When it comes to creating the perfect pizza, the oven you choose is just as important as the ingredients. Pizza ovens have become a must-have for both culinary enthusiasts and casual cooks who want to replicate the authentic taste of a pizzeria-style pizza in their own backyard. The market is brimming with options, ranging from traditional wood-fired ovens to modern, multi-fuel models. Selecting the best pizza oven involves considering various factors, such as fuel type, temperature capabilities, size, and of course, the quality of the pizza it produces.
The Ooni Karu 12″ Outdoor Pizza Oven stands out as our top pick. The brand is known for exceptional performance and the Karu offers the unique ability to use wood or gas, giving users complete control over their cooking experience. What sets it apart is its ultra-high temperature capability, reaching up to 950°F, which allows for cooking authentic 12″ pizzas in just 60 seconds.
The appeal of a pizza oven extends beyond just the technical specifications; it’s about the experience it offers. Imagine gathering with friends and family in your backyard, the aroma of freshly baked pizza in the air, and the warmth of the oven creating a cozy ambiance. A quality pizza oven not only enhances the flavor of your pizzas but also transforms the act of cooking into an event to look forward to.
In this article, we delve into the top five best pizza ovens on the market, each offering unique features and benefits. We’ll explore options that cater to different preferences and requirements, whether you’re looking for the traditional charm of a wood-fired oven, the convenience of a gas-powered unit, or electric indoor options. Our comprehensive guide is designed to help you make an informed decision, ensuring that you find the perfect oven to suit your pizza-making needs and elevate your culinary adventures.
What are the Best Pizza Ovens?
- Ooni Karu 12″ Wood and Gas (Outdoor)
- Bertello Wood and Gas (Outdoor)
- Ooni Koda Gas 16″ (Outdoor)
- Cuisinart Electric 12″ (Indoor)
- NPYY Electric (Indoor)
1. Ooni Karu 12″ Wood and Gas Outdoor Pizza Oven
Best Deals:
Features:
- Blazing-fast 2-second readings: Say goodbye to overcooked guesswork.
- Versatile champion: From grill to oven, candy to deep fryer, it’s your culinary sidekick.
- Waterproof warrior: Rinse it off, no sweat.
The Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven is designed with a custom fuel tray that significantly enhances airflow, allowing for a powerful and concentrated flame. This feature enables the oven to reach and maintain ultra-high temperatures effortlessly. Users have the flexibility to load the oven with either real wood or charcoal, minimizing the hassle of dealing with excess ash. The innovative design of the Ooni Karu 12 ensures an efficient and clean cooking process, making it a standout choice for pizza enthusiasts.
Efficient Cooking and Convenience: One of the most striking features of the Ooni Karu 12 is its ability to cook a pizza in just 60 seconds. After a quick 15-minute warm-up, the oven reaches an impressive 950°F, perfect for achieving an authentic stone-baked pizza. This efficiency means more time to relax and enjoy the backyard without lengthy cooking times. Additionally, the option to use the Ooni Gas Burner attachment (sold separately) adds versatility, allowing users to choose between wood, charcoal, or gas for their cooking needs.
Despite its powerful performance, the Karu is surprisingly portable. Weighing only 26.4 lbs, it’s easy to move and set up, making it ideal for outdoor adventures. The oven’s legs fold down, and its chimney can be removed for enhanced portability. Beyond pizza, the Ooni Karu is great for cooking a variety of dishes, including steak, fish, and vegetables, using a range of cast iron cookware. This makes it not just a pizza oven but a comprehensive cooking solution for any outdoor gathering.
2. Bertello Gas and Wood Outdoor Pizza Oven Bundle
Best Deals:
Features:
- Offers dual fuel functionality, enabling both gas and wood used for dual cooking options.
- It rapidly heats to 900°F in 10 minutes, cooking Neapolitan-style pizzas in just 2 minutes.
- Compact and portable, making it ideal for outdoor settings like backyards, camping, or beaches.
- Includes a pizza cooker, gas burner, peel, wooden tray, cover, and thermometer for a complete pizza-making experience.
The Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven Bundle offers a complete, innovative solution for pizza enthusiasts. This all-in-one kit includes a versatile pizza cooker, efficient gas burner, convenient pizza peel, wooden tray, protective cover, and precise thermometer. Designed for ease of use, it’s ideal for both seasoned chefs and beginners, ensuring that making delicious pizzas is simple and enjoyable.
What sets this pizza oven apart is its unique dual-fuel design, allowing simultaneous use of gas and wood. This innovative feature ensures quick heating with gas for convenience, followed by the addition of wood to impart that authentic, wood-fired flavor to your pizzas. It’s the first of its kind, providing flexibility and a gourmet taste experience in outdoor cooking.
Portability is a key aspect of the Bertello Oven, measuring a compact 24.8×17.32×17.32 inches, making it perfect for various outdoor settings. Whether you’re in your backyard, on a camping trip, or at the beach, this oven is designed for on-the-go pizza parties. It quickly heats up to 900°F with gas, allowing you to bake Neapolitan-style pizza in just 2 minutes, combining convenience with culinary excellence.
3. Ooni Koda Gas 16″ Pizza Oven
Best Deals:
Features:
- Heats up to 950°F in 20 minutes and cooks pizzas in 60 seconds
- Portable and easy to use. It comes with a 28mbar regulator and gas hose attached so all you need to do is attach it to your gas tank.
- Great or more than pizza, roast meat, fish or vegetables.
Ooni Koda 16 Gas Pizza Oven is a great choice for anyone who wants to make delicious pizzas at home. It heats up to 950°F in just 20 minutes and can cook pizzas in 60 seconds. It is also portable and easy to use, so you can take it with you on camping trips or picnics.
This oven is made of powder-coated carbon steel, which offers incredible heat retention. It also features an instant gas ignition, so you can start cooking right away.
The Koda is not just for pizzas. You can also use it to roast meat, fish, or vegetables. With one of the Ooni cast iron cooking accessories, you can turn it into a grill or a griddle. If you are looking for a portable and versatile pizza oven, the Ooni Koda 16 is the best gas option for the price.
4. Cuisinart Indoor Electric 12-inch Pizza Oven
Best Deals:
Features:
- Preset temperatures for foolproof protein perfection
- Backlit display for crystal-clear reading in any light
- Built-in timer for multitasking kitchen mastery
The Cuisinart Indoor Electric Pizza Oven revolutionizes home pizza-making by allowing you to cook authentic 12″ Neapolitan pizzas in less than 5 minutes, after a brief preheating period of up to 30 minutes. But it’s not just about speed; this oven offers versatility to explore a wide range of regional pizza favorites. From the classic deep dish and Detroit style to the famous New York style, you can craft your pizzas with personalized toppings, bringing the pizzeria experience right into your kitchen.
The oven’s advanced engineering ensures it reaches an optimal temperature range of 350°F to 700°F within 20-30 minutes. This broad temperature spectrum is crucial for achieving the perfect balance of a crispy crust and flawlessly melted cheese. It caters to various pizza styles, ensuring each type is cooked to perfection. Whether you’re in the mood for a classic thin crust or a hearty deep dish, this oven delivers an authentic and flavor-packed pizza experience every time.
The integrated cooking guide offers a quick reference for various pizza styles, and the intuitive controls and independent countdown timer make the cooking process seamless and enjoyable. The complete pizza kit, which includes a 12.5″ heat-conducting pizza stone, a deep dish pan, and a pizza peel, ensures you have everything you need to start your pizza-making journey.
5. PYY Electric Indoor Pizza Oven
Best Deals:
Features:
- Ensures even heating and color for pizzas with upper and lower heating tubes.
- High heating efficiency and insulation shorten baking time, reducing customer waiting.
- Oil and fingerprint-resistant wrinkle black paint, with a removable crumb tray for easy cleaning.
- Adjustable temperature range up to 572℉ ( 300℃) and a timer with an alarm.
The PYY pizza oven is a cutting-edge kitchen appliance designed to elevate the home pizza-making experience. Its notable feature is the uniform heating capability, achieved through upper and lower heating tubes, which ensures evenly cooked pizzas with consistent color and luster. This results in professional-looking and tasting pizzas every time.
