Do you love homemade pizza and want nothing more than to host exciting pizza parties for your friends and family, serving them restaurant-quality pizza? The best option to do this outside your kitchen is with a gas burner which can give you the best results every time. This is the ultimate guide to the 6 best outdoor gas pizza ovens available in the market, along with other options to answer your specific needs.
Table of Contents
The 6 Best Outdoor Gas Pizza Ovens
Some of the best outdoor ovens use natural gas as their fuel source, which results in a crisp crust and an evenly-cooked pizza. Here are our top picks for the best outdoor pizza ovens that are currently available today while discussing what makes each option worth the investment.
1. Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven
Highlights:
- Price (at time of publication): $799
- Maximum temperature: Up to 900°F
- Capacity: 16-inch pizzas
- Color/Finish: Black; Wood
- Warranty: 1 year unregistered, 3 years when registered
Whether you’re a fan of gas or wood-cooked pizzas, you can get the best of both worlds through the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven. Wood oven lovers will surely appreciate the added wood-fired flavor of your favorite wood pellets such as Maple, Oak, and Pecan. This option comes with two big gas jets instead of a wood fuel tray and can be installed with the propane kit for $119.99 or the natural gas option for $149.99.
Installing the Ooni Karu unit is smooth and easy and will take around 10 minutes. It comes with a backplate, a hinged metal door, and a built-in thermometer along with a thermocouple, which comprises this pizza oven’s three primary parts. When used in gas mode, you can expect your pizzas to cook evenly, delivering beautiful crust bubbles and leopard spots, but you will still need to rotate your pizza for an even cook.
When using wood for fuel, there isn’t much of a difference in flavor but this could be due to the high temperatures which limits the pizza’s exposure to wood. However, overcooking your pizza is a lot easier in this mode, so you’ll need to carefully manage your heat, which can be accomplished through the in-oven vent control. You can also use the rear cover to add more charcoal and wood while preventing the wind from cutting off the fire.
Coming in at 63 pounds, the Karu 16 is on the heavier side compared to other options in this list and you’ll want to keep it at a level and sturdy surface such as a table with caster wheels to make it more portable. With so many great features such as its vented smokestack, a big insulated handle, and a beautiful glass window allows you to get the perfect pizza every time.
2. Gozney Roccbox Propane-Powered Oven
Highlights:
- Price (at time of publication): $489.00
- Maximum temperature: Up to 950°F
- Capacity: 12-inch pizzas
- Color/Finish: Green and Silver; Wood
- Warranty: 2 years unregistered, 5 years when registered
According to plenty of reviews, the Gozney Roccbox is an amazing cooking tool to use; the simple assembly only needs you to extend the legs and screw the gas attachment on. Once on, it takes roughly 25 minutes to reach 900 degrees Fahrenheit while on the highest setting, with the flame located at the back of the oven. Once it reaches the roof, the oven is designed to function like a broiler to evenly distribute the heat around the top of your delicious pizza.
When the flame is turned down, the temperature responds accordingly and can hold a steady temperature within 5°F. Both a New York and a Neapolitan-style pizza will turn out well inside this portable outdoor pizza oven. In just a short time of 90 seconds, it produced a lightly speckled and good char on the pizza crust, giving you a perfectly cooked pizza.
You’ll be happy to know that these at-home pizza ovens can do more than just cook pizza — you can cook your favorite meats using a cast-iron skillet which will easily fit inside. In just 15 minutes, the pan can reach 600°F where the high heat creates a wonderful sear on one side and can also maintain these higher temperatures for the other side. While the pizza stone can’t be removed, it can be easily cleaned with a bristle brush.
It’s also heavier, coming around at 50 pounds and taller compared to the more compact items on this list but it comes with a carrying strap so you can easily transport it wherever you want. The longer legs also mean that it will be at an ideal height — it also comes in two gorgeous colors. With all these things combined, this pizza oven can create tasty and picture-perfect pizzas while helping you make scrumptious meals using your skillets so there’s no doubt that this is a good choice.
3. Solo Stove Pi Pizza Oven
Highlights:
- Price (at time of publication): $449.99
- Maximum temperature: Up to 780°F
- Capacity: 12-inch pizzas
- Color/Finish: Stainless steel
- Warranty: Lifetime warranty for manufacturer defects
If you’re looking for the best portable pizza oven, nothing beats the Solo Stove Pi Pizza Oven produced by a company already known for producing the best grills and fire pits. Designed with your ease of use in mind, this semi-wood-fired oven offers a large opening so you can maneuver your pizza easily. It’s big enough to fit your 12-inch pizza and offers more than one fuel type; wood and gas, so you can choose to work with wood chips or a gas burner but there is a learning curve if you want to use wood.
