We tested seven top pizza ovens—from gas to wood-fired to electric—to find the ones worth firing up at home. If you’re passionate about pizza, a pizza oven is a must-have gadget. Seven years ago, I tested my first pizza oven, the Gozney Roccbox, and since then, these appliances have moved from niche product to a must-have for family get-togethers and entertaining.
Outdoor pizza ovens are now far easier to use, with manufacturers making them simpler to light, cook in, and clean up afterwards. There’s also a host of accessories to prevent overly charred results. From electric models for fuss-free pizza-making to wood-fired ovens for an authentic smoky flavour, read on to discover the best pizza oven for you.
Best electric pizza oven: Ninja Artisan electric outdoor pizza oven & air fryer MO201UK. I’ve spent the past decade sampling outdoor kit, building stands, lugging gas bottles and making fires. If indoorsy me can make amazing pizza using these ovens, then so can you. The fastest part of the process is baking the pizza; everything leading up to that—unpacking, assembling, connecting fuel or starting a fire, and getting the oven up to heat—takes time.
Each oven took me half a day to test, including assessing heat-up time, consistency of temperature, and baking three pizzas: a cheese and tomato at about 430C, a veggie pizza at 280-350C, and a salami-topped pizza at about 350-400C. I used premade dough for consistency. All seven ovens put in a reasonable or excellent performance. I scored each for assembly, ease of lighting, overall use, consistency of heat, quality of pizza and storage.
Gas-powered pizza ovens tend to be the most practical, using bottled gas for an easily controlled flame that creates quick, consistent heat. Battery-powered ignition means no need for matches, and most burn at high temperature to pyrolytically clean the stone. However, safety is a concern: gas connections must be checked regularly for leaks, and the intense heat can be a fire risk to nearby materials. Gas can also be expensive and sometimes tricky to obtain.
