Best pizza ovens 2024: the ultimate guide to choosing the right one for you

The best pizza oven will guarantee the tastiest slice this side of Italy. Simulating the smoky flavors of a traditional stone oven, the best pizza ovens help you to make restaurant-quality pizza in your backyard. Not only that, but you can use them to roast meats and vegetables, and even bake desserts. But with so much on the market, it's easy to feel spoiled for choice.

As a professional product tester, I've had hands-on experience with all the best garden gear, and I think a good pizza oven could give the best grills a run for their money. I've tested twenty models from Ooni, Gozney, and Breville, and I've found the best pizza ovens to suit every garden and budget.

To help you compare and contrast, I've assessed each pizza oven against the same criteria: cook time, ease of assembly, price, and the all-important taste test. Our team - including a former pizza cook - tests every oven on cheese pizzas, pepperoni pizzas, calzones, meat and vegetable dishes, flatbreads, and even desserts to see how well it can cope with different styles of pizza and other meals. We record how long it takes each oven to reach cooking temperature and measure how long it takes each oven to cook each type of pizza.

Dozens of pizzas later, I've found the best pizza ovens in the world. The best pizza oven you can buy is the new Ooni Karu 2 Pro. I tested it a week ago on six pizzas, gluten-free flour, a calzone, a flatbread, chicken thighs, and even a brownie, and it knocked our previous #1 pick off the top spot. It has a large capacity in the same-sized body, a sleeker digital thermometer, and makes a better pizza.

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We're already seeing some deals in the run-up to Black Friday. These are the best we've seen so far.

Ooni Karu 16: was $649.99 now $512.20 at Ooni (US)

We used to think the Ooni Karu 16 was the best pizza oven in the world but it's just been beaten by the new Ooni Karu 2. That means you can get it for much less than its listing price. It's an even better deal than Ooni say, because the MSRP on this oven just dropped from $799 to $649, so it's more like a $280 discount.

There's more detail in our Ooni Karu 16 review.

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Ooni Fyra 12: was $249 now $199.20 at Best Buy

If you want an Ooni, I recommend this model. It's their cheapest oven, so it doesn't have fancy features, but it makes excellent pizza. This is actually a much better deal than Ooni says. Until recently, this oven cost $349, so it's more like a $150 discount. But you have to be quick - this price is already sold out on Ooni's site.

There's more detail in our Ooni Fyra 12 review.

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Ooni Koda 12: was $339 now $319 at Ooni (US)

Ooni Koda 12 Gas Powered Pizza Oven | Was $449, now $359.20 at Ooni
This is our favorite gas-powered pizza oven. When we put it to the test, we found that it makes wonderfully crisp crusts, and perfectly melts mozzarella. It's easy to use, with a responsive gas burner that quickly reaches blistering temperatures. Best of all, this is a bundle deal that includes a pizza peel. The only drawback is that it's slightly less smoky than a wood-fired oven.

There's more detail in our Ooni Koda 12 review.

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Gozney Dome S1 : was $1,499.99 now $1,199.99 at gozney.com

The S1 is the gas-only version of the original Dome, and it's now at the best price I've ever seen. It can bake pizzas in around a minute, and our tests found that it also excelled at cooking other dishes like chicken thighs. The only drawback is that the controls are sensitive and need a little getting used to.

There are more details in our full Gozney Dome S1 review.

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Best pizza ovens 2024

Below, you'll find a summary of each pizza oven, and a rundown on the benefits and drawbacks of each model. You can click 'read more below' to jump down to detailed reviews and specifications and learn more about these ovens.

The quick list

Best pizza oven 2024

Best pizza oven overall

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I tested the Ooni Karu 2 Pro on six different pizzas, including a gluten-free pizza, a calzone, chicken thighs, and brownies, and it aced almost every test. It did so well that it knocked its predecessor, the Ooni Karu 16, off the top spot in this pizza oven ranking. This oven went straight in at #1.

Unlike most other pizza ovens, it has a glass door. This is what puts it at a higher level than all of the other appliances featured below. The glass door retains moisture and heat within the oven, making for a light, fluffy crust with the perfect moisture level. Every pizza I tested in this oven was perfect, with golden, melted cheese and sauce that was neither too dry nor too wet, offering the perfect counterbalance to the char on the crust.

