Last updated on January 20th, 2022
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If you happen to be a pizza enthusiast then getting an outdoor pizza oven is all the rage. Make pizzas in a small amount of time without needing to build a professional pizza oven. These miniature pizza ovens come fully equipped with everything you need to make pizza for your family or when you have a party.
Finding the best outdoor pizza oven model is not that hard. In fact, you just need to understand a few basics about how they operate and you are good to go. There are various outdoor pizza ovens on the market, but the aim is to find one that fits your needs.
Below you will see different outdoor pizza ovens and their respective features. Read through the available information and when you are done, we are sure that you will have gotten the best pizza oven for garden activities.
Before we get started, allow us to introduce our best pizza oven for most people’s gardens, the Uuni 3 Pizza Oven. The Uuni 3 Pizza Oven will have your back when you have company over. It offers enough room to make a 12-inch pizza and additionally heats up really quickly so that you don’t have to wait for too long. In as fast as 90 seconds you can be enjoying a piping hot slice of cheesy pizza. Besides, the pizza oven has received raving reviews from happy customers on Amazon.co.uk so be sure to check them out.
BEST PICK
Our top 5 outdoor pizza ovens that we have reviewed, including our top picks
- Ooni 3 Pizza Oven – BEST PICK
- Forno Buono Napoli Outdoor Wood/Charcoal-Fired Pizza Oven – RUNNER UP
- Smokin’ PizzaRing
- Blaze Box BBQ Pizza Oven
- Uuni Pro Multi-Fueled Outdoor Pizza Oven
RUNNER UP
Top 5 Pizza Oven Reviews
1. Ooni 3 Pizza Outdoor Oven
BEST PICK
Buy on Amazon
Pros
- Standalone design means it can be used on its own on doesn’t need placing on a bbq like some models.
- Made from a stable stainless steel construction for durability and has been designed to last.
- Makes pizzas in as little as 90 seconds.
- The pizza oven takes only 10 minutes to run hot from lighting the pellets.
- Comes with a stone baking board and a pizza peel.
- Can make up to 13-inch pizzas when you have company around.
If you are looking for an easy to use and well designed outdoor pizza oven, the Ooni 3 Pizza Oven is probably a good place to start. It whips up a decent pizza in as little as 90 seconds. Using wood pellets for fuel, this pizza oven will take only 10 minutes to heat up meaning you can be serving pizza in just under 12 minutes. It really is that good! It reaches temperatures up to 932°F (500°C) and cooks Neapolitan-style pizza you will simply love.
The entire frame is made of stainless steel, which is strong enough to keep up with outdoor activities. Due to the heat emanating from the oven, the oven will experience some discolouration over time.
Able to make up to 13-inch pizzas you can easily entertain a small group of people. The pizza oven does not require too many wooden pellets to run it. You may use approximately 1-1.5kg of wood pellets to run it for an hour so cost-wise not too much. The pizza oven does not come with its own pellets so you will need to purchase some, a little tip though, if you get them from Uuni they can be fairly expensive but you can buy them online much cheaper or even from your local Home Bargains store.
The outdoor pizza oven comes equipped with a stone baking board and a pizza peel. The pizza peel facilitates easy removal of the hot pizza from the oven. This outdoor pizza maker measures 58.4 x 43.2 x 71.1 cm and weighs only 13.2kgs so it is easy to take with you anywhere and store away when not in use.
One thing is that does not include is a heat thermometer. One tip from us is to order a laser thermometer off Amazon so you can make sure it is up to temperature for cooking your pizza.
Overall, this model probably cooks pizza just as good as any other pizza oven, if not better. It is definitely much better to use than your standard kitchen oven and well worth investing in if you love pizza. It is not cheap by any means, but it’s very good quality and cooks amazing pizzas with over 200 very positive reviews on Amazon. This further confirms our thoughts on this model.
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Read next: Best BBQ side tables for outdoor pizza ovens
2. Blaze Box BBQ Pizza Oven
Buy on Amazon
Pros
- Perfect to use on a charcoal or gas bbq.
- Cooks pizza in around 8 minutes once up to temperature.
- Strong stainless steel design that looks great.
- Features a 10mm pizza stone for cooking authentic pizza.
- Comes with a temperature gauge with readings between 50-450 degrees Celsius.
- Provides a magnetic door with a viewing window that allows you to monitor the cooking process without needing to open the door and release the heat.
- 2 years warranty for full peace of mind.
