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Best Pizza Ovens

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Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Ooni Koda 12 Gas Pizza Oven
Ooni
Koda 12 Gas Pizza Oven
Feature-packed

We found that the Koda 12 not only looks sleek but it also produced exceptional pizzas efficiently.

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Feature-packed
Bottom Line

We found that the Koda 12 not only looks sleek but it also produced exceptional pizzas efficiently.

Pros

Simple set-up and straightforward operation. Reached over 500 degrees F in around 15 minutes in our trials, with cooked pizzas in around 1 minute. Sturdy and attractive design. We love how the entire oven is low maintenance so users don't have to worry about it being hard to use.

Cons

Uneven heating, especially in breezy conditions due to the way the burner is set up.

Best Bang for the Buck
Presto Pizzazz Plus Rotating Oven
Presto
Pizzazz Plus Rotating Oven
Simple Yet Solid

This oven has a cool factor that makes cooking a pizza fun, especially for kids.

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Simple Yet Solid
Bottom Line

This oven has a cool factor that makes cooking a pizza fun, especially for kids.

Pros

Pizza takes about 15 minutes to cook. Also works for a variety of other foods, from chicken fingers to s'mores. Easy to clean and store. Top and bottom heating elements work separately for full control over cooking. Nice design.

Cons

Gets surprisingly hot, so use with caution. Pizza doesn't get hot enough for some. Has a break-in smell at first.

Betty Crocker Pizza Maker
Betty Crocker
Pizza Maker
Best for Everyday Use

An inexpensive option that quickly cooks pizzas up to 12 inches, as well as a variety of other foods.

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Best for Everyday Use
Bottom Line

An inexpensive option that quickly cooks pizzas up to 12 inches, as well as a variety of other foods.

Pros

Works well for pizza and foods such as quesadillas, frittatas, flat breads, and cookies. Oven heats up in about five minutes, while pizzas take 10 minutes to cook. Decent price. 1440 watts of power. Easy to use.

Cons

Some complaints of uneven cooking, where the bottom cooks faster than the top.

Cuisinart Portable Outdoor Pizza Oven
Cuisinart
Portable Outdoor Pizza Oven
Trusted Brand

Our expert approves this all-in-one portable pizza oven that runs on camping propane and can produce pies in under 10 minutes.

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Trusted Brand
Bottom Line

Our expert approves this all-in-one portable pizza oven that runs on camping propane and can produce pies in under 10 minutes.

Pros

Offers 143 square inches of cooking space. Features a 15,000-BTU propane burner to achieve temperatures up to 650 degrees in 5 to 10 minutes. Includes a 13.5-inch diameter cordierite pizza stone. Highly portable for baking on the go.

Cons

Some buyers think it doesn't go above 500 degrees consistently.

NutriChef Portable Outdoor Gas Oven
NutriChef
Portable Outdoor Gas Oven
High Heat

Customers enjoy this attractive, portable outdoor pizza oven with its high heat and folding legs.

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High Heat
Bottom Line

Customers enjoy this attractive, portable outdoor pizza oven with its high heat and folding legs.

Pros

Complete portable pizza oven for outdoors. Runs on gas with built-in ignition and burner. Reaches 932 degrees to cook a 12-inch pizza in around a minute. Includes pizza stone. Features foldable feet.

Cons

Lighting can be trickier than instructions suggest.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

First Reviewed
November 22, 2021
32
Models
considered
8
Hours
researched
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Buying guide for Best pizza ovens

Written by Lauren Corona, and fact-checked by Andrea Boudewijn
Updated June 2023

When you think of a pizza oven, you probably imagine a huge brick structure fired by cords of hand-hewn wood. Spitting flames, it engulfs the raw pizza that slides into its maw on a wooden paddle. After a few minutes, the pizza emerges perfectly cooked: crispy crust, melty cheese, and toppings sunk into the mouth-watering layers below. Now that’s a pizza.

However, for the average home cook – one who doesn’t have a restaurant-style brick pizza oven – producing a pie like that probably seems like a pipe dream. It doesn’t have to be, though.

A small electric pizza oven offers some of the benefits of a large brick pizza oven minus all the wood chopping. Now, we aren’t saying that a countertop pizza oven can replace the classic old-world brick oven that your favorite takeout joint uses. What we are saying is that, thanks to modern technology, you, too, can make a comparable pizza in your own kitchen.

There are dozens of electric pizza ovens available, and many of them produce delicious facsimiles of your favorite wood-fired pizza. These pizza ovens take up little counter space and are fairly inexpensive. In other words, if you eat lots of pizza, a pizza oven can be a great, cost-effective alternative to building a wood-fueled, brick monstrosity in your backyard.

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A pizza oven will cook your pie more quickly than a conventional oven will.

How a pizza oven works

A traditional, wood-fired pizza oven is made of bricks. Once the fire is stoked, the bricks heat up. Bricks are great at retaining heat, and soon the inner chamber of the oven is hot and ready to cook whatever kind of pizza you put in there. The radiating heat cooks the dough evenly. One major drawback of a brick oven is the larger the oven, the longer it takes to heat up. This is where electric countertop pizza ovens have an advantage.

