Pizza ovens, compared
Proper pizza at home: oven size, fuel and heat, made simple.
Which oven size, which fuel and how hot: we compare gas, wood, multi-fuel and electric pizza ovens on what the makers state, and do the dough maths for you.
On the pass: top picks
All buying guides- Order 01Best 12 inch pizza ovens
DeliVita Diavolo: compact 12 inch gas oven, 450°C
GAS · 20 min · 10.5 kg
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link Sage Smart Oven Pizzaiolo: 400°C, Element iQ, 2,250 W
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link- Order 03Best gas pizza ovens
Jamie Oliver by Tefal: hand-turned rotating stone, 10.9 kg
GAS · 10.9 kg
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link - Order 04Best multi-fuel pizza ovens12"
George Foreman dual fuel: gas or wood pellets, piezo ignition
PELLET · 13.6 kg
Check price on AmazonAffiliate link
Pizza dough calculator
Open the dough calculator →Percentages are of the flour weight. Fresh yeast is about 3 x the dried weight; switching the type converts the figure.
Your dough
- Flour
- 909 g
- Water
- 564 g
- Salt
- 25 g
- Yeast (dried)
- 1.8 g
- Total dough
- 1,500 g
On the menu
Every topic on the site, from fuel type to dough.
- Gas pizza ovensPropane pizza ovens that reach full heat quickly, compared by max pizza size in inches and burner layout.9 guides · 3 buying guides
- Wood and pellet ovensOvens fired by kiln-dried hardwood or pellets for real flame and smoke, with notes on fuel and fire management.4 guides · 1 buying guide
- Multi-fuel ovensOvens that switch between wood, charcoal and gas so you can choose ease or flavour on the night.1 guide · 1 buying guide
- Electric indoor ovensPlug-in pizza ovens for kitchens and flats, compared by stone size, max temperature and watts.3 guides · 1 buying guide
- 12 inch or 16 inchHow oven size changes what you can bake, how much space it takes and how heavy it is to move.4 guides · 3 buying guides
- Peels and stonesLaunching, turning and cleaning: the peels, stones and steels that make an oven easy to use.6 guides · 0 buying guides
- Dough and cookingDough by baker's percentages, oven temperatures and the faults that leave pizza burnt, pale or stuck.8 guides · 0 buying guides
Common pizza problems
Burnt bases, pale tops and stuck dough: the causes and the fixes.
- Cracked or split pizza stoneCracked pizza stone? Thermal shock, a damp stone or cold dough on a hot floor are the usual causes. See if yours is still safe to use and how to stop it happening.
- Pizza will not slide off the peelPizza stuck to the peel? Use semolina, build fast, keep sauce off the edge and shake test before launch. Simple fixes for a clean slide onto the stone.
- Oven or stone stays too coolWood or gas pizza oven not reaching temperature? Wet wood, a short preheat, wind on the opening or reading air instead of stone temperature are the usual causes.
- Dough tears, snaps back or sticksPizza dough sticking to everything or tearing when you stretch it? It is usually under-proved, too wet or too cold. Here is how to fix it and stretch without holes.
- Burnt base, pale or raw topPizza base burning before the top cooks? Balance stone and dome heat: turn the flame down before launch, turn more often and let the stone recover between bakes.
- No ignition or flame goes outGas pizza oven will not light or the flame keeps going out? Check the regulator, the hold time on the safety valve, wind and the gas bottle, in that order.
Calculators
Dough by baker's percentages and pizza sizes by area.
Comparisons
- Pizza stone vs pizza steelPizza stone vs pizza steel: how cordierite and steel store and pass heat in a home oven, which bakes a crisper base, and why neither matches a pizza oven.
- Pizza oven vs a normal kitchen ovenPizza oven vs regular oven: floor and dome temperatures, bake times and crust results, and when an indoor electric pizza oven is worth having.
- Ooni Koda vs Ooni KaruOoni Koda vs Ooni Karu: gas-only convenience against wood and charcoal flavour with an optional gas burner. Which Ooni suits how you cook?
- Ooni Koda 2 vs Koda 16Ooni Koda 2 vs Koda 16: stone area, burner shape and gas use of the two Koda sizes, for families deciding how big a gas pizza oven to buy.
- Ooni Koda 12 vs Koda 2Ooni Koda 12 vs Koda 2: burner design, thermometer, opening and weight, and whether the Koda 2 bakes a pizza more evenly than the original Koda 12.
- Gozney vs Ooni: which pizza oven brand?Gozney vs Ooni compared: insulation, weight, heat-up and range breadth, matched model by model so you can pick the right UK pizza oven brand.
Buying guides
Focused guides to one type of oven or accessory each, compared on what the listings state.
- Best 12 inch pizza ovens
- Best electric pizza ovens for indoors
- Best gas pizza ovens
- Best multi-fuel pizza ovens
- Best outdoor pizza ovens for UK gardens
- Best pizza ovens for a small garden or balcony
- Best pizza ovens under £400
- Best portable pizza ovens for camping and taking to friends
- Best wood-fired pizza ovens
Guides & advice
- What else can you cook in a pizza oven?Flatbreads, steak in cast iron, roast vegetables and fish: what to cook in an outdoor pizza oven besides pizza, with rough oven temperatures for each.
- What gas bottle do you need for a pizza oven?Propane or butane for a UK pizza oven, common bottle sizes, matching the regulator to the gas and the manual, plus safe storage and a soapy-water leak test.
- How to use a pizza stone in a home ovenHow to use a pizza stone in a kitchen oven: shelf position, preheat time, using the grill element, and when an electric pizza oven makes more sense.
- Do you need a pizza oven cover? Storing an oven over winterHow to protect an outdoor pizza oven from British rain, frost and damp: covers versus bringing it inside, dry stones, gas bottle storage and the first spring firing.
- Pizza peel sizes and types explainedWhat size pizza peel do you need? Launching vs turning peels, wood vs perforated metal, and how to match a 12 or 14 inch peel to a 12 or 16 inch oven.
- Pizza oven temperature guideThe right pizza oven temperature for Neapolitan, New York and pan pizza, why stone temperature matters most, and how to read it with an infrared thermometer.