Cooking outdoors is a great way to spend time with friends and family. It’s also a fantastic way to show off your cooking skills! There are many ways to cook outside, but one of the most delicious options is pizza. And if you’re looking for a way to spice up your next outdoor gathering, then consider investing in a portable wood-fired pizza oven.
This will allow you to serve delicious and authentic pizzas that are cooked in front of your guests. There is nothing like the smell of fresh dough and cheese baking over an open fire!
You’ll also be able to impress everyone with your skills as they watch each step unfold before their eyes. If this sounds like something that would work well at your next party, please read below for more information about how these ovens work and what makes them so great!
Here are some great reasons to buy a portable wood-fired pizza oven
1. Portable so you can take it camping, tailgating, or use it at home when you don’t feel like heating the oven.
2. Anyone who enjoys cooking will love making pizzas with fresh dough and their favorite toppings. There are even classes on making wood-fired gourmet pizzas if you want hands-on lessons from an expert pizzaiolo (pizza maker).
3. You can use them all year round because they get hot enough to grill veggies and even roast chicken or other meats outside without heating your kitchen on hot summer days.
4. Your outdoor gatherings will be the talk of the town with these fantastic ovens that can cook a pizza in less than five minutes.
Types of Pizza Ovens
There are three main types of portable wood-fired oven pizzas: Standard Box Style Ovens, Dome Top, and Hibachi Grill. All three styles work great depending upon what your needs are.
The standard box style comprises a heavy-duty metal exterior with a thin fire brick refractory lining the interior. The Box Style is excellent for slow cooking and maintaining heat for long periods. They are typically 6-8 inches thick in both the walls and floor (or ceiling).
By comparison, most Hibachi Grill styles are only 2 inches or less in thickness. This means they do not hold up to high-temperature fluctuation as the Standard Box Ovens will.
The Dome Top ovens tend to be more expensive than traditional wood-fired ovens. Still, by adding this feature, you get an all-inclusive package that makes it easy for anyone to cook pizzas at home or on outings like camping or tailgating events.
With their tight seal, they can also keep winter cold out and summer’s heat locked in for added cooking control.
Why would I use a wood-fired oven vs. the standard home oven?
The pizza trend has become huge in America; more and more people make their pizzas at home. These people tend to want an ideal cooking environment that makes it easy to achieve delicious pizzas regularly. This usually requires the use of a wood-fired oven for several reasons.
- It is costly to have a brick oven installed inside your house since they require extensive construction work, which can be costly depending upon where you live. Even if you find someone willing to build one for you, the costs will be thousands of dollars minimum. So most people cannot afford this option, so they look elsewhere… enter the portable/ folding wood-burning pizza oven.
- Woodfired ovens make a more delicious pizza.This is debated among some people, but the fact is, a wood-fired oven provides a cooking environment that cannot be replicated with traditional home ovens. The intense floor and wall temperatures of around 800 degrees celsius will give you a wonderfully crispy base while keeping your top heat limited, allowing it to cook much faster than in an outdoor grill or even on a conventional home oven.
- They are relatively cheap to use. Because the wood-fired pizzas enjoy higher heat, they cook extremely fast, meaning that although you have paid for all this equipment, you don’t have to spend hours prepping before cooking and cleaning after. On average, a pizza should take around 3 minutes from start to finish.
- They are more versatile than a conventional home oven. Everything from bread, roast chicken, baked potatoes can be cooked in these wood-fired pizza ovens. Plus, they look great in the garden!
Some of the Worthy Recommendations:
1. Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo
The world’s first portable wood-burning pizza oven, of course. If you want to cook a brick oven-quality pizza at home, this is the product for you.
Making that perfect pie has never been easier with a Breville Pizzaiolo appliance. Bring the taste and smells of your favorite pizzeria right into your kitchen!
This pizza oven is easy to use and maintain. It’s not heavy (only twenty pounds), but it does take up some counter space.
To operate the Breville Pizzaiolo, you put in your baking stone, connect it to an outdoor propane tank, open the valve, turn the dial to the desired temperature (from 500-700 degrees Fahrenheit) and light up one or more of the upper burners.
After about twenty minutes of preheating time, you start cooking your pizzas. The lower lid serves as a heat shield if you need to lift it off while cooking to re-check on your pies crust browning process. Two side shelves allow extra storage room for all types of pizza paraphernalia.
Pros:
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Easy to use, easy to clean
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Portable (take it camping or on that next picnic)
Cons:
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Expensive
2. Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven
Expand your culinary horizons. Camp Chef Italia is available in natural gas or charcoal with conversion kits, making it easy to go from cooking at home to outdoors. The oven has three trays for rack adjustment and folds neatly when not in use for compact storage.
This stainless steel tabletop device requires simple assembly with the included kit of 16 screws, which will take about 15 minutes.
The open-front design allows airflow for peak burning efficiency. Legs fold up neatly when not in use to save space in storage or transportation.
All metal pegs secure folding legs in the folded position; front handle folds down when it’s time to store; Ooni Logo on top of stainless steel lid doubles as a handy pizza peel; sturdy wooden base when the tabletop oven is open; 3 adjustable racks which enable you to cook different items at different temperatures – one above the other;
The oven is available in natural gas or charcoal and can be converted by using a conversion kit which you can buy. With the stainless steel trays, you can cook three pizzas at any one time, and once cooked; they slide out with ease onto your plate. This oven comes highly recommended as it offers excellent value for money.