The Blaze Box BBQ Pizza Oven can be purchased at a fair price for those who need a reliable mini pizza oven they can use with their charcoal or gas bbq. This small model weighs approximately 3.54kg, making it lightweight and the fact it measures 37.5 x 29 x 13 cm means it will fit on most BBQs. How it works is that you have to have a hob or a BBQ grill that is already lit. Place the mini pizza oven on top of the BBQ grill and wait for it to heat, you know when it’s up to temperature as it comes with a thermometer and then simply insert the uncooked pizza. It takes around 8 to 10 minutes to cook a pizza.
This model is also equipped with a 10mm pizza stone so that you can produce a pizza with an authentic crust. It doesn’t come with a pizza paddle and so you will have to purchase one separately, which is a shame but not a deal-breaker.
As the pizza oven does not rely on its own heat, it needs a temperature gauge. The temperature gauge helps you to know when the oven is ready for use or when the heat is too much. The gauge measures from 50-450 degrees Celsius and pizza seem to cook well at around 400 degrees celsius.
Another useful design feature is the magnetic door that is fitted with a viewing window. The magnetic element will keep the door locked whilst the pizza is cooking and the window allows you to keep track of the cooking process. We think this is a great idea to prevent you from burning or removing the pizza too early.
The pizza oven has handles so that you can move it from the grill/stove with ease. It comes with an impressive 2-year warranty that will take care of any issues that may transpire with the product. However, it is a pretty simple design that is well made so you shouldn’t experience any problems.
If you are looking for the best bbq pizza oven, this one is great value and perfect if you already have a bbq. The only downside is that there will not be much room to cook anything else once your pizza oven is sat on top of the bbq. Overall though, what an excellent pizza oven.
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3. Uuni Pro Multi-fuelled Outdoor Pizza Oven
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Pros
- Uses multiple sources of fuel to work optimally provide the user with the power to choose between wood, wood pellets, charcoal and even gas giving real flexibility on how you cook your pizza.
- Made of 430 stainless steel material that is durable and will be able to survive the outdoors.
- Comes with 2 doors, one with a thermometer and another slit door to slide pizzas into the oven easily.
- Heats up to 500°F in less than 20 minutes.
- Features a cordite stone for purposes of good heat retention.
- Provides a large cooking surface to make 16-inch pizzas.
- Features a cordite stone for purposes of good heat retention.
- Weighs around 20kgs that makes it portable from one location to another.
- Offers safety gloves to keep your hands from accidental burns.
- Provides a loop to fasten the unit to other garden furniture.
We know the price made you wince a bit but the Uuni Pro Multi-fueled Outdoor Pizza Oven is an investment worth making and is a big upgrade to our ‘Best Pick’. The amazing thing about this model is the fact that you can use different kinds of fuel to power it. This is convenient as you will still be able to make pizzas when one fuel type is unavailable. The pizza oven is able to use charcoal, wood pellets, gas or even regular-sized wood, gas being the cleanest option and easiest to use as you don’t need to top up the hopper up every 20 minutes.
The Uuni Pro model is made using 430 stainless steel therefore, it can survive being outdoors just fine. It has been made to the highest standards, which is exactly what we would expect for the price. You may have to purchase a rain cover to keep fast discolouration and rust at bay if you live in particularly wet and rainy areas, which most of us in the UK do. We are based in Manchester and it always seems to be raining here! The steel frame is insulated by ceramic fibre and also possesses dual airflow control to help with temperature control and this brings us to how it compares to a traditional oven.
Compared to a conventional oven, this model can heat up in less than 20 minutes to nearly twice what a traditional oven would. This makes it convenient when you need to whip up a delicious pizza, quickly. In that 20 minutes, the portable oven can hit temperatures as high as 932°F, a simple Neapolitan pizza will take about 60 seconds to cook in such temperatures. The 15mm cordite stone facilitates heat retention allowing the food to cook out evenly.
The model features a 45cm by 45cm cooking surface whose design is patented. This is more than enough room to make 16-inch pizzas and pull it off. The entire model measures 79 x 49 x 74 cm and it is very portable. You can move it from one location to another with ease. It is also simple to take apart and prepare for storage, therefore, lessening the space taken up. This is especially convenient if you don’t have much space to spare.
When you purchase this model, you can expect to find a door with a thermometer. The thermometer will tell you if the temperatures are dropping or they are too high, preventing you from burning the food. Also, you will find a stone baking board that is in four parts, safety gloves, a wood/charcoal burner, a user manual and finally an allen key to make assembly a simple procedure.
Overall, this model is better than our ‘Best Pick’ as you can use more than just wood pellets for fuel, with gas being an option that can be both easier and cleaner to use. If you have the budget, no other model can even come close to this one, especially when you compare its portability as well as cooking performance.
