The Best Pizza Ovens to Beat Delivery, Tested and Reviewed

It wasn’t all that long ago when you had to go out to a restaurant if you wanted a properly-cooked pizza. But times have changed. There seems to be a new at-home pizza oven everywhere you look, and they offer the same insanely high temperatures and rolling flames as any pizzeria.

But given just how many tempting backyard pizza ovens have hit the market in recent years, it can be difficult to nail down which one is the best for your situation.

That’s why we did the (tasty) work for you and went hands-on with the best pizza ovens on the market to see how each of them performed. So whether you’re shopping for yourself or you’re looking to pick up that perfect holiday gift, you’ll find all the best pizza ovens below.

How We Tested

Over the last few years, our team has tested nearly every pizza oven for both indoor and outdoor use, and we enlisted over half a dozen cooks to help in our evaluations.

Some of our testers had professional experience cooking pizzas at restaurants. Others weren’t well-versed in using a pizza oven at all — and yet, each one was able to make excellent pies in no time.

Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Each tester evaluated how easy it was to unbox and assemble their pizza oven, as well as how easy it would be to take the pizza oven on the road.

The purpose of a pizza oven is to get to the high temperatures that you can’t achieve in a typical home oven. So our testers made note of how hot their pizza ovens could get — getting as high as almost 1,000 degrees in some cases — though many preferred pizza cooked around 600 – 700 degrees.

Because of this, they also evaluated how consistent each oven was and wether or not there was a drop-off in heat in-between pies.

Learn more about our testing process and methodology here.

Best Overall Pizza Oven

Ooni

Ooni Karu 16

Specs

Cooking Surface	16.7 x 16.7 inches
Weight	61.6 pounds
Warranty	5 years

Pros

• Consistently outperforms the competition
• Easy to control, even for beginners
• Can cook with wood, charcoal or gas

Cons

• More expensive than most other pizza ovens
• The gas adaptor costs extra
• Heavy and awkward to move around

• $639 at Ooni
  $799 (20% off)
• $639 at Huckberry
  $799 (20% off)
• $639 at Amazon
  $799 (20% off)

Ooni is one of the best-known brands making pizza ovens, with over half a dozen individual ovens currently in its catalog. We’ve tested every single one of them, and the Karu range of multi-fuel ovens is the best the brand offers. Full stop.

The largest Karu, the 16, was the first home pizza oven to be “Recommended for Domestic Use” by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the world’s foremost authority on Neapolitan pies. So if you’re looking to make Neapolitan-style pizza specifically, the Karu 16 is pretty tough to beat.

Photo by Kana Abe for Gear Patrol

But even if you have no interest in producing specific genres of pizza, the Karu 16 is still an excellent choice, thanks to features like an exterior digital thermometer that monitors the ambient temperature of the oven, along with the “ViewFlame” hinged glass door that allows you to safely view your pizza as it cooks to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Recently, Ooni unveiled the Karu 12G, which features many of the same features (see-through door, built-in thermometer) in a smaller footprint.

Ooni

Ooni Karu 12G

Specs

Cooking Surface	13.27 x 13.27 inches
Weight	34.2 pounds
Warranty	5 years

Pros

• Similar functionality to the larger, more expensive Karu 16

Cons

• Too small for large groups

• $399 at Ooni

This makes it the Karu 12G a fantastic choice for cooks who want a little bit of everything — portability with performance and the flexibility to choose between wood and gas fuel sources.

Read our full review of the Ooni Karu 16.

Best Upgrade Pizza Oven

Gozney

Gozney Dome

Specs

Fuel	Wood, Dual-fuel Propane or Dual-fuel Natural Gas
Dimensions	26 x 24.8 x 28.8 inches
Weight	128 pounds

Pros

• Makes the best pizza of any home pizza oven
• Exterior stays cool to the touch when cooking
• Versatile enough to cook more than just pizza

Cons

• Very expensive
• Too heavy to be portable
• Takes a long time to heat up due to its size

• $1,799 at Gozney
  $1,999 (10% off)

Simply put, the Gozney Dome makes the best pizza of any at-home oven we’ve ever tested. And frankly, for the price, that had better be the case.

