Imagine biting into a slice of pizza, the crust perfectly charred, the toppings bubbling with smoky flavor. That authentic taste comes from a wood-fired oven. But does owning one feel like a distant dream because choosing the right oven seems complicated? You are not alone!
The world of wood-fired ovens is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. Should you choose brick, steel, or a pre-fabricated model? How big does it need to be for your backyard gatherings? These questions often stop people from bringing that incredible, fire-kissed flavor home.
This guide cuts through the noise. We will explore the key features, types, and things you must consider before buying. By the end of this post, you will feel confident knowing exactly which wood-fired oven fits your needs and budget.
Let’s fire up the knowledge and find your perfect oven!
Top Wood Fired Pizza Ovens Recommendations
- 【Premium & Safe Stainless Steel】Outdoor pizza oven is constructed with high-quality stainless steel. This sturdy and compact oven is safe for cooking all types of foods
- 【3-in-1 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven】Pellet Pizza Oven for authentic wood-fired flavor, or switch seamlessly to BIG HORN Gas/Electric Burner attachments (Sold Separately). Ready in 18–20 min, reaches 887°F for perfect pizzas in 60–90 sec, plus steaks, fish, lamb, burgers, vegetables. Portable and suitable for indoor or outdoor use, rain or shine, all year round
- 【Ultra-Portable & Ease of Assembly】 The durable and lightweight pizza oven equipped with folding legs, requires minimal assembly without tools, it can quickly come apart for easy cleaning, storage and it weighs just 25lb, ideal for the backyard or outdoor cooking events
- 【Easy Use & Cook Evenly】Slide in your pizza and turn often for consistent results. Little sauce & minimal toppings work best for Neapolitan-style pizza, and switching to gas or electric (Sold Separately) is simple
- 【Dimension】The overall dimension of this unit is 21.6''L x 14”W x 28''H. Square Pizza Stone dimension: 12''L x 12''W
- 【Multi-functional Outdoor Pizza Oven】 Our outdoor oven is much more than a pizza oven, as well as roasting meat, steaks, fish, bread and vegetable dishes and so much more. With the 12" pizza stone, you’ll get that perfect crispy crust on the bottom and around the edges of the pizza.
- 【Temperature Control】 Our outdoor pizza oven is ready to cook in 10 minutes. It reaches temperatures up to 550°F (287°C), cooking delicious pizza in 6-7 minutes. The built-in thermometer lets you keep an eye on the temperature while cooking. Our pizza oven has an adjustable chimney and air outlet which can easily control the firepower and the smoke.
- 【Practical Design】There is a detachable storage space for carbon ash, which is convenient for you to remove carbon ash. Easy to move with 2 large wheels and a side handle. An open shelf under the oven where you can store wood.
- 【PREMIUM QUALITY】 The outdoor pizza oven is made of high-quality iron which improves overall stability and ensures even heat transfer inside. The powder-coated carbon steel shell offers optimal heat retention.
- 【INCLUDED】$199 Value Accessory comes with a waterproof cover, 12x12 inches pizza stone, a pizza peel, stainless steel pizza cutter wheel, Pizza Oven Brush, Heat Resistant Oven Glove, Pizza Stands, two baking trays, and two carbon meshes.
- 🍕Large 2-Layer Cooking Capacity - Pizzello 16-inch outdoor pizza oven provides more rich cooking space than 12 inches. It features a 2-layer design, allowing you to cook 16" pizza and grill steak, fish, or vegetables simultaneously. In addition, the center cooking rack is removable to accommodate more oversized food items, even a whole turkey!
- 🍕 Wood-Fired Oven & Charcoal Smoker - Our pizza oven allows multi-fuel, charcoal, wood, and pellets, it can add new depths of flavor to your pizzas and smoked dishes. It is recommended to place the pizza stone on the lower level, where the temperature is higher than on the upper level.
