The 7 Best Pizza Ovens 2023, tested by PEOPLE

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Best Pizza Ovens of 202 — Photo: PEOPLE / FRED HARDY

If you look forward to pizza night at home, then there's probably nothing better than having a box containing that perfectly crisp crust delivered to your doorstep. Or is there? With the right pizza oven, you can create a pizzeria experience right at home.

Outdoor pizza ovens make it easy to dine casually al fresco, while countertop pizza ovens can transform a frozen pizza into a magnificent meal. According to Jesse Harris, corporate executive chef of Chicago's famous deep dish pizzeria, Giordano's, there are a few important aspects to take into consideration when choosing a pizza oven for your home, including "proper insulation of the oven for heat retention, even airflow through the oven for even caramelization, and the oven's ability to cook a variety of styles of pizza across wide temperatures."

To help you decide which pizza oven is best for your home, PEOPLE Tested took on the onerous yet very tasty task of trying out nearly two dozen pizza ovens. We evaluated each for ease of use and assembly (so you can get to cooking your first slices right away), heat control, and cooking performance, with special attention to the crisp, evenly cooked crust that we all love. We didn't forget about the crust's co-star — the cheese, of course — and so we also evaluated the ovens based on how well they melted that cheesy layer. The best slices emerged from the Ooni Koda 12, but six other ovens earned the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval.

Keep reading to learn more about the best pizza ovens PEOPLE Tested.

The Best Pizza Ovens PEOPLE Tested:

Best Overall: Ooni Koda 12
Best Budget: Presto Pizzazz Plus Rotating Pizza Oven
Best Splurge: Gozney Dome
Best for Gas Grills: Only Fire Universal Stainless Steel Pizza Oven Kit
Best for Indoor Use: Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo
Best Hybrid: Cuisinart 3-in-1 Pizza Oven
Best Wood Fired: Ooni Karu 12

Best Overall: Ooni Koda 12

Buy on Amazon Buy on Best Buy Buy on Ooni.com

Pros:

Heat-retaining steel shell
Cooks pizza quickly and evenly
Can also use it to cook meat, fish, and vegetables

Cons:

Bit of a learning curve to rotating pizza

This sleek black oven is gas powered, making it the perfect partner to your gas grill. It can even roast meat, fish, and vegetables, so you might actually find that you'll use your grill less. But if pizza is your primary focus, you'll love this oven. Just activate the build-in gas ignition to get those flames going and adjust the dial for the proper cooking heat.

Our testers found this oven cooks pizza nice and evenly, though you'll have to turn the crust every 20 seconds or so or it will burn. Once you get the knack of rotating your pizza, though, you won't be calling your neighborhood place as often — or maybe at all.

The Ooni Koda 12 does takes slightly longer than the other ovens tested to cook, but you won't mind at all once you see and taste the crisp crust. Our testers were very pleased with the whole wheat pizza, too. The cheese melted nicely and the crust was crispy and puffed up with some good char marks.

One of our favorite things about Ooni Koda 12 is its super easy setup. All you have to do is take it out of the box, open the legs, and you are ready to heat it up and start making pizza. Home chefs trying their hand at pizza for the first time might find there's a bit of a learning curve to rotating the pizza; our testers found that a smaller pizza peel did the trick for getting an evenly cooked pie.

The testers found that the oven stayed consistently hot throughout the duration; however, the pizza did catch fire the closer it came to the flame. Note that this can occur with outdoor pizza ovens and will be something you'll learn to avoid once you know how to better maneuver your pizza while it's cooking.

Price at time of publish: $399

Surface Area: 15.7 x 11.6 x 24.8 inches | Max Size of Pizza: 13 inches | Weight: 29 pounds | Fuel/Heat Source: Gas

best pizza ovens — People/Stacy K. Allen

Best Budget: Presto Pizzazz Plus Rotating Pizza Oven

Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart Buy on Home Depot

Pros:

Cheese melts well
Crisps toppings like pepperoni very well
Two racks

Cons:

Won't make crust crispy

The Presto Pizzazz Plus features both upper and lower racks that shift as the pizza cooks. While the pizza does get heated from the bottom and the top, the oven takes much longer to heat up than other models tested. The testers found that the direct heat only comes from above when the pizza rotates under the heating element, resulting in an unevenly cooked pizza.

The box claims frozen pizza will be ready in 22 minutes, but our testers kept it cooking for 24 minutes to ensure the toppings came out crispy. While the pepperoni did crisp up nicely, the crust itself was cooked unevenly — our testers found some spots were nice and brown while others remained light. The cheese melted well, but there were no golden brown spots.

Overall, it's a good budget-friendly pick that's small, lightweight and portable.

Price at time of publish: $95.82

Surface Area: 15.25 x 14.25 x 10.25 inches | Max Size of Pizza: 13 inches | Weight: 7.68 pounds | Fuel/Heat Source: Electric

Best Splurge: Gozney Dome

Buy on Goop.com Buy on Gozney.com

Pros:

Beautiful design
Consistent cooking
Large cooktop

Cons:

Takes a long time to achieve desired temperature

Not only is this Gozney Dome pizza oven stunning in design, but its results are just as beautiful. Our testers were in awe of the sheer size of the oven, explaining how you can put your pizzas in different areas of the oven in order to get a specific amount of heat. They appreciated its sleek design and consistency across the cooking tests, stating that the pizza had "gorgeous" crusts, crisp bottoms, and melted tops across most tests.

