Best Pizza Ovens for 2024
Fuel Type: Gas vs. Wood Pellets
The Gozney is an excellent oven, but at 27 kilos it is heavier than the average model.
Outdoor pizza ovens for home use usually run on gas, wood, or wood pellets. Propane gas Pizza ovens can be quickly connected, ignite instantly, and heat up in minutes. They also burn cleanly, with less smoke and little mess to clean up. They can be connected to propane tanks, just like a grill.
Wood and charcoal Ovens, on the other hand, need to be filled (and sometimes refilled) with fuel before use, take longer to heat up, and are harder to maintain a consistent temperature. They also make a bigger mess, leaving behind ash and soot. While you might think wood-fired pizza ovens would impart a smoky flavor, the pies aren’t exposed to much smoke or left in the oven long enough to absorb the wood flavor. The ovens do smell nice once they’re fired up, though.
Gozney introduced a large oven that was fired with old-fashioned firewood.
There is no significant cost difference between the different fuel types. It is more a matter of personal preference. Wood pellets can be purchased online or at most hardware stores and supermarkets and come in a variety of wood types.
There are also electric pizza ovens, including this expensive model from Breville and this new entry from Ninja. Electric pizza ovens only reach temperatures of about 700 degrees F. Purists might tell you that’s just not hot enough to make truly great pizza. We plan to test a few electric pizza ovens soon and will report back.
The Alpha Nano is the largest oven of all the models we tested. You can roast whole chickens and other foods that don’t fit in most pizza ovens.
Size and portability
If you have a dedicated space for your oven, a larger, heavier model should work. If you plan on storing it between uses or moving it frequently, a more portable oven is a better choice. Home pizza ovens start at around 20 pounds, while semi-portable and stationary pizza ovens can weigh several hundred.
accessories
A pizza peel is the most important tool for making pies at home.
One accessory you will definitely need for your new pizza oven is a pizza peel. This unique paddle-shaped tool allows you to safely slide a pizza in and out of the oven and rotate it for even cooking. Remember, these ovens can reach temperatures of up to 950 degrees, so you don’t want to take any chances with a vibrating spatula or small tongs.
The other accessory you’ll probably want to invest in is a cover, especially if you plan on leaving it exposed to the elements between uses. Some pizza ovens come with a custom cover, but many don’t.
Cost and value
Quality home pizza ovens start at around $300 and go up (a lot!) from there. More expensive pizza ovens tend to have larger, sturdier frames, more oven capacity, and reach higher temperatures more quickly. You can find cheap pizza ovens for under $250, but so far we haven’t tried one that’s worth the investment.
A pizza peel is the most important accessory for making pies at home.