- 🍕Delicious Homemade Pizza - We understand the importance of heating, so both the pellet pizza oven front door and the side oven body have vents, which can enrich the air circulation, offering a better cooking experience. You can cook up mouthwatering pizzas that taste like they came straight from your favorite pizzeria.
- 🍕Portable & Humanized Design - Adjustable oven legs are designed for ergonomic purposes, 2 levels of height adjustments can meet different needs. We designed side oven handles, so it's portable to take the wood-fired oven outdoors to your garden, patio, or outside places easily.
- 🍕Buy With Confidence - Super easy to finish the whole assembly. The Pizzello wood-fired pizza oven also comes with 2 x 16" Grill Grates, 1 x Stainless Steel Pizza Peel, 1 x 16” Pizza Stone, 1 x Waterproof Cover. If there are any problems, such as missing parts, or damaged products, please feel free to contact us, and we will help to solve your problem ASAP!
- 【Premium & Safe Stainless Steel】Outdoor pizza oven is constructed with high-quality stainless steel. High temperature resistant coated stainless steel shell offers optimal heat retention. This sturdy and compact oven is safe for cooking all types of foods
- 【3-in-1 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven】Pellet Pizza Oven for authentic wood-fired flavor, or switch seamlessly to BIG HORN Gas/Electric Burner attachments (sold separately). Ready in 18–20 min, reaches 887°F for perfect pizzas in 60–90 sec, plus steaks, fish, lamb, burgers, vegetables. Portable and suitable for indoor or outdoor use, rain or shine, all year round
- 【Ultra-Portable & Ease of Assembly】 The durable and lightweight pizza oven equipped with folding legs, requires minimal assembly without tools, it can quickly come apart for easy cleaning, storage and it weighs just 25lb, ideal for the backyard or outdoor cooking events
- 【Easy Use & Cook Evenly】Slide in your pizza and turn often for consistent results. Little sauce & minimal toppings work best for Neapolitan-style pizza, and switching to gas or electric (sold separately) is simple
- 【Dimension】The overall dimension of this unit is 21.6''L x 14”W x 28''H. Square Pizza Stone dimension: 12''L x 12''W
- Big Capacity - Pizzello outdoor oven has 288 square Inch of total interior cooking area, which is capable of cooking 2 pizzas at the same time, or 2 roasting tins together. The middle rack can be removed so you get a full space to accommodate a whole chicken.
- Lightweight and Portability - This pizza ovens with handle only weigh 24.2lbs in total, so it can be lifted and moved around the garden with ease. Overall Dimension:21.3”(W) x 25.8”(H) x 12.4”(d) ovens will fit into a family hatchback easily, so you can take it to parents' house or camping.
- High Efficiency - Cooking with a pizza oven that has capacity for 2 pizzas at a time gives the ability to speed things up with your cooking. Less time for people to wait for food at parties, allowing for better entertaining of family and friends. Every family's thanksgiving calls for great pizzas! Perfect secret santa gifts for family faith!
- Temperature Control - You can easily control the fire to regulate the temperature by opening or closing the vents on the door or on the chimney to adjust air content inside. (The temperature of the lower layer will be higher than the upper layer, so we recommend putting the pizza stone on the lower layer when you cooking 2 pizza at a time)
- Buy With Confidence - Super easy to finish whole assembly. Pizzello wood fired oven comes with 1 x Pizza Oven, 1 x Stainless Steel Pizza Peel, 1 x12” Pizza Stone, 1 x Waterproof Cover, 1 x Cooking Grill Grate. we will give you the most professional guidance and provide you with the best shopping experience.
- HOT NEW FEATURES – A custom designed fuel tray that maximises airflow and delivers a powerful blast of searing flame allows the Ooni Karu 12 pizza oven to maintain the ultra-high temperatures – load it up with real wood or charcoal, with no excess ash to clean
- 12 INCH PIZZA IN 60 SECONDS – Fire up the Ooni Karu 12 with wood or charcoal straight out the box, or use with the Ooni Gas Burner attachment (sold separately) to cook with gas. The Karu 12 will be ready to cook in 15 minutes reaching a massive 950°F – Cooking authentic stone baked pizza in just 60 seconds! Giving you more time to sit back and relax in your backyard while enjoying great pizzas
- ULTRA PORTABLE – Weighing only 26.4lbs this outdoor pizza oven can be moved around easily but has all the power and heat of a larger wood fired pizza oven. Fold down the legs and remove the chimney and enjoy the freedom to cook amazing pizza on your next outdoor adventure.
