Buying the best pizza oven for your home will give you access to an endless supply of freshly baked wood-fired pizzas. We’ve also included indoor electric-powered pizza ovens and gas-fired outdoor pizza ovens in our top 10 guide for a bit more convenience.
We’ve been able to review some of the best pizza ovens from Ooni, DeliVita, Gozney, Woody, and more top pizza oven brands to bring you our complete shortlist, with tips for how to get the best out of your new oven and the pros and cons of each models.
Like the best BBQs, a pizza oven can come with a range of different fuel types, or even a multi-fuel option for easily switching between wood and gas-fired heat. That means you can fire up the pizza oven with some wooden pellets to achieve that smokey Neapolitan slice, or simply ignore your gas burner to achieve a fresh baked pizza that’s cooked in under 60 seconds.
Best pizza ovens 2021
1. Ooni Karu
Best pizza oven for everyone
Image credit: Ooni
Fuel: Gas, wood or charcoal
Colour: Stainless steel
Pizza size: 12-inch
Reasons to buy: It does it all
Reasons to avoid: None!
Go from stone-cold to stone-baked in just 10 minutes! The Ooni Karu is powered by fast-burning wood pellets that get the oven temperature up to 500°C, and it takes just 60 seconds to cook up a heavenly Hawaiian pizza – you can’t ask for better timing when it comes to entertaining.
What’s more, the removable chimney and foldable legs make it easy to sling in the boot of the car and take it wherever you may be required to host a pizza party. With an optional gas attachment, the Ooni Karu is also a great choice for those who want the style of a conventional wood fired pizza oven with more versatility. You can even cook using charcoal, which is perfect for smoking any extras for those who don’t fancy a pizza. We loved using the gas attachment when the weather wasn’t quite as warm, as it heats the oven up faster and means the wind is less of an issue.
The oven is slightly lager than the Fyra but still very portable, and we found that its multi-use offering made it a great choice for those who like the idea of authentic wood-fired pizza but want the backup option of something more sturdy. The gas attachment takes less than a minute to install, and turns on like a gas barbecue.
Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars
2. Gozney Roccbox
Best pizza oven for multi-fuel options
Fuel: Wood & gas
Colour: Green, grey
Pizza size: 12-inch
Reasons to buy: Silicone jacket is safe to touch, easy to transport, two fuel modes
Reasons to avoid: When cooking with wood it’s quite fiddly
The Gozney Roccbox is a premium pizza oven. It’s got a silicone jacket that keeps it safe to touch while cooking and also helps to insulate throughout. We also think it looks a real treat, and you can choose one of two colours when buying this oven.
We found that the thermometer at the side of the oven makes cooking nice and easy, and you can keep track of how consistent the temperature stays when cooking to adjust timings accordingly. The legs fold down twice to make the oven very portable, and it comes with a strap that helps to hoist it in and out of the car. It is heavy though, so don’t expect to carry it long distances unless you’re very strong.
The gas and wood burners both twist onto the base of the oven, and it’s very simple to hook up the gas burner to keep it consistently burning. When it comes to wood though the oven is more high maintenance, and we found that it could use a larger capacity to keep it well-stocked enough to hit those high temperatures.
Ideal Home’s rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
3. Woody Wood Fired Pizza Oven
Best affordable pizza oven
Fuel: Wood pellets
Colour: Black
Pizza size: 12-inch
Reasons to buy: It’s reasonably priced and has everything you need
Reasons to avoid: It’s a high maintenance piece of kit
The Woody Wood Fired Pizza Oven is our top pick if you want the best pizza oven on a budget. It’s got all the main features of other portable pizza ovens, as well as a pizza peel included, and e ven a thermometer attached to the front of the oven. That’s great value when you compare it to alternatives such as Ooni, which don’t include these extras and cost a slice more.
The arched roof of the Woody Wood Fired Pizza Oven charmed us when we reviewed it, and the powder-coated oven body is insulated with ceramic fibre to make it easy to reach those high temperatures you’ll need to make a pizza in under 60 seconds. It also comes with a carry case and detachable chimney which makes transportation easy.
As with all wood-fired ovens, it’s quite an involved process to get that high temperature. Despite this we were able to reach 450ºC, and our pizza had that telltale charring that shows it’s been cooked to perfection.