The Gozney Dome comes mostly assembled, making the setup process quite simple — the only task is moving it. Our tester noted that you will not be able to move this oven unless you have the stand to put it on, so you'll want to be sure of the home you're resting it on. While it was observed that the Dome takes a long time to heat up and achieve the set temperature, it does cook pizzas beautifully, making it very worth the wait. Our testers called this a "fun splurge product" that they'd recommend to any pizza lover in their lives.

Price at time of publish: $1,999

Surface Area: 26 x 24.8 x 28.8 inches | Max Size of Pizza: 16 | Weight: 128 pounds | Fuel/Heat Source: Wood and gas

Best for Gas Grills: Only Fire Universal Stainless Steel Pizza Oven Kit

Buy It! $159.99; amazon.com

Pros:

Easy to use right out of the box
Fits on your grill top
Puffy and crispy crust without having to turn it often

Cons:

Took longer to cook pizza than the others
No golden brown spots on the melted cheese

Our testers were pleased to find that the bottom of the crust came out a beautiful, crispy brown with this oven. The sides were a bit light, but they did puff up nicely and even had some charred spots like you'd find at a restaurant. A whole wheat pizza came out darker than traditional crust, which had a chewy center and crisp and puffy exterior.

The pizza took nine minutes to cook with the Only Fire Kit, which is longer than the other outdoor pizza oven models tested. But for our testers, the crisp crust and even cooking job was well worth the wait. The pizza stone holds heat well, and the testers found that they didn't have to turn the pizza as frequently as you do with others. The cheese melted beautifully, but there were no golden brown spots.

Overall, the Only Fire Oven Kit was very easy to use. All you have to do is take it out of the box, place it on the grill, and you are good to go with your outdoor pizza oven. If you're looking to expand the utility of your gas grill beyond burgers and other traditional barbecue fare, the Only Fire Universal Stainless Steel Pizza Oven Kit is the way to go.

Price at time of publish: $159.99

Surface Area: 21 x 21 x 7.9 inches | Max Size of Pizza: 14 inches | Weight: 10 pounds | Fuel/Heat Source: Gas

Best for Indoor Use: Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo

Buy on Best Buy Buy on Williams-Sonoma

Pros:

No assembly required
Steady cooking temperature
Even bake

Cons:

Price is steep
Oven produces smoke, so use in a well-ventilated area

The Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo nabbed the highest score on our rating scale. It heats up quickly and the temperature remained steady and accurate all during the testing period. The results are an evenly baked pizza that looks like you ordered it from your favorite neighborhood pizza place.

What's so smart about the Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo? The Element IQ® system focuses the heat just where it needs to be for the best cooking performance. Using smart sensors and temperature-control technology, the oven adjusts its heat based on whatever pizza you're making. Our testers tried it out on a frozen pizza and were happy with the results — a beautifully even bake across the whole pizza.

This is an indoor countertop oven, but it gets very hot. The instructions say that the unit could start smoking and that's exactly what it did for our testers. The manufacturer guidelines say to allow anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes to cook a pizza, which is a rather large range, so you'll want to keep close by to monitor how crispy you like your crust. Our testers found the sweet spot to be 15 minutes, and the results were a nicely browned crust topped with golden brown cheese.

Price at time of publish: $999.95

Surface Area: 22.3 x 21.4 x 18.9 inches | Max Size of Pizza: 12 inches | Weight: 45.6 pounds | Fuel/Heat Source: Electric

Best Hybrid: Cuisinart 3-in-1 Pizza Oven

Buy on Amazon Buy on Walmart Buy on Kohls.com

Pros:

Pizza oven, griddle and grill all in one
Easy to use
Accurate timing

Cons:

Hard to build

There were rave reviews from our testers surrounding the Cuisinart 3-in-1 Pizza Oven's results, as the performance was consistent across all compatible pizzas (i.e. non-frozen).

Fully functional as a pizza oven, griddle and grill all in one, it's not hard to see why this was a top contender. The crusts ended up cooking into a golden brown with some charred spots and the cheese melted beautifully across all of the tests. Our tester made a note of the gorgeous puffy crust and appreciated the "minimal babysitting" that this easy-to-use machine required — you simply pop your pizza in, wait for the allotted time to cook, and you'll have the perfect pie.

Our tester's only qualm with this pizza oven was the difficult setup, which required many screws, legs, and small pieces to put together. However, this was one of the easiest and most reliable ovens to use once the assembly process was complete, which made the effort worth it. Its versatility of cooking modes (you can chef up more than just pizza in here) and consistency in results makes this a standout oven for not just your favorite pie, but several other foods like roasted veggies, fish, and more.