Pros:
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Stainless steel design
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Adjustable trays
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Converts from natural gas to charcoal with the kit(included)
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Folds away for storage
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High heat efficiency
Cons:
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Expensive
3. The Ooni Karu 16
It lets you cook fantastic pizza, bread, lasagna, and more with the added benefit of portability. With room for four pizzas at once in its oven chamber, it heats up to 900 degrees in less than an hour.
This is a truly one-of-a-kind kitchen appliance that will allow you to enjoy authentic wood fire pizza anywhere!It’s small enough to fit on your deck or patio and easy to assemble at any event like a party or outdoor concert. Click here to watch a quick review video.
The Ooni Karu 16 cooks pies quickly using real wood pellets (pine) that create an irresistible smoky aroma. Depending on the size of your pizza, it will take between three to ten minutes to cook.
The Ooni Karu 16 works best when used with a round stone base but can also be used with various stones, including brick or concrete.
The oven itself is completely biodegradable and made from sustainable FSC certified wood. In addition, unlike smaller wood-fired ovens that need venting directly outdoors, the smoke from the Ooni is vented through its chimney, so it doesn’t smoke up your house.
Pros:
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Heats up quickly
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Can cook four pizzas at once
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Need three to ten minutes of time
Cons:
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Gets very hot
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Make sure to use the included gloves when handling it after cooking.
What to look for when buying one
1. You have to decide if you will use it on an open fire or propane gas, so make sure you check out all the models before you buy one since some are not compatible with both. Propane is generally cheaper, but many people prefer the flavor from cooking over an open flame.
2. Don’t forget that most good brands come with a stand and wheels, making it easier to move around your deck or patio, particularly if you don’t have a flat surface under your trees, as this homeowner had built just for his.
3. Make sure the parts are made out of stainless steel or high-grade aluminum so it can handle being outside in all kinds of weather year-round. Some ovens come with a door that you can keep closed, which helps them retain heat better, and insulation within the walls to reduce heat loss from drafts during those breezy days and nights.
4. Look for one that comes with a skirt around the opening because this will help direct heat back towards your pizza. Also, look at where you place your wood for starting a fire because ideally, it should be a few inches away from the actual oven itself but near enough to provide plenty of coals when needed.
Manufacturers don’t recommend leaving these outsides when they are not in use because the sun and wind can cause damage to unprotected metal castings, paint jobs, and even wheels. That’s why there is such a big price difference between seasonal items like these and permanently mounted outdoor ovens.
5. You might also want an add-on item like a rotisserie kit so you can cook different food at the same time your pizza is baking since most of these ovens will accommodate two pizzas at one time. It’s always good to have ideas for multi-tasking equipment whenever you need it!
At last, There are many things to consider before buying a portable wood-fired pizza oven for your home or yard, but once you decide on features that are important to you, you can’t go wrong with the classic taste of fresh-baked pizza in such a short amount of time.
A wood-fired oven will let you turn out crispy pizzas on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside. They can cook up to 10 pizzas at once or just one if desired. It is the perfect addition for any group gathering where everyone will enjoy fresh-baked pizza in minutes.
Cooking Tips & Tricks
Even though portable wood-fired pizza ovens come in all shapes and sizes (and price ranges), they all function and cook the same. The most important things to remember are:
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Keep your oven clean and free of ash build-up to ensure that your pizza oven is as efficient as possible, so you don’t waste wood.
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Do not store it in damp locations, as this will rust the metal exterior and cause the fire brick lining to be compromised over time if left outside.
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Do not place them on flammable surfaces like leaves or grass.
The best place for portable wood-fired ovens is on a stone patio, driveway, or sidewalk. For portable wood-fired ovens with hibachi grill-style tops, make sure they are sitting on an even surface before lighting the coals/wood under them (it’s common to see people sit hibachi-style grills directly on the sand at the beach).
Another tip we can suggest is to try experimenting with your pizza oven and not be afraid to get creative! Make flatbreads like naan, Greek pita or make grilled sandwiches like paninis.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1.What kind of fuel do I need?
Ans1. Wood is the best type of fuel to use in these pizza ovens, but there are several other options, including natural gas, ethanol (see-saw method), charcoal briquettes, etc… However, since wood is versatile, cheap, and readily available, we will focus on that. You can buy wood in many forms; logs, chip wood, or even make your own pellets (using compressed sawdust). Some people will burn off blocks of scrap timber after home renovations but be careful with treated timbers as they contain harmful chemicals which you don’t want to put in your cooking environment.
Q2.What size/style of wood-fired pizza oven should I get?
Ans2. This depends on how much you want to spend and what your intended use for it will be. Portable/folding pizza ovens range from mini-sized to larger than life, depending upon your needs. The more expensive models are made up of more robust materials, but they are best stored away in the winter months as they tend to suffer wear & tear over time which reduces their effectiveness. If you plan to keep your oven out all year round or don’t have much space, then one of the steel or aluminum constructed ovens might suit your requirements better, coming in at a cheaper price point with good healing properties.
Q3. Why do I need a base for my fire pit?
Ans3. Wood-fired pizza ovens are best built upon a base or some heat insulator. This helps to keep the temperature steady, prevent damage to your ground surface and prevent accidents from occurring as you have a place to rest hot stones/ coals when cooking with them.
Q4. What size should the fire pit be?
Ans4. As a general rule of thumb, using 5kg of wood will give you around 45 minutes to use, so factor this into your calculations. The larger the base area of your oven, the more space you have behind it where coals can go once they’ve served their purpose. A good (but an expensive option) is to buy an L-shaped fire pit such as this one. It may not look beautiful, but it’s very functional and can even be linked to a gas fire pit burner for extra cooking space.
