The best pizza ovens of 2024 in the UK tried and tested by Ideal Home

One of the best pizza ovens will add a new dimension to your cooking at home year-round, but not every oven is made equal.

We judge the pizza ovens we test against strict criteria. This includes ease of set up and use, fast firing up times, evenness of temperature, consistent cooking performance, efficient launching (the part where you manoeuvre the base into the oven) and straightforward cleaning. As you’d expect, we’re also invested in the result, and make sure to check on how crispy each base is, how well toppings cook and how long the baking process takes. If, after that, the oven is good enough to rival your local pizzeria, then it’ll make it onto this list.

Crafting authentic chargrilled pizza at home doesn’t come cheap, with quality pizza ovens ranging from £150 to £1500+. To help you decide how much cash to splash, we’ve spelt out the specifications and the accessories you get with each oven, as well as highlighting affordable buys. Our testing team is made up of our Kitchen Appliances Editor (taking her expertise outdoors) as well as our expert product tester and home economist Helen McCue, who know a thing or two about making pizza at home.

Whether you’re looking for the best BBQ alternative, an easy-to-use gas model or an oven to give you that authentic wood-fired flavour, we’ve tested the ovens you need, curated after years of at-home reviews from our in-house experts. This guide will take you through our top 13 ovens, after testing plenty more, and help answer any burning questions you have about the art of pizza making. After reading this list, the only remedy will be a pizza oven for your home and a slice of your chosen pie, pronto!

Best pizza ovens – The quick list

Best pizza oven overall

The Gozney Arc is our favourite pizza oven ever. This gas oven has everything you need to make restaurant-quality pizza at home, including a wide opening for launching pizzas up to 14″ and controls that make firing it up as easy as turning a dial. It combines all of the majesty of its sister oven the Dome (at #8) with the ease of use of the Roccbox (at #4), meeting to serve up the pinnacle of pizza ovens.

During our tests, when we tried everything from a simple margarita to vegetable skewers, we found that the temperature inside the Arc stayed optimally high, meaning that we could serve up pizza after pizza without stopping. The LED temperature gauge makes things more hands-free too, and the overall shape of the Arc makes turning pizzas painless.

We achieved wonderfully crispy bases and melted toppings with the Arc, and fell in love with its overall look, with a buttery beige colour and design-focused look that will set your garden apart from the rest. Not only is this oven worth its salt in terms of performance, but it’s a statement piece too. The exterior may be a bit too delicate for those that prefer a rustic look and feel, and the set-up with the Arc isn’t as straightforward as with electric alternatives, but those things aside, we think it’s as close to perfect as you can get.

Our Gozney Arc review has the full details.

Best wood-fired pizza oven

The Ooni Fyra is a five-star buy for many reasons, the first being that a wood-fired pizza oven is generally going to be the most affordable option in terms of initial outlay. As a rule, wood is a cheaper fuel too – and potentially more environmentally friendly – fuel type when compared to gas.

It managed a flawless performance in testing thanks to its low maintenance set-up and hands-on cooking process, with the flames it creates achieving that authentic, smoky wood-fired flavour (without burning). Helen made margarita pizzas, pepperoni pizzas and a cheesy garlic bread, first of all, each of which emerged with a lovely crisp base. She also found it easy to use the Fyra, once armed with a cast iron pan, to cook lamb, a variety of vegetables, and new potatoes.

The Fyra is more effort than a gas-fired alternative to run, and it will need one person’s (almost) undivided attention for the best results, especially if you want to cook multiple pizzas for a large group when you’ll need to get the oven back up to temperature between bakes. But if you love an involved cooking experience, and posses patience, it’ll be a great fit for you.

If you’re still undecided on which oven to buy from the brand, we’ve covered the subject in more depth in our rundown of which Ooni pizza oven to buy.

Our Ooni Fyra 12 Pizza Oven review has the full details.