Price at time of publish: $197

Surface Area: 25 x 20 x 17.5 inches | Max Size of Pizza: 13 | Weight: 45 pounds | Fuel/Heat Source: Gas

Best Wood Fired: Ooni Karu 12

Buy on Amazon Buy on Moosejaw.com Buy on Ooni.com

Pros:

Sleek design
Consistent cook
Short cook time

Cons:

Takes a long time to heat up
Have to know how to use an oven peel

This sauve wood fired grill caught the attention of our testers instantly not just because of its luxe design, but its delicious results, as well. Our tester moved their pizza close to the flame and got a darker, but beautifully charred pizza with melted and browned cheese — essentially the kind you'd expect to be served at your favorite pizzeria.

This particular design requires an oven peel, which is a long-handled tool used to move the pizza around until it's fully browned. Our testers were not supplied with the peel that is supposed to go with the Ooni Karu 12, but using another oven's peel did just the trick.

The results were lovely across all of the pizza tests, from supreme to whole wheat, and the cook time was quick (though it is worth noting that it takes a considerable amount of time for the oven to fully heat up). However, the taste and quality of a wood fired pizza is something that cannot be hurried, which makes sense for this particular model. Though it may take time for you to learn how to master the peel and become your own wood fired pizza chef, our testers assure you that you'll love this pizza oven.

Price at time of publish: $399

Surface Area: 30.31 x 15.75 x 31.5 inches | Max Size of Pizza: 12 | Weight: 26.4 pounds | Fuel/Heat Source: Wood/charcoal/natural gas

Things to Consider Before Buying a Pizza Oven

Size

If you were to buy an air fryer or microwave, you would take its size into account, and a pizza oven is no different. Whether you plan on using it indoors or outdoors, consider the weight and overall footprint of the pizza oven. Do you plan to store it on the countertop, patio, or stow it away in a pantry closet? If you're in the market for an indoor pizza oven and counter space is minimal, look for more lightweight models that can easily be stowed in a cabinet or pantry when not in use, like the Presto Pizzazz Plus Rotating Pizza Oven. On the other hand, if you're looking for an outdoor pizza oven, you likely have a little bit more flexibility in terms of size and weight.

Price

Pizza delivery can get pricey over time, so it makes sense to want to cook up your own pies at home. However, some pizza oven models do have a high price tag, so you'll want to make sure your at-home setup is actually saving you money in the end. As with many kitchen appliances, you get what you pay for, but there are reasonably priced models on the market that will get you delicious results.

Type

Pizza ovens come in both indoor and outdoor models, so shop the one that's right for your space, as well as your pizza preference. If you like frozen pizza and are looking for something bigger than a toaster and smaller than an oven for your pizza making, look for compact, portable indoor models that crisp up slices nicely and can be stored away neatly. If you've got outdoor space, look for sturdy models that can stand on their own or can be used on the grill top, like the Only Fire Universal Stainless Steel Pizza Oven Kit, for easy pizza making al fresco.

When to Buy

For outdoor pizza ovens, you'll likely find the best selection in the spring right before the summer cookout season, though the best prices are typically at the end of season. Don't forget to check for sales around holidays like Memorial Day, Mother's Day, and Father's Day. For indoor pizza models, look for deals offered year-round to time your purchase, especially around Amazon Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday.

How We Tested Pizza Ovens

Our testers spent two days trying out more than 20 different types of pizza ovens. As they tested the ovens on a variety of homemade and frozen pizzas, they focused on four metrics: assembly, heat control, cooking performance, and portability. Each oven was awarded a score from 1 to 5, and the winners were chosen based on an average of those scores. Prices did not figure into the scoring, as they were not revealed to the testers until the end of their evaluation process.

FAQs

Can you store and use a pizza oven indoors?

Pizza ovens that run on gas or work with a gas grill must be used outdoors. The outdoor models we selected are small enough to be stored indoors when not in use (after they have cooled completely) or covered to protect from wear and tear. Alternatively, electric pizza ovens are for indoor use only and are ideal for those who don't have sufficient exterior space for an outdoor pizza oven.

How should you choose a wood-fired, electric, or gas pizza oven?

Which type of pizza oven you choose is a matter of personal preference and available space. Wood-fired pizza ovens are often preferred for the flavor of the wood-fired pizza they create. These pizza ovens use wood pellets to make a fire and must be kept outdoors. Electric models are simple to use and operate, much like a conventional or toaster oven. But these ovens reach high temperatures and have unique settings for pizza. Pizza ovens that are gas-powered or kits used on a gas grill must be used outdoors but are easier to use and smaller in size than wood-fired pizza ovens.

How much does a good outdoor pizza oven cost?

Pizza ovens are typically on the pricier side since they're a nicer outdoor appliance, but great ovens can range from anywhere as low as $160, like the Only Fire Universal Stainless Steel Pizza Oven Kit, to prices as high as the Gozney Dome, at $1,999. While most people may not want to spend nearly $2,000 when splurging on one of these ovens, it's typical to purchase one at a mid-level price of about $400, like the Ooni Karu 12, which retails for exactly $399. You can grab a good outdoor pizza oven at any range within this spectrum, but the best bang for your buck will lie around the middle marker.

What Is People Tested?

We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.

But we don't stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we've awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.

In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.

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