In the last few years, pizza ovens have become as much of a backyard staple as a grill. There are many options for making restaurant-quality pies at home in a range of styles. What’s more, many models allow you to change up the fuel type, and some even allow you to do more than simply fire off pizzas. I’ve compiled a list of the best pizza ovens that you can buy right now, with selections for multi-fuel ovens, compact designs and indoor pizza parties. I’ve also included some buying advice on what to consider before you commit and how to get the most out of your at-home pizza making experience.
Table of contents
Best outdoor pizza ovens for 2025
Power source: Multi‑fuel — runs on wood or charcoal out of the box; can be upgraded with optional propane or natural gas burner attachments | Dimensions: 32 .6″ H × 31.9″ D × 19.6″ W
The Karu 2 Pro is the successor to the Karu 16, and Ooni made a number of improvements to the multi-fuel oven in the process. You still get the option of wood, charcoal or gas (add-on required), and that maximum temperature of 950 degrees Fahrenheit will cook a Neapolitan-style pizza in about a minute. The 17-inch stone allows you to cook larger pies and the Karu 2 Pro’s 5.7-inch internal height makes it well-suited for baking and roasting.
This oven is also equipped with the Ooni Connect Digital Temperature Hub: a front-facing display that shows oven temperature and food probe readings in real time. That Hub is also Bluetooth enabled, so you can keep tabs on the preheating process or internal food temperature (handy for steaks) without staring directly at the oven.
- Cooks up to 16-inch pizzas
- Digital temperature display with Bluetooth
- Tall cooking area is good for baking and roasting
Solo Stove
Power source: Propane gas only | Dimensions: 15.5″ H × 20.5″ W × 20.5″ D
Ooni’s pizza ovens are outstanding and Solo Stove’s Pi is a solid second option, but when it comes to ease of use, the latter company’s Pi Prime is where it’s at. This is the best outdoor pizza oven for most people, combining the ease of a propane burner with a wide curved opening for unrestricted access when rotating pies. The Pi Prime has a similar circular dome design to the Pi, which is an aesthetic the company borrowed from its fire pits.
That big opening on the front also allows you to monitor progress without opening a door. Front-mounted temperature controls make for easy adjustments and the gas-burning setup means you can focus on making great pizza rather than feeding wood to the flame. The Pi Prime can hit up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a great option for Neapolitan-style pizzas that bake in as little as 90 seconds.
- Open-front design
- Uses propane fuel
- Front-mounted temperature controls
- Doesn’t support wood fuel source
Ooni
Power source: Wood pellets only | Dimensions: 31.4″ L × 15.7″ W × 30.3″ H
Ooni’s best compact outdoor option also happens to be a multi-fuel pizza oven. The Fyra was great if you also had a pellet grill (and an ample supply of pellets), but the Karu line offers the perks of wood, charcoal and gas (add-on required). Weighing 26.5 pounds, the Karu 12’s smaller design — which includes folding legs — makes it convenient for smaller spaces, camping and pizza parties away from home. You can still expect a maximum temperature of 950 degrees Fahrenheit, so those Neapolitan-style pizzas will only take around 60 seconds here.
- More affordable
- Easy to transport
- Multi-fuel ready
- Limited to 12-inch pizzas
- Gas operation requires an extra purchase
- Front cover doesn’t allow you to see inside
Best indoor pizza ovens in 2025
Let me preface this section by saying you probably already have an indoor option that you can use to make some great pizza. Whether that’s the main oven in your kitchen or a multi-function countertop unit, with some affordable accessories, you can easily up your game without spending $1,000 on a dedicated appliance. For example, my Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer has a convection pizza setting that automatically adjusts cook time based on the size, oven temperature and whether the pie is fresh or frozen. A key consideration here is size. These things are massive, about the size of a large microwave, so you likely won’t want to keep them out all the time unless you have a huge kitchen.
Billy Steele for Engadget
Power source: Electric (indoor only model, dual heating elements) | Dimensions: 10.3″ H × 17.4″ W × 21.4″ D
The original Ooni Volt brought the company’s reliable pizza ovens indoors, but that model was massive — and massively expensive. The redesign for the Volt 2 thankfully includes a lower price among the upgrades. The company also opted for easier-to-understand, button-based controls and installed a large temperature display up front. There are adaptive, Pizza Intelligence-powered presets for Neapolitan, Thin & Crispy or Pan Pizza that will get you firing up pies without much effort, and they’re all customizable if you want to make some tweaks. You can also store two custom modes once you perfect your method. What’s more, dedicated oven and broil modes allow you to bake, roast and more.
If you like your pizza a little more brown on top, the Volt 2 offers a Crisping Intensity control for that. The oven also has a Dough Proofing Mode that can set the temperature as low at 70 degrees Fahrenheit when you need a consistent spot to prep. There’s a removable, dishwasher-safe filter for steam and smoke. And perhaps most importantly, the Volt 2 is smaller than its predecessor. If you’re worried an electric model won’t get hot enough, rest assured the Volt 2’s 850-degree maximum temperature is plenty of power to cook Neapolitan pizzas in under two minutes. The oven’s Boost Mode pushes extra heat through the top element to ensure consistent results for that style.