Best electric pizza oven

Like all of the best Ninja air fryers, the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven is a seriously capable multi-functional buy, and couldn’t be more user-friendly. It’s electric, so unlike the gas and wood-fired options on this list, all you need to do is plug it in. From there, there’s eight different settings you can use at the touch of a button to make pizza, smoke meats, bake, use only the top heat, roast, dehydrate, warm and more.

Our expert reviewer Helen however, says she would buy this Ninja oven ‘just for the pizza setting alone’, which is high praise from our hard-to-please expert. What’s more, Helen was also seriously impressed with the quality, flavour and texture of the pizzas made with this oven. And it wasn’t just pizza she tried too, with delectable brownies, wood-fired salmon and an entire roast chicken served up.

Crucially, this oven is made for first-timers, so you won’t have to struggle with pizzas that aren’t up to scratch on its maiden voyage, so you can start enjoying using this buy from the offset.

Add to that the versatility to roast joints of meat and even bake or smoke foods, and this is an excellent bit of kit with endless cooking possibilities, and a great multi-functional oven if that’s what you’re looking for.

Our full Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven review has the full details.

Best portable pizza oven

The 12-inch pizza-making Gozney Roccbox comes in two options, the gas-fuelled model, which currently has an RRP of £399, and the multi-fuel option with an RRP of £499. This makes it significantly more expensive than Ooni’s comparably sized multi-fuel option, the Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven, with an RRP of £299.

So, what does the Gozney Roccbox have that the Ooni Karu 12 doesn’t? Well, first up are its stylish good looks. The Roccbox features a smart stainless steel cylinder chamber wrapped in eye-catching silicone that also helps to make the oven’s outer safe to the touch.

Unlike the Ooni Karu 12, it also features an in-built thermometer at the side of the oven that makes keeping track of temperature (and so getting a consistent bake) a far easier affair. It also comes ready-equipped with a pizza peel – an essential tool for turning your pizza to prevent burning. One of our biggest bugbears with the Ooni pizza ovens is that this essential tool must be purchased separately.

Technically, the Gozney Roccbox is also more portable, coming equipped with a strap to help you transport it with ease. With its compact size and easily retractable legs, it might make a good option for the beach as long as you can drive it there, as at 29kg, it’s probably a little heavy to carry.

Performance-wise, our reviewer loved the Roccbox and all of its charms, finding the entire pizza-making process straightforward. She also found wood-fired cooking was a lot more high-maintenance than gas, and it took longer to reach optimum temperature. Overall, this meant longer cooking times on both fuel types, but, on the flip side, less risk of burning your Hawaiian or margarita.

Our Gozney Roccbox Dual-Fuel Pizza Oven review has the full details.

Best rotating pizza oven

Once you’ve tried any pizza oven, you’ll know that turning in order to achieve an even cook is essential. And the Witt Rotante takes the guesswork out of that process entirely, with a spinning base that gives full cooking coverage to your pizzas (or whatever else) instantly.

When trying the Rotante, our reviewer found that placing your pizza in the very centre of the oven and base was the best way to achieve the kind of cook you want. We also found that cooking times with this oven are super speedy, taking just one minute (instead of the predicted minute and a half) to cook a pizza to perfection.

Another pull of the Rotante is that it can fire pizzas up to 16″, which is plenty big enough to cater to a pizza party. Our reviewer even found that it’s a large enough space for two smaller pizzas, if that appeals.

Like with our #1 option, the Gozney Arc, the gas fuel of this oven makes set up feel seamless. And the rotating base means that this is definitely the most hands-free option out there too.

Our full Witt Rotante pizza oven review has the full details.

Best indoor pizza oven

The Ooni Volt is a spectacular innovation for those who live in apartments or flats. All you need to do with this electric oven is plug it in and wait just 20 minutes for it to hit temperatures of 450°C, and in minutes you’ll be able to create pizzas as tasty as the ones from your local takeaway.

The Volt makes relying on the weather to turn out perfect pizzas a thing of the past, with the ability to use it inside as well as outside. It’s quite a boxy appliance, and not the easiest to store, but it’s so easy to use that you soon forget all about that. We did find during testing that you’ll want to keep a window open as it operates, as there can be smoke emitted during the process, but once you’re tucking into your pizza that will seem a small price to pay.

