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Pizza ovens are versatile cooking machines that deliver the flavor and experience of restaurant-quality, Neapolitan-style pizzas, complete with crisp edges and bubbling cheese right to your backyard. They're the ultimate companion for family dinners, kids' birthday parties to game day feasts or laid-back weekend meals.
But their talents go far beyond pizza. The intense infrared heat is perfect for searing steaks and roasting meats, while the lower temperatures are ideal for baking pastries and other delicate desserts.
Whether you’re an outdoor cooking enthusiast or simply love entertaining, a pizza oven adds unmatched flavor, flexibility, and excitement to your backyard. Discover how to choose the perfect oven for your space and why it's an essential addition to any outdoor kitchen.
Pizza Oven Benefits
Wood-Fired, Gas or Hybrid Pizza Oven?
Pizza ovens come in a range of fuel types, but wood-fired, gas and hybrid ovens are by far the most common. All fuel types offer plenty of options when it comes to design, size, configuration, and even color and all are capable of producing hot, fresh, and perfectly crispy pizza. That said, there are some notable differences in flavor and how they operate - particularly when it comes to convenience, maintenance, and overall user experience. Let’s explore those differences to help you determine which oven is best for you.
Wood-Fired Pizza Ovens
"The Traditional Choice" and most popular for good reason. Wood-fired pizza ovens are the heart and soul of traditional pizza making, offering a satisfyingly crispy crust and a smoky flavour that's impossible to replicate with other types of pizza ovens. Wood-fired ovens are the most rewarding and entertaining of all the choices, however do also have the largest learning curve to use. There are two styles: one places the pizza right beside the fire, benefiting from direct, dry infrared heat for a crispy crust and preheats faster than the second option. It requires more attention, including managing the fire and rotating the pizza. The second style separates the fire in a separate compartment, making it easier to use with ash less of a concern. The heat vents into the pizza chamber, eliminating the need to rotate the pizza with the trade-off being a longer warm-up time.
Gas Pizza Ovens
"The Convenient Option", gas pizza ovens offer the same molten, cheesy goodness without the hassle of managing a fire. They pre-heat in about half the time and are incredibly easy to use - just twist the dial, and you're ready to go! These ovens are perfect for smaller gatherings, quick family dinners, or even pizza-holics who want minimal effort. Gas ovens range from traditional burners to more luxurious all-infrared models. Many gas ovens use convective heat, which can add moisture and prevent a crispy crust while infrared models will give crusts a nice char, though neither will provide a wood-fired smoky flavor. Gas oven burners provide constant heat, meaning you'll get consistently great results pie after pie. Gas ovens are easier to keep clean as you don't need to sweep out wood ash after ease use. Gas ovens run on either natural gas or propane; propane installation is simple, while natural gas requires a licensed plumber to verify the gas line.
Hybrid Pizza Ovens
"The Best of Both Worlds" hybrid pizza ovens, sometimes refered to as "dual fuel" or "multi-fuel" ovens combine the traditional charm and flavor of wood-fired ovens with the modern efficiency and convenience of gas ovens. You can use a single fuel source or combine them based on your preferences and the cooking experience you desire, the choice is yours. Whether you crave the smoky aroma of wood-fired pizza or the convenience and temperature control of a gas oven to produce consistent pies, the hybrid models provide flexibility of one, the other or both! They’re the perfect pizza oven for those who want more than one cooking style, making them a favorite among passionate chefs and culinary enthusiasts or for those who are just torn between fuel sources.
Pizza Oven Configurations
Whether you're looking for a compact pizza oven to take with you on the go, adding a semi-permanent oven to an existing outdoor kitchen, wanting a pizza oven you can wheel around the backyard and put away when you're done, a tailgater pizza oven for a catering business or looking to make a pizza oven as the center-piece of your outdoor entertaining space, let us help you select the correct oven configuration for your needs.
What Size Pizza Oven is Right for You?
Pizza ovens come in a variety of sizes, and to make your decision easier, we’ve divided our selection into four distinct ranges. Rather than focusing solely on the maximum pizza size, we recommend thinking about how many 12-inch pizzas you can fit in the oven at once. Some of our Extra Large models are capable of handling extremely large pies, but the key factor to consider is the capacity - how many pizzas you plan to cook at one time to suit your needs.
Types of Pizza Oven Construction
Pizza ovens are constructed in various ways, each offering unique benefits depending on the materials used. Most feature a steel exterior paired with a refractory cement or brick interior. Powder-coated and painted steel exterior models are more affordable, but 304 stainless steel with its corrosion-resistant properties offer superior durability and protection from the elements. Inside, some ovens have a single poured cement dome, while others are constructed with steel bodies and refractory tile floors. Additionally, DIY and ready-to-finish models provide just the internal shell, allowing you to customize the exterior to suit your kitchen design.
Essential Pizza Oven Accessories
To complete your new oven setup, make sure you have the right accessories. Pizza peels are essential for building your pizzas and sliding them effortlessly in and out of the oven - with wooden and steel peels offering different benefits. Cast-iron or ceramic cookware is excellent for deep dish baking or more intricate pizza recipes, and you can't forget a pizza cutter for clean slices. Protect your investment from the elements with a pizza oven cover and if you're unsure, pizza accessory bundles offer all the essential tools you'll need to be creating pizzas in no time.
If you have any questions about pizza ovens, our expert team is here to help! Reach out to us at (802) 992-8182, chat with us online now or email support@luxehomesdirect.com. We're ready to assist you!
