Creating restaurant-quality pizza at home has never been more accessible for British food enthusiasts. The market for domestic pizza equipment now offers a staggering range, from simple, affordable tools to professional-grade outdoor ovens. To find the best options for every budget, we conducted an extensive, weeks-long test of three leading contenders.
The Contenders: From Countertop to Garden Centrepiece
The spectrum of home pizza gear is as varied as a topping selection. On the affordable end sits the humble carbon-steel slab designed for your existing oven. At the opposite extreme lies the ultimate splurge: a substantial hybrid outdoor oven, often powered by propane, that can become the focal point of your garden cooking. Bridging the gap is the dedicated electric countertop oven, offering far superior performance to any standard toaster oven.
Importantly, modern pizza equipment is rarely a single-use gadget. Pizza steels excel at baking crusty artisan bread. New electric ovens provide precise temperature control for baking, broiling, and toasting. High-end outdoor models can roast meats and vegetables as expertly as they blister a Neapolitan-style base.
How We Put the Pizza Makers to the Test
Our testing was rigorous and consistent. Using standard supermarket bread flour, canned tomatoes, olive oil, and mozzarella, we prepared multiple batches of identical pizza dough. Each dough ball was portioned with a digital scale and underwent slow fermentation in the refrigerator.
Every pizza was sized to 12-13 inches, with sauce and cheese meticulously weighed for uniformity. Over several days, we baked three pies per device, monitoring temperatures with an infrared gun and timing each cook to achieve a well-done finish. We also evaluated ease of use, handling, and cleanup.
Best Budget Pizza Maker: Baking Steel Original
Priced at $129 (approximately £100), the Baking Steel Original represents exceptional value for money. This rectangular slab of pre-seasoned carbon steel is virtually indestructible and requires minimal maintenance. Its main strength is producing an excellently crisp, charred crust, though it demands patience: a proper preheat takes 45 to 60 minutes at 260C (500F).
In our tests, pizzas baked consistently in about eight minutes, with even browning of cheese and crust. The steel retained enough heat for two pies consecutively. Cleanup is simple—hand wash with soap and dry thoroughly. The only notable drawback is the need to crouch when launching a pie if the steel is positioned near the oven's top broiler element.
Verdict: For beginners, the value is undeniable. You sacrifice speed, but gain a lifetime tool that dramatically improves home-baked pizza and bread.
Best Mid-Range Pizza Maker: Ooni Volt 2 Indoor Electric Oven
The Ooni Volt 2, costing $699 (around £550), is all about speed and convenience. Its biggest advantage is rapid preheating, reaching over 360C (683F) for Neapolitan-style pizza in just 20 minutes. The electric element heats a cordierite stone evenly, requiring no pizza rotation during the eight-minute cook time.
This model is versatile, featuring preset modes for Neapolitan, thin and crispy, and pan pizza, plus proofing, broiling, and standard oven functions. The large viewing window and interior light make monitoring easy. However, its controls have a learning curve, and its 38lb (17kg) weight makes moving it on a countertop somewhat awkward.
Verdict: If pizza night is a weekly ritual, the Ooni Volt 2's speed and consistent results can justify the investment for the dedicated home cook.
Best Splurge Pizza Oven: Gozney Dome XL Propane
At the pinnacle sits the Gozney Dome XL, with a price tag of $2,800 (roughly £2,200). This outdoor propane-fired oven is for the serious entertainer, offering immense capacity—it can comfortably fit three 10-inch pizzas—and extreme heat exceeding 480C (900F).
It delivers a true restaurant-quality experience, with beautiful char and classic leopard-spotting on the crust in about four minutes. The oven is remarkably capable beyond pizza, easily handling roasts, vegetables, and tall loaves of bread. It includes a digital controller showing both air and stone temperatures. The primary barriers are its 161lb (73kg) weight and its cost, which demands significant outdoor space and usage to warrant the expense.
Verdict: An exceptional performer for those who frequently host and can utilise its full capacity, but a substantial leap in price and footprint from mid-range options.
Final Slice: Choosing Your Perfect Pizza Maker
The ideal choice hinges on your budget, frequency of use, and available space. For novices or those seeking maximum value, the Baking Steel is a superb starting point that enhances your existing oven. For regular bakers wanting convenience and faster results indoors, the Ooni Volt 2 is a powerful countertop solution. For the ultimate outdoor cooking centrepiece and unparalleled performance for crowds, the Gozney Dome XL stands alone, provided the investment aligns with your culinary ambitions.
