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lkboken

experience with outdoor pizza ovens

7 years ago
I’m trying to do some research on pizza ovens for a small backyard kitchen. There is a possibility to have it built in with a direct natural gas line, or have a countertop model as our house is still under construction . I know they vastly differ in price (and I’m ok with that). I’m also ok with not dropping 8k if someone can convince me that a $600 model is all I need. (Uuni, lynx, alfresco are all well-reviewed models I have come across).

Also, if people hate their pizza ovens, please chime in. This is a “could be fun to have” item not a “must have” item!

Comments (13)

  • 7 years ago

    We put a woodburning one in our outdoor kitchen. Unfortunately I can't comment on the performance since it's about a week away from being ready for use. I'm really looking forward to it, though!


  • 7 years ago

    Even if you don't want a Kamado, because you don't want to mess with charcoal, there are ways to use a gas grill as an improvised pizza oven. There also are ways to use a gas grill as a smoker, and as a stove top for smellier foods. And of course it can be used for grilling. So, I'd absolutely recommend running a gas line and installing a nicer gas grill. I find new uses for our middle-of-the-line Weber gas grill all the time. If you like cooking, a good grill that is always readily available (i.e. that has a permanent gas line) is very nice to have.


    Some of the pizza baking add-ons for gas grills are reportedly quite good, as long as your grill has sufficiently high BTUs. But they all have their limitations. You usually can't make multiple pizzas at the same time, they need a long time to preheat, and they are typically not tall enough to bake bread.


    In other words, if you make pizza two or three times a year, do yourself a favor, skip the pizza oven, and invest the money that you saved into getting a better gas grill. On the other hand, if home-made pizza is a regular part of your diet, and if space and budget allow for it, then by all means do get a dedicated pizza oven. It might be frivolous, but it'll bring a smile to your face every time you use it.

  • 7 years ago
    Thanks all for the reccs. Will look up that grill mentioned. I’d love wood burning but I’d also like a pizza butler to come included to set that thing up; my in laws have one and as lovely as it is, it’s a pain. Ha

    I should have added but we will have a higher end grill in the outdoor kitchen, also with its own gas line.
  • 7 years ago

    If you already are getting a good gas grill, then I have heard good things about: Bakerstone Pizza Oven box. I don't personally own one. But it's on my list of things to try out at some time. My only regret is that it's not really tall enough for baking artisan breads.

  • 7 years ago
    My better half is really into wood fired ovens and did a ton of research leading up to our last purchase. He considered all the big brands (forno bravo, earth stone, Chicago, etc) and in the end he chose a Morso. The Morso won because it is portable (we had to leave our last gigantic oven with the house when we moved), beautiful, is a multitasker, and is a good size for our small family. It makes great pizza (if you can get the fire just right). It is also a fraction of the price of those big boys.
  • PRO
    7 years ago

    We did an outdoor kitchen for a client with a Chicago Brick Oven and they love it. No experience with the countertop ovens, but to me they just look like an overgrown toaster oven. Functionally I've heard good things about them, but the aesthetics are meh.


    What about the wood oven do you consider to be a pain? I insulated the heck out of mine and I've gotten it to 900 degrees in about an hour and a half to two hours. We debated gas but it's just not the same.


  • 7 years ago

    If you want an oven dedicated to pizza, and don't want to spend a fortune, it would be hard to find a better choice than the Pizza Party. They offer wood ovens, as well as ovens that let you choose wood or gas. There are tons of reviews here pizza forum

  • 7 years ago
    @revolutionary gardens on a weeknight if I’m by myself with the kids I can’t babysit a fire for 2 hours. With gas I can flip a switch and it’s to temp in 30 min. If I’m going to drop 8k on an oven I want it to be user-friendly such that I’m going to be using it every week or so. I’ve found with my in-laws wood fired oven, it has become a “special occasion” type affair. It needs to be accessible for easy cooking.
  • 7 years ago

    The more I learn about cooking, the more I realize that easy accessibility is really really important. It was a big factor that we considered in all of our decisions for the new kitchen. Even really little barriers to accessibility have a disproportionate effect on how frequently we use a particular tool or appliance.

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    @LK Boken fair enough. We don't have kids, so it's easy enough to take the laptop outside and get some work done while keeping an eye on the oven. Wifi extenders are the best!

  • 7 years ago
    I just googled the pizza party. Heck, just discovering the youtube reviews made it worth it. Some of them are hilarious. Particularly the Italian guy living in LA.
    It looks interesting. And the price is reasonable. ($2k with shipping from Italy)
  • 7 years ago

    There are tons of reviews on the PP on pizzamaking.com forums, nearly every one is positive. What is interesting is that a number of members there own very expensive full size WFO, and say they prefer the PP because it is far easier to use. They also say the difference in taste between wood fired and gas Neapolitan pizzas range from none to very slight, since the pie is cooked so quickly. Some posters do say they enjoy the experience of building and maintaining a wood fire, so the PP ovens that allow gas and wood are pretty popular. I didn't have the space to devote to it, so I went with the smallest version, which is gas only.