The heat retention when using the Volt is super impressive, making indoor pizza parties possible even all through the winter. When we tested it, we could make five pizzas without a break. And though the opening is fairly small, it’s not overly difficult to launch pizzas into the oven, especially if you’re using Ooni’s tailor-made peel.

All in all, the Volt far exceeded our expectations of an indoor pizza oven, reaching the same temperatures and yielding the same results when it came to taste. If you want a purchase you’ll make use of year-round, look no further than the Volt.

Our Ooni Volt review has the full details.

Best affordable pizza oven

If you’re looking for one of the most affordable pizza ovens you can buy, then we think the Woody Pizza Oven is a great balance of price and performance.

This is a 12-inch wood-fired pizza oven first and foremost, but it also offers the flexibility of converting to gas with the addition of a gas burner. We’ve tried both methods, and loved the results either way. The removable door is a particular highlight, ensuring that heat stays in the oven. Add to that the fire basket and hopper design that makes using wood pellets so simple, and we’d say that this is one of the easiest wood-fired ovens out there.

The affordability of the Woody can’t be overlooked – not when you see the lower initial investment cost and the fact that with this oven you get the (essential) pizza peel, an in-built thermometer, and a carry cover included in the price.

In both review settings, we were impressed by the Woody’s performance, both in the more labour-intensive wood-fired mode and the comparatively quick and easy gas-fired mode. They also noted the arched roof of the Woody Pizza Oven made cooking a range of dishes in a skiller pan far little easier than with the Ooni Fyra’s more shallow opening.

The downsides? It can be tricky to transport, with slightly sharp edges and a tall design.

Our Woody Pizza Oven and Kit review has the full details.

Best multi-fuel pizza oven

The Gozney Dome is the sellout, big spend pizza oven from Gozney, a brand that makes a range of professional ovens, alongside their classic Roccbox, which is one of Ideal Home’s favourite picks. The Dome sits somewhere in between, with a modern look that’s unlike many of the pizza ovens on the market, and a large enough internal capacity to keep the pizzas flowing all night.

It can make pizzas up to 16″ big, and the added extras such as a steam injector or oven door to offer more cooking options made such a big difference to the pizzas our reviewer produced. We loved using this oven to cook extea large pizzas, lamb steaks and roasted vegetables such as sweetcorn. One of the things that really stood out with the Dome was the included temperature probes, which our tester used to ensure that joints of meats she cooked were perfectly done. The large air vent also allowed her to use the Dome like an outdoor oven, and create foods with succulent flavours.

It’s a pricey buy indeed, but if you’re looking for an upgrade on your existing oven and you love making pizzas, the Gozney Dome is the oven you’ll want.

Our Gozney Dome outdoor oven review has the full details.

Best gas pizza oven

DeliVita make seriously lovely pizza ovens, including the original DeliVita oven which sits at #13 on this list. The DiaVolo is the brand’s entry level alternative, which is far more affordable. It’s a gas oven, but it keeps the same emphasis on design that we love.

The DiaVolo is a gas oven, and is infact one of the first ovens that can be used with a camping gas cylinder as well as a patio one. Our reviewer found the heat up time with a DiaVolo wasn’t dampened by a cold and windy day, and that it was ready to use after 20 minutes. Pizzas inside the oven cooked in just 90 seconds, though the small opening with this oven made the task of turning a little tricky.

While the heat up times were quick, our tester found cooking the middle of her pizzas to perfection a bit of a task. The low roof inside of the DiaVolo paired with the rolling gas flame also meant that toppings on the pizza did run the risk of being completely incinerated.

On the whole though, our reviewer was impressed with how user friendly the DiaVolo was to use, and even on her first try, she was able to use it to cook pizzas to feed her family. For an easy gas experience, it’s a sure bet.

Our DiaVolo Gas Fired Pizza Oven review has the full details.