The standard Dome is a duel-fuel pizza oven (it can be powered by wood or gas) that costs $1,999. A gas-only version, called the Dome S1 costs $1,499, and it packs comparable performance with many of the same features.

Gozney

Gas-Only Version

Gozney Dome S1

• $1,349 at Gozney
  $1,499 (10% off)

The UFO-shaped Dome is built to the same ratios as Gozney’s restaurant ovens and can reach internal temperatures of 950 degrees with an open door. But despite those super-high temps, our testers found that the Dome’s ceramic-coated steel exterior stayed cool to the touch no matter how hot things got inside.

Regardless of whichever fuel source you’re using to power the Dome, the oven offers some level of control, whether that’s precise temperature control in the gas and propane versions or controlling the airflow when using wood heat.

Photo by John Zientek for Gear Patrol

On the downsides, the Dome is by far the least portable of the ovens we tested, and our reviewers found that the nearly 130-pound oven is really meant to live permanently as the centerpiece of a patio. (So keep this in mind if you live somewhere with harsh winters and need to move it in and out of storage every season.) It also takes a while to get truly hot.

Photo by John Zientek for Gear Patrol

But in exchange for the high price, lack of portability and long preheat times, the Dome delivers the best home-cooked pizzas anywhere, along with surprising versatility.

Our testers tried out the Dome’s built-in digital probe thermometer when cooking a steak, and they found that the steam injector and rope-sealed door add-ons made the Dome the perfect environment for baking bread.

Best Gas Pizza Oven

Gozney

Gozney Arc

Specs

Internal Dimensions	14.8 x 18.1 x 6.8 inches
Weight	47.5 pounds
Warranty	5 years

Pros

• Gets hotter than other gas-only ovens
• Heats up quickly and stays hot

Cons

• Expensive compared to other gas-only options
• Burns pies more easily than other ovens

• $699 at Gozney

Gozney offers three classes of pizza ovens. Its latest, the Arc (which comes in two sizes, 14 and 16 inches), is the company’s middle-of-the-road option — a step-up from the Roccbox but not nearly as big or flexible as the Dome.

What it lacks in fuel flexibility, it makes up for in focus. It’s simply the best gas-only oven on the market.

Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

The Arc’s lateral gas burner mimics the rolling flame of a traditional wood-fired oven, and it reaches 950 degrees in no time at all. In fact, of all the gas-fired ovens we’ve tested, it was capable of reaching the highest temperatures. It also preheats faster than the Dome, due its smaller size, making the Arc the better choice for casual cooks and weeknight warriors.

Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

With all its horsepower, however, the Arc is more prone to burning pies. It’s a good problem to have (compared the alternative of an oven that can’t stay hot, let alone get hot), but it’s also one that introduces a steep learning curve.

Best Pizza Oven for Large Groups

Ooni

Ooni Koda 2 Max

Specs

Cooking Area	24 inches
Fuel	Natural gas or propane
Weight	95 pounds

Pros

• Extra-large cooking surface to cook multiple pies at the same time
• Glass visor helps trap the heat

Cons

• Still on preorder
• Heavy and bulky — hard to move
• Gas only

• $999 at Ooni

If you want a pizza oven because you have visions of hosting party after party, consider this: Most ovens can only cook one pizza at a time. And there’s usually a drop-off in heat in-between pies. That means that it can take a long time to cook a lot of pizzas, and good luck sharing a small, 12-inch pizza with more than four people.

Ooni’s newest pizza oven, the Koda 2 Max, addresses that dilemma head-on with dual burners and an extra-large cooking surface that can cook two pizzas — or a pizza and something like a steak — at the same time.

There’s no door but a removable glass visor helps trap the heat inside, reducing heat drop-off. It also features a commercial-grade ledge like you’d find in a restaurant setting. This makes it easy to turn pizzas or rest a pan mid-bake.

Best Budget Pizza Oven

Solo Stove

Solo Stove Pi Prime Pizza Oven

Specs

Dimensions	Gas
Fuel	20.5 x 15.5 inches
Weight	29.69 pounds

Pros

• Good control of heat and temperature for consistency
• Easy setup and maintenance
• Rounded opening allows for easier inserting, turning and removing of pizzas

Cons

• No built-in thermometer

• $349 at Solo Stove

In seemingly no time at all, Solo Stove, the brand behind our favorite fire pits, has become quite the robust maker of pizza ovens. The Pi Prime, a budget-minded gas-only pizza oven released in 2023, offers pretty terrific performance for well under $500.

