The 7 Best Outdoor Pizza Ovens, According to Our Tests

Our Favorite Pizza Oven

From testing 22 outdoor ovens and kits, we’ve found the best pizza ovens were easy to set up, heat, and use. We love that the Ooni Koda 16 can produce restaurant-quality pizzas at home, thanks to its strong, even heating and large opening that allows for more user control. If you want to upgrade your outdoor kitchen, we recommend the Ooni Koda 16 Gas Powered Pizza Oven as our top pick.

How We Tested Pizza Ovens

Since 2022, we have tested 22 outdoor pizza ovens. As new models pop up, including updated versions of pizza ovens we’ve tested, we’re eager to get them to our outdoor lab and compare them to our standing favorites. This list of the best pizza ovens combines our original data from testing 17 outdoor pizza ovens with the results of new releases from Gozney, Ooni, Everdure, Alfa, and Empava. 

We’ve rated each of them for cooking performance and design, as well as how easily we could assemble, use, and clean them. Whereas in our original tests we used regular dough and whole-wheat dough, this time we used store-bought dough and homemade dough, and noticed homemade dough performed best across the five pizza ovens we tested. Here’s how we divided our testing rounds.

• Assembly and Pre-Burn: First, we assembled the pizza ovens, rating how easy or difficult this was for one person. Moving the pizza ovens was the next test, and we made sure to have help with the two extra-large models. Once we got the pizza ovens outdoors, we followed the manufacturer’s instructions for pre-burning seasoning, or running the pizza ovens at their highest temperatures for about 30 minutes. 
• Pre-heating: We then started a pre-heating test and general temperature assessment using an infrared thermometer to evaluate how long each oven took to reach the recommended pre-heat temperature. It also allowed us to test how hot each oven was from front to back and side to side, revealing hot spots, cold spots, and other heating inconsistencies. Some models have built-in temperature gauges, so we compared their readings to the infrared thermometer’s. 
• Neapolitan-Style: Next, we rolled out store-bought dough to make pizzas on high heat. We recorded the time each pizza cooked and whether it had the markers of a Neapolitan-style pizza: leopard browning and crust with a crisp bottom. We also looked at how the cheese melted and pepperonis cupped. We used pizza peels to load, turn, and unload pizzas, noting whether the design of the ovens made this easy. We assessed consistency by cooking three pizzas back to back in each oven, noting whether anything changed from start to finish.
• Homemade Dough: In this round, we made homemade dough and followed our Sausage and Ricotta Pizza with Castelvetrano Olives recipe to see how the ovens would handle different styles of dough and assortments of toppings. During this test, we also considered how easily we could achieve optimal results after getting familiar with the ovens.
• Cleaning: After turning off and removing the propane tank or extinguishing the burning wood fuel, we let the grills fully cool and then followed each manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning the pizza stones. We rated how easily we could remove blackened pizza stains and, when applicable, how easily we could clean out wood or pellets.

Factors to Consider

Fuel

There are several pizza ovens on the market for home use, and they tend to fall into four categories: wood-fired, pellet-fired, propane or gas-fired, and dual-fuel. Choosing the right one for you has a lot to do with how you intend to use it. If you want wood-fired flavor, an oven that can accommodate wood or pellets is your best bet. They take longer to come to temperature and require some practice to get the hang of maintaining heat and feeding the fire, but the results will be as close to professional as you can get. Also, keep in mind that both wood and pellet ovens take longer to cool down after use and require cleanup to remove ashes safely.

Gas or propane units heat faster and give consistent heat, require minimal cleanup, and cool down faster after use, which can be helpful if you are not planning on a permanent location since they can be packed up more quickly. They won't produce the same wood-fired flavor or smoke as the others, but they will still give you good char and excellent cooking results. If you're looking for flexibility, go for a dual-fuel option where gas, wood, or a combination of both is an option. A hybrid model like the Ooni Karu will be easier to light and maintain heat when using wood but will also give you fast and easy results when you don't have time to tend to a fire and coals.

Size

Size is a major factor in deciding which pizza oven is best for you. Depending on the size of pizzas you like to make, and your skill as a pizzaiolo, it can be better to opt for a larger oven like the Gozney Dome or the Ooni Koda 16. Larger ovens have larger openings, which is ideal for beginners because they can be easier to maneuver. They can also accommodate larger pies, which is great for serving a crowd. Although larger ovens are typically more expensive and require more fuel, if you have the room and the budget they can be a good investment. Smaller ovens usually max out at a 12-inch pizza, which is ideal for couples or small families and will take up a smaller footprint and use slightly less fuel.

