Pizza Ovens Ooni Pizza Ovens Ooni UK
During testing, I found the gas mode a lot easier, as it heated up quickly and delivered consistent temperatures with very little effort. The pizza cooked evenly with a good crust and it only needed turning once. The wood pellets also produced a decent pizza but it was quite smoky and took a while to heat up, so I’d use the gas function day-to-day and the wood pellets for special occassions. For those who lack outdoor space or don’t want to wait for good weather, Ooni’s indoor pizza oven is excellent.
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I did find it strange not having any kind of door, but that did help when knowing when to rotate it. If you don’t have the room for a large pizza oven, but you still want a premium product then this is one of the best practical pizza ovens for everyday use. Once completely cooled, sweep away the ash with a dustpan and brush, or a dedicated pizza oven brush, then use a cloth or paper towels to wipe the interior. Scrape any remaining residue off the stone with a plastic spatula – don’t be tempted to use water or cleaners as the porous pizza stone will absorb them. When you replace the stone, flip it over, so any remaining residue can burn away on your next cook. It’s quite large and heavy, even when the stone isn’t in it, so you will most likely need a dedicated space for it, as it’s a little heavy to keep shifting around.
My pizza cooked in just under two minutes and came out with a good leopard spot crust, and well-cooked toppings. The pizza stone slots onto the grill – this allows the the heat to surround it, meaning you get evenly cooked pizza every time. It’s also really easy to get the pizza in and out because the stone is in an elevated position. Overall, it produced one of the best cooked pizzas throughout my whole test.
Here are the rest of the pizza ovens we’ve tested, listed in alphabetical order. A selection of the pizza ovens we tested are listed in alphabetical order below. After an initial assembly of about 25 minutes, it took a few attempts to light and stay lit. Gas ovens are quicker to heat up and easier to control, which means they’re ideal for beginners or anyone who wants consistent results.
If you’re limited on outdoor space, the Ooni volt 2 is the best indoor pizza oven I’ve tried. It cooks pizza in just 90 seconds and has a handy boost function for a perfectly melted top and evenly cooked base. The George Foreman multi-fuel pizza oven is a great option if you want to flip between traditional wood-fired pizza and the convenience of gas.
And probably the most important step to using any pizza oven is not to worry if it doesn’t go to plan. Not every pizza will be perfect and it may take you a few goes before you get it right, but once you start, it’ll become second nature. Whilst the oven is warming up, it’s time to roll your dough. Make sure that you really work the dough so that it’s smooth and slides around on your preparation surface. So lightly flour your peel, slide it under the dough and make sure that you can move it around before adding any toppings.
Note that wood-fired pizza ovens can take longer to reach cooking temperature, and maintain it – as the flame is managed by adding wood and adjusting airflow. Unsurprisingly, wood fires can be smoky, so a pizza oven can only be used in a well-ventilated area, far from your neighbours. Wood fires are messier, too, as you’ll need to dispose of the ash once cooled and deep-clean the oven occasionally. Meanwhile if you’re on a budget, the Casa Mio bravo is an decent, affordable outdoor option that’s easy to use and doesn’t have a large footprint. For indoors and those to new to at-home pizza making, the Cooks Professional electric pizza oven is a great entry level choice. You do need to rotate the pizza because it has no door, so the majority of the heat is at the back of the pizza oven.
It took around 15 minutes to get to full heat, and it was well worth the wait. At 370C, which is its max temp, it took just two minutes to produce an artisan pizza. The pizza didn’t need turning because there were not hot spots in the oven, so it all cooked evenly with the most impressive leopard spotted crusts. I think even professional pizza chefs would’ve been blown away by the results. They use bottled gas to provide an easily controlled flame that creates quick, consistent heat.
inja artisan electric outdoor pizza oven and air fryer
- The brand claims you can cook pizzas in as little as three minutes, but I found it took just under 10 minutes to cook an 11in pizza during testing.
- Outdoor pizza ovens are now far easier to use, with manufacturers making them simpler to light, cook in, and clean up afterwards.
- It’s a shame that … the oven’s stiff door can be difficult to open with one hand, making it tricky to get the pizza in – and out, before it burns.
- And probably the most important step to using any pizza oven is not to worry if it doesn’t go to plan.
And I say small, but it does have the capacity to cook a 12in pizza, which is plenty for home cooks. The best pizza ovens make restaurant-quality pizza possible at home – and we’ve found that price isn’t always an indicator of quality. Over the last 10+ years we have built a reputation as the UK’s premier pizza oven specialist.
In addition, gas can be expensive and sometimes tricky to obtain if you don’t have a local supplier. The fuel source of a pizza oven can impact how often you’ll use it, where you can use it, and how easy it is to get up to cooking temperature. I’ll be honest, I’m an indoorsy kinda gal – and most of what I test comes with a plug attached. I never turn down the opportunity to head into my garden to test barbecues and outdoor ovens. I’ve spent the past decade or so sampling outdoor kit, building stands, lugging around gas bottles and making (fairly controlled) fires.
Batteries to power the ignition are neatly concealed in one of the legs, and there’s a tapered flame at the back. For the review, I swapped its static stone for its rotating one – it’s a pricey optional accessory, but it was great for ensuring consistency. The only downside is that it reduces the oven’s capacity to 12in.
Ooni Karu 2 Pro Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven
The build quality was decent, and for the price, I really don’t think you can go wrong. In my opinion, this is a very good entry-level pizza oven and certainly one I’d recommend if you want to experiment between gas and wood. The Cuisinart 3 in 1 BBQ pizza oven is pizza artisan menu a brilliant choice if you want a full outdoor cooking station in one.
My top pick for the best outdoor pizza oven is the Gozney arc lite. Whether you’ve got a sprawling garden or a small patio, this pizza oven will fit. It also performs brilliantly, producing delicious pizza in less than two minutes with perfect leopard spot crusts and bubbling oozy cheese.
That said, during testing, I managed to fit it in a cupboard between pizza nights. Wood-fired pizza ovens infuse food with a naturally smoky flavour that clean-burning gas can’t achieve. The cooking process here is more hands-on and can take practise to master – but for many, this is all part of an authentic experience. Another plus is that wood is widely available and usually inexpensive – make sure to buy from a sustainable, well-managed source.
It’s totally normal for stones to darken over time, that’s just a sign they are well used and it makes the pizza taste better. If you absolutely hate the idea of cooking on a well used stone, you can buy pizza steels, which are like a cast iron base to cook your pizza on. Try to keep it in the centre of stone as if you push it too far back, you’ll end up with one side burning. Since pizzas usually only take around 90 seconds to two minutes to cook in a high-temperature oven, try to rotate your pizza every seconds to avoid burning. You’ll need to rotate the pizza otherwise it will cook unevenly. I also found that the top cooked a lot quicker than the base, so this is a good one if you’re using fresh mozzarella.