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4. Forno Buono Napoli Outdoor Wood-Fired /Charcoal-Fired Pizza Oven
RUNNER UP
Buy on Amazon
Pros
- Uses both wood and charcoal to fire up.
- Perfect for cooking pizzas but also doubles as a traditional bbq for grilling meat and vegetables, barbecuing and even smoking.
- Comes with a temperature gauge, vents and a damper for temperature control.
- Features stainless steel doors with insulated handles for safety.
- Offers a removable ashtray for simple cleaning procedures.
- Comes with wheels for easy manouverability.
- Provides a pizza stone that is able to hold 12-inch pizzas.
The Forno Buono Napoli Outdoor Pizza Oven looks like something from the past and has more of a traditional pizza oven design. It offers a vintage feel to the garden with several functions that you will find useful. This vintage-looking model can be used for grilling, barbecuing, smoking and also making pizzas. You can use it to make different types of meals for you and your family so it’s much more versatile than most models.
It is made from stainless steel to provide the durability needed to withstand the outdoors. There are well-placed handles to make opening and closing the unit simpler. It even has dampers and air vents to make temperature control possible. Because it caters to different methods of cooking, temperature control is very important and that is why a temperature gauge is installed so that you can keep your eye on the temperature.
For pizza making, a pizza stone is also provided. It can make up to 12-inch pizzas that are adequate for a small group of people. Because the pizza oven runs on wood or charcoal, the temperatures are expected to be very high. Make sure that the unit is running hot before putting in your pizzas. This will see to it that the pizzas cook both quickly and evenly.
The overall dimensions of this bbq are 49.7cm x 37cm x 156cm and it weighs 29kgs so it’s not as portable as some models. Due to the design, it may be difficult to just lift it and move it. The wheels make moving the bbq from storage to the cooking area manageable every time.
The removable ashtray needs to be emptied often so as not to affect the quality and hygiene of the food being prepared.
Overall, if you’re looking for a pizza oven that doubles as traditional bbq or you want to smoke food, then this is well worth considering. The only downside is that it takes a good hour.
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5. Smokin’ PizzaRing – Set for Pizza (available in different sizes)
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Pros
- To be used with a kettle grill to convert your bbq to a pizza oven.
- The set comes with all the accessories needed to pull off a successful pizza.
- Made of stainless steel and therefore it will be durable.
- Features a thermometer for temperature control.
- Comes with a pizza stone that can hold a 9-inch pizza.
- Compatible with various kettle brands on the market.
The Smokin’ PizzaRing makes your kettle grill even more useful to you and you will love this product for its ability to convert your bbq into a pizza oven. If you purchase this stainless steel pizza set, all you need to fire your kettle grill and you are ready to make some pizzas. The set contains a sleeve that separates the kettle lid from the bottom section creating a slit. The slit will be used to place and remove the pizza from the oven.
Also in the pizza set is a pizza stone, a thermometer to gauge temperatures, a pizza pan and a pizza peel. This is all you need to create your perfect pizzas. This model allows you to cook a 9-inch pizza, it is not the largest size however, but it is effective.
Whether you are using charcoal or wood to fire the kettle grill, ensure that the amount of fuel used is able to sustain the temperature needed to cook the pizza. If the temperature wanes then the food will not cook evenly. Check the thermometer regularly to keep an eye on the cooking temperature needed.
If this set is too small for you, you can always select the larger sizes. It will cost a little bit more but it will be worth it. These sets are compatible with most grills on the market like Weber, Outdoorchef and Napoleon amongst others.
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Outdoor Pizza Oven Buyer’s Guide
Professional pizza ovens look cool but they take up a lot of space and money too. Instead of spending all that money, you can always settle for a mini outdoor pizza oven. The best pizza oven for garden events doesn’t have to be grand but it should have all the features you need. If you need a model that can do more than just cooking pizza, for example, you would love to cook steak too, then there are such models on the market.
All you need to know is how to spot a reliable model. Below we go over a few features to think about when considering a garden pizza oven before we get into our detailed reviews.
Fuel source
Before you make a purchase, you need to think of the fuel type that will be used to power the oven. You need a constant supply of fuel if you plan on making pizzas every now and then. The cost of fuel should not be too high as it will weigh down your pocket over time. Whether it is charcoal, regular wood, wooden pellets (which are our favourite) or gas, you have to decide the one that is best for you, some will even use all three. Remember that the larger the oven, the more power it will need to run.
There are specific models that cater to other methods of cooking, such as grilling and smoking. Such models need plenty of wood or charcoal to produce the best results. Such considerations may save you frustration over time.