Portability

Some home pizza ovens can be installed permanently in place, some can be moved around, and some are designed to be portable (like the Gozney Roccbox) so that you can easily take them with you on the go. Before purchasing a pizza oven, assess how frequently you'll use it and your options for storage. If you have a vacation home or like to travel, you may want to consider portable units, which can be terrific to have when on vacation or for weekend getaways, or a smaller indoor pizza oven that can travel easily.

Other Pizza Ovens We Tested

Strong Contenders

Gozney Roccbox Portable ($499 at Amazon)

We found the Gozney Roccbox heats quickly and retains heat for consistent cooking throughout. Although it took slightly longer than some other ovens to cook each pizza, it did so evenly and efficiently. This oven operates on gas for convenience, but you can purchase a detachable wood burner for added flavor. While it’s not exactly lightweight at 50 pounds, this pizza oven has the right features for portability: retractable legs, detachable burners, and a silicone outer body. It's a great option for cooks who love camping or vacationing in the great outdoors.

Ooni Karu 12 Pizza Oven ($299 at Ooni)

Ooni built the Karu 12G on the foundation of the Karu 12, but we’re glad it hasn’t retired this editor-favorite for its compact size and quick cooking. "I fell in love with this 26-pound rectangular marvel of stainless steel and ceramic fiber during the first firing with charcoal and wood," says Food & Wine Editor-in-Chief Hunter Lewis. "Within 30 minutes, my infrared thermometer clocked the pizza stone at 900 degrees," he says. "After I dialed down the power of the wood flame that licked the roof of the oven and washed over the dough, the machine turned out gorgeously charred pizzas with crispy bottoms and bubbly crusts in less than 90 seconds."

Ooni Karu 16 Pizza Oven ($799 at Ooni)

The larger sibling to the Karu 12, the Ooni Karu 16, is equally efficient and a delight to use, especially if you're interested in firing up slightly larger (16-inch) pies. For the added flexibility of speedy propane with the option to take it slow with a charcoal char, the Karu range can't be beaten. Keep in mind that because of the hybrid fuel feature, the Karu requires some extra assembly up front. After the initial setup, it's a breeze to operate. 

Ooni Koda 12 Pizza Oven ($399 at Ooni)

Our Best Overall pick's little sibling, the Ooni Koda 12 is great for households with less storage space or beginners who want to try out a pizza oven for the first time. Easy to assemble and maneuver, it’s one of the lighter models we tested. It holds heat well and produces pizzas with a golden, crispy crust and melty cheese. We also like that the foldable legs have non-slip feet for added security. The smaller opening can make properly turning the pizza challenging because there isn't enough space to rotate it. For best results, opt for a smaller pizza peel. 

Ooni Fyra 12 ($349 at Ooni)

Unlike the other Ooni models, this portable oven relies on hardwood pellets as its main fuel source. As a result, we found the Ooni Fyra 12 slightly more complicated to set up and a bit more difficult to use. However, we were pleased with the quality overall and were able to make some beautiful pizzas. Keep in mind that this model comes with a chimney, which makes it a little more cumbersome.

What Didn’t Make the List

We tested several other pizza ovens, and the ones that didn't make the cut had a few shortcomings in common: inconsistent results (charring or undercooked pies), inefficient or cumbersome for heat control, or lack of interior space for personal-sized pies. The best pizza ovens should be both efficient and convenient to use at home, so those factors were paramount for our top picks. For example, we wanted to love the Empava Outdoor Pizza Oven Grill ($1,800 at Amazon) because it’s a beautiful pizza oven at a price that suggests quality. But, after an hour and a half, the built-in thermometer never read above 250°F and the stove temperature hovered around 300°F. So, we weren’t able to cook on it effectively. 

We liked the BakerStone Portable Gas Series Pizza Oven Box ($320 at Amazon) for its heat retention; it cooked pizzas with a crisp bottom and charred crust. For a designated portable pizza oven, however, we found it bulky, heavy, and difficult to move. The Only Fire Universal Stainless Steel Pizza Oven Kit ($170 at Amazon) is a good value and produced puffed, crispy pizza dough in our tests. It took slightly longer to cook the pizzas fully, however, and some crusts came out darker than we would've liked. 

Our Expertise

• Laura Denby is a food writer and former chef with a degree in Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education. Laura uses her years of experience cooking in professional kitchens to guide her expert product reviews, which can be found at FoodNetwork.com, Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, and more.
• Mary Claire Lagroue is the Commerce Editor at Food & Wine, where she has worked on dozens of articles about outdoor cooking. A former Associate Editor at Allrecipes, she joined Dotdash Meredith in 2019.
• For additional expertise, we spoke to former pizzaiolo Dennis Lee. Dennis is a Chicago-based food writer whose work can be found in Serious Eats, Thrillist, and The Onion's A.V. Club.