Buyers’ Guide to pizza ovens

Rustle up an alfresco feast with a stylish outdoor stove. Geoff Hodge explains what to look for

2020-08-01 -

Rustle up an al fresco feast

Outdoor entertaining is a massively popular activity, but some gardener chefs like to go a bit further than wheeling out the BBQ every time. One item that’s high on the must-have list is a pizza oven, and there are now more different styles available than ever before.

You could go the whole hog and build yourself a permanent, full-size traditional oven, but if you don’t have the space, there are lots of smaller, more portable options available too. Running at the right temperature, even a small oven is fine for cooking multiple pizzas, to a maximum diameter of around 30cm (12in).

The oven’s size or weight usually dictates how quickly it manages to heat up and also how long it retains heat. To cook the perfect thin-crust pizza, you need to preheat the oven to at least 235-260C (450-500F) or even hotter. Large, thick-crust pizzas and those with lots of toppings and a heavy sauce need a lower temperature of around 200C (400F), so the crust can cook completely and the cheese melts properly, without burning the toppings. At the right temperatures, you can cook the perfect pizzas in less than two minutes!➤

FUEL SUPPLY

Choose between wood, gas – or both

Make sure they’re strong and stable

LPG gas or wood

are the two fuel options for running your oven. Gas is the cleaner, faster option, wherein ovens heat up and cool down quickly (within 10-15 minutes), reducing any guilt over fuel waste. It’s also much easier to maintain a constant cooking temperature.

However, pizza purists usually want the traditional wood-fired option, which produces crispy bases and a smoky flavour. Bear in mind these need cleaning out and are slower to heat up, but retain heat for longer, which is particularly useful if you’re cooking in batches.

Gozney Black Edition

£3,950-£10,150 Wood or gas, Ceramix stone, four sizes

£1,780 Wood, stainless steel £1,200 Wood, fibreglass, also available as a DIY kit £1,090 Wood, stainless steel

Grenadier Domo

£3,000 Gas, stainless steel £790 or £990 Wood or gas, stainless steel

Pizza Forno Subito Cotto

£1,600-£3,425 Wood or gas, refractory concrete, three sizes

Blooma Maipo Charcoal Pizza Oven

£163 Charcoal, steel

Ooni Pro Ooni Koda

£249 Gas, powder-coated steel, 9.25kg £499

Wood or gas, stainless steel, 22kg