Are you looking to invest in an at-home pizza oven to enjoy all year round? Then you have come to the right place, whether you are adamant you know what you’re after, or you’re unsure where to start. We have put together a guide to help you choose the right pizza oven for your home.
Chances are you have cooked a pizza in a conventional oven at some stage, and since you’re looking to take things a step further and invest in a pizza oven, you have probably tasted the joy of a pizza cooked in a pizza oven. Crisp dough, perfectly melted cheese, the smell of woodsmoke drifting upwards, it’s the perfect sensory experience. So what makes it that much better? Cooking the perfect pizza in a pizza oven is an art; it should cook in just 2 to 5 minutes in an oven heated to 350-400°C, which isn't possible in most conventional ovens and the unique shape of the oven makes for an even distribution of heat. So while a conventional kitchen oven is designed to heat things quickly, a pizza oven is more about taking your time to create a unique experience.
Pizza ovens can be made of brick, stainless steel, aluminium, and other materials. And while all of these options could work great in your backyard, your style of cooking and the experience you’re after may dictate which oven would work best for you. So read on to discover the best pizza oven option for your home!
Pizza oven types
Some may be surprised to know that there are many types of pizza ovens on the market. Options can vary in size, price and style and can suit many different outdoor settings. Below are some typical examples of the types of options available:
Portable Pizza Oven
Smaller ovens that you can move around your outdoor area. You can choose to store these away when it is not being used or take it with you to relocate to a new home. An example of a small, portable pizza oven is the Ooni. It uses wood pellets and a small stainless steel compartment to superheat the pizza and cook in less than a minute.
Pizza Oven Kits
This type of oven is perfect for the homeowner looking to build their own. These kits are where you can purchase prefabricated pieces and assemble them yourself. A pizza oven kit is commonly made up of four simple elements: chimney, oven dome, oven floor, and base. Little to no building work is needed to install a pizza oven kit, but there is a lot of freedom to make it as simple or complex as possible. Aztec Fires offers DIY pizza oven kits that you can build yourself if you’re looking for a weekend project. These cost around $2,300 plus freight. They’re your classic concrete oven with fire bricks on the base to hold the heat in terms of style. These are more traditional in their design and build.
Fully Assembled Pizza Ovens
The pieces are assembled for you and delivered as a complete oven, ready for you to fire up and enjoy. With a concrete shell, stainless steel black chimney, heat-storing bricks on the base, and a stylish stand, they’re ready to go as soon as they arrive with no work required. They’re perfect for traditional stone-baked pizzas cooking at home.
DIY Pizza Oven
Building your own pizza oven can come with its pros and cons. We suggest making sure you do your research first before diving into the deep end. There are many options to consider and guides you can follow. From building up your own dome using bricks and concreting it in, you can follow any number of videos on YouTube to create a pizza oven. Articles like this one will teach you how to build your own pizza oven at home.
Have one custom made
If you’re looking for something unique and original, then paying a professional to build you something bespoke can be an option worth considering. However, this option can be more expensive than the other options listed above and comes down to your budget. For many, it depends on the level of work required and their budget as to whether buying a pre-made oven or having one built is the better option.
Why not explore the many types and the wide range of pizza oven options available on the market in more depth? Our companion article, ‘The different types of pizza ovens explained’, might be a great place to start. Otherwise, read on to learn more about the factors that might impact the route you take towards adding a pizza oven to your outdoor area.
Location of your pizza oven
Before you start your journey toward deciding on the right pizza oven for you, it is essential to factor in where the pizza oven will be located.
If you plan to make your pizza oven a permanent fixture, it’s worth noting that it will become a permanent feature of the home. Are you ready for this to be as much a part of your home as your kitchen or garage? If not, then look for a design that’s easier to relocate. For example, one on a steel stand might be a better option if you want the freedom to relocate it in the future.
The task of finding the right location for your pizza oven can be made simpler by considering a few factors. How much space do you have available? Will it be used all year round? If so, how can you access it during the colder, wetter months of the year?
You should also think about the overall appearance of your oven and how well it will fit into its surroundings.
Choosing a wood-fired or gas pizza oven
Once the oven is thoroughly heated, you will achieve the same temperatures and bake with both pizza ovens. However, wood can create a more moist pizza. That’s because, as the wood burns, it releases moisture into the baking chamber. The choice of wood used can massively impact the flavour of the pizza; experimenting with different wood types can lead to an exciting journey in perfecting pizza flavours!
With all pizza ovens, you are not only limited to cooking restaurant-worthy pizza, but you can also cook succulent roasts or slow-cooking stews for family and friends. In addition, the incredible heat retention of a pizza oven can allow you to cook for up to two hours, even after the fire goes out.
Companies like Masport sell gas-powered pizza ovens, and these retail for around $1,500.
Wood-fired ovens are the traditional option for the stone-baked pizza lover. These ovens also reach heat in three ways: fire refraction, thermal re-distribution, and heat from a hot coal base such as wood.
On the other hand, a gas-fired pizza oven can mean less maintenance and clean-up as there is no build-up of wood embers. In addition, you may find a gas pizza oven that can heat up faster in the dome and centre of the oven but slower on the floor. This is because there is no coal base transferring heat between floor tiles as the heat source is limited to flame only. So as the flame heats the dome, it radiates down to heat the floor, and this can also mean that heating time may become longer with gas.
Pizza Oven Accessories
Make cooking a pizza easier and more fun by investing in a range of cooking accessories. Below are our must-have pizza oven accessories, including some from our own premium range of cooking accessories.
Pizza Paddle
This is essential for putting your pizza into the oven and taking it out again while staying far from the heat of the oven. Some models have folding handles to save space, or they can be easily hooked to the side of the pizza oven. Traditionally, pizza paddles were made of wood, but today's models are more commonly made from stainless steel to make them more robust. A long-handled pizza paddle makes manoeuvring and managing your pizzas easier than ever while also being easy to clean.
Pizza Oven Stand
Depending on the type of pizza oven option you choose to go for, your pizza oven may come mounted onto a moveable stand. Due to the size and weight of a pizza oven, most will need to be attached to a solid and sturdy base, but additions such as wheels or castors can make them easy to relocate should you need to. If you opt for a brick oven, moving it around regularly can result in cracks in the pizza oven’s structure, so it’s best to keep your traditional stone-baked pizza oven as a permanent feature.
Rocker Pizza Cutter
Slice your pizza perfectly every time with this arched pizza cutter. When you invest in a rocker pizza cutter, you can cut the entire width of your pizza in one easy rocking motion, meaning you will never lose your pizza toppings again by slicing! A rocker cutter slices through with ease without pushing toppings off as roller cutters do.
Pizza Hood
Transform your outdoor fireplace into a pizza oven with our innovative pizza hood, including pizza stone and laser thermometer. Designed specifically for authentic wood-fired pizza perfection, in an outdoor fireplace without the need of a pizza oven.
Where to buy an authentic pizza oven
For some people, the idea of building a pizza oven is the fun behind such an addition to their home. For others, having the oven ready to use as soon as possible and without any manual effort is the goal!
So if you’re looking to create an unforgettable dining experience at home, then an authentic wood-fired pizza oven is the perfect addition to any outdoor space.
There are several options to enjoy wood-fired authentic pizza in the comfort of your own backyard, whether it be with a pizza oven or an outdoor fireplace complimented by one of our cooking accessories. The opportunities are endless to create the ultimate cooking experience!
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