Why limit yourself to baking pizza in the kitchen? Pizza is one of our favorite foods because it can be made in countless ways. And with one of the best outdoor pizza ovens, you can make your favorite pie at just about any time and any place. Get your favorite pizza recipes ready for your next BBQ!
In this piece, we discuss what to look for in the best pizza oven. We also take an in-depth look at five of the best units currently available.
Backyard Boss Top 5 Outdoor Pizza Ovens for 2021
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Why Trust Us
As a teenager, one of my very first regular gigs was working at a local pizza parlor. It was a fun job, and I learned a lot. Over the years, I worked at a number of pizza joints, including some of your favorites; Papa John's, Pizza Hut, and Dominos. Simultaneously, I developed a love for the great outdoors and spent as much time as possible in the backcountry. Eventually, I found a way to make campfire pizza, and my life was changed forever.
In this article, we look at some of the very best outdoor pizza ovens, so you won't need years of experience baking campfire biscuits in order to get your pizza game on the next time you hit the woods, or the backyard for that matter. Speaking of the backyard, if you plan on making pizza out back, why not have a look at these great firepit ideas as well?
Best All-Around
The Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven is a well-made unit that is both lightweight and heavy-duty.
- 930 degrees Fahrenheit max temp
- Works with gas, charcoal, or wood fuel source
- Lightweight design
- Includes cordierite stone
- Does not work for making extra-large pizza"
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What We Like: This oven is a great outdoor pizza oven all-around. It has plenty of cooking space, works with gas and wood, and has a nice high-temperature max.
The Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven is a versatile solution that provides two convenient fuel options---wood pellets or gas. The oven has a wide range of cooking temperatures, with a max of 950 degrees Fahrenheit. It features a lightweight design and works great for cooking other foods like meat, fish, and veggies as well.
The oven also features a pellet tray, pellet scoop, and comes with a cordierite pizza stone as well. The only real downside we found to this particular oven is that it doesn't offer as much cooking space as some of the largest outdoor pizza ovens.
Who Should Buy It: If you are a pizza lover, and never know when the mood will strike, the Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven may be the one for you. Backyard, beach, or bush, this oven will get the job done.
Best for Traveling
A lightweight and sleek looking pizza oven that can be used both indoors and out, the Camp Chef Artisan is easy to use and fully adjustable.
- Open frame design is visually appealing
- 700 degrees Fahrenheit max temperature
- Includes Italian pizza oven cooking guide
- Operates like a traditional brick oven
- Some users wish it had an option for a door"
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What We Like: The Camp Chef Artisan Outdoor Pizza Oven is the lightest oven on our list. It is also simple to use and sports a durable build.
Our second pick is another great all-around solution but stands out even more as a lightweight option. Weighing in at only 30 pounds, the oven is excellent for camping, visiting the beach, days at the park, or cooking pizza in the backyard. It is quick and easy to set up, is fully adjustable, and even comes with instructions on how to cook authentic pizza.
The biggest drawback we found is that the design lacks a door, which works well enough but some folks find it harder to heat. At any rate, the oven works just like a real old-fashioned wood-fired brick oven. So if you're after an outdoor oven for making traditional pizza, this could be the one.
Who Should Buy It: If you're into backyard BBQing, or in this case, backyard pizza parties, few ovens suit the occasion better.
Best for Families
A genuinely long lasting design, the Bakerstone O-AJLXXO-OOO runs on LP gas and generates as much as 25,000 BTUs.
- Cooks pizza is as little as two minutes
- 800 degrees Fahrenheit temperature max
- Easy to use and clean
- Includes full griddle and grate, and half griddle and grate
- Customer service could be more organized"
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What We Like: The Bakerston O-AJLXXO-OOO Portable Gas Pizza Oven weighs a bit more than the rest, but it also has the fastest cook time of all our picks.
This oven is one of the most heavy-duty on our list. It also weighs the most. But, with an 800 degrees Fahrenheit temperature max, and a 25,000 BTU output, it is easily the fastest and smoothest cooking option as well. The oven actually boasts an amazingly quick pizza pie cook-time of just two full minutes.
The oven includes a full griddle, full griddle grate, half-size grate, and a half-size griddle. That means you can cook just about anything you want, and in any portions. The oven is fueled by LP gas, with a variety of compatible tank sizes.
Who Should Buy It: For making big pies fast, as well as cooking additional dishes besides pizza, perhaps no pizza oven for the outdoors is more convenient.
Best for the Backyard
Perhaps less known than other brands, the Red Stag Outdoor Pizza Oven is fueled by wood pellets and has a five to ten minutes cook time.
- Lightweight and stainless steel design
- Quick cooking time
- Peel tool included
- Also includes pizza stone
- Requires assembly
- Might not include instructions"
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What We Like: Lightweight, durable, and easy to use and clean, the Red Stag Outdoor Pizza Oven is a no-brainer when it comes to baking pies outside.
