The revolution of at-home pizza making began a few years ago and shows no sign of stopping. These versatile, impressive ovens can be found in many gardens across the UK, delivering fresh and delicious pizza to the masses – usually after a little trial and error.
A few years ago, the market was dominated by two brands, Ooni and Gozney, with products flying off the shelves. However, there is now plenty of choice across a whole range of price points, including those fuelled by wood, gas, or a combination of both.
While takeaway pizza will always have a place in our hearts, if you want to take your slice of Italy to the next level – piping hot and as fresh as can be – you will want to invest in one of the best pizza ovens on the market.
In this year’s list, we have added all the new ovens we have tested since our last round-up and removed those that have been bested by more recent innovations. Keep reading for our pick of the best pizza ovens to buy in 2026.
How we tested
We have been testing pizza ovens since they first started appearing, and we like to think we are getting good at producing classic Neapolitans with delicious puffy crusts and charring (known as leopard-spotting), which complements the simple mozzarella and tomato topping.
We also expanded our testing repertoire to include calzone (where oven chamber size allowed), which is a real test of controllability and versatility. Pre-heating is incredibly important, so we timed each oven to see how long it would keep you waiting before cooking, and then kept the stopwatch handy to see how long each one took to cook. We also looked at ovens’ heat retention – an important factor if you are cooking multiple pizzas and do not want to wait too long for the oven to get back up to temperature after the first cook.
The best pizza ovens for 2026 are:
- Best overall – Zanussi pizza oven, ZGP01PC: £249
- Best budget buy – Zanussi pizza oven, ZP01BC: £199
- Best for different pizza styles – Ninja woodfire electric artisan pizza maker: £349.99
- Best large pizza oven – Ooni koda 2 max: £899
1. Zanussi pizza oven, ZGP01PC – Best Overall
Fuel type: Gas | Max pizza size: 12in | Weight: 10.6kg | Warranty: One year
Why we love it: Great pizza, fast to heat, fast to cook, simple to use, paddle included.
Take note: No thermometer.
This little black box produces fantastic pizza. It takes monitoring and practice – we had to turn the pizza four times to ensure even cooking – but we had a perfect margherita within a minute. The included paddle makes it easy to lift the pizza from the square stone. The oven is easy to operate: one large dial ignites the gas burner and allows you to set the heat to high, medium, or low. The ceramic stone retains heat well. The U-shaped, stainless-steel, fold-out legs make it sturdy and portable, and it comes with a carry cover. Best of all, it is far cheaper than other ovens, saving you hundreds of pounds. However, there is no thermometer, so it takes a little practice.
2. Zanussi pizza oven, ZP01BC – Best Budget Buy
Fuel type: Wood pellets | Max pizza size: 12in | Weight: 10kg | Warranty: One year
Why we love it: Makes delicious pizza, fast, great price.
Take note: Lacks heat insulation, no thermometer, slow to heat.
This oven took a while to heat up (17 minutes in cold weather), but it rewards you with exceptional pizza in around a minute. The pellet hopper is easy to fill and maintain, and the flame rolls nicely over the oven roof. You will need to use the included peel to avoid overcooking. The oven makes an excellent Neapolitan with a delicious crust and good cheese melt. The pellets lend a characteristic wood-fired smokiness for hundreds of pounds less than the competition. It also comes with a sturdy carry cover.
3. Ooni karu 2 pro – Best Premium Pizza Oven
Fuel type: Wood, charcoal and gas | Max pizza size: 16in | Weight: 28kg | Warranty: Five years
Why we love it: Glass door for perfect crust, digital thermometer, meat probe, fast to heat and cook.
Take note: Gas burner attachment sold separately, expensive, crucial accessories sold separately.
Ooni’s latest addition has a cooking surface wide enough for 16in pizzas and reaches temperature in about 20 minutes. The digital temperature hub ensures good control, with a display turning from green to red when ready. The glass door keeps moisture in, making the dough delightfully chewy. The internal height of 5.4in makes it perfect for calzone. There is a plug-in probe for cooking proteins, making this a versatile oven. However, it is very expensive and does not include essential kit like pizza peels.
4. Gozney roccbox pizza oven – Best Gas Pizza Oven
Fuel source: Gas or wood | Dimensions: 53.1cm x 47.3cm x 41.3cm | Max pizza size: 11in | Max temperature: 500C | Weight: 20kg
Why we love it: No need to turn pizzas, available in a range of colours, outer layer stays cool.
Take note: Thermometer on the side, not the front.
The roccbox consistently produces succulent Neapolitans. Its unique shape elongates the flame, creating perfect crisp crusts and well-melted cheese. It has an effective thermometer and can be used on both gas and wood. Pizzas cook in about a minute. There is no door, so heat retention could be better, but this is an excellent oven for the price.
5. Ooni koda 2 max – Best Large Pizza Oven
Fuel type: Gas | Max pizza size: 20in | Weight: 38kg | Warranty: Five years
Why we love it: Can cook three pizzas at once, can cook pizza and steak at different temperatures, delicious pizza.
Take note: Heating takes a while, expensive.
With 24in of internal cooking area, you can have up to three pizzas on the go. The oven is split with two gas burners, allowing you to cook pizza on one side and sear a steak on the other. The dual temperature regions require an accurate gauge and a clever app. We found we hardly needed to turn our pizzas. It is a lot of oven and, at £900, a lot of money. Essential accessories are not included.
6. Morso forno spin – Best Rotating Oven
Fuel type: Gas | Max pizza size: 12in | Weight: 17kg | Warranty: One year
Why we love it: Eye-catching looks, rotates for even baking.
Take note: Requires mains power to rotate.