The pizza stone can heat up quickly while maintaining heat extremely well; after just 20 minutes, the oven was able to achieve a maximum temperature of 780°F using a propane tank. It also cooled down quite quickly and the airflow design is very impressive. It uses a convection technique to distribute the heat around these wood-burning pizza ovens evenly for perfectly cooked pizza.
Compared to its competitors, this wood-fired pizza oven is lighter and only weighs 30 pounds, so you can take it with you to your friend’s house or on a camping trip. It’s also easy to clean this oven; just put the heat on high to eliminate lingering smells then wipe the inside using a damp cloth or brush when it cools. If you ever encounter any problems, you can rest easy knowing that your Solo Stove Pi Pizza Oven comes with a lifetime warranty.
4. Cuisinart 3-in-1 Pizza Oven, Griddle, and Grill
Highlights:
- Price (at time of publication): $189.99
- Maximum temperature: Up to 700°F
- Capacity: 13-inch pizzas
- Color/Finish: Stainless steel
- Warranty: 3 years for manufacturer defects
When you’re on the hunt for new ovens, you can’t look past the Cuisinart 3-in-1 Pizza Oven, which offers portability, versatility, and performance all at a generous price point. Apart from an easy cooking process thanks to its cordierite pizza stone, this oven uses both gas and wood fuel as its heat source giving you options. It’s also the best option for foodies who love to cook a variety of meals since it also offers grill and griddle functions that offer a generous space to work with.
But even with all this functionality, what you’ll appreciate the most is how easily it can be used — even those new to making pizzas can get consistently cooked pizzas every time. It takes around 15 minutes for this model to reach 600°F, providing an oven-like opening with a lid for easy access. This makes it easy to move around the oven as your pizza cooks and you’ll only have to do it once when it’s halfway done.
This means that you won’t have to keep an eye on your pizza 24/7 but you’ll still end up with a crisp crust and cheese that’s evenly cooked. When you’re ready to cook hamburgers, sear steaks, and fry eggs, you can flip the lid over to switch between the available cooking modes; you can also use this as a storage space for the griddle plate and grill grate. The one thing that can improve in the future is the complex assembly involved when setting it up for the first time, but once done, it’s extremely easy to use.
5. Ooni Koda 16 Gas Pizza Oven
Highlights:
- Price (at time of publication): $599
- Maximum temperature: Up to 950°F
- Capacity: 16-inch pies
- Color/Finish: Powdered stainless steel
- Warranty: 1 year unregistered, 3 years when registered
Using a similar design to the Gozney Roccbox, this Ooni pizza oven keeps its heat source at the back, providing your food with access to the open flame. In just 5 minutes, this pizza oven was able to reach 500°F, and only 25 minutes to achieve 900°F, cooking a Neapolitan-style pizza in 90 seconds. As such, it tremendously cuts down your cook time, and will allow you to deliver one pizza after another.
Just like the first entry in this list, using these Ooni ovens results in cooked pizza dough, a speckled bottom, and charred spots throughout the crust. It will also do a good job of charring broccoli and searing your steak inside cast-iron skillets. Moreover, this model comes with a removable cooking stone that can be flipped upside down so you can clean it ahead of your next meal.
You’ll also love the fact that it has folding legs that are fully compact, making it a good option for easy storage if you lack space. Many users also swear by Ooni’s customer service, which seems to be another reason why the brand is becoming increasingly popular. According to those who encountered problems with their Ooni models, they were able to get a replacement for their unit fairly quickly provided that it was still under warranty.
6. Gozney Dome Dual-Fuel Pizza Oven
Highlights:
- Price (at time of publication): $1,999
- Maximum temperature: Up to 950°F
- Capacity: 16-inch pies
- Color/Finish: Bone and olive; ceramic bonded outer coating
- Warranty: 1 year unregistered, 5 years when registered
While it might be the most expensive oven on this list, there’s a good reason for this; if you’re willing to splurge on this model, you’ll see that it’s worth it. From its excellent build quality to its superior heat retention, this dual-fuel oven has more to offer than traditional ovens and wood-burning ovens. Because it was designed to function effectively without the need to set up a brick oven in your backyard, the Gozney Dome is perfect for outdoor use.
Using dual-fuel technology, it can work using gas or a wood burner and has a built-in thermometer for accurate temperature control. Because this model takes a long time to reach the maximum temperature (around 45 minutes), you may want to plan ahead when using it. Luckily, it offers a generous opening, so you can easily rotate your pizza to ensure an even cook — it takes a while to get ready but the results are to die for.
With it, you can spend less time cooking a thin pizza with minimal stoppings which should only take around 30 seconds. While cooking using gas is slightly easier, some people will love the smoky flavor that’s infused into your pizza using wood. Moreover, this oven can be used in a wide range of roasts, and you can count on Gozney to continually provide new tools and accessories to make their models even more convenient and functional.