In addition, it's one of the fastest ovens we've tested. It can reach more than 950°F in just 15 minutes, three times faster than some of the ovens on the list, and it can cook a pizza to completion in just over a minute. The updated digital thermometer is a big improvement on the original, offering a color-coded system to let you know when the oven is ready for pizza, as well as a handy probe thermometer.

It also excelled at cooking foods other than just pizza. A flatbread came out perfectly, with vegetables developing smoky char but not drying out. The chicken thighs I cooked in a cast iron skillet were also exceptional, and the probe thermometer made it easy to check that everything reached a safe internal temperature.

There are a handful of caveats, but they're nitpicking rather than real problems. The biggest is that this struggled to bake brownies. Even with the oven at its lowest temperature and keeping a constant eye on the top of the brownies, the top broiled and the inside was uncooked, which isn't the case with other ovens we've tried. Apart from that, it takes up a lot of room on a patio table, and while the thermometer is excellent, it can be hard to read it through the glass door in some lights.

There are more details in our Ooni Karu 2 Pro review.

Alex David

Alex got his start in reviewing at the iconic Good Housekeeping Institute, testing and reviewing a wide range of household products and appliances. He has reviewed everything from vacuums to washing machines to dog toys to exercise bikes and has reviewed pizza ovens for several different magazines. He most recently tested Ooni's latest oven, the Ooni Karu 2 Pro, which has gone straight in at number one in this guide to the best pizza ovens.

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Best wood-fired pizza oven

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Wood-fired pizza ovens create a smoky flavor and charred crust that isn’t achievable in an ordinary convection oven. The Ooni Fyra 12 comes in at number 2 as the best wood-fired pizza oven on the market.

Wood fuel can be daunting, but the Fyra 12 is easy to set up and use. This is thanks to clear instructions and a handy app packed with recipes for doughs and sauces. It's simple to add wood and control the temperature, and the fast heat-up time means it's ready to go in just 15 minutes.

The Ooni Fyra 12 makes a perfect Neapolitan pizza in two minutes. Our expert tester Helen found 'a crispy puffed-up crust with lightly charred patches' that cooked in just two minutes. You aren't limited to pizza, either – Helen also found great results when experimenting with roast garlic potatoes, lamb, and asparagus.

Like all wood-fired ovens, the Fyra 12 needs more care and attention than gas-powered ovens. You'll need to monitor the wood pellets as they reach temperature and stoke them to maintain the right heat.

It's also worth knowing that Ooni doesn't include accessories like a pizza peel or pizza slicer with their ovens. While the Fyra is the best-value Ooni, it costs an extra couple hundred dollars if you want all the bells and whistles, such as specialized wood pellets and a thermometer.

You can find more details in our Ooni Fyra 12 review.

Helen McCue

Helen is a trained home economist with a 20-year career in appliance reviews. She is a freelance writer specializing in home appliance reviews, but she’s most at home when trying out the latest kitchen and cooking gadgets.

She tested the Ooni Fyra12 in her own backyard and found that 'even a novice cook will be able to achieve good results'.

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Best budget pizza oven

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If some of these ovens sound like too much hassle, then the Ooni Koda 12 could be for you. Instead of charcoal, it runs off gas, so all you need to do is plug in your propane and you're good to go. It heats up in 15 minutes and cooks your pizza in two.

Our expert tester used the Koda 12 to make an excellent cheese pizza, a perfect pepperoni pie, and an indulgent garlic bread. Although most gas ovens can't create a crispy crust, this model achieved excellent charring, and it's especially good at baking thin-crust pizzas.

This oven can make more than just pizza. Our tester used it with a cast iron skillet to make delicious grilled chicken and roasted vegetables. The Koda 12 is lightweight, too, so it's easy to move and store.

The biggest issue with this oven is the lack of a door. It makes it easier to load the pizza but much harder to regulate the temperature. The Koda 12 is also missing the bonus features of Ooni's Karu 16, such as a built-in thermometer.

You can find more details in our Ooni Koda 12 review.

Helen McCue

Helen is a trained home economist with a 20-year career in appliance reviews. She is a freelance writer specializing in home appliance reviews, but she’s most at home when trying out the latest kitchen and cooking gadgets.

She tested the Ooni Koda 12 in her backyard.

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Best gas pizza oven

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If you know that you want to cook with gas, go for the Gozney Roccbox. It's easy to set up and arrives on your doorstep already assembled. It's pretty heavy, but portable, too, with a long Velcro strap. You can pick it up, set it down, and start cooking straight away.

