stated, confirming the unloading arrangements is especially important. |
|
Location extras |
Only add the accessories you really need. |
Check whether the supplied stainless steel outlet is enough. Neither extension nor Cap is included. Whether you need them depends on your setup, not on every project. |
What stands out from this grid is that the wood-fired oven concentrates its hidden costs in the base and handling, whereas the barbecue kit concentrates them in your assembly time and a few supplies. Two different spending profiles for two different uses.
Three budget levels: delivered only, ready to install, installed
When people ask me "how much does it really cost," I always answer with a question: how far do you want to go yourself? There are three scenarios, and the ranking between barbecue and oven may change depending on which one you choose.
Delivered only. You pay for the product and delivery to the edge of your property, that's it. You take care of everything else: handling, base, installation, assembly. This is the scenario where the €522.90 difference is most telling, provided you're handy and have the tools.
Ready to install. You add the preparation of the base. For the oven, that means the two low walls. For the barbecue, a stable surface if you don't have one yet. The MY BARBECUE guide recommends a stable surface for its barbecues but gives no foundation cost, so this item has to be priced separately. This is often where the oven catches up with or overtakes the barbecue on the bill.
Installed. You delegate the placement, and even the assembly. Handling quote, installation quote, possibly NeedHelp. None of these amounts is public, so this level can only be built from actual quotes.
My advice: price out all three for each product before deciding. It takes a while, but it's the only way to avoid a nasty surprise on delivery day. Before starting a quote, I always reread the tips for buying a stone barbecue to confirm the equipment criteria, which are a separate question from budget.
On lead times: estimates, not promises
The product pages show lead times: 2 to 3 weeks for the AV312F, 1 to 2 weeks for the Flamma. The FAQ also gives different seasonal lead times. I wouldn't commit to any firm schedule based on a product page. The lead time that counts is the one confirmed when you order, especially in peak season. Treat these figures as rough estimates, not a contract.
To confirm before approving a total budget
-
The actual delivery cost for each item and each address, despite the general announcement of free shipping in mainland France.
-
Any additional fees depending on vehicle access.
-
NeedHelp's current rates and the exact scope of the service.
-
The cost of the oven's low walls and of the barbecue's assembly supplies, including sealant.
-
The flue accessories actually required for your location.
Why choose MY BARBECUE over another seller when thinking this way? Because the product pages already give you what you need to build the grid: dimensions, weight when known, included items, delivery terms, and a note about the base you need to provide. That is more than many sellers publish, and it lets you compare on written facts instead of assumptions. The costing work is still yours to do, but you know what to ask.
FAQ
Does the displayed price include delivery?
Not by default. The product pages reviewed describe delivery to the property boundary, and the site states that costs are calculated at checkout. The FAQ mentions free shipping in mainland France, but the applicable amount depends on the address and access. Check in your cart.
Does the wood-fired oven arrive ready to use?
It arrives pre-assembled, which is not the same as ready to use. The Flamma product page recommends building two low walls of about 15 cm to set it on, and delivery stops at the property boundary. So you need to plan for the base, handling, and positioning.
Why not simply rely on the displayed price gap?
Because this gap only measures two products, not two projects. A barbecue kit requires assembly and sealant. An oven requires a masonry base and heavier handling. Once these items are costed, the initial gap may narrow, or even reverse, depending on your situation.
Who moves the product from the property boundary?
You, or a service provider you hire. Standard delivery does not include moving the item into the garden or installation. For an oven whose weight is not stated, confirm the unloading arrangements with the seller before ordering, and budget for handling if you can't do it alone.
How much does professional installation cost?
No price is public in the sources reviewed. The NeedHelp service is presented as an independent platform, with a contract made directly with the service provider. Ask for a separate quote and don't slip an assumed amount into your comparison budget.
Note for review: the prices (€781.20 and €1,304.10), lead times, and delivery terms come from MY BARBECUE's product pages and FAQ and must be rechecked before publication, as they change.