Electric pizza ovens come in several different configurations, but they mainly work in one of two ways.

Expert tip
Use 00 flour (which is a finely ground Italian flour) in your pizzas for the best result.
BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert

Toaster oven

These pizza ovens are more than pizza makers. They’re also great for a multitude of tasks like toasting bread or baking cookies. Toaster oven-style pizza ovens work in basically the same way a large oven does. Electricity heats up coils inside the appliance, then that heat is circulated throughout the oven. The pizza cooks evenly and thoroughly, and some models have a rotating pizza pan inside to ensure even baking.

Round cooker

These pizza ovens feature a dual-heating system. Both the lid and the base – connected by a hinge – get hot when the oven is turned on. This means the pizza cooks simultaneously on the top and the bottom. Many of these pizza ovens have a nonstick coating, making cleanup a breeze. Some round pizza ovens feature a self-regulated internal thermostat to keep your pizzas from burning. Although they are not as versatile as the toaster oven models, round cookers can do more than just heat up pizza. Their shape and size make them perfect for cooking quesadillas, omelettes, and frittatas, too.

Pizza oven features

Most pizza ovens can do more than cook pizza. Many come loaded with extra features that make them useful everyday appliances and justify the counter space they take up.

Heat settings

Many electric pizza ovens, particularly the toaster oven variety, come with adjustable heat settings. This matters if you want to vary the type of pizza you’re cooking. Traditional crust pizzas, yeast dough pizzas, and thin crust pizzas should be cooked at different temperatures.

Rotating pan

Some pizza cookers feature a rotating pan that turns your pizza for even heating. Some of these pans are also removable and dishwasher safe.

Timer

Most countertop pizza ovens feature a timer that can be set to automatically shut off the cooker after a predetermined period. This prevents burning and allows you to do other things while your pizza cooks.

Energy efficiency

Here’s a good reason to use an electric pizza oven instead of a conventional oven. Countertop pizza ovens use about 40% of the energy a full-size kitchen oven uses. And on hot days, a small pizza oven won’t heat up your house like a conventional oven will.

Cooking time

Although countertop pizza ovens use less energy than conventional ovens, they actually cook the pizza more quickly. This is due, in large part, to their dual-heating elements. Toaster oven-style pizza ovens are quite a bit smaller than conventional ovens, so the heat produced by their coils rotates through the machine at a faster speed. A frozen pizza that might take 15 minutes to cook in a conventional oven can take as little as five minutes in a pizza oven.

Versatility

Although it is designed to cook pizzas, the pizza oven’s usefulness doesn’t end there. Electric pizza ovens are great for cooking other foods like flatbreads, nachos, cinnamon buns, and s’mores. Basically, you can use them for anything that cooks quickly under high heat.

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Expert tip
Make your dough less sticky to let it slide in and out of the oven more easily.
BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert

Pizza oven prices

Most pizza ovens are affordable, costing between $30 and $80.

About $30

For this price, you can get a quality cooker with dual heating and a nonstick surface. Some also come with peels that make removing the hot pizza from the oven easier. Pizza ovens in this price range also offer plenty of versatility, allowing you to quickly and efficiently cook many of your favorite treats.

Up to $80

The high-end machines are usually more like toaster ovens and allow for maximum versatility. You are basically paying for two appliances in one. These are usually a little bulkier than the less-expensive models. These pizza ovens are typically designed to stay out on your countertop and not be stored away.

Tips

  • Even if the manual says that parts of your pizza oven are dishwasher safe, it’s better to wash them by hand.

  • If you don’t have much counter space, look for a model that can be stored easily.

  • Make sure the pizza oven you buy can heat up to at least 450°F.

  • Some toaster oven-style pizza ovens come with a warming tray that sits on top of the unit. This is great for parties, keeping appetizers hot for guests while the pizza is cooking.

A good pizza oven can cook a pie in just a couple of minutes.

FAQ

Q. Can I cook a freshly made pizza in an electric pizza oven, or do the pizzas have to be frozen?

A. Although these ovens are mainly designed to cook frozen pizza, they can also work with fresh dough. However, you may have to adjust the temperature and the cooking time. Look in the manual to see the manufacturer’s recommendations. Also, remember that these pizza ovens are quite small, so make your pizza accordingly. You don’t want to do all that hard work and then discover the pizza doesn’t fit in the oven

Expert tip
In between pizzas, wait a few minutes to let the oven heat back up.
BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert

Q. How big of a pizza can I cook in these ovens?

A. Most countertop pizza ovens have a 12-inch cooking tray. Any pizza with a diameter larger than that should probably be cooked in a conventional oven.

Q. How much power do electric pizza ovens typically use?

A. Typically, these pizza ovens use about 110 volts. They usually have a three-pronged plug that goes right into any outlet. The more expensive toaster oven-style models may use more power. We found some models that use 220 volts.

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