Pizza Oven Buyer’s Guide – Pizza Oven Guide

People love pizza. You could say it’s become a staple of the British diet.

But not just any old pizza will do; people want originality, authenticity, and quality in their food. And if you’re going to make authentic Italian-style pizza at home, then you’ll need to invest in an oven that can recreate the same type of conditions found in a pizzeria.

Pizza ovens come in all shapes and sizes, from small countertop models to large, free-standing units. There are even pizza oven kits designed to attach to your barbecue.

But with so many options on the market, how do you know which one is right for you?

In this buyer’s guide, we will look at the things you should consider before purchasing a pizza oven.

A cooked pizza on a pizza peel with a traditional pizza oven in the background

Do you really need a pizza oven?

The first question you need to ask yourself is whether you really need a pizza oven. If you only eat pizza occasionally, then it might not be worth the investment.

Pizza ovens can be expensive, and they take up a lot of space. If you’re short on garden or worktop space, then a pizza oven might not be right for you.

On the other hand, if you love pizza and you eat it often, then a pizza oven could be a great addition to your kitchen or garden.

Pizza ovens can make a big difference in the quality of your pizzas, and they can also help you save money in the long run. If you eat out at pizzerias often, then an at-home pizza oven could help you reduce your expenses as well as make get-togethers with friends original and delicious!

So, if you still think that a pizza oven is right for you, read on to discover some of the things you will need to consider before putting your hand in your pocket.

Pizza Oven Type

One of the first considerations will be the type of pizza oven that you want to own.

Pizza ovens can broadly be split into the following four categories; Traditional, Portable, Kitchen, BBQ Kit.

Traditional Pizza Ovens

Traditional pizza ovens are often made of brick or clay, have a large cooking area for baking multiple pizzas at once and can be very expensive. They are usually built into their environment and so are fixed in place and cannot be moved easily.

They can also make a great-looking centrepiece, feature or talking point for any outdoor space.

They use wood as their primary fuel to give the authentic wood-fired taste of traditional pizza.

Many people have successfully built their own traditional pizza ovens themselves but there are also kits available that contain the pizza oven itself, which can then be built-in and rendered however you see fit.

If you have the money, the time and skills to build (or hire a contractor), the garden space, appreciate the taste of traditionally-cooked pizza and will be cooking for a large number of people, the traditional pizza oven is for you.

Explore traditional pizza ovens here

Portable Pizza Ovens

Portable pizza ovens are usually smaller and can be moved around much more easily than traditional pizza ovens. This is useful if the pizza oven is to be stored in a shed or garage during the winter months or you need to move it around the garden.

Some come with stands or trolleys, whilst others are light and can be carried with little effort. Some portable pizza ovens can be heavy and cannot be safely moved by a single person without equipment but they are still classed as portable because they are not fixed in place.

Portable pizza ovens can use a range of fuels, including wood, charcoal and gas. Because they use consumable fuel, they need plenty of ventilation and must be used outside.

Because of their smaller size, many portable pizza ovens are only able to cook one pizza at a time, but once up to temperatures, a single pizza can be fully cooked in just a few minutes. There are some portable pizza ovens that cater for larger capacities.

If you want to make authentic-tasting pizza for small family gatherings or pizza parties, but don’t want the massive expense and hassle of a traditional pizza oven, then a portable pizza oven is what you need.

Explore portable pizza ovens here

Kitchen Pizza Ovens

These should really be called pizza makers rather than pizza ovens. They typically consist of two hot plates that are closed around the pizza to heat it up. They are powered by electricity.

Kitchen pizza ovens are great for making pizza quickly and they usually do a better job than a conventional oven. However, you will not get the authentic taste that you would from a traditional or portable pizza oven.

Kitchen pizza ovens also have the advantage that they are used indoors, which means they can be used all year round and you don’t have to worry about what the weather is doing. In addition, they are often a lot more affordable than the other types of pizza ovens.

If you are looking for a less expensive option, do not have enough outside space for the other types of pizza oven or just want a fun indoor pizza-making activity for the kids, then this may be the option for you.

Explore kitchen pizza ovens here

BBQ Kit Pizza Ovens

BBQ pizza ovens are kits that can turn your barbecue into a pizza oven.

They typically consist of a cylinder that you place on the barbecue grill. The cylinder heats up and, once up to the correct temperature, you can put your pizza inside to cook.

A BBQ pizza oven is an affordable option for chefs that already enjoy cooking on their barbecue and want to try cooking pizza, using their existing setup.

Commercial Pizza Ovens

Finally, commercial pizza ovens are designed for those that wish to make and sell pizza in larger volumes as part of a business.