The Red Stag Outdoor Pizza Oven is a wood-powered model that is ideal for backyard and beach pizza parties and other cookout-type small events. For pizza making, the oven has a five to ten-minute cook-time. It also comes with a peel tool and high-quality pizza stone as well.
The oven is easy to assemble and use, and it is lightweight. The design is sleek, featuring stainless steel. It has a decent range of temperatures, with a max of 575 degrees Fahrenheit.
Who Should Buy It: For those looking to spruce up the deck or outdoor kitchen with the next piece of shiny and useful stainless steel cooking equipment; look no further!
Best Value Option
Built like a commercial oven, the Deco Chef Outdoor Pizza Oven is larger than most, yet only weighs a few pounds more than the average outdoor pizza oven.
- Stainless steel construction
- 950 degrees Fahrenheit max temperature
- Slotted drop tray
- Runs on charcoal or wood pellets
- Hard to reach max temperature
- Poorly designed spatula"
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What We Like: A high max temperature, diverse fueling options, manual controls, and user-friendly design rank this oven high on the list.
Last but not least is the Deco Chef Outdoor Pizza Oven. It is a diverse oven that runs on your choice of wood or coal. It features a stainless steel design and a temp gauge with manual controls. The oven has a maximum cooking temperature of 950 degrees Fahrenheit, which is more than ideal for making pizza.
The oven has a slotted drip tray, which makes it great for baking pies. It also has a sturdy handled door which makes it safer to use than other models. A basic spatula for cooking is included with this purchase as well.
Who Should Buy It: For those looking for a long-lasting oven to transport from one location to another (think backyard of family members, the park, beach, and more), few units offer up such perfect solutions.
What Makes a Great Outdoor Pizza Oven?
Now that we've had a close-up look at each of our top picks for this year's best outdoor pizza ovens, let's have a closer look at a few of the most significant factors to consider before making a purchasing decision.
Choosing Wood, Gas, or Both
The type of fuel that an outdoor oven uses is crucial, regardless of what sort of food it will be preparing. Each type of fuel has pros and cons, as well as different flavors, temps, and prices. Take a few moments to carefully consider which is best for you and fits your preferences before choosing any one oven over another. Charcoal is by far the cheapest, gas is the most expensive. Wood pellets are somewhere in between, cost-wise, depending on the brand. All three work just fine for cooking pizza.
Portability
The shape, size, and weight of your outdoor oven will go a long way in determining how portable it truly is. An oven that weighs 35 pounds or less is generally considered quite portable. On the other hand, if the unit weighs 40 to 50 pounds---or more---it begins to become quite a bit less mobile. If you plan to cookout in the backyard only, weight is of little issue to you. But if you plan to camp, go to the beach, spend time at the park, or visit family---and take the oven along---weight is going to be even more important. Pay attention to the weight factor while shopping and choose wisely!
Cooking Space
The amount of cooking space available is an obviously critical factor when it comes to cooking pizza outside. With too little space, you will have no choice but to make tiny pizzas, while heating to correct temperatures will be no issue. But if there is too much space, you may have a hard time keeping it all heated even though you will be able to make much larger pies. There is no perfect amount of cooking space. Rather, the amount of space you require is the amount you should be aiming for.
Other Features
Depending on what you want in an oven, the other features may matter more or less to you. For example, some folks may want an oven that has tall legs. Others may want one without a door that will work as a centerpiece on their deck. In addition, temperature gauges, auto-shutoff mode, and presets may or may not be important to you. Once you have a good idea of what exactly you would like in your new oven, keep those features in mind as you shop. Take the time to compare several units before simply picking the first one that appears to meet all your needs.
How We Picked
Picking the best outdoor pizza ovens was a bit less challenging than selecting many of the products we make guides for. That is because there is a huge gap in the market concerning high-end pizza ovens, that come with great ratings and reviews. We looked at online retailers and gathered a list of units and then compared them side by side. We kept in mind several important factors such as maximum temperature, dimensions, fuel type, and other features as we made our final decisions.
Which Outdoor Oven Is Right for You?
Choosing the right outdoor pizza oven for you and your friends and family can be both fun and challenging. Hopefully, with all the great choices above, as well as the advice we shared about what to look for in the best oven for you, you'll have an easier time making the decision.
Our top pick for the best outdoor pizza oven is the Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven. This bad boy runs on any fuel you want---gas, charcoal, or wood pellets. Further, it includes a scoop and pizza stone as well. It also works well for grilling other foods like meat, fish, and veggies. Pretty much, it is everything you could ask for in one of the best outdoor pizza ovens.
If you weren't impressed by any of these particular outdoor pizza ovens, perhaps what you're really looking for is one of the best small grills rather than an outdoor oven?