- Indoor cooking with all the perks of an outdoor oven
- Easy to understand controls and handy presets
- Plenty of room for exploration
- Costs less than the original model
- Smaller, but still pretty big
- Exterior stays warm for a while after use
What to look for in a pizza oven
When shopping for a home oven or dedicated pizza oven, you’ll first want to consider what types of pies you plan to make. Most portable pizza ovens from the likes of Ooni, Solo Stove and others use wood burning fuel and are primarily designed for the high-heat cooking required for light and airy Neapolitan-style pizzas. We’re talking high temperatures up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. These units can certainly cook different styles of pizza at cooler temperatures, but the learning curve is easiest when you’re running them wide open with a full load of wood.
You’ll also want to consider alternate fuel types. If you purchase a propane or natural gas burner, you can adjust temperatures easily by turning a knob. For this reason, I recommend you spend the extra $100 or so on that accessory. This dual-fuel option makes your pizza oven a lot more versatile and gives you the option to still have a freshly fired pie when you don’t feel like messing with wood or charcoal. If you only want to cook with gas, there are models available that only use propane or natural gas.
The other key consideration for aspiring pizza makers is size. Most companies make ovens that fit 12-inch pizzas, a perfect size for a personal pan pizza. They’re also great for pizza parties, since people can customize their own without having to pick off toppings they don’t like. If you want to make larger pizzas or plan to use your oven for other things (pans, etc), consider a larger version that can accommodate more than just small pies. The interior dimensions – or at the very least the pizza stone size – will be listed on most product pages.
How to prepare before outdoor cooking
Making good pizza at home requires a considerable amount of counter or table space. You’ll need room to stretch and prep your pizza dough, lay out your mozzarella, other cheeses and toppings and load pies onto a peel. Of course, some folks will be comfortable working in the tight confines of a small kitchen, but I’ve found it much easier to use extra space to make sure I’m not constantly moving things around during the various steps in the process.
It’s also less hassle to set up your pizza-making station in close proximity to your oven. As a pizza-baking beginner, I did the running back and forth from the kitchen to the back porch. It’s far from ideal. It’s difficult to maintain your fire (if using wood or charcoal) when you’re unable to watch it closely. The good news is a patio table can be easily converted into a pizza station with a large cutting board. This also gets your oven off the ground so it’s easier to access.
Ooni sells tables for its ovens that also offer shelving and storage for peels and other accessories. Solo Stove has a rolling stand for its Pi oven too, with small side shelves and a spot for your propane tank underneath. Of course, you can find other tables and stands to suit your needs, just make sure they can withstand any heat that may radiate from the bottom of the oven while cooking. Most ovens are either well insulated or don’t project too much excess heat toward the table, but you can never be too careful. For that reason, a stainless steel or metal surface is a good choice to set up an outdoor model.
Most of these ovens heat up quickly and cook at high temperatures, especially if you’re making Neapolitan pizza. Having everything you need nearby so you can keep tabs on the oven and quickly make the next pie — especially the first pizza — will ease a lot of unnecessary headaches. When your cook time is two minutes or less, you don’t want to venture too far.
The best pizza accessories for the oven you already have
If you want to make a good pizza that rivals that of your favorite pizzeria (and without spending hundreds of dollars on a dedicated oven), you can definitely do it with the home oven you already have in your kitchen. With a few gadgets, you can improve your game without splurging on a Breville, Ooni or Solo Stove. First, I’d recommend a high quality baking steel or stone.
Baking stones are great for getting better browning on the bottom of your pies than a pizza or sheet pan. You can also use them for bread, cookies and other items. The stone absorbs heat to cook pizza quickly, and you’ll get that charred crust like a brick oven provides. They’re also more affordable compared to baking steels. Those metal slabs do have one key advantage: higher heat conductivity. This means a steel will cook your pizzas faster since it can absorb more heat from your oven. While baking steels can be used as griddles on your stovetop and for other types of baking, they’re not ideal for some leavened breads.
The second item you’ll want is a pizza peel. These come in all shapes and sizes, made out of a variety of materials. I typically use a bamboo or wooden peel when topping and launching my pizzas and then a metal one for retrieving them. I’ve found that dough doesn’t stick as easily to bamboo during prep and the metal resists the high heat of the oven when turning or retrieving a finished pizza (bamboo will burn). There are also perforated peels which allow both steam and excess flour to escape. A peel is a great tool for loading and turning pizzas, getting them in the back of the oven, and since you’ll typically be cooking them with your oven at 500 degrees or hotter, using something like parchment paper to move them around won’t work.
And if you’re going for a New York style pizza, just make sure your dough recipe and ingredients are geared toward that thinner, crispy crust — the right accessories alone won’t be enough.
Billy Steele
Source link
