1. The list in brief ↴
2. Best overall: Solo Stove Pi Prime
3. Best wood-fired: Ooni Fyra 12
4. Best for indoors: Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven
5. Best compact pizza oven: Gozney Arc
6. Best for indoor or outdoor use: Ooni Volt 12
7. Best premium option: Breeo Live Fire Pizza Oven
8. How to choose
9. How we test
If you're like most people on planet Earth, pizza is likely one of your favorite foods. Thankfully, much like the best gas grills, there's a wide range of great pizza ovens out there that let you cook great-tasting, restaurant-quality pizza right from the comfort of your home. Most of them are quite easy to use and can have your pizza ready to serve within just a few minutes. Plus, they'll help you get that perfectly crispy crust without a lot of hassle.
The best part about pizza ovens is they're actually great for cooking more than just pizza. Essentially, you're really only limited by the size of the oven itself and the amount of fuel you have for it which means you can cook veggies, casserole, steak, or almost anything else you can think of. Most of them have built-in thermometers and granular temperature controls making it easier than ever to cook great pizza.
There's no shortage of choices when it comes to pizza ovens; electric, countertop ovens are super easy to use and will fit nicely in your kitchen while some higher-end gas and wood-powered ones can cook your pizza in as little as 60 seconds.
To help you hone in on the best pizza oven for you and the family, we've tested every option on this list for a minimum of two weeks and cooked as many different types of pizzas and other foods as we could in order to get a complete picture of what each one is like to use. We made note of the cleaning and maintenance procedures involved and any fuel or setup requirements necessary. Keep scrolling for your next purchase.
Jason has been reviewing tech gadgets and products for over 10 years and is an avid eater. His wife loves to cook and has pretty high standards when it comes to food.
They reviewed all but two of the pizza ovens featured in this guide; the Ooni Fyra and Ooni Volt 12, which we're tested by another writer. They've all been tested in an at-home environment for at least a couple of weeks, assessing the factors from the set-up through to cooking performance and cleaning.
The quick list
Below we've compiled the most important details you need to know for each product we tested. If you want to learn more about any of the ovens, click the links below to dive deeper into our analysis.
The best pizza oven overall
The Solo Stove Pi Prime will be the best pizza oven for most people. It's easy to use, cooks delicious people, and is quite affordable. And for not much more you can get the duel-fuel version.
The best wood-fired pizza oven
Making authentic, wood fired pizzas is simple with the Ooni Fyra. The pellets heat up quickly and don't leave any mess to clean up. It's perfect for those wanting a easy-to-use, wood fired pizza oven.
The best indoor pizza oven
The Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven is the easiest one on the list to use, and the best for indoor use. It's perfect for anyone wanting a no-hassle pizza oven for the kitchen.
The best compact pizza oven
The Gozney Arc is a compact, gas-powered pizza oven that will fit great almost anywhere in your backyard. Its unique design cooks delicious pizza in as little as 60 seconds.
The best for indoor or outdoor use
The Ooni Volt delivers the same fantastic pizza experience as the famed company's gas and wood-fired pizza ovens, with much less work required.
The best premium pizza oven
The Breeo Live Fire Pizza Oven is well-built, cooks great pizza, and offers an unbeatable experience when paired with a Breeo fire pit.
The best pizza ovens we recommend in 2024
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The best pizza oven overall
✅ You want to cook pizza fast: The Pi Prime can be preheated in about 15 minutes. And once it's ready, you can crank out hot, fresh, delicious pizza in about 90 seconds. That's the quickest prep-to-serve time of any pizza oven we've tested.
✅ You want to cook on a budget: Solo Stove is known for its high-quality yet affordable fire pits. Now, you can get the same great quality in a pizza oven that won't break the bank.
✅ You want great taste without a lot of work: The best part of the Pi Prime is how easy and hassle-free it is to use. Using propane means there's no wood or ash to deal with and the whole thing can be setup in minutes.
❌ You don't like guesswork: There's no built-in temperature gauge on the Pi Prime, and while the flame adjustment knob has a recommended setting indicated on it, you'll still need a separate thermometer to know for sure.
❌ You're looking for that authentic, wood-fired flavor: The base version of Pi Prime runs only on propane. So if you really want a more classic wood-fired flavor, you'll have to pay more to upgrade.