Best large pizza oven

The largest of Ooni’s multi-fuel pizza ovens, the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven is an investment, but as long as your budget will stretch, we think it’s worth it.

Firstly, this multi-fuel option means you don’t have to make the difficult decision between wood-fired or gas-fired cooking. You can opt to heat the oven using wood or charcoal for that authentic chargrilled taste, or you can enjoy the even consistency of gas cooking. However, the gas burner doesn’t come included, which is a bit of a disappointment considering the price.

That said, our reviewer loved the performance of this oven, which is why it’s taken the top spot in our round-up. On testing we found this oven heated up the fastest of most models we’ve trialled, and even better it features an in-built temperature gauge so you know exactly when to add your dough – something lacking in many comparable models.

That spacious interior also makes for ease of use, with plenty of space to spin your pizza for even cooking (although you’ll need to buy a pizza peel separately as one isn’t included). The hinged oven door with a viewing panel also makes checking on the pizza’s progress far easier than closed-door models, helping to eliminate the risk of pizza burning – although the even heat the pizza oven delivered meant there was little risk of that.

It’s an investment, and you will need to buy additional accessories separately – like a pizza peel and that gas burner – but if you want to cook pizza alfresco like a pro, then the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven gets full marks from us.

Our Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven review has the full details.

Best countertop pizza oven

The Sage Smart Oven Pizzaiolo is a seriously smart indoor pizza oven. It can heat up to 400 degrees and cook authentic Neopolitan-style pizzas as well as deep dish and even frozen pizzas. Unlike the Volt, it’s the kind of size that will fit on your countertop, so if you want a smaller indoor oven, it’ll be just the ticket.

When we put this pizza oven to the test we were seriously impressed by how fast it cooked our pizzas, as well as the evenness of the cooking. The feature that detects ambient temperature and advises you to wait before placing in your next pizza is very smart, and our reviewer found that the overall cook on each pizza she cooked was great as a result, whether a thin or a thick base.

The immediate advantage of the indoor nature of this oven is that you can enjoy freshly cooked pizza all year round, and no weather can rain on your pizza party. As with the Ooni Volt, this oven does suffer with some smoke issues, but opening a window will go a long way. This oven also comes with a pizza peel, stone, and deep dish included, which earned another tick from us.

The obvious downside of the Sage Smart Oven Pizzaiolo is the high price, but when you consider that it plugs right in, comes with a pizza peel, and doesn’t need a thermometer to tell if it’s hot enough to cook your pizza perfectly, it’s an unmissable option. If you want the best pizza oven to take the stress out of judging the heat and timing of your cooking, this five-star option is the one for you.

Our Sage Smart Oven Pizzaiolo review has the full details.

Best rustic pizza oven

Handmade in Yorkshire, we think the rustic look of the DeliVita makes it one of the most beautiful ovens out there. Interestingly, it works pretty differently compared to other wood-fired options on this list. During testing, we made a Jenga-style tower of wood inside the oven and lit it, before leaving it for about half an hour to come to the desired temperature of 450°C. This takes things really back to basics, and allows you to get that authentic pizza making experience from your back garden.

This clay oven (again, fairly different from other options on this list) comes in a gorgeous range of colours and can make 12-inch pizzas in just a minute. Its exterior is waterproof and it also comes with a cover, meaning you can leave it outside after use if you wish. It is a little on the heavy side at 30kg, so not the best for carrinng around, but there’s no denying the authentic feel of that crackling wood and our finished pizza was restaurant-quality.

The domed design and wide opening allowed our reviewer to experiment with a range of different foods, from corn on the cob to doughballs. And with the fire burning within the DeliVita itself, everything was served up with that delicious wood-fired flavour that we all know and love. For a truly hands on pizza making experience, the DeliVita is a showstopping buy.

Our DeliVita pizza oven review has the full details.

