The budget is essential and this is where size really does matter!
When choosing a pizza oven will be driven by several factors and your passion for baking the best possible pizza at your home. The budget plays a big part obviously, with prices from £500 – £6,000 approximately! So decide what you can afford and look at ovens in that range.
Table of Contents
- The budget is essential and this is where size really does matter!
- Pizza oven quality and durability
- Socialising
- The pizza ovens we consider to be great options are:
- Want a bigger oven?
- Heat is the key!
- Is a wood or gas pizza oven best or both?
- What do you need to get started?
- What makes the perfect pizza?
- Who is our recommended pizza dough supplier?
- What are the best pizza toppings to use in an outdoor oven?
Pizza oven quality and durability
Generally, the cost of the pizza oven will determine its quality and durability. The cost will also be determined by the fuel type gas, wood, or hybrid. Also, the size will be determined by the number of people you mainly cater to. The norm is an oven that will take 1-2 pizzas at a time 4-6 people. There are options that can take up to 6 pizzas but this is not necessary unless you are running a restaurant.
Socialising
The main thing about baking your own pizzas at home is that it becomes a social event with the family or friends getting involved and choosing their favorite toppings and having a go at cooking their own pizza, 1 or 2 pizzas at a time is a good option as the turn round time is often a few minutes. You will find it much more enjoyable if you share the experience with guests over a few beers or a glass of Italian wine!
The pizza ovens we consider to be great options are:
- Delivita
- Alfa Forni One
- Alfa Forni 5 Minuti.
Want a bigger oven?
- Pizze 4 by Alfa is a great option for 4 pizzas.
Heat is the key!
All ovens get seriously hot. The ideal temperature is 450-500C most pizza ovens will get a lot hotter! We recommend silver birch logs the reason for this is they are easy to light and burn at a high temperature as well as not giving off too much smoke. Getting to the correct temperature is crucial, and maintaining that key temperature will give you the most perfect results.
Pellets are an option but it’s difficult to maintain the heat with pellets. So if you want the authentic wood-fired pizza taste goes down the wood-fired route.
Fun Italian phases!
Is my pizza ready yet?
Thick or thin base?
That pizza looks to big!
Large glass of red wine please.
No pineapple on mine!
Lots of pepperoni please.
Is a wood or gas pizza oven best or both?
Both gas and wood have advantages, you need to decide what’s more important to you, speed or intense flavor. Wood-fired ovens will take upwards of 30 mins to get to the required temperature and a fair amount of work keeping it constant, however, once you are ready the wood-fired oven infuses the pizza with a deliciously aromatic, smoky taste that you identify with authentic Italian pizzas.
Gas pizza ovens get to temperature very fast and are more controllable the flavor is still fantastic but certainly not as intense as the wood-fired oven.
A Hybrid oven could be the answer, this option will give you both options and you can make your choice accordingly. At All About Outdoor Living, we have availability on all the pizza ovens and can offer friendly advice.
What do you need to get started?
Once you have chosen the best oven for your needs, it’s time to get a few accessories to assist you in baking, serving, and of course eating your creation.
Peel
we would recommend you get a peel, this is the flat spade-looking tool for putting the pizza in turning during baking and getting it out of the hot oven. Make sure the handle is long enough. There are many of these on the market and we can advise on this.
Things to consider when buying a peel:
- Choose a cutter for the dough and the pizza once cooked.
- Order wood to fuel your oven such as Birchwood.
- Treat yourself with a decent bottle of pure olive oil to drizzle over the pizza.
What makes the perfect pizza?
The art of producing a great pizza is to find a good dough maker, once you have this you have cracked it. We can suggest a good supplier if you need one.
Who is our recommended pizza dough supplier?
Dough and Glory are a really good supplier to the pizza trade and will supply to the public too. Be brave, experiment, test, and learn!
What are the best pizza toppings to use in an outdoor oven?
Pizza toppings create all manner of debate but in our opinion, keep it simple. The tomato sauce is critical and where you can, use San Marzano tomatoes – they’re simply the best!
Prepare your toppings and cheese and off you go. Good Luck.