🔎 The Solo Stove Pi Prime is the best overall pizza oven we'd recommend for most people. It's very easy to set up and use, it's affordable, and, of course, it cooks great pizza. We wish it had a built-in temperature gauge, but the compact design makes it portable so you can have an unforgettable pizza night anywhere you want. ★★★★★
The Pi Prime pizza oven from Solo Stove is the latest in their wide range of high-quality outdoor furniture. It combines a lot of great features with an affordable pricetag making it easy to rate it as the "Best Overall" pizza oven for most people.
Design: The circular design of the Pi Prime keeps the overall size of the oven relatively small which means it can fit almost anywhere in your backyard. It's even small and light enough to make it portable so you can have pizza night at a friend's house or even at the campground. It's not quite as small and light as the Ooni Fyra, but it's quite manageable. The best part is there's hardly any setup involved. Simply insert the stones and connect your propane tank and you're ready to go.
The stainless steel construction makes it durable so you can leave it outside without having to worry about it getting damaged. If you don't have a covered porch or other weather-proof place to store it long-term, I'd recommend picking up the cover for it, but it will still last even without it.
I do wish there was a built-in temperature gauge, but it's not the end of the world.
Performance: I was most impressed by how quickly the Pi Prime heated up. Every other oven I've tested took at least 25-30 minutes to be ready to cook, but the Pi Prime was ready for pies in about 15 minutes. And once preheated, nearly every pizza was fully cooked in about 90 seconds.
Luckily, we didn't have to sacrifice quality to get that speed. Every pizza I cooked, from plain cheese to tomato-basil was exceptional. The thin crust on the bottom was nice and crisp and the edges had that light airy texture you get from restaurant-quality pizza.
Value: My favorite thing about the Pi Prime is that you get all of this - a great design, fast cook time, and excellent flavor - all at a very affordable price. At $349, the Pi Prime is right in line with some of the more inexpensive ovens we've tested. If you want a wood-fired flavor, the Ooni Fyra is the same price and if 90 seconds isn't quick enough for you, the Gozney Arc will cook in as little as one minute.
Full review coming soon
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Design | High quality, simple, easy to use | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | Quick to preheat and cook with great results | ★★★★★ |
| Value | The perfect blend of quality and affordability | ★★★★★ |
The best wood fired pizza oven
✅ You want that authentic wood fired taste: If you're looking for that authentic, restaurant-quality pizza, the Ooni Fyra wood fired pizza oven is the best way to get it.
✅ You like learning new things: There's certainly a learning curve when getting a new pizza oven. For the Fyra, discovering the correct amount of wood pellets you'll need and how to efficiently insert, remove, and turn the pizzas is all part of the fun.
✅ You want pizza on the go: One of the more unique features of the Ooni Fyra is that it's portable. The entire oven can be taken apart and slid into a carrying case for easy transport so you can get that authentic wood-fired taste anywhere you go.
❌ You want large pizza: The Ooni Frya is definitely more of a personal pizza oven. It can only handle 12 inch pizzas, so if you want to cook family style, you'll need to look elsewhere or be prepared to be cooking for a while.
❌ You want to set and forget: If you don't want to be hands-on while your pizza cooks, the Fyra may not be for you. You'll need to keep an eye on the fire while it's on to make sure you have enough wood pellets and you'll need to be nearby to turn the pizzas regularly while they're cooking.
🔎 The Ooni Fyra is a great, compact, wood-fired pizza oven that gives you a deliciously authentic taste. Its portable design lets you take it with you anywhere and the thoughtful features make it easy to use. ★★★★★
The Ooni Fyra is a tried-and-true wood fired pizza oven from a brand that's been making quality pizza ovens for years. Our tester, Helen, found it easy to use and great at cooking authentic style pizza.
Design: The best part of the Fyra's design is how simple and compact it is. There are no screws or bolts required and all the pieces simply slot and twist together. The simple design also makes it portable. It's easy to pack up, head out, and be up and running in a minute or two.
Helen appreciated the thoughtful design features like the pellet scoop being the perfect size for loading the right amount of pellets into the fuel tray and how the pellet hopper gravity-feeds the fuel tray. It takes a bit of practice to learn how many pellets you need to keep the oven at the right temperature, but you'll pick it up quickly.
