It’s been a long day at work, the kids are hungry and you forgot to take something out of the freezer. Or maybe it’s game night, the gangs coming over and you need something easy to feed a lot of people. In situations like these, one of the first foods that people think of is PIZZA!! Whether you stop and pick up a pie on the way home, call for delivery or pull a box out of the freezer, pizza is one the most popular fast foods around.
When it comes to making pizza at home, most people use their oven, or if it’s a smaller pie and they want save on energy, and not heat up the whole house they may
pop it into the toaster oven. For people in a super hurry, and who aren’t as picky about getting a crispy crust, a
microwave oven, especially one with a convection option, is enough for them.
Even if you buy the very best brands, or make your own dough, the way regular ovens work they simply can never create pizza that is as good as those made in the high temperature oven at your favorite pizza joint. But what if there were a way that you could easily make GREAT pizzas at home, whether from scratch or using one from a box? Believe it or not, there is.
Step in, the home pizza oven! So what would you consider when looking for the best pizza oven?
First of all it’s important to know that pizza ovens, or pizza makers, come in different materials, shapes and sizes. Size and power also play a critical role in your decision. Before you settle on any type of oven, it would be prudent to consider you need and purpose for the oven and this will help you decide what kind you need.
There are six different types of pizza ovens for home use, so the first decision you will have to make is what kind you want.
- Conveyor Pizza Oven – Conveyor ovens are fast in baking and would be ideal when having for a party at home. With this type of pizza oven, pies are placed in one end, moving through the conveyor with for even heat distribution. By the time the pizza exits on the other side, it is already cooked and ready to cut.
- Portable Pizza Oven – There are different types of portable pizza ovens, for example electric and wood burning, but the thing that they all have in common is that they are light weight for ease of transportation. Some are designed for indoor or outdoor us, others such as the wood burning need are better suited for outdoor us. They have a lower thermal mass coupled with high tech refractory material. This makes them heat up quickly. Most of these features convenient handles for easier grip when taking outdoors.
- Rotating Pizza Oven – This type of pizza maker spins the pizza slowly inside the oven in order to help supply heat evenly to all sides. Many feature a loading door at the back and are unloaded in the front. Some single pizza models however are known to revolve the pizza around the central source of heat. Rotating pizza makers are ideal for home used due to their small size. Despite is quick action on cooking, they cannot provide the traditional pizza flavor that we know and love – they simply don’t put out enough heat. However, the results are better than cooking in the oven, and they don’ heat up the whole house. .
- Stovetop Pizza Oven – This is a revolutionary pizza oven that cooks in a record time of 6 minutes! It can heat up to 315 degrees in 15 minutes. It features two pizza stones that are made from cordierite, mineral that handles extremely high temperatures. Heat is directed from the base on the stones that are separated by air to diffuse the heat, thus providing the pizza with a backed crust. At the top, there is a hood with vents in it. This allows steam to escape, thus preventing the pizza from going soggy. Yummy!!!
- Wood-Burning Pizza Oven – This is a traditional style pizza that is preferred by gourmet cooks as well as pizza lovers who are seeking that authentic wood fire flavor. They work by stoking up a log of wood or coal fire that would go up to 1,000 degrees. It has a refractory dome at the top of the oven that helps reflect and magnify heat. This action provides an even distribution of consistent heat on all surfaces. However, they are slow in picking up temperature and may take up to one hour – but the results are worth it. Some people choose the outdoor versions, but for SERIOUS wood fire pizza loves, you can build one right into your home.
- Outdoor Pizza Oven – Outdoor kitchens are quickly rising in popularity, and a pizza oven is a great way to cook outside without a lot of construction. Depending upon your preferences, you can get a wood burning outdoor pizza oven, or an electric outdoor pizza oven. Either way, they are perfect for backyard pizza parties, of for when you want great pizza without using the oven – plus they taste oh, so much better! If you go for a freestanding outdoor pizza oven, most have a large oven capacity and can cook up to a 16 inch pizza (or you could get an even bigger one. Not ready to make this much of an investment? Get a portable one that is good for outdoors.