The Roccbox is wrapped in green or gray silicone, which means the outside of the oven is safe to touch, even as the inside reaches 950°F. This is one of the highest temperatures on the test and means that the Roccbox cooks the fastest of any oven on the test, finishing a pizza in little over a minute. What's more the pizza we made was delicious, with great leopard-spotting.

As portable ovens go, this one is pretty heavy, though it has retractable legs. When unfolded, you can easily attach the gas burner to the underside. It runs on gas, though Gozney also sells a detachable wood burner as an additional accessory, which we found less powerful than cooking with gas.

We found the wood hopper a little lacking if you want to get a proper roaring fire going. The gas never left us short on power and was a lot faster to get started.

You can find more detail in our Gozney Roccbox review.

Millie Fender

Millie was Head of Reviews at Homes & Gardens and has reviewed a number of the pizza ovens in this guide. With a lot of trial and error, she's discovered exactly what an oven needs to make the best pizza. Millie tested the Breville Smart Gozney Roccbox in her yard at home.

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Best indoor pizza oven

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For a quick and easy pizza night, you need the Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo. This electric pizza oven is designed for indoor use, so it's the perfect option for apartment dwellers or people without a yard.

This countertop oven was the first domestic oven to reach 750°F. That means it can cook a 12-inch pizza in just two minutes. The Element iQ smart system regulates power so that the oven mimics the type of heat generated in a brick oven. This gives that leopard-spotted charred finish you usually get from a wood-fired pizza oven.

There are dedicated settings for different types of pizza, covering New York, pan, thin and crispy, or frozen pizzas. While you can control the temperature and heating element, our expert preferred the pre-set features which kept the process almost fool-proof. Though this indoor marvel comes close, it still can't recreate the smokiness that marks a traditional Neapolitan. It's also one of the most expensive ovens we've tested.

You can find more details in our Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo review.

Millie Fender

Millie was Head of Reviews at Homes & Gardens and has reviewed a number of the pizza ovens in this guide. With a lot of trial and error, she's discovered exactly what an oven needs to make the best pizza. Millie tested the Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo in her kitchen at home.

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Best-looking pizza oven

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We recently tested the Gozney Dome S1 and we can't stop talking about it. This multifunctional machine made some of the best Neapolitan pizza we've ever tasted, as well as a crisp calzone, crunchy peppers, and tender chicken thighs.

We loved the original Gozney Dome, and on paper it seems that this update won't live up to its high standards. The S1 is marginally smaller and a little less versatile: it only runs on propane gas. However, the Gozney Dome S1 is also $500 cheaper than its predecessor, which makes it a far better option than its predecessor.

One of the best things about the Gozney Dome S1 is its energy efficiency. This oven turns out near-perfect pizzas in 60 seconds flat. There's enough space inside to accommodate at least two pizzas at the same time, which is ideal for pizza parties or quick mid-week cookouts.

The Gozney Dome S1 features an in-built precision temperature gauge to help you monitor and maintain internal conditions. The control system is highly sensitive, and takes a little getting used to, but affords you total authority over your oven. Your Gozney Dome S1 should arrive with all the essentials, from the gas hose to the flue funnel, but you'll have to pay extra for the Placement Peel.

There are more details in our Gozney Dome S1 review.

Emilia Hitching

Emilia has reviewed several products for Homes and Gardens, including this Gozney Dome S1 pizza oven.

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Fastest pizza oven

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We love the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven. It's very fast, heating up in just half 15 minutes and finishing a pizza in around a minute, depending on the toppings.

When it comes to taste, our tester Jason found that there is 'nothing like the pizzas' made in the Karu 16. It's the best pizza oven he's ever tried, and it's the first pizza oven recommended for domestic use by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the international authority on Neapolitan pizza.

Perhaps the best feature is the built-in digital thermometer, which shows the fluctuations in temperature as your pizza oven is cooking. This is perfect for consistency between different pizzas. You can also switch between gas and wood fuel, opting for either the speed and convenience of gas cooking or the smoky flavors of a traditional wood-fired pizza.

However, this oven has just been beaten by the Ooni Karu 2 Pro, its successor. It's a good oven, but the thermometer and moisture retention of the Karu 2 are much better, and it's also bigger. However, this means that the Karu 16 is now much cheaper, so it might be a better option if money is tight.