Performance: The Ooni Fyra exceeded expectations for Helen, particularly in how easy it was to light and fully heat the oven. The included lighter had the pellets burning quickly and the oven was ready in about 15 minutes. She highly recommends purchasing a digital infrared thermometer as there's not one included on the Fyra.
You'll also need a pizza peel. Loading ('Launching' in the industry vernacular) and removing the pizzas will take some practice so don't be disappointed with a few oddly shaped pizzas on your first few tries. You'll learn quickly though, as you'll need to turn the pizzas regularly while they're cooking. And patience is key as you'll need to let the pizza stone reheat between each one.
Value: At $349 retail, the Ooni Fyra lands itself right in the middle of the pack for some of the best pizza ovens we've tested, but we've seen it for as low as $270 on Amazon. Above that you'll find something like the Gozney Arc at $699 which cooks restaurant-quality pizzas in as little as 60 seconds. There's also the Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven that sits right on your kitchen counter and is the simplest on our list to use.
Read our full Ooni Fyra 12 Review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Compact and portable for great pizza cooking at home or on the go | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | Not overly complicated with great results, but it will take some practice | ★★★★★ |
| Value | Gives you the wood-fired taste you want, without breaking the bank. | ★★★★★ |
The best indoor pizza oven
✅ You want a hassle-free pizza oven: The Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven is incredibly easy to use. It's essentially a big toaster oven so you set the temperature, slide in the pizza, and you're ready to go. There's no fuel or anything to worry about.
✅ You have limited space: Not everyone has a great outdoor space to set up a pizza oven which makes this pizza oven a great choice. It sits comfortably on the kitchen counter so you can cook in any weather, and it's compact so you'll still have plenty of room for everything else.
✅ You want a great value: It's hard to argue with what you're getting here. It's easy to use, compact, and well priced.
❌ You prefer a quiet kitchen: While it's not disruptively loud, you'll certainly notice this pizza oven while it's on. So if you plan on having a lot of guests over or you just don't like lots of chaos in the kitchen, you might look elsewhere.
❌ You don't have a lot of prep time: This pizza oven can take as long as 30 minutes to be preheat, and potentially another 15-20 minutes to actually cook, so you'll need to plan ahead.
🔎 The Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven is the only one on our list designed specifically for indoor use. It uses electricity to cook, so without all that extra stuff to worry about, it's easy to use and perfectly safe to live on your kitchen counter. It may not give you all the flavor you're looking for, but it still cooks great pizza without a lot of fuss. ★★★★1/2
Cuisinart is no stranger to kitchen appliances, so it makes sense they would make a solid, kitchen-ready pizza oven. The Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven is compact, so it fits well on the kitchen counter and it's incredibly easy to use.
Design: Cuisinart's design language here is pretty smart in that it's quite inconspicuous. It doesn't stand out too much and honestly looks like any other large toaster oven might. That means it fits quite comfortably into any aesthetic and the silver, black, and red colors can match pretty much any decor.
With a simple dial for setting the temperature and a basic timer on the side, there's not much to think about when it's meal time. And the big front window and oven light let you watch the pizza cook in all it's glory. They've even included some suggested temperature settings right on the window for you.
Best of all, they include all the accessories you need, and aside from the pizza stone, they're all dishwasher safe so cleaning up is a cinch.
Performance: I was impressed with the results of the pizza oven, particularly considering it's not gas or wood-fired. I noticed it does tend to cook a little hotter on one side than the other (not uncommon for pizza ovens) so I recommend turning it halfway through cooking.
The crusts fluffed up nicely and the pepperonis had those nice crispy edges. Deep-dish pizza cooked just as well, but just be aware the deep-dish pan is quite heavy when full so you'll need two hands.
Value: Cuisinart lists the oven for $399, which is not the most expensive on our list, but it's also not the least. Luckily, it's easy to find on sale for less. The price isn't too unreasonable because you're really getting a completely uncomplicated pizza oven. The convenience and simplicity of it alone makes it a great option for your first pizza oven.
Read our full Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Compact and unassuming, with easy-to-use features | ★★★★ |
| Performance | Cooks great pizza without a lot of fuss | ★★★★ |
| Value | Priced competitively with extra convenience built-in | ★★★★★ |
The best compact pizza oven
✅ You want to cook pizza fast: Thanks to the unique design of the Arc, you can have hot fresh pizza ready to serve in as little as 60 seconds. You'll need to stay close so you can turn it when needed, but it's all part of the fun.