Ideal Home rated 4 out of 5 stars
Read our full Woody Portable Wood Fired Pizza Oven Kit review
4. Ooni Fyra Portable Outdoor Pizza Oven
Best pizza oven for design
Image credit: Ooni
Fuel: Wood
Colour: Black and steel
Pizza size: 12-inch
Reasons to buy: Excellent insulation makes heat retention easier
Reasons to avoid: It’s exclusively wood-fired
Our tried and tested top pick, this pizza oven gets the balance right when it comes to affordability and quality. We found that it takes a few tries to get the perfect pizza, but once you’ve got the hang of turning the pizza as it cooks you’ll have evenly-cooked and authentic Italian pizza, whenever you want!
The Ooni Fyra is easy to clean, you just need to empty the fuel tray at the back of the oven and wipe down the pizza stone. Its legs fold out for use on wooden, steel or stone tables, and the chimney twists off so you can store it inside the oven itself and take it on the go.
When we put the Fyra to the test it delivered perfectly cooked pizza in 60 seconds, as promised. There’s no temperature gauge but you’ll get the hang of identifying when the oven is heated up after a few attempts. This pizza oven makes the process easy and straightforward, and it’s guaranteed to be used all through the summer.
5. Sage Smart Oven Pizzaiolo
Best indoor pizza oven
Fuel: Electric
Colour: Stainless steel
Pizza size: 12-inch
Reasons to buy: It makes amazing pizzas with very little effort
Reasons to avoid: You’ll lose that wood-fired charm
The Sage Smart Oven Pizzaiolo is a seriously smart indoor pizza oven. It can heat up to 400 degrees and cook authentic Neopolitan-style pizzas as well as deep dish and even frozen pizzas. When we put this pizza oven to the test and were seriously impressed by how fast it cooked our pizzas, as well as the evenness of the cooking. Although it’s electric, the Sage Smart Oven Pizzaiolo gives you the experience of authentic wood-fired pizza but without the stress of firing up an outdoor oven. The immediate advantage of this is that you can enjoy fresh cooked pizza all year around, and no weather can rain on your pizza party.
The obvious downside of the Sage Smart Oven Pizzaiolo is the high price, but when you consider that it plugs right in, comes with a pizza peel, and doesn’t need a thermometer to tell if it’s hot enough to cook your pizza perfectly, it’s an unmissable option. If you want the best pizza oven to take the stress out of judging the heat and timing of your cooking, this five star option is the one for you.
Ideal Home’s rating: 5 out of 5 stars
See our full Sage Smart Oven Pizzaiolo review
6. DeliVita Outdoor Pizza Oven
Best posh portable pizza oven
Fuel: Wood-fired
Colour: Multiple
Pizza size: 12-inch
Reasons to buy: This high-quality oven is a spectacle for serious pizzaiolos
Reasons to avoid: It’s very heavy and expensive
Enjoy pizza anywhere and any way you want it with this transportable oven. Handmade in Yorkshire, it’s one of the most beautiful ovens out there. When we put this pizza oven to the test it impressed us with its beautiful exterior and sturdy design. Heating the oven was easy, we just made a jenga-style tower of wood and lit it before leaving it for about half an hour to come to the desired temperature of 450°C.
The DeliVita comes in a gorgeous range of colours and can make 12-inch pizzas in just a minute. Its exterior is waterproof and it also comes with a cover, meaning you can leave it outside after use if you wish. It is a little on the heavy side at 30kg, so not the best for travelling, but there’s no denying the authentic feel of that crackling wood and our finished pizza was restaurant-quality.
Ideal Home’s rating: 4 out of 5 stars
7. Monster Shop Pizza Oven Outdoor Grill
Best freestanding pizza oven
Fuel: Charcoal
Colour: Black
Pizza size: 12-inch
Reasons to buy: It’s freestanding, which makes storage very easy
Reasons to avoid: If you want something portable, look elsewhere
The Monster Shop Pizza Oven Outdoor Grill is a fully freestanding pizza oven with an in-built smoker. With storage space for fuel and toppings built right in, this pizza oven comes on two wheels and while it can make delicious 12-inch pizzas, you can also use it for slow cooking and smoking meats and veggies.
Many of the pizza ovens in our guide will require you to either place them carefully on your prized patio furniture, or buy a dedicated pizza oven stand to keep them elevated when cooking. There’s no such issue with this freestanding oven.
