Are wood-fired pizza ovens better than gas?

For that authentic Italian taste, you need a wood-fired oven. Gas pizza ovens are great, and they can create a leopard-spotted charred crust, but they can taste a little sterile by comparison. With that said, gas ovens are far easier to use. There's no tricky, time-consuming ignition of wood pellets. All you need to do is hook up your gas and start cooking.

How do I stop my pizza from sticking?

A light dusting of flour should create a barrier between your dough and the stone, which makes it much easier to turn and remove your pizza from the pizza oven.

Can you use a pizza oven indoors?

Yes, if you're using an indoor pizza oven. You should never use a wood-fired or a gas pizza oven inside, because the smoke will ruin your kitchen. The best and safest indoor pizza ovens are the Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo and the Ooni Volt 12 .

How does a pizza oven work?

A pizza oven is a miniature version of those big brick-fired ovens you see in proper pizza joints. The heat source, which is typically wood pellets or gas, sits at the back of the oven. When lit, it heats the oven to blistering temperatures that can cook an entire pizza in one minute. The best pizza ovens char the crust for an authentic finish that a regular domestic oven can't replicate.

Is it worth getting a pizza oven?

Yes. In terms of taste, it's no contest between a pizza oven and a regular domestic cooker. In fact, I made one of the best pizzas I've ever had on an Ooni Fyra. It was fast, fresh, and delicious, and it barely cost a thing. Don't tell anyone, but it genuinely beat some of the pizza I've had in Italy. The biggest issue is the money. If you can't stretch to one of the more expensive ovens, you should stick to a basic wood-fired pizza ovens. It will still taste authentic, and you won't be overpaying for inessential features.

What's the right temperature for pizza?

You should cook your pizza at 700-850°F (370-450°C) for best results. Some ovens can reach temperatures of 900-1000°F, but this might be overkill for a simple backyard pizza.

What can I cook in a pizza oven?

Most pizza ovens are designed to cook homemade pizzas rather than the pre-packaged stuff you might find in the frozen aisle at the grocery store. There are exceptions to that rule: the Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo, for example, is designed to cook frozen pizzas, as well as Neapolitan and deep dish pies. Many of the best pizza ovens are multifunctional and double as meat and veg roasters.

Best pizza ovens 2023: expert tests and advice

Best pizza ovens - Testing a pizza in an Ooni pizza oven

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Jump to category:

Best pizza oven deals
Quick list
1. Best overall
2. Best wood-fired
3. Best indoor/outdoor
4. Best indoor
5. Best-looking
6. Best gas
7. Best compact
8. Fastest
Best large pizza oven
How we test
Meet the team
How to buy a pizza oven
FAQs

By Alex David

last updated 26 October 2023

Contributions from

Kaitlin Madden, Jason Orme, Millie Fender, Alex Temblador

Best pizza ovens 2023: Jump Menu

cooking a pizza in the Ooni Koda 16 pizza oven

1. The list in brief ↴
2. Best pizza oven overall: Ooni Karu 16
3. Best wood-fired pizza oven: Ooni Fyra 12
4. Best indoor and outdoor oven: Ooni Volt 12
5. Best indoor pizza oven: Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo
6. Best looking pizza oven: Gozney Dome
7. Best gas pizza oven: Ooni Koda 12
8. Best compact pizza oven: Solo Stove Pi Pizza Oven
9. Fastest pizza oven: Gozney Roccbox
10. Best large pizza oven: Alfa Nano Pizza Oven
11. How we test
12. Meet the team
13. FAQs

The best pizza oven will guarantee the tastiest slice this side of Italy. Simulating the smoky flavours of a traditional stone oven, the best pizza ovens help you to make restaurant-quality pizza in your own backyard. The right pizza oven can transform your outdoor entertaining and might even take precedence over the best grills.

Best of all, you can use them year-round. Light rain, cold temperatures, and even snow shouldn't impact your oven's performance.

We've reviewed nine of the best pizza ovens from big-name brands like Ooni, Gozney, and Solo Stove. We've compared wood-fired and gas pizza ovens to find easy ignition and cook times of under 60 seconds. We found that the Ooni Karu 16 is the very best, but there's plenty of other models worth considering.

We're constantly testing to make sure that we bring you all the best products. That's why almost every pizza oven in this guide has been reviewed by a member of our expert team. When we haven't been able to get our hands on an oven, we've scoured the specifications and read countless customer reviews.

We've ranked these ovens based on cook time, ease of assembly, price, and the all-important taste test.

Best pizza oven deals

There's so much on sale this Cyber Monday. If you're shopping for the best pizza oven, and you'd like to save a little money, you should take advantage of these deep discounts.

Ooni Koda 12 Gas Powered Pizza Oven | ~~Was $399.00~~, now $319.20 at Ooni
This isn't the deepest discount, but it's a great product. If you're tight on time, but you're still keen to make your own pizza, you'll appreciate this gas-powered pizza oven, which is hot and ready to cook in just 15 minutes. The Ooni Koda 12 made deliciously thin crusts on test: that's why it's the best gas pizza oven on the market. However, pizza purists might be left wanting more: a gas-powered pizza oven can't quite replicate the depth of flavor of a traditional wood burner.

Solo Stove Pi Pizza Oven | ~~Was $709.99~~, now $599.99 at Amazon
This outdoor pizza oven is one of Oprah Winfrey's Favorite Things. The Solo Stove Pi is highly versatile, with both a wood burning assembly and a gas burner, though I'd recommend sticking to the wood burner to get that leopard-spotted crust and depth of flavor. Weighing just 30 pounds, it's perfectly portable: you can pack it up and drive it to your friend's place for a pizza night, or take it on a road trip for a Neapolitan feast on the go.

The quick list

We'll dig into the specifics further down. For now, these are all the best pizza ovens, at a glance.

Best overall

1. Ooni Karu 16 Pizza Oven

Best overall

This oven makes the best pizza we've ever tested. You can run it on wood, charcoal, or gas for maximum cooking versatility. It's energy-efficient, too, reaching 950°F in just 15 minutes.

Read more below

Best wood-fired

2. Ooni Fyra 12

Best wood-fired

This portable pizza oven weighs just 22lbs. You can pack it up and take it on a camping trip, or bring it round to your friend's place for a Neapolitan feast.

Read more below

Best indoor/outdoor

3. Ooni Volt 12

Best indoor

This oven is the only one in the world you can use both indoors and outdoors. It's easy to use and makes good pizza, but it will cost you.

Read more below

Best indoor

4. Breville Pizzaiolo

Best indoor

This little oven is safe for indoor use, but it still packs a punch. It's the first domestic countertop oven to hit 750°F and it can cook a pizza in just two minutes.

Read more below

Best-looking

5. Gozney Dome

Best-looking

This beautiful appliance elevates your garden design rather than looking like an eyesore. It comes with a digital thermometer and two temperature probes, as well as an illustrated instruction manual.

Read more below

Best gas

6. Ooni Koda 12

Best gas

This pizza oven is easy to assemble and easy to use. Weighing just 20.4lbs, it's even easy to lift, and should fit perfectly on a standard outdoor kitchen counter top.

Read more below

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Best compact

7. Solo Stove Pi Pizza Oven

Best compact

This pizza oven is compact, but it has an extra-wide mouth, which makes it easy to insert, maneuver, and remove your pizzas. It's also that much simpler to refuel your fire.

Read more below