This Danish brand’s pizza oven looks like it has landed from outer space. It produced very good pizza, and the wide mouth and dome ensured calzone was a triumph. It was ready to go in just 13 minutes, and pizzas cooked in about 90 seconds. The aluminium oven has excellent heat retention. However, unlike other rotating ovens that are battery-powered, this one requires mains power, which may require an extension cord.
7. Gozney dome pizza oven – Best for Outdoor Kitchens
Fuel source: Dual fuel | Dimensions: 63.2cm x 73.4cm x 66cm | Max pizza size: 16in | Max temperature: 500C | Weight: 58kg
Why we love it: Roomy for larger pizzas, great heat retention, stylish.
Take note: Expensive, slow to heat.
This oven can cook with both wood and gas. The sizeable opening easily swallows a 15-16in pizza, cooking it in two minutes. There is room for a couple of smaller pizzas. It reached cooking temperature in around 50 minutes, but the mounted digital thermometer was accurate. The dome produced wonderful Neapolitan pizza with a perfect crust. The insulation was fabulous. However, it is one of the most expensive ovens on the market.
8. Ooni volt 12 electric pizza oven – Best Indoor Pizza Oven
Fuel source: Electric | Dimensions: 27.9cm x 52.9cm x 61.7cm | Max pizza size: 12in | Max temperature: 450C | Weight: 17.8kg
Why we love it: Can be used indoors and outdoors, boost setting included.
Take note: Bulky to store, expensive.
This is the only indoor/outdoor pizza oven on the British market, perfect for British weather. It is electric, so no faffing with kindling. It has top and bottom heating elements for control over heat direction. Three front-mounted dials control timing, temperature, and heat direction. A light lets you see the pizza cooking, and a chime signals when up to temperature. The boost setting maintains temperature when the door is opened. Our Neapolitan was ready in 90 seconds, with a lovely bite and evenly melted mozzarella. However, electric ovens do not quite match the flavours of flame-cooked pizza.
9. Witt piccolo rotante – Best Budget Rotating Oven
Fuel type: Gas | Max pizza size: 13in | Weight: 26kg | Warranty: 30-day return policy
Why we love it: Compact size, foolproof pizza making.
Take note: No carry case, no thermometer.
This Danish manufacturer has shrunk the Etna rotante but kept the rotating stone that ensures perfectly leopard-spotted crust. It offers a controllable flame that fans around the dough in a C-shape. Heat-up time was around 12-15 minutes, and heat retention was brilliant. Controls are straightforward, with a dial for the main burner and a button to start the stone turning. It churned out foolproof Neapolitans, but calzones were trickier due to the compact design. There is no carry cover yet.
10. Gozney tread – Best for All Terrains
Fuel type: Gas | Max pizza size: 12in | Weight: 13kg | Warranty: Five years
Why we love it: Robust and lightweight, fast to cook and heat.
Take note: No accessory bundles available, limited room to manoeuvre.
Gozney’s tread oven is designed for portability. The ‘venture’ stand allows setup on any terrain with self-levelling legs. The gas burner on the left provides a lateral flame that arcs over the inside. It gets up to temperature in about 13-15 minutes. Once ready, turning down the flame ensures even cooking. Perfect pizza in less than a minute. Insulation is fabulous, and it cools quickly. However, at 13kg, it is not that compact, and the awkward shape makes it clumsy to move despite the carry handles.
11. Ninja woodfire electric artisan pizza maker – Best for Different Pizza Styles
Fuel type: Electric | Max pizza size: 12in | Weight: 18kg | Warranty: Two years
Why we love it: Easy to use, innovative smoker.
Take note: No window, electric so slightly soggy pizza.
This Ninja model is electric but not for indoor use due to the real-wood pellet element that produces smoke. It can cook 12in pizzas from artisan to New York style, with a Calzone setting. Each setting adjusts pre-heating and temperature. The artisan had a lovely charred taste, while the New York was moist and chewy. The calzone was particularly impressive. The real-wood pellets add a smoky flavour, but we found pizzas tasted better without them. As an electric oven, it cannot get as hot as wood or gas, so pizzas may be slightly soggy.
Outdoor pizza ovens FAQs
Types of pizza oven
You have a choice between wood-fired, gas, and multi-fuel pizza ovens – the latter gives the option of wooden pellets, charcoal, and gas attachments. There are also electric pizza ovens, but these are rarer.
Pizza oven care and maintenance
You do not need to worry about cleaning the inside of a wood-fired oven, as high temperatures kill bacteria. Use water sparingly as it can damage the oven. Bits of food will burn to ash, which you can sweep away with a brush or vacuum. Clean the chimney at least once a year. To clean the pizza stone, gently scrape off food and use a minimal amount of hot water and a brush. Avoid cleaning chemicals. For the outside, remove smudges with a damp cloth and polish with a microfiber cloth. Heat a stone or brick oven for a few hours before first use to reduce cracking. Invest in a pizza oven cover to protect it from the weather.
What to look for in a pizza oven
The most important thing is heat – can it reach around 500C fast enough? Make sure it is the right size for your space. Go for a metal oven if you want quick heating, but note they are less effective at retaining heat.
Types of pizza oven accessories
Accessories like a pizza peel (shovel-like tool for moving dough) are helpful. Other accessories include BBQ oven gloves, an electric fire starter, and a thermometer gun.
What else can you cook in a pizza oven?
Pizza ovens are great for roasted vegetables, baked or grilled fish, steak, jacket potatoes, smoked meats, and freshly made bread.
The verdict: Pizza ovens
The Zanussi ZGP01PC pizza oven produces consistently great Neapolitans with crisp bases and lightly charred crusts. Price and portability add to its appeal. However, if you want to expand your outdoor cooking repertoire, upgrade to the Ooni karu 2 pro – from pizza to protein, there is nothing this oven cannot handle.