You should also bear in mind that the Ooni gas burner is sold separately. Like all Ooni pizzas, essential tools like a pizza peel and pizza cutter aren't included as standard. It's heavy, so it needs two people for assembly. Most of all, it's a little pricey.

There are more details in our Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven review.

Jason Orme

Jason is Managing Director of Homes & Gardens, and a number of other home and interiors websites and magazines. He has worked in homes media for over 20 years, appearing in all the mainstream national newspapers as well as many specialist magazines, including Homebuilding & Renovating, which he edited for 12 years.

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Best large pizza oven

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This traditional-looking pizza oven comes with all the modern conveniences. It has a stainless steel cooking chamber and four oven floor firebricks.

The ALFA Nano is pizza-party-friendly, thanks to two thick layers of ceramic fiber insulation which prevents the outside from burning up. This might be important if you have young children, or if you just want to avoid burns and blisters.

The mouth of the oven maintains the heat of the cooking chamber, while also making it easier to turn the pizza during cooking. It has a 15-inch opening, but a much larger capacity inside for bigger pies, so while ALFA recommends cooking one pizza at a time, our tester found that you can just about fit two smaller pies. If you want even more capacity, Alfa Forni also makes ovens that can hold up to five pizzas at once, but this model, the Alfa Moderno, available at BBQ Guys, is very expensive.

The pizzas are delicious, but as a true wood-fired pizza oven it takes a few attempts to master. The biggest downside is the size. While it means you can cook two pizzas at once, it will dominate your patio or deck. It's also pretty expensive for a relatively basic pizza oven.

You can find more details in our ALFA Nano Pizza Oven review.

Kaitlin Madden

Kaitlin was Executive Editor at Homes & Gardens. She is also the co-founder of the The Finish, an interior design start-up which offers home decorating services on demand.

Kaitlin reviewed a number of the pizza ovens in this guide, including the Solo Stove Pi. She thinks this oven makes better pizzas 'than anything you've ever cooked at home'.

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Best pizza oven and smoker

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Ninja's Woodfire Outdoor Oven is the only oven I'm aware of that also works as a smoker. It's also one of the cheapest ovens on the market, so you can save hundreds - if not thousands - of dollars on both a pizza oven and a smoker.

It has a a useful digital thermometer and built-in timers, which make it incredibly easy to use, and perfect for beginners. It's deceptively capacious, with enough room for a 12" pizza. The pizza it makes is pretty good, with surprisingly good leopard-spotting and excellent char on the crust.

However, like most cheap pizza ovens, this uses electric filaments to heat the pizza. These are fine, but they can't match the temperatures of gas or wood-fired pizza ovens. That means that this oven takes longer to cook - around three or four minutes, but more importantly, it makes worse pizza. The oven isn't hot enough to fully evaporate moisture from tomato sauce and mozzarella, so while the pizza tastes fairly good, it's a little wet. Like other pizza ovens of this type, it's missing the essential smokiness of a gas- or wood-fired oven. It also doesn't come with essential equipment like a pizza peel.

You can find more details in our Ooni Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven review.

Emilia Hitching

Emilia has reviewed several products for Homes and Gardens, including this Gozney Dome S1 pizza oven.

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Best mattress 2024 – side by side

Honorable mentions

How we test

We tested these ovens by making a lot of pizza and putting them through taste tests. I know − it's a hard life being a product reviewer. We tried dozens of cheese pizzas, pepperoni pizzas, and put-on-as-many-toppings-as-possible pizzas, as well as garlic breads, flatbreads, and focaccia.

We pushed these ovens beyond the limits of dough, roasting chicken and vegetables to test their versatility. We timed how long it took each oven to reach temperature and cook a pizza so that we could assess their energy efficiency, as well as the ease of ignition.

We pay close attention to the look of each oven to see which spaces it will suit. We also consider the nitty-gritty details like assembly, storage, and maneuverability. We judge all of this against price and warranty, to make absolutely sure that the ovens we recommend are the best value for money.

You can find more information on our testing process in our How We Test guide.

How to choose a pizza oven

When considering a pizza oven, there are a few key points.

Fuel type and flavor
The fuel you use determines the taste of your pizza, the time it takes for the oven to heat up, and the necessary cleaning measures, as well as any additional costs of running your oven.