These pizza ovens are typically made of hardier materials to make them strong and robust for dealing with higher capacity and so that they can hold the heat for longer.

Explore commercial pizza ovens here

Budget

Your budget will also be a prime factor when considering which pizza oven to buy.

Kitchen pizza ovens can be purchased for less than £100 but it will be at least a few hundred quid for a portable outdoor pizza oven and these models can go up to thousands of pounds.

A traditional static pizza oven will cost at least £2500 and you will have to factor in insulation, rendering and installation. Costs may be saved by building your own, but you will need to do research (or acquire expert help) to ensure that you use the correct materials and design.

Pizza Oven Fuel

Another consideration will be the type of fuel that your pizza oven uses.

Wood

Wood-fired pizza ovens are the defacto standard for creating the authentic taste and texture of a traditional pizza. They can take longer to heat up than other fuels, such as gas and electricity but once it is up to temperature it will cook pizza rapidly.

Logs and twigs can be burned inside the cooking chamber or some models use smaller wood pellets fed into the rear of the unit via a hopper.

Gas

Gas-fired pizza ovens are cleaner than wood or charcoal ovens because they generate less smoke and there is no ash or soot to clean up after each use. They also heat up much more quickly. However, the flavour is not quite as good as a wood-fired pizza oven.

Charcoal

Similar to wood-burning pizza ovens, charcoal can provide additional flavours, however, it is not quite the authentic taste of traditional pizza – more of a smokey, barbecue taste. Charcoal pizza ovens tend to take longer to heat up and may not reach desired temperatures. It is also difficult to keep the temperature consistent.

Electricity

Electricity is the power source of choice for indoor pizza ovens because it is clean and does not produce the dangerous fumes of combustible fuels.

Portability

Portability is another thing that you will need to consider when buying a pizza oven.

We previously looked at traditional pizza ovens that are built in a permanent position out of brick or clay and are weatherproof. They also look beautiful and can be used as a centrepiece or feature of a garden and have either traditional Mediterranean designs or more modern architecture.

However, for smaller and non-weatherproof models, the ease at which they can be moved will be something to think about. Checking out the weight of models before buying to ensure that you will be able to transport them to their storage area will be a useful exercise – our advanced search feature allows you to find and sort ovens by their weight.

In addition, some models can be attached to trolleys that can make wheeling them into the garage much easier and safer than carrying them.

However, if you plan to keep your pizza in the same location (such as in an outdoor kitchen) all year round, then the weight and portability of the model you choose may not be so important, however, you will need to consider buying a durable and weatherproof model.

Time to heat up

Pizzas must be cooked at around 400°C – 500°C, so the time it takes an oven to reach these temperatures can be a factor when deciding which one to buy. Smaller pizza ovens typically take 15-20 minutes to heat with larger ovens needing around half an hour. Commercial ovens can take an hour or more.

Dimensions

If you are limited with space, you will also need to check the dimensions (length, height and depth) of the pizza oven to ensure that it will fit in the area that you have allocated.

Capacity

Another consideration will be how many pizzas your pizza oven can cook simultaneously and what is the maximum size pizza that will fit into it. Saying that, once the temperature of a good quality pizza oven has reached 400-500 degrees Celsius, it will cook a pizza in a matter of a few minutes, so unless you are cooking for several people, a single-pizza unit will usually be sufficient.

Indoor or outdoor?

The type of pizza oven that you chose in the previous section will determine whether you are looking for an indoor or outdoor pizza oven. Kitchen pizza makers are typically the only indoor option, however, some fired pizza ovens can be installed in an indoor location – but they must be installed safely in line with building regulations, so expert help will probably be required.

Manufacturer

The manufacturer of the pizza oven should also be an important consideration. In recent years, there have been several startup companies that have designed and sold pizza ovens, only for them to disappear overnight when flaws are discovered in the product.

Therefore, I highly recommend using products from reputable manufacturers and dealers that have built up trust in the marketplace over a number of years and have visible customer support channels.

Summary

Pizza ovens come in all shapes and sizes, with a variety of fuel types to choose from. If you’re looking for an outdoor pizza oven that can be used all year round and if you have the space and funds available, then it’s worth considering one that is built into your garden. It will add some character and give you something beautiful to look at whilst you wait for your pizzas to cook. If you’re looking for portability or ease of use, then a gas or electric pizza oven may be a better choice.

The most important thing to remember when choosing a pizza oven is what type of fuel it uses as this will have the biggest impact on the taste of your pizzas. Wood-fired ovens will give you the most authentic flavour, but they take longer to heat up. Gas and electric pizza ovens are much easier to use, but the taste is not quite as good.

Now that you know what to look for when choosing a pizza oven, you’ll be able to find the perfect one for your needs.

Happy cooking!

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