However, the size of the oven is on the bigger side, and weighs 128 pounds so two people will need to lift it; on the bright side, the bigger space means you can cook large pizzas inside. It’s highly recommended to purchase the matching stand which has been designed for this dome’s specifications. It also comes with four wheels to help you move it with ease, and the whole unit will come to you mostly assembled; just be sure to do a burn-in before your first use.
Check out this pizza oven here.
Other Pizza Ovens You Might Like
If by chance you’re looking for other kinds of pizza ovens, we’ve got you covered with these great options not limited to the outdoor or gas types.
1. Breville Smart Pizzaiolo Pizza Oven
Highlights:
- Price (at time of publication): $999.95
- Maximum temperature: Up to 750°F
- Capacity: 12-inch pizzas
- Color/Finish: Stainless steel
- Warranty: 1-year warranty
When you want a portable option, this indoor oven from Breville is the top choice! Using this kitchen oven, you never need to worry about the weather or if you have enough outdoor space to set up a bulky gas oven in your backyard. With a temperature range of up to 750°F, you can get authentically cooked pizza every day from the comfort of your home.
Because it has great insulation, the exterior of the oven stays cool despite housing extreme heat levels inside; however, you can expect smoke to come out of this model. Just like any other smart appliance by Breville, this unit comes with easy-to-use functions that make it suitable for home use. Whether you want to eat a wood-fired, thin-crust, or deep-dish pizza, this oven has all the settings you need for the perfect pizza according to your personal preferences.
When using the preset option with this oven, you can bake your favorite frozen pizza in just 15 minutes and get amazing results — a browned crust along with cheese that’s golden brown. It’s also versatile enough to bake anything from a thin pizza with tomato sauce and cheese to a meatier pizza loaded with Bolognese and various kinds of cheese. It comes with a pizza stone that’s designed to provide the char you’d get from wood pizza ovens.
Unlike most ovens that only provide temperature control for the whole unit, this model has separate controls for both the top and bottom heat sources to give you a more customized experience. Because of this feature, it delivers the most perfect nachos; while it was made to cook pizza, it’s also one of the most flexible countertop ovens available in the market. This great oven is made even better with the inclusion of a pizza peel to help you maneuver your creations in and out with ease.
Finally, it also comes with a steel pan to use on thicker pies; while this peel can help to remove both frozen and fresh pizzas, the dough will stick no matter the amount of cornmeal you use so it’s best to go with a wooden peel. The oven has a sleek design that’s good enough to leave on your counter — it might be large for a toaster-style oven but is portable enough to move around or store on a bigger shelf. While you won’t get the kind of smoky flavor you would using a wood-fired oven, nothing can beat this model from Breville when it comes to convenience and ease of use.
2. Ooni Fyra 12 Portable Wood-Fired Outdoor Pizza Oven
Highlights:
- Price (at time of publication): $328
- Maximum temperature: Up to 950°F
- Capacity: 12-inch pizzas
- Color/Finish: Powder-coated stainless steel
- Warranty: 1 year unregistered, 5 years when registered
As you may already know from the list above, Ooni is a leading brand when it comes to making amazing pizza ovens. While their models may have similar looks, they will use different fuel sources to cook your pizza. This 12-inch pizza oven may seem strange at first, opting to use pellets instead of charcoal, kindling, or splits for wood burning.
It bears a similar design and construction to the Karu model, featuring a smokestack that’s controlled through the vents, and has a hopper at the back to load pellets into the removable combustion compartment. As such, the Ooni Fyra is a great choice for barbeque experts who love using grills or smokers powered by wood pellets. Designed to heat quickly and burn easily, the Fyra is able to achieve temperatures of 850°F in just 15 minutes, providing a crispy crust along with a hint of smokiness from the pellets.
In real Ooni fashion, this model is easy to assemble and is light enough to be moved around as needed, although the tall chimney and the big, round pellet hopper make it a chunkier option compared to the Koda. Many people were quick to embrace this pellet-powered pizza oven because of how consistently and evenly this fuel burns but some feel that the hopper is too small. Because of this, users will need to feed it every 5 minutes or less in order to get this model to the desired cooking temperatures.
If you’re happy to pay attention to this meticulous process, you will probably appreciate this option and make plenty of tasty pizzas whenever you please. But some people will find themselves too focused on heat management and might be a better choice for people who love to camp. Lastly, it’s also important to remember that pellets burn hotter and faster, producing a lot of smoke in the process, so it might be a good idea to have this unit far away from your windows and doors.
3. Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven
- Price (at time of publication): $999
- Maximum temperature: Up to 850°F
- Capacity: 12-inch pizzas
- Color/Finish: Black; Powder-coated stainless steel
- Warranty: 1 year unregistered, 2 years when registered
When you want a pizza oven that’s great for outdoor and indoor use, then look for the Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven. As the first of its kind from Ooni, these indoor pizza ovens provide heating that’s powered by electricity to heat your pizza to give you the best results. Despite being a newly released product in the market, it’s easy enough for total beginners to use, where the controls are finely tuned.
The Volt has a timer with precise temperature control along with a knob you can use to balance the flow of electricity between the two heating elements. It allows you to pour all the power to the top if you’re working with Neapolitan-style pizza; you can also provide an equal share between the top and the bottom to cook a frozen pizza. Moreover, it provides an improvement over older Ooni models by being the first to be suitable for indoor and outdoor use, but also comes with a bigger price, and can be over double the cost of their gas-powered models.
Even as an electric model, it isn’t underpowered by any means and is able to hold a temperature of around 760°F for a long time. While this is cooler than the maximum temperature setting, it’s still hot enough to produce the charred, bubbly crust and cooked toppings that we all love about pizzas. Overall, this electric pizza oven by Ooni can provide you with high temperatures, straightforward controls, and great performance, which might just be a bit better than the Breville above, while both options share a similar price tag.
Things to Look for in an Outdoor Gas Pizza Oven
Before you make up your mind and click on “add to cart” for the pizza oven of your dreams, you need to remember that there are a few things that you should carefully consider first.
Location
Think about where you want to use your outdoor gas pizza oven; whether you want to use it in your yard, balcony, or some other space outside of your home. If you don’t have any of these areas around your home, you may not be able to use wood or gas-powered ovens. While there are indoor solutions that can be used as an alternative, these are much better to use while it’s snowing or raining.
Size
Outdoor ovens will typically be bigger compared to indoor options and will use a considerable amount of space on your counter if you don’t plan to mount it. Unfortunately, a small patio or balcony may not have enough space to accommodate larger models. Luckily, even an outdoor oven that’s big enough to cook 16-inch pizzas won’t be any larger than a medium-sized gas grill.
Portability
Having detachable parts or collapsible legs on your pizza oven will go a long way when you want to take it along with you during camping or for a barbeque by the park. A portable pizza oven is designed to be assembled and disassembled quickly and should also come with a carrying bag for the unit and the accessories that come with it. Some options will come in at 25 pounds while others will be over 50 pounds — anything that goes over this weight can’t be considered truly portable.
Maximum Temperature
Hotter temperatures are always better to work with when you want to cook an authentic pizza — a wood-fired oven set to at least 800°F can give you crispy, puffy, and beautifully melted cheese in just 90 seconds. Outdoor gas ovens are capable of reaching 950°F, which will often come with two layers of insulation to keep the heat inside at all times. Some models will also have two heating elements at the top and the bottom of the oven to evenly distribute heat.
Design
Most small and medium-sized pizza ovens in the market will be streamlined and come with a contemporary look that includes stainless steel construction and a pizza stone surface inside. While other colors are available such as silver, black, or gray, there aren’t many other colors outside of these options. Even so, they will have sleek and elegant designs that make them suitable for home use and will fit right in with your yard, balcony, or patio.
Features
Most outdoor ovens will have their heat source at the back, and some will use an open flame that will reach the ceiling, heating a bigger area of your pizza and will have the same effect as a traditional brick oven. Gas-powered ovens will include dials to control the temperature while wood-fired ovens will need a match and starter to use. On the other hand, an electric pizza will be set to a specific temperature or time using dials to help you achieve your desired results.
Price
Depending on your needs, a pizza oven can become a big investment; high-end models can set you back hundreds of dollars but will produce fantastic results. However, you can look for good quality models around $300 to $500 for gas-powered options or you can also choose wood-burning ovens for a bit more. Those on a budget can get away with options for under $100, but these may not yield the results you want.
Warranty
Many pizza ovens will automatically come with a warranty for the first year of use but some companies will also offer an extended warranty for up to five years. With these options, you can expect to use your pizza oven for many years to come, but if you see that it needs repairs, be sure to contact the company you bought it from. Their customer service team should be able to provide professional repair services, send replacement parts, or provide troubleshooting instructions when needed.
Conclusion
The best outdoor gas pizza ovens will come with everything you need to create a pizza that’s thoroughly cooked with cheese that’s bubbling over from being cooked at even temperatures. Depending on your needs and preferences, you can choose to splurge money on premium features, or you can get an option that performs well at a reasonable price. But no matter which option you pick, make sure that it’s built for easy cleaning so you can spend more time cooking and less time with maintenance.
Sources
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