Wood-fired ovens often produce the best-tasting pizza, infusing a smoky, charred flavor into the crust, cheese, and toppings. Some fruitwood can add a slightly sweet taste. A bag of wood pellets costs $5-$15 per bag (depending on what size you buy), so it’s fairly affordable. However, it will require some clean-up and a bit of a learning curve. Lighting and maintaining a fire is sometimes easier said than done. No matter your fire-starting skills, it will take 10-15 minutes for the fire to get to the right temperature to cook.

Charcoal provides a pretty similar cooking experience and flavor profile to wood. Again, you can buy a bag of charcoal fuel for around $5-$15. Most quality pizza ovens will have a tray that catches the ash for easy disposal, but like wood, it does take some time for the oven to reach the right temperature.

Gas pizza ovens are easy to use and tend to be a little cheaper, but they don't bring the same smoky flavor that wood and charcoal pizza ovens bring.

Electric pizza ovens are great, but they're usually designed for indoor use only. Keep in mind that, like gas, electric pizza ovens can't quite achieve that authentic smoky flavor you get from wood and charcoal.

Cook time
If you purchase a high-quality pizza oven, such as those featured here, you can expect your pizza to cook in as little as 1 minute and as long as 10 minutes. That's a whole lot quicker than a pizza delivery service. Busy families might appreciate a gas or indoor electric pizza oven, which heats quickly and requires far less prep and clean-up time.

Size
All pizza ovens take up a lot of space. Expect to give up half your outdoor table, or buy a new pizza oven stand. The smallest ovens make 12" pizzas, the largest 20". The size you choose depends on how many people you have to feed and the size of your garden. Couples only need a 12" oven; larger families need 16" ovens.

Best pizza oven FAQs

Are wood-fired pizza ovens better than gas?

For that authentic Italian taste, you need a wood-fired oven. Gas pizza ovens are great, and they can create a leopard-spotted charred crust, but they can taste a little sterile by comparison.

With that said, gas ovens are far easier to use. There's no tricky, time-consuming ignition of wood pellets. All you need to do is hook up your gas and start cooking.

How do I stop my pizza from sticking?

A light dusting of flour or cornmeal should create a barrier between your dough and the stone, which makes it much easier to turn and remove your pizza from the pizza oven.

Can you use a pizza oven indoors?

Yes, if you're using an indoor pizza oven. You should never use a wood-fired or a gas pizza oven inside, because the smoke will ruin your kitchen. The best and safest indoor pizza ovens are the Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo and the Ooni Volt 12.

How does a pizza oven work?

A pizza oven is a miniature version of those big brick-fired ovens you see in proper pizza joints. The heat source, which is typically wood pellets or gas, sits at the back of the oven. When lit, it heats the oven to blistering temperatures that can cook an entire pizza in one minute. The best pizza ovens char the crust for an authentic finish that a regular domestic oven can't replicate.

Is it worth getting a pizza oven?

Yes. In terms of taste, it's no contest between a pizza oven and a regular domestic cooker. In fact, I made one of the best pizzas I've ever had on an Ooni Fyra. It was fast, fresh, and delicious, and it barely cost a thing. Don't tell anyone, but it genuinely beat some of the pizza I've had in Italy.

The biggest issue is the money. If you can't stretch to one of the more expensive ovens, you should stick to a basic wood-fired pizza ovens. It will still taste authentic, and you won't be overpaying for inessential features.

What's the right temperature for pizza? 

You should cook your pizza at 700-850°F (370-450°C). Some ovens can reach temperatures of 900-1000°F, but this might be overkill for a simple backyard pizza.

What can I cook in a pizza oven? 

Most pizza ovens are designed to cook homemade pizzas rather than the pre-packaged stuff you might find in the frozen aisle at the grocery store. There are exceptions to that rule: the Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo, for example, is designed to cook frozen pizzas, as well as Neapolitan and deep dish pies.

Many of the best pizza ovens are multifunctional and double as meat and veg roasters.

Final thoughts

Once you've bought one of the best pizza ovens, it's time to get cooking. If you're new to making pizza, it's worth learning how to light a pizza oven. For wood-burners, it's important to invest in the best wood for a pizza oven.

Ooni make many of the best pizza ovens on the market. If you know you want an Ooni, but you'd like to assess all your options, then you're in luck: we've pitted the best Ooni pizza ovens head to head so that you can make an informed choice.