WORTH THE DOUGH
Helen Wilson-Beevers on some tasty affordable pizza ovens
Spring is inching closer, which means summer will be on the horizon soon too. The lighter nights and longer days offer plenty of opportunity for outdoor activities and we’re already dreaming about alfresco dining. Come rain or shine, nothing says British socialising like garden soirees.
Whether you favour a barbecue with friends or love entertaining the entire family, eating in the open air is a seasonal treat. From putting on a buffet with sweet treats, sandwiches and more, to having a picnic in the park, we can almost smell the scent of freshly cut grass and taste the glass of Pimm’s we’ll be sipping come spring and summer.
Pizza ovens are another quickfire way of conjuring up a tasty slice of dinner, while creating holiday vibes. After prepping the base, add your own toppings for a tailormade feast to suit all tastes and ages. Then bake in the fresh air for an authentic Italian-tasting experience.
But, these cooking devices can also be a considerable investment, with some costing up to an eyewatering £2,000. So, here at IndyBest, our expert shopping team has been hunting out the cheapest pizza oven picks for you to peruse.
Whether you’re a pizza-making afficionado or simply fancy serving up some tasty dishes for less dough, we’ve rounded up a few options from Aldi, Argos, Amazon. Keep scrolling to get your summer 2023 outdoor eating options covered.
Gardenline BBQ pizza oven: £31.99, Aldi
You can currently grab 20 per cent off the price of Aldi’s BBQ pizza oven by using code “GARDEN20” at checkout, taking the cost down to less than £32. The 40cm x 35cm x 15cm device is designed for use on gas and charcoal barbecues, so you don’t have to splash out on a full pizza oven. It has a ceramic base and is described as being able to cook 12in pizzas in 10 minutes. The stainless steel exterior is fairly simple to wipe clean too.
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VonHaus tabletop pizza oven: £149.99, Vonhaus
This tabletop pizza oven is just shy of £150, so it’s an affordable and portable option to save room if you’re pushed for space too. Suitable for cooking pizzas up to 13in, it can reach 350C and cook pizzas in 15 minutes. After use, simply empty out the oven’s ash collector. There’s also a removable chimney and foldable legs for compact storage, and transportability.
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Argos home pizza oven BBQ topper with paddle: £60, Argos
Add this affordable 14.5cm x 35cm x 40cm pizza oven onto the top of a gas or charcoal barbecue, and pop the dough on its integral pizza stone. There’s a thermometer included to see when your margherita may be ready and a paddle to easily remove this freshly cooked feast.
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Aldi gardenline gas pizza oven: £159.99, Aldi
Reduced from £199.99 to £159.99 by adding code “GARDEN20” at checkout until 9 March, this bargain gas pizza oven includes a chrome-plated grid and is also fitted with a clipon gas regulator and a connecting hose. Meanwhile, there’s a handle and wheels for moving it around the patio or garden as you please.
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Big Horn Outdoors pizza oven: £129.99, Amazon
This wood pellet pizza oven can get as hot as 460C and be ready to cook food in under 20 minutes. The stainless steel frame has folding legs, and there are no tools needed for building it. This is a multi-tasking outdoor dining buy because as well as making pizzas, you can also use it for meat, fish and veg too.
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Salter wood pellet 12in pizza oven: £144.99, Amazon
This portable pizza oven heats up to 500C in only 10 minutes, and cooks 12in pizzas in a minute. A baking board and paddle are included, plus you can cook chips with the paddle. There’s a carry bag for easy storage and transportation too. Meanwhile, a list of recipes arrive with the oven for cooking inspo as well.
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KuKoo outdoor pizza oven: £164.99, Robert Dyas
This outdoor pizza oven has a matte black finish, removable ash drawer, stainless steel doors and a fuel shelf for charcoal. Complete with two wheels and a handle, the portable cooking device also comes with a pizza cutter and pizza stone. It can be used to smoke, bake and barbecue food for extra cooking versatility.
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Woody wood-fired pizza oven kit: £249.99, Woody Oven
Containing everything you need to make pizza, this versatile wood-fired pizza oven is complete with pellets, wood, coal and gas. Reaching 500C in 15 minutes, pizzeria-worthy creations can be cooked in under an hour. Plus, it weighs just 12.5kg so you can cook pizza almost anywhere.
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Ooni karu 12 multi-fuel pizza oven: £299, Ooni
This is one of the cheapest Ooni options in the range, if you’re looking to spend less and buy from the popular pizza oven brand which is IndyBest tried and tested too. It can reach a whopping 500C in 15 minutes, which means you should be able to cook a pizza in only 60 seconds. Add wood or charcoal as fuel, or use this model with a separate gas burner for Ooni karu 12 (£89.99, Ooni).