- GREAT PIZZA – A motto that Ooni Pizza Ovens live by – We believe that everybody deserves great pizza and our Ooni Karu 12 Multi-fuel pizza oven has been designed with that sole purpose in mind.
- VERSATILE – Level up your pizza game with one of Ooni’s most popular ovens and learn how to become a true pizzaiolo – or discover that you can even use your pizza oven to cook steak, fish or veg in one of our cast iron range of cookware
- Efficient Heating & Cooking: Featuring quick baking and uniform heating, the freestanding pizza maker can preheat in 5-10 mins and make pizza in 2 mins (660℉/350℃). Besides, you can adjust the smoke outlet and damper to control firepower and smoke and monitor the temperature with the thermometer at any time.
- High-quality Metal Frame: Designed to withstand countless outdoor cooking adventures, this wood-fired pizza oven has a rustproof and sturdy shell, comprising high-grade stainless steel and metal with powder coating. Undoubtedly, the superior construction provides reliability for years to come.
- Portable Movable Design: This portable pizza maker is designed with convenience, which comes with 4 smooth universal wheels that allow you to move it anywhere you want. In addition, 2 of the wheels are lockable to ensure that the pizza oven remains stable.
- Multiple Storage Solutions: The freestanding pizza stove offers ample storage. The upper area has 2 compartments, one as a baking area and the other one for fuel burning. The bottom open compartment can store wood, while 2 side shelves keep cooking essentials within arm's reach.
- Perfect for Outdoor Activities: This outdoor pizza oven has a large cooking area with a cordierite pizza stone for cooking a pizza, roasted chicken, BBQ and pies, from backyard parties to camping excursions. Moreover, a dust-proof and waterproof protection cover is included to protect the pizza maker.
- MULTI-FUEL – Fire up with wood or charcoal right out of the box for a subtle wood-fired taste, or use gas with the Ooni Karu 16 & Karu 2 Pro Gas Burner – sold separately – for maximum flexibility in cooking experiences.
- 16 INCH PIZZAS IN 60 SECONDS – Ooni Karu 2 Pro reaches 950 °F / 500 °C in 15 minutes, for fresh flame-cooked pizza in just 60 seconds. Cooking pizza at this high heat is the only way to create authentic Neapolitan-style pizza.
- SPACIOUS - This spacious oven offers exceptional versatility with a 17ʺ-wide cooking surface and an internal height of 5.4ʺ
- INNOVATIVE - The Digital Temperature Hub tracks the internal oven temperatures on the front-mounted display or sends it straight to your phone via Bluetooth using the Ooni Connect App
- OONI 5 YEAR WARRANTY - At Ooni, we stand by our products. All Ooni products come with a voluntary manufacturer’s warranty for 1 year as standard. We’ll extend the warranty by 5 years when you register the product with us within 60 days of purchase.
The Ultimate Guide to Buying Your Wood Fired Pizza Oven
A wood fired pizza oven brings amazing flavor and fun right to your backyard. Cooking pizza with real wood fire creates a crispy crust and smoky taste you just cannot get from a regular oven. Choosing the right oven needs a little planning. This guide helps you pick the perfect oven for your home.
Key Features to Look For
When shopping, look closely at these important parts. They decide how well your oven cooks and how long it lasts.
1. Dome Shape and Size
- Dome Shape: Most great ovens have a classic dome shape. This shape helps heat bounce around evenly. This cooks your pizza perfectly from all sides.