✅ You want to class up your backyard decor: There's no denying the slick design of the Gozney Arc. It looks unlike anything else on this list and will be sure to turn heads at your next backyard gathering.
✅ You want a cleaner cooking experience: The Gozney Arc is powered by propane or natural gas which means there's hardly any mess to worry about. There's no ash to deal with and it's much easier to regulate the temperature without trying to figure out how many logs or pellets to add.
❌ You don't have much time to prep: While the Arc's design helps it cook quickly and evenly, the downside is that it can take up to an hour to fully preheat, depending on the temperature you need. If you don't often have that kind of time before dinner, the Arc may not be for you.
❌ You're on a budget: The premium design and cooking experience of the Arc doesn't come cheap. While this is the least expensive Gozney pizza oven currently available, it's still one of the more expensive we've tested.
🔎 The Gozney Arc is one of the fastest cooking ovens on this list. Its unique design is both great to look at and for cooking delicious, restaurant-quality pizza in a snap. Just be prepared for the premium price tag. ★★★★★
The Gozney Arc is the latest pizza from one of the top names in the business. They've brought their extensive experience of building commercial pizza ovens into your backyard with a compact, premium designed pizza oven that can cook delicious pizza in as little as 60 seconds.
Design: The Gozney Arc looks similar to what you might find in a professional pizza kitchen, and for good reason: it's heavily inspired by Gozney's own commercial-grade pizza ovens. Unlike the professional-grade ovens, however, there's very little setup or installation required for the Arc. Once it's out of the box, there's a few small pieces to slot in place and that's it. The unique dome shape allows the flame to 'arc' up and across the entire roof of the oven which cooks every pizza quickly and evenly.
The Arc is also the most premium-looking oven we tested. It looks stunning in the backyard and will be certain to turn some heads at your next pizza night. It's easy to tell how well crafted the Arc is and that quality design language extends to Gozney's accessories as well. The serving peel, turning peel, pizza rocker and cutter our tester received were all high quality as well.
Performance: I was quite impressed that Gozney's claim of being able to cook a pizza in 60 seconds held true. Once it fully preheated to the desired temperature, the pizza was fully cooked in just one minute. The big downside here is that to reach that peak temperature of 950 degrees F, the oven had to preheat for a full hour. But the results were well worth it as the pizza was cooked perfectly every time with a thin, crispy bottom crust and a delicious, airy edge.
The design of the Arc allows for much more than just pizza to be cooked in it and I also had great success with cooking a steak, veggies, and homemade tortilla for tacos.
Value: The Gozney Arc is expensive, but for someone look to spend a little extra for top-tier pizza experience it's worth the investment. For something a bit more affordable, the Solo Stove Pi Prime is a great gas-powered pizza oven while the Breeo Live Fire Pizza Oven is the top-of-the-line.
Read our full Gozney Arc review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Compact, beautiful, premium design | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | Delicious pizza cooked blazingly fast | ★★★★★ |
| Value | Pricey, but good long-term value | ★★★★★ |
The best pizza oven for indoor or outdoor use
✅ For stone-baked flavor without the hassle: The Ooni Volt can cook delicious, restaurant-quality pizza at the push of a button (or, more accurately, turn of a dial) No external fuel required.
✅ You want to cook inside or outside: The Ooni Volt is the only oven on our list that's built to cook either in the kitchen or the backyard. You no longer have to worry about poor weather ruining pizza night.
✅ You want good pizza, fast: The temperature controls are easy to adjust and quick to respond to changes. So you can be ready to cook in about 30 minutes with hot fresh pizzas coming out every few minutes after.
❌ You want something portable: While the Ooni Volt can be used inside or out, it still has to be able to reach an outlet. If you want something you can take camping or to a friend's house, you'll need to look elsewhere.
❌ You'd like to store it outside: While it can be used outside, our tester doesn't recommend leaving it outdoors year-round. He suggests storing it someplace inside for the long term.
❌ You're looking to save money: As great as the Ooni Volt is, it comes at a price. For $1,000, there are plenty of other great pizza ovens around.
🔎 The Ooni Volt is expensive, but it absolutely delivers in every way. Our tester was immensely impressed by the quality of pizzas he got from the Volt, especially considering how little work is required to operate it. It's electric-powered and controlled with three simple knobs and cooks just as well as any fuel-powered outdoor oven. ★★★★1/2
Ooni is so good at making pizza ovens that they've secured two of our "Best of" categories. The Volt is their first electric-powered pizza oven, but as you'd expect, the quality is just as amazing as the rest of their lineup.