Best small pizza oven

The Ooni Koda is a gas-fired pizza oven available in either 12-inch or 16-inch sizes, so there’s an option for those with more space and one for a more portable option. The legs fold away for easy storage and there’s no funnel feature, so you can pack it away into your car boot with ease. Our reviewer Helen found this oven got up to heat very quickly, with the controls being as simple as the turn of a knob. Within as little as 15 minutes, she could start cooking.

From there, Helen found in her tests it really couldn’t be easier to speedily serve up pizzas, meaning that your next garden party undoubtedly be your best yet. Despite the lack of wood-fired flavour, this gas oven was a powerhouse for cooking up crisp, perfectly done pizzas in about two minutes.

Helen also tried her hand at a range of other foods in the Koda, finding fajita mix, chicken, and assorted greens came out perfectly when cooked in a cast iron skillet in the oven.

The Koda is a star buy for those who want to create authentic pizzas without the faff of keeping a fire going, as you would need to in the Fyra. If you love the ease of gas BBQs, the convenience of the Ooni Koda will probably be right up your street.

Our Ooni Koda pizza oven review has the full details.

How we test pizza ovens

We’ve extensively reviewed every single one of the pizza ovens in this guide, as part of our commitment to how we test products at Ideal Home. And when we say we’ve tested them, we don’t mean we’ve just tried them out once – we have these ovens at home for a timescale of two weeks to two months before we come to a verdict.

Some of these ovens cook on gas and some on wood, so we make sure to try out both (if possible) to see if there’s a cooking mode we would recommend over the other. We also make sure to cook a standardised selection of pizzas, beginning with garlic bread and then ranging from a simple margarita to topping-heavy options, to see how the chosen foods on top of the pizza char up. From there, we cook other foods in the oven too, including grilled veggies and a cut of meat, usually steak, to see how versatile each product is.

Image 1 of 18

It’s not just the resulting pizzas that we’re judging, though that is a major factor. Alongside that we focus in on how long the oven takes to set up, how much faff it is to fire up (either with gas or wood), and how easy it is to launch a pizza into the oven. This can vary from product to product depending on designs, as well as how portable each oven is.

When testing the ovens, we also make sure to fire off a fair few pizzas in quick sucession, so that we can judge whether it’s a pizza party appropriate product that allows you to chain cook margarita after margarita. When the process is done we also look at how easy each oven is to maintain, as well as any quirks when it comes to cleaning and storage.

FAQs

How to choose a pizza oven

Check the weight of your pizza oven. Pizza ovens – particularly clay or brick ovens – can be VERY heavy and tricky to manoeuvre without equipment or a team of helpers. It’s always worth looking at the weight before you order, and checking that if it is a beast, the supplier will move it into position for you. Alternatively, pick a design on wheels that you can move around the garden.

Know your fuels

Pizza is traditionally cooked in a wood-fired oven for that signature smoky flavour. However, some pizza ovens have gas burners that will get your oven cavity up to temperature much quicker. Charcoal and pellet burners are other options.

The temperature of your oven will peak somewhere between 400 and 500 degrees C, and the better your oven maintains its temperature, the more pizzas you can produce from one ‘firing’.

Note the cooking times

A small oven will take anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes to heat (around 10 if you’re using gas, and closer to 20 if you’re opting for pellets or charcoal. Larger ovens can take anything up to an hour. Your typical pizza will take around six minutes to cook, though remember to turn it for an even bake.

The smallest gas-powered ovens, however, can do the job in as little as 60 seconds. Every oven is different, but it won’t take long to ‘learn’ its optimal cooking time.

Treasure those little extras

A temperature gauge is handy, as you’ll always know when you’re ready to cook. A few ovens come with a pizza paddle designed to fit the cavity perfectly, though this is the exception rather than the rule.

Look out for models with griddles, as then you’ll be able to use your oven as a barbecue and not have to own two separate outdoor cookers.

Get an authentic base

For a 10-inch pizza with an authentic thin base, roll out a piece of dough just larger than a golf ball, certainly no bigger. Also, don’t go too crazy with your toppings – overloading can cause your pizza not to cook properly.