- Cooking Floor Size: Think about how many pizzas you want to cook at once. A larger floor lets you cook bigger pizzas or multiple small ones. Measure your space too!
2. Insulation Quality
Good insulation is vital. It keeps the heat inside the oven where you need it. Look for thick layers of ceramic fiber blanket or high-density insulation under the cooking floor and around the dome. Better insulation means less wood needed and hotter cooking temperatures.
3. Heat Retention Materials
The materials inside the oven hold the heat. These materials let you cook long after the fire dies down. High-quality refractory fire bricks are the best choice for the floor and dome. They absorb and radiate heat like nothing else.
Important Materials Matter
The oven’s structure determines its durability and cooking power. Always check what the oven is made of.
Exterior Shell
The outside shell protects the oven from weather. Stainless steel is common and resists rust well. Some ovens use powder-coated steel or even exterior refractory cement. Ensure the material can handle high heat and outdoor conditions.
Cooking Floor
The floor must be made of thick, dense fire bricks. These bricks draw moisture out of the pizza dough. This creates that sought-after crispy bottom crust. Thin or low-quality tiles will crack under intense heat.
Factors That Improve or Reduce Quality
Not all ovens perform the same. Small design differences make a big impact on your cooking.
Improving Quality: The Chimney/Flue
A well-designed chimney draws smoke out effectively. A good flue placement ensures the flame licks the dome top. This indirect heat cooks the top of the pizza faster. Poor venting leads to smoky food and uneven cooking.
Reducing Quality: Door Design
The door should fit tightly. A loose door lets essential heat escape. Some doors include features to help regulate airflow. This control is important for managing the fire temperature precisely.
User Experience and Use Cases
Think about how you plan to use your new oven. This influences the best style for you.
Portability vs. Permanent Install
- Portable Ovens: These are great for patios or moving them around. They heat up fast but sometimes lose heat quicker than larger models.
- Built-In Ovens: These offer maximum heat retention. They require professional installation into an outdoor kitchen setup. They are perfect if you plan to use the oven very often.
Ease of Cleaning
Ash cleanup is part of the process. Look for designs that make it easy to sweep out the ash from the cooking floor. A simple, smooth interior helps here.
10 FAQs About Wood Fired Pizza Ovens
Q: How hot do these ovens get?
A: Most quality wood fired ovens reach temperatures between 750°F and 1000°F (400°C to 540°C). This extreme heat cooks a pizza in 60 to 90 seconds.
Q: Do I need a special base for the oven?
A: Yes. All wood fired ovens require a non-combustible base. This is usually concrete, stone, or specialized masonry. The base must support the oven’s weight safely.
Q: How long does it take to heat up?
A: Smaller, well-insulated portable ovens might take 20 to 30 minutes. Larger, built-in masonry ovens can take 1 to 2 hours to fully soak up the heat.
Q: What kind of wood should I use?
A: Use dry, seasoned hardwood like oak, maple, or fruitwoods. Avoid softwoods like pine, as they burn too fast and create too much creosote.
Q: Can I cook more than just pizza in it?
A: Absolutely! You can roast meats, bake bread, and even slow-cook stews once the fire dies down and the temperature drops.
Q: What is the difference between a clay oven and a steel oven?
A: Clay or refractory brick ovens hold heat for a very long time, giving you steady cooking. Steel ovens heat up much faster but cool down quicker.
Q: Is maintenance difficult?
A: Maintenance is simple. You must clean out the ash regularly. You should check the chimney for blockages occasionally. No complex mechanics are involved.
Q: What safety precautions must I take?
A: Always keep flammable materials far away from the oven opening. Never leave a hot oven unattended. Wear heat-resistant gloves when tending the fire.
Q: Will the outside of the oven get too hot to touch?
A: The exterior shell gets very hot, especially near the dome opening. Always keep children and pets away from the operating oven.
Q: What is “curing” an oven?
A: Curing is the first, slow heating process. It drives out any residual moisture trapped in the bricks and mortar. Skipping this step can cause cracks in the structure.