An outdoor pizza oven turns your backyard into a pizzeria. At 800–950°F — temperatures no standard grill can match — these ovens cook a Neapolitan-style pizza in 60 seconds flat. The result is a blistered, leopard-spotted crust with a soft, pillowy center that no home oven or grill-top pizza stone can replicate. We evaluated the current market and picked the five best pizza ovens across gas, wood-fired, and multi-fuel categories.
What to Look for in an Outdoor Pizza Oven
Fuel type: Gas ovens are the easiest to use — turn a knob and cook. Wood-fired ovens deliver authentic smoky flavor but require fire management skill. Multi-fuel ovens accept both, giving you flexibility.
Size: A 12-inch oven handles personal-size pizzas (10–11 inches). A 16-inch oven accommodates full-size 14–16 inch pies — better for families and gatherings.
Heat-up time: Most quality ovens reach cooking temperature in 15–25 minutes. Longer is not necessarily worse — slower heat-up often means better heat retention in the stone floor.
Portability: If you want to take it camping or store it easily, lighter models (under 30 lbs) are better. Built-to-last models like the Roccbox prioritize durability over portability.
Stone floor thickness: A thick cordierite or biscotto stone floor stores heat and cooks the bottom of the pizza evenly. Thin floors lose heat between pizzas, requiring longer recovery time.
Our Picks
Ooni Koda 16 Gas Pizza Oven · $$
16-inch gas-powered pizza oven. Reaches 950°F in 20 minutes. Cooks a Neapolitan-style pizza in 60 seconds. The L-shaped burner eliminates the hot spot issue found in earlier models. Dead-simple operation — turn the knob and cook.
The Koda 16 is the easiest path to restaurant-quality pizza at home. The 16-inch opening accepts full-size pies, the L-shaped gas burner distributes heat more evenly than the earlier Koda 12, and the operation is as simple as turning a knob. No fire to manage, no ash to clean — just gas, flame, and pizza in 60 seconds. If you want gas-only convenience with enough size for family pizzas, this is the one.
Ooni Karu 12G Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven · $$
12-inch multi-fuel oven — burns wood, charcoal, or gas (with optional adapter). The glass door lets you watch the cook without losing heat. Best for people who want the romance of wood-fired pizza but the convenience of gas as a backup.
The Karu 12G gives you the best of both worlds. Use gas for quick weeknight pizzas. Switch to wood or charcoal when you want the authentic wood-fired experience with visible flame and smoky flavor. The glass viewing door lets you monitor the cook without opening the oven and losing heat. The 12-inch opening limits you to personal-size pizzas, but for one or two people or a pizza party where everyone makes their own, it is perfect.
Gozney Roccbox Pizza Oven · $$$
Dual-fuel (gas and wood). Thick insulated stone floor for even heat distribution. Reaches 950°F. Built heavier than Ooni models — more durable but less portable. The retractable legs and detachable burner make it relatively easy to move despite the weight.
The Roccbox is built heavier and more robust than the Ooni models, with a thicker insulated stone floor that holds heat better between consecutive pizzas. If you are cooking multiple pies back-to-back for a crowd, the Roccbox recovers temperature faster and delivers more consistent results across a session. It is less portable due to the weight but more durable for permanent or semi-permanent backyard placement.
Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven · $$
Multi-fuel: gas, wood, charcoal, or wood pellets. Comes with a gas burner attachment and a wood/charcoal tray. A strong mid-price option that gives you maximum fuel flexibility without Ooni's premium pricing.
Bertello offers the widest fuel flexibility — gas, wood, charcoal, or wood pellets — at a mid-tier price. It ships with both a gas burner attachment and a wood/charcoal tray, so you do not have to buy accessories separately. The build quality is solid and the performance is competitive with Ooni, making it a strong value pick for buyers who want multi-fuel capability without paying the Ooni premium.
Solo Stove Pi Pizza Oven · $$
Wood and gas compatible. Solo Stove's signature airflow design creates an efficient, clean burn. The half-shell shape is distinctive and provides easy access for turning pizzas. Pairs well with the Solo Stove fire pit ecosystem.
Solo Stove applied its signature airflow engineering to pizza. The efficient burn produces less smoke and ash than traditional wood-fired ovens, and the half-shell shape provides easy access for turning pizzas with a peel. If you already own Solo Stove fire pit products, the Pi integrates naturally into the same outdoor ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gas or wood-fired — which is better for pizza?
Gas is easier: consistent heat, instant ignition, and no fire management. Wood-fired gives you that authentic smoky flavor and slightly charred crust that gas cannot replicate. Multi-fuel ovens let you use both — gas for quick weeknight pizzas, wood for weekend sessions when you want the full experience.
How hot does a pizza oven need to get?
Neapolitan-style pizza cooks at 800–950°F. At these temperatures, a pizza finishes in 60–90 seconds. Lower temperatures (500–600°F) still make good pizza but take longer and produce a different crust texture — more like a bakery-style pizza than a charred Neapolitan.
Can I cook things other than pizza in a pizza oven?
Absolutely. Flatbreads, naan, roasted vegetables, steaks (reverse sear), fish, and even desserts work in a pizza oven. The high radiant heat is excellent for any food that benefits from intense, fast cooking.
Want to compare cooking pizza on a grill instead? See our outdoor pizza oven vs pizza stone on a grill comparison.