Our testers had no trouble at all mastering the Pi Prime. Setup is a breeze — simply hook up the propane tank and slide in the cooking stone — and the gas-powered stove heats up about as quickly as more expensive pizza ovens, reaching a maximum temperature of around 950 degress.

Photo by Zen Love for Gear Patrol

A knob on the front makes it easy to control your temperature, though you’ll need to pick up an infrared thermometer gun to ensure you’re hitting the right temp (our testers did somewhat lament the lack of a thermometer on the oven itself).

Another aspect of the Pi Prime that our testers really appreciated, and one that helps set it apart from other ovens in this price range, is its panoramic opening.

The curved nature of the open door makes inserting, turning and removing pizzas incredibly easy, despite the oven’s small size.

Read our full Solo Stove Pi Prime review.

Most Portable Pizza Oven

Ooni

Ooni Fyra 12 Wood Pellet Pizza Oven

• $349.00 at Amazon

The Fyra is Ooni’s fire-only pizza oven and it helps to bring that wood-fired taste to your pizzas. Though pellets produce a lot of ash, they offer something a large propane tank does not: portability. That makes the Fyra an excellent option to bring to picnics, tailgates or a friend’s house.

Our testers found that the Fyra gets extremely hot in a limited amount of time. However, it doesn’t stay hot for long, as it burns through pellets rather quickly. This requires users to refuel more often than many of the other ovens on our list.

Photo by Jack Seemer for Gear Patrol

Still, its portability and easy-to-store format make it a great option. And at $349, it’s one of the cheapest ways to get a wood-fired taste outside of a restaurant.

If you only plan to cook at home, the messy cleanup may have you wishing you invested into a gas-only oven. But the Fyra does excel at its primary function: to make excellent pizza.

Read our full Ooni Fyra review.

Best Beginner Pizza Oven

Ooni

Ooni Koda 16

• $599 at Ooni

Ooni’s Koda range of pizza ovens is for casual cooks or those new to pizza-making. Because its powered by gas, the Koda — which comes in two sizes, 12 and 16 — is easy to use and heats up quickly, making it a superb choice for weeknight pizza for two or the occasional party.

Photo by Mitch K for Gear Patrol

Size isn’t the only thing separating the two ovens. They each have a unique burner design.

The Koda 12 has a single burner in the rear, while Koda 16 has a unique L-shaped burner, which theoretically allows you to cook a perfectly even pie with just a single 90-degree turn of the crust.

However, that L-Shaped burner does naturally lead to some uneven temperatures in the oven, so cooking with the Koda 16 does have a bit of a learning curve.

Our testers loves using the Koda 12 to make pizzas on a weeknight, mainly because they can churn out about four pies in an hour, making light work out of what one might assume is a long and tedious job (no shade to actual pizza makers).

Photo by Mitch K for Gear Patrol

But keep in mind that those are small, personal pizzas, so if you’re looking to feed a crowd you may want to look at a larger option like the Koda 16.

On the plus side, the smaller Koda 12 weighs just 20 pounds, so it’s easy to bring in and out of the house or garage.

Read our full reviews of the Ooni Koda 12 and Koda 16.

Best Indoor Pizza Oven

Ooni

Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven

Specs

Dimensions	24.2 x 20.8 x 10.9 inches
Weight	39.2lbs
Fuel	N/A (electricity)

Pros

• Cooks at temperatures nearly as high as outdoor pizza ovens
• You have a tremendous amount of control over the cooking experience

Cons

• Most expensive oven Ooni makes
• Takes up a decent amount of counter space
• Difficult to clean

• $899 at Ooni
  $999 (10% off)

Historically, the only indoor pizza ovens for apartment-dwellers have been glorified toaster ovens that live on a countertop. That changed in 2023 when Ooni unveiled the Volt. It’s the brand’s first electric pizza oven, and it is — by far — the best indoor home pizza oven in existence.

Our testers set up the Ooni Volt on the countertop in his kitchen and has been using it to crank out pizzas that blow away any other home option — whether that’s delivery, a frozen pizza or a homemade pie cooked in his kitchen oven.