Design: The Ooni Volt 12 certainly takes inspiration from Ooni's other pizza ovens with it's trapezoid-like shape. It differs from the others in that it has no chimney (thanks to electricity) and no long legs to stand on. The downside is all those extra electrical components add some significant size and weight to it. The upside is that it retains heat incredibly well and is safe enough to use inside.
Even with the added bulk, it's also the simplest Ooni to use. The entire thing is operated with just three dials and is perfect for anyone just starting out on their pizza-making journey. The controls are granular enough that you can even adjust the heat balance in the oven while the pizzas are cooking.
Performance: Our tester, Dan, could not say enough great things about the quality of the pizza cooked in the Ooni Volt. He was impressed with how well the electrically-powered Volt was able to match the quality of other wood and gas-fired ovens he's tested.
Aside from a classic cheese pizza, he tested cold meats like prosciutto, salami, serrano ham, pepperoni and, of course, plenty of veggies. Everything he tested cooked perfectly evenly without needing any adjustments to the oven during the process - certainly not something that can be said for every pizza oven.
Value: Not only is the Ooni Volt the most expensive Ooni pizza oven on the market, it's also one of the most expensive we've ever tested. Even premium, gas-powered ovens like the Gozney Arc aren't this pricey. And Ooni's own wood-fired pizza ovens cook remarkably great pizza for hundreds of dollars less.
That being said, it's hard to argue with the combination of convenience and quality offered by the Ooni Volt. Sure, it's expensive, but it's also the least amount of work to get incredibly good pizza.
Read our full Ooni Volt 12 review
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price & availability | A lot of great features, at a hefty price | ★★★★ |
| Design | Thoughtfully intentional design | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | Extremely simple to use and cooks authentic stone-baked pizza | ★★★★★ |
The best premium pizza oven
✅ You don't want to deal with any setup: The Breeo Live-Fire Pizza Oven comes fully assembled in the box. Just slide in the pizza stones, set it on top of your fire pit and that's it.
✅ You want unbeatable craftsmanship: Every Breeo pizza oven (and fire pit) is handmade in the USA, and it shows. You can clearly see the exceptional craftsmanship and durability in every inch of the pizza oven.
✅ You want an authentic, wood-fired cooking experience: Cooking in the Breeo Live-Fire Pizza Oven is a truly enjoyable experience. It takes some work to get the fire going and manage the temperature, but that's all part of the experience.
❌ You want something more compact: The Breeo Live-Fire Pizza Oven is quite large and the stainless steel makes it heavy too. It's not something you'll want to move around a lot, especially since the compatible fire pits are heavy as well.
❌ You don't want to spend a lot: The pizza oven by itself is already quite expensive, but to make matters worse, it only works with a Breeo fire pit, which are also quite expensive.
❌ You want something easier to use: There's a fair amount of work involved in using the Breeo pizza oven. You need to build the fire, and continually maintain or adjust it as needed throughout the cook.
🔎 The Breeo Live-Fire Pizza Oven is one of the most expensive pizza ovens we've reviewed, especially considering it only works with Breeo's own compatible fire pits. But you certainly get what you pay for with exceptional craftsmanship and a truly enjoyable cooking experience. ★★★★1/2
The Breeo Live-Fire Pizza Oven will elevate your pizza night in almost every way possible. From the incredible quality and durability of the oven itself, to the wonderfully delicious pizza you get every time, it's hard to go wrong with it. It's not hard to see how much care, thoughtfulness, and intention goes into Breeo's products so you know you're getting what you pay for.
Design: The simple, modern design of the Breeo Live-Fire Pizza Oven (and accompanying fire pit) will add plenty of elegance and beauty to any backyard. The stainless-steel construction means it not only cooks well, but it can also withstand the elements and retain it's clean, industrial look for years to come.
The thicker pizza stones help retain more heat so there's less reheat time between pizzas and the temperature gauge on the side means you've got everything you need to start cooking great pizza (you'll still need a pizza peel, of course).
Performance: The great build quality extends beyond just the looks of the pizza oven. Every pizza we cooked in it came out hot, fresh, and delicious. The open window at the bottom gave us easy access to the fire below making it easy (and fun) to adjust the temperature of the fire as needed.