With the exception of wood burning pizza ovens (either indoor or outdoor) which can be homemade, the rest can be purchased and put to use right away. For the purpose of this review, we chose 5 great brands, and have showcased some of each type, to help you select the a pizza oven that would most likely tickle your fancy.
But before we get to our recommendations, let’s take a look at some other factors you should consider.
Price
Price certainly plays a critical role when looking for a pizza oven. While some a relatively low-priced, others are more expensive. However, a lower price should not necessarily be taken to mean poor quality. Most of these price variations may depend on the brand and material used. For the 5 products that we will review, the prices range between $42 and $410. The open rotating models are the least expensive but are also the less flexible. Pizza ovens that offer more functionality would also tend to be priced much higher. If price is one of your factors, then it would help if you to narrow down to a model that will meet your budget.
Our review will however will be comprehensive enough to offer you quality pizza ovens that will reflect value for your money. Some of the factors that may influence the prices are material used, functionality, size and technology used to make them.
Features
Considering the fact that there are various types of pizza ovens in the market today, getting one with the right features will be a win for you as a buyer. Each oven comes with its own unique features that would make it stand out from the rest. In this regard, it would be important to be keen on the features section in order to get a pizza oven that will be worth every penny.
The following are some of the main features to look out for in a pizza oven:
- You can either go for an open or a closed pizza oven
- Consider the heating elements and understand where they are located
- Pay attention to the cooking surface
- The power of the chosen appliance will determine the cooking time for your desired pizza
- Ensure that you have a pizza oven with convenient temperature controls
In order to offer the user with comfort, most manufacturers include some extra features to their pizza ovens. For instance, some pizza makers tell you whether the appliance is preheating and when it is time to start baking. Others feature a handle to ensure that you open the lid easily without the risk of burning your fingers.
Construction and Design
Pizza ovens come in two main designs: open and closed. Open ovens offers you the convenience of watching the process and thus you can stop at any stage after the crust gets to your desired shade of brown. However, a downside of an open style pizza makers is that they emit a lot of much heat. This is where the convenience of closed ovens come in. they are safe since they eliminate the possibility of accidents through burns.
Another thing you need to watch out for is to make sure you choose a design that lets the heat get distributed equally through your pastry. A good pizza would be one that features a non-stick coating and maintains high temperatures.
Performance and Ease of Use
One factor that affects the performance of a pizza oven is determined by its power. The bigger the power, the better the functionality. Size would also matter in its performance since a larger diameter would mean cooking for more people (as well as bigger pizzas in general). This would enable you prepare a basket lunch with ease.
The ideal wattage for better performance of a pizza oven is 1200 - 1500 Watts. While some pizza ovens would need about 5 minutes for baking, others would require up to 15 minutes. If you are the impatient type and need to have even distribution of heat through your pizza dough within the shortest time, then you may want to go for a rotating pan.
For the purpose of this review, we selected cooking appliances that are specially designed to make pizza! Modern models of pizza stovetop ovens have been fine tuned to do most of the work, so all you need to do is to place your pizza in the oven and make the right settings. In a matter of minutes, your yummy pizza is ready to be served. Let's take a closer look at the fine pizza-making devices we have selected!
Features
Blackstone specializes in cooking appliances and is a prestigious company that has become famous worldwide for its quality products. It was founded by a team that loves outdoor activities and all they crave for is to cook pizzas in the comfort of their patios or decks. With this in mind, they came up with the Blackstone 1575 Outdoor Oven. This is a unique pizza oven, often distinguished by its punch button igniter. This device also features commercial grade wheels that make it easier to move from one position to another without sweating.
What can be better than the lockable casters located on the wheel that will ensure you lock the oven in place to make it stable while cooking? Thanks to this feature, you would not need to worry about wind spoiling your party by destabilizing your oven.