Photo by Johnny Brayson for Gear Patrol

The Volt cooks pizzas lightning quick — under two minutes at max temperature if you fancy Ooni’s trademark Neapolitan or about five minutes at a lower setting for one of our tester’s preferred New York style.

The Volt preheats quickly, never taking more than 20 minutes, and it can reach up to 850 degrees Fahrenheit — which is bonkers-hot for something on your kitchen counter. Those high temps mean you can get bubbly cheese and a leoparded crust that just isn’t replicable using other indoor cooking appliances.

Despite the intense heat involved, though, our testers say the Volt stays relatively cool to the touch. It does feel a bit hot at the highest setting — not hot enough to burn you, with the exception of the steel rim around the door — so you will want to make sure there’s plenty of space around the oven with nothing flammable.

Our reviewer’s favorite feature of the Volt is the amount of control offered by the oven. There are three dials on the front: one for setting a timer, one for setting your temperature and a third one for balancing your heat sources.

The latter is especially fun to geek out on, as it allows you to adjust the amount of heat between the oven’s top and bottom heat sources. Did your cheese burn before your crust crisped up? Make a note, and next time, adjust your balance dial accordingly.

Still, the Volt isn’t without its flaws. You need a decent amount of counter space to accommodate it — it’s maybe twice as big as a toaster oven. It also could be easier to clean. While Ooni recommends simply turning the pizza stone over after each cook and letting the residue burn off, the inside of the oven gets pretty dirty, and with all of the electric coils and whatnot on the interior, it seems too delicate to really clean intensely.

There’s also the risk of smoking out your kitchen given the high temperatures involved — one of our testers experienced this firsthand when some particularly sticky dough didn’t want to leave the peel, causing some stray cheese and pepperonis to fall onto the rear of the stone and turn into cinders.

Finally, at a cool $999, it’s the priciest oven Ooni makes. But if you’re looking to set up a pizza oven indoors, nothing else comes close to this.

Read our full Ooni Volt 12 review.

What to Look for in a Pizza Oven

Heat

The reason why the pizzas you make in your standard home oven don’t compare to pizzas you buy at a pizzeria is simple: your oven just can’t achieve a high enough temperature.

Dedicated pizza ovens on this list can achieve temperatures up to 950 degrees. It usually takes about 15 minutes to get up to temperature, which isn’t that long to wait for an oven to preheat, and good ovens usually have some sort of insulation to ensure heat doesn’t escape over time.

Portability

If you’re looking to bring your pizza oven on the go, you can, especially when most of the ones available can be broken down and reassembled with ease. However, no one type of pizza oven is perfect for portability.

Gas-powered pizza ovens require you to carry around a propane tank, while wood- or charcoal-powered pizza ovens will be messy and can leave your car looking a little crumby and ashy.

Keep in mind the size and weight of these pizza ovens too, because portability can be subjective.

Fuel Type

Gas: Gas-powered pizza ovens are probably the easiest to use. You can either use a propane tank to power your grill or hire a professional to hook up your pizza oven to your home’s natural gas line. Some people choose gas-powered pizza ovens because they’re easy to use, and it’s easier to adjust your oven’s heat. Gas-powered pizza ovens are cleaner than those powered by wood and charcoal, but you also miss out on that wood-fired or smokey flavor.

Wood: We won’t say one fuel type is the best for a pizza oven, but there’s a reason why “wood-fired taste” is a positive tasting note and why “gas-flavored pizza” is not. Wood will usually come in the form of pellets, which you’ll manually load into the pizza oven to get a fire going. You’ll have to constantly work on reloading pellets, and maintaining the fire takes some work, but you’ll get that signature wood-fired flavor you desire, as the higher flame of a wood fire will bring more puff to your dough.

Charcoal: Like wood, some pizza ovens run on charcoal. It imparts a smokey flavor into your pizza, but like wood it requires maintenance, and you’ll be left with a bit of a mess to clean up once you’re done cooking.

Electric: For indoor pizza ovens, go for an electric. Electric-powered pizza ovens may not get as hot as ones powered by gas, wood or charcoal (in most cases), but they’re excellent alternatives for people who don’t have access to an outdoor space.

Related Topics