The design of the oven contributed to every pizza being cooked quickly and evenly, without too much charring on the bottom even after almost and entire half of pizza toppings were spilled on it.
Value: There's no getting around how expensive the Breeo Live-Fire Pizza Oven is. The oven itself is nearly as much as the Ooni Volt, but you also can't even use it without a Breeo fire pit, which also are a tad pricey. For quite a bit less you can grab the premium and fast-cooking Gozney Arc and our best overall recommendation, the Solo Stove Pi Prime, starts at only $350.
That being said, you certainly get quite a lot for the price. The Breeo pizza oven will last for years to come and gives you delicious pizza consistently, every time you use it. Plus, the live-fire cooking experience is truly enjoyable.
Full review coming soon
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price & availability | Quite expensive, but worth the investement | ★★★★ |
| Design | Exceptional design, unbeatable quality | ★★★★★ |
| Performance | Deliciously great pizza that's fun to cook | ★★★★★ |
How to choose the best pizza oven for you
If you're considering a pizza oven, there's a few things you'll want to keep in mind during you're search for the best one for you:
Size
While most every pizza oven we tested will cook about the same size pizza (12-14 inches), they varied quite widely in the physical size of the oven itself. The first thing you'll need to find is a place for your oven to live. Some indoor ones will fit well on a kitchen counter, while others will need a dedicated spot outside. It's a good idea to find a good place for it first so then you'll have an idea of how big an oven you can get.
Fuel
The fuel source is critical to your decision. If you don't have a lot of room to store firewood or you live in a place that's difficult to get natural gas or propane (like a small apartment, say) you might want to look at an electric one. Some might prefer a wood-burning oven so you can try out different types of wood to experiment with the flavors a bit. The fuel source can also impact the cook time and consistency so keep that in mind as well.
Cleaning and maintenance
One of the best things about pizza ovens is that there is typically very little cleaning or maintenance involved, but there's still some depending on the type of oven you purchase. For the most part, you'll need to brush or gently wash down (no soap) the stone(s) along with the peel and that's about it. For the fire-burning ovens, you'll need to clean out any ash left every so often, and for the gas ones, just make sure you have enough propane for your next cook. That's essentially it.
Price
As you've seen from our list here, the prices for pizza ovens vary quite a lot so knowing your budget is one of, if not the first, step in your buying process. While the lowest end of the spectrum starts at around $150, our recommendations start at closer to $300-$350. At the very top of the list is the Breeo pizza oven - with accompanying fire pit - for a cool $2,749 before taxes (luckily they're nice enough to offer free shipping for that price).
For our part, we found that every oven we tested cooked good pizza (certainly better than most fast-food pizza shops) with the differences being mainly in the time it took from start to finish and the versatility of the oven.
How we tested these pizza ovens
How we test the best pizza ovens
All pizza ovens we tested either met or exceeded our expectations. The pizzas were crisp and evenly cooked with only a few burnt pieces, mostly due to user error. We tested a range of fuel sources and pizza oven designs - everything from simple toaster-style electric ovens to beautifully designed live-fire pizza ovens that cook over a fire pit. In every case, we were able to get great tasting pizza that will rival almost any restaurant and certainly beat frozen pizza any day.
Each oven also varied quite widely in the amount of work required to both operate the oven itself, and cook the pizzas. Some were literally plug-and-play ovens with a plug and a few dials to operate. Others required us to build and maintain a full fire throughout our cooking.
One of the best things we discovered is that almost every pizza oven we tested is perfectly capable of cooking more than just pizza. From focaccia bread and veggies to a full-blown skirt steak, whatever you can feasibly fit into the over should cook pretty well. There are dozens, if not hundreds of recipes out there for cooking a whole range of foods in your pizza oven.
We also found the cooking experience with almost all of these ovens to be quite enjoyable. While you technically can cook pizza well in a typical household oven, have a dedicated pizza oven outside really elevated our pizza nights to a fully enjoyable experience with friends and family. It's hard to put a price on that.
Quick tip: there's usually very little cleaning and maintenance required for pizza ovens, but just be careful to never use soap on the pizza stones as that can cause them to crack and break. Warm water and/or a steel brush is all you need.
Find out more about how we test pizza ovens and other small and major appliances.