Efficiency is key with this oven, as its high heating capacity and superior insulation cotton significantly cut down baking times, allowing for quicker serving and less waiting for customers or family members. Cleaning is a breeze thanks to its wrinkle black paint that resists oil stains and fingerprints, and a removable crumb tray makes maintenance easy and hygienic.
With an adjustable temperature range of 0 to 572℉ (0 to 300℃) and a timer with an alarm function, ensuring precise cooking and preventing overcooking. Beyond pizzas, the oven’s versatility extends to baking a variety of foods like pretzels, bread, cakes, and chicken wings, accommodating up to a 12-inch pizza. This makes the PYY pizza oven a valuable and adaptable addition to any kitchen, suitable for both amateur and professional chefs.
Types of Outdoor Pizza Ovens
1. Portable Pizza Ovens: These ovens are ideal for those who value flexibility and portability. Portable pizza ovens are typically lightweight, compact, and can be powered by wood, charcoal, gas, or even a combination of these. They are perfect for small gatherings, camping trips, or for those with limited outdoor space. While they may not reach the high temperatures of larger ovens, they are great for achieving a good, authentic pizza with a reasonable cooking time.
2. Wood-Fired Brick Ovens: For the traditionalist, nothing beats a wood-fired brick oven. These ovens are often hand-built or purchased as kits and are a permanent fixture in your outdoor space. They provide excellent heat retention and a unique smoky flavor to the pizza. The process of firing and maintaining the right temperature requires skill, making it ideal for those who enjoy a more hands-on, artisanal approach to pizza making.
3. Gas-Fired Ovens: Gas-fired outdoor pizza ovens offer convenience and control. They heat up faster than wood-fired ovens and maintain consistent temperatures with minimal effort. These ovens are suitable for those who want the joy of outdoor pizza cooking without the hassle of managing wood and ash. They are also a good choice in areas where wood-burning is restricted due to smoke emissions.
4. Hybrid Ovens: Hybrid ovens offer the best of both worlds, allowing you to cook with either wood or gas. This versatility is great for those who appreciate the flavor of wood-fired pizza but also desire the convenience of gas. These ovens are typically more expensive but offer greater flexibility.
Choosing the Right Outdoor Pizza Oven
Consider Your Space: The size and layout of your outdoor area will greatly influence your choice. A large garden or patio can accommodate a bigger, permanent structure like a brick oven, while a smaller space might be better suited for a portable or compact gas-fired oven.
Assess Your Skill Level and Interest: If you’re a beginner or prefer convenience, a gas-fired or portable oven might be more suitable. These require less skill to operate and maintain. However, if you’re passionate about traditional pizza-making techniques, a wood-fired brick oven would be more appropriate.
Think About Usage: Consider how often and for how many people you will be cooking. A larger brick or hybrid oven is better suited for frequent use and larger gatherings, while a portable oven is ideal for occasional use and smaller groups.
Budget Considerations: Your budget will play a significant role in your decision. Portable and gas-fired ovens are generally more affordable, while brick and hybrid ovens represent a more significant investment.
Flavor Preferences: The type of fuel has a direct impact on the flavor of the pizza. Wood-fired ovens impart a distinct smoky flavor that can’t be replicated in gas-fired ovens. If flavor is a priority, consider a wood-fired or hybrid oven.
Regulations and Restrictions: Be aware of any local regulations regarding outdoor cooking and fire safety. Some areas have restrictions on wood-burning appliances, which could affect your choice.
Maintenance and Longevity: Consider the maintenance requirements and longevity of the oven. Brick ovens are durable and can last many years but require regular cleaning and upkeep. Portable and gas-fired ovens are easier to maintain but may not have the same lifespan as a brick oven.
In conclusion, choosing the right outdoor pizza oven involves a careful consideration of your space, skill level, usage frequency, budget, flavor preferences, local regulations, and maintenance requirements. Whether you opt for the traditional charm of a wood-fired brick oven, the convenience of a gas-fired oven, the versatility of a hybrid, the portability of a small outdoor oven, or the satisfaction of a DIY project, the right oven will enhance your outdoor cooking experience and bring the joy of authentic pizza-making to your backyard.