The price is amazing for the cooking capacity and visual appeal. It has an in-built thermometer and the powder-coated black exterior is striking and easy to wipe down.
8. Gardeco Pizzaro
Best traditional pizza oven
Fuel: Wood-fired
Colours: Clay
Pizza size: Cook three pizzas at once!
Reasons to buy: It’s on wheels and easy to move around
Reasons to avoid: A heavy choice that could prove tricky to store
Nothing says authentic quite like cooking pizza in a clay oven. This stylish design consists of a cooking dome and chiminea made from traditional, crack-resistant clay, which is guaranteed for 5 years against cracking due to thermal shock.
The rustic oven cavity needs to be heated from within first. One firing is then good for cooking two to three pizzas, one at a time.
9. La Hacienda BBQ Pizza Oven
Best pizza oven for BBQs
Fuel: BBQ
Colour: Alloy steel
Pizza size: 12-inch
Reasons to buy: It’s the space-efficient choice
Reasons to avoid: Hard to transport because the handles aren’t heatproof
The double-insulated La Hacienda BBQ Pizza Oven can be placed on your BBQ and used to cook pizza, flatbreads and other treats on the built-in stone. It can be placed on gas and charcoal barbecues and heated through for an authentic wood-fired effect. The dimensions are 35 x 35 x 15 cm, and it weighs nearly 8kg, but the handles on the side mean it will be difficult to lift until cooled fully.
If you want a cheap pizza oven for your garden BBQ, go for this one. It’s easy to store and the wood-fired stone will give you that leopard-print Neopolitan pizza crust you’re craving.
10. Ooni Koda
Best gas pizza oven
Fuel: Gas
Colour: Stainless steel
Pizza size: 12-inch, 16-inch
Reasons to buy: Perfectly portable
Reasons to avoid: It’s an expensive choice
You can buy the Ooni Koda in either a 12-inch or 16-inch size, so there’s an option for those with more space and one for a more portable option. The legs fold away for easy storage and there’s a dial to control the temperature. It really couldn’t be easier. Another thing we like is that the gas burner comes included. You’ll have to pay extra for this if you buy the Ooni Fyra, whereas the Koda is ready to go right out of the box.
As with the rest of the Ooni range you can cook your pizza in only 60 seconds, and it heats up fast to reach as much as 500 degrees in only 15 minutes.
How to buy a pizza oven – everything you need to know
Image credit: Morso
Check the weight of your pizza oven
Pizza ovens – particularly clay or brick ovens – can be VERY heavy and tricky to manoeuvre without equipment or a team of helpers. It’s always worth looking at the weight before you order, and check that if it is a beast, that the supplier will move it into position for you.
Related: Best fire pits – from fire bowls to chimineas, here are our top picks
Alternatively, pick a design on wheels that you can move around the garden.
Know your fuels
Pizza is traditionally cooked in a wood-fired oven for that signature smoky flavour. However, some pizza ovens have gas burners that will get your oven cavity up to temperature much quicker. Charcoal and pellet burners are other options.
The temperature of your oven will peak somewhere between 400 and 500 degrees C, and the better your oven maintains its temperature, the more pizzas you can produce from one ‘firing’.
Image credit: Sandtex
Note the cooking times
A small oven will take anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes to heat up (around 10 if you’re using gas, and closer to 20 if you’re opting for pellets or charcoal. Larger ovens can take anything up to an hour. You’re typical pizza will take around six minutes to cook, though remember to turn it for an even bake.
The smallest gas-powered ovens, however, can do the job in as little as 60 seconds. Every oven is different, but it won’t take long to ‘learn’ its optimal cooking time.
Treasure those little extras
A temperature gauge is handy, as you’ll always know when you’re ready to cook. A few ovens come with a pizza paddle designed to fit the cavity perfectly, though this is the exception rather than the rule.
Look out for models with griddles, as then you’ll be able to use your oven as a barbecue and not have to own two separate outdoor cookers.
Image credit: Joanna Henderson
Get an authentic base
‘For a 10-inch pizza with an authentic thin base, roll out a piece of dough just larger than a golf ball, certainly no bigger,’ says Digital Editor (and pizza aficionado) Amy Cutmore. ‘Also, don’t go too crazy with your toppings – overloading can cause your pizza not to cook properly.’
The post Best pizza ovens 2021: 10 top indoor and outdoor pizza ovens appeared first on Ideal Home.