Other notable features that stand out from the Blackstone Backyard Oven include:
- It comes with a 60,000 BTU burner that easily gets to 700 degrees.
- For added convenience, you can the rotisserie motor can be operated with the AC/DC plug of by batteries if you want to take it with you or don’t have a plug near by.
- The electric ignition works with one AA battery.
- Features an elegant black/silver color scheme and it comes with handles made from stainless steel.
- You benefit from 90 days of warranty which covers all parts, workmanship and finishes.
- It has high quality thrust bearings thus no need to purchase additional bearings
Construction and Design
The Blackstone 1575 Outdoor Oven is perfect for outdoors events due to its lockable casters. Thanks to this, you wouldn’t need to go through a lot of hassle trying to make it stable while preparing pizza on your patio or deck. You can simply lock it down and enjoy your party without worries. Most outdoor ovens are known to cook food consistently. However, this is not the case with this pizza oven which features a convection design that ensures your pizzas cooks evenly and consistently each time.
Performance and Ease of Use
The Blackstone 1575 Outdoor Oven is versatile and can make all types of pizzas, in sizes that may go up to 16 inches in diameter! You will be surprised to find out that although this oven doesn’t use wood to produce heat, the taste resembles the one of a pizza made in an authentic wood-burning oven. It achieves this performance by cooking using reflected heat. This is also one of the easiest pizza stovetop oven to assemble since it features less moving parts.
While this is a review about pizza ovens, we chose this product as our top choice because it is designed to do much more than that. This outdoor oven provides unlimited possibilities for what you can cook, giving your foods artisan style results. So don’t stop at making brick oven style pizza – if you can cook it in an outside oven, you can cook it in this one (and you won’t heat up the house).
Features
Cooking delicious pizzas at home has never been this easy, thanks to Camp Chef, a futuristic company that has gained notable relevance in the cooking industry due to its unique products. They offer the best cooking tools in the market at a great price. This time, they have stretched their innovative limits by coming up with the Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven. This is the perfect pizza maker even if you have never considered yourself a home chef. At a MSRP of $299.96, this pizza oven promises to revolutionize how you make pizzas in your own home..
Here are some of the highlights of this practical cooking device:
- It comes with a powerful burner that preheats and would be ready for cooking in 15 minutes
- It features a portable design thus perfect for backyard cooking or camping
- The double layered ceiling enhances the heating dynamics
- It comes with a built-in temperature gauge that helps monitor internal temperature
- The built-it valve gives you complete control of the flame
- It features a handle on the fully ventilated oven door
The professionals behind Camp Chef have designed multiple pizza-making devices and all of them are packed with great features. Once you hop over to Amazon, don’t be afraid to explore their line of pizza ovens and pick something that matches your preferences and needs.
Construction and Design
Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven’s construction has been made to mimic the wood-fired brick oven. This can be seen in the way the oven bakes pizzas, bread and other foods. Its portable design also makes it the perfect pizza maker for tailgating, camping or backyard cooking. The fact that it runs on a one-pound disposable propane bottle makes it an efficient energy appliance. It can also adapt to a standard size propane tank if necessary, so this oven is quite versatile. This mobile pizza oven from Camp Chef also features a uniquely designed 17,000 BTU gas burner and heat plates that can raise the temperature up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit.
Performance and Ease of Use
The Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven features a double walled construction which helps enhance the heating performance. Similarly, the built-in micro adjustments and ignition system gives you complete control over the flame. The built-in temperature gauge ensures that you have a clear monitoring of the cooking progress. This means that your pizza will cook just at the desired temperature, the way you like it. How cool is that?
The oven door is ventilated and has a handle to make opening much easier. The durable stainless steel makes cleaning this pizza oven a piece of cake. With so much ease of use, you can focus on other tasks such as enjoying your delicious slice of pizza in the company of your loved ones!
Having gone through these products, we hope that now you know more about pizza ovens and will be able to pick out a great pizza oven with ease. These are top quality models and you can rest assured that what you opt for will be worth every penny you spend.