Temperature control
Cooking blindly without temperature control may produce burnt or undercooked food. This is the last thing you need, especially if you are having company over. If you look at many of the outdoor mini ovens in the market, you will realise that they come with a thermometer. Though you might not find a heat regulator in some of them, there are ways to control the amount of heat. Some like the Forno Buono Napoli Pizza Oven come with vents and dumpers that are used to regulate heat when grilling or smoking meats. Some models including our ‘Best Pick’ don’t come with a thermometer, so the thing to do is to purchase a laser thermometer, which will cost around £10 on Amazon.
Materials
Outdoor structures meet more challenges in comparison to indoor structures. To survive the outdoor elements, strong materials are required. In many cases, you find the frame of the pizza oven to be stainless steel. It is strong and can be light to make the pizza oven easier to move from one location to another. Some brands give their models a protective coating against rust and discolouration but we think that stainless steel is as good as anything.
Other pizza ovens are made from cast iron but they tend to be much heavier, sometimes too heavy. You may also need to apply a protective coating of metal paint to prevent rust and keep it looking good.
Some models have a more unique frame. Some are made of stone and clay that do more than make pizza. Some home chefs have been known to use these clay mini pizza ovens to make delicious casseroles.
Insulation
Insulation is critical in the structure and for the optimal function of an oven. Without insulation, the heat produced would disperse into the environment. This means that food will require more energy to cook through. Insulation traps heat within the structure providing good conditions for the food to cook evenly and allows the oven to get to very high temperatures. This is what makes it possible to cook a pizza in less than 90 seconds on some models, our favourite pick, the Uuni 3 Pizza Oven being one of them.
Common materials used in insulating pizza ovens include ceramic fibre, perlite and vermiculite. Vermiculite and perlite are often mixed in the concrete used to form clay pizza ovens. This is a traditional practice that is tried and tested for many DIY pizza oven makers.
Ceramic fibre is also popular because it is lightweight, for its minimal thermal conductivity and great thermal shock resistance.
Size of the pizza oven and portability
How many people will you be feeding? The number of people you are entertaining will affect whether you make a small pizza or a 16-inch pizza. Buy a size that will make as much food as you need. Consider the amount of space you have to store the pizza oven. In the case that you are tied down for space, buy a model that can be disassembled easy if needed. A good example of a space-saving model is the Uuni Pro Multi-fuelled Outdoor Pizza Oven. This is an amazing pizza oven but very expensive.
Brand reputation
Do not be deceived by advertisements and cheap deals. Buy brands that you believe in and know without a doubt are dependable. If you are not sure what to think of a brand, you can do research online. Read customer reviews and gauge whether the merchandise is worth the purchase.
Check to see that you get legitimate merchandise. For example, the Forno Buono Napoli Pizza Oven comes with a seal. The stainless steel seal is an indication of a good brand and that is what customers check for authenticity.
Without a doubt, one of the best brands renowned for these outdoor pizza ovens is Uuni and we feature no less than two on our list.
Accessories
Accessories that come with pizza ovens make working with the pizza ovens easier. You feel better that you don’t have to spend more money to get essential items. Things like pizza peels, safety gloves, rain covers and extra doors are always welcomed. The rain covers are especially needed in areas of high humidity and rain. Extra doors allow you to cook different dishes by closing off the entry point or sliding pizzas in and out.
A few things to remember
- Please keep children and pets away from pizza oven as you cook as they do get very hot.
- Plastic and other flammable materials should be kept away from the pizza oven.
- If the body is all metal, place the station on top of a surface that won’t burn. Avoid wooden surfaces as they will get scorch marks.
- Wipe the pizza oven after every use to remove grime and crust pieces.
- For cleaning purposes, pizza ovens that use charcoal or wood need a removable ashtray.
- Steel units tend to get discoloured and they need some wiping. Over the years, applying heat sensitive coats of paint and other chemicals will preserve the surface of the pizza oven.
- Wood and charcoal based models produce smoke. Avoid using outdoor pizza ovens inside and also the ash catchers don’t always catch every bit of ash. They are called outdoor pizza ovens for a reason and if you want to use it under cover, it may be a good idea to use a pop up gazebo.
Final Conclusion
There are so many variations of mini pizza ovens that you can get on the market. If you are ambitious enough you can make a mini pizza oven by yourself using online tutorials. In the meantime, treat yourself to a pizza oven that is well insulated, heats up quickly and you will be able to make a pizza in a matter of minutes. Do us a favour and use mittens or thermal gloves when moving these mini pizza ovens.
Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
