Who doesn’t like pizza? Switching from going to pizzerias or ordering takeaway to making your own homemade pizza is a great way to save some money, and with practice, you won’t be sacrificing on flavour either. To get that authentic-style crust and cheese melt, get one of the best value pizza ovens for your kitchen or garden.
There are many different types of pizza oven to choose from, whether that be wood fired, electric, stovetop, for your BBQ, or gas. Below, I’ll run through the different types of pizza ovens and give you highly rated options from big names to more budget options, so you can pick the one that best suits your needs and wallet.
Best value wood fired pizza ovens
First up: wood fired pizza ovens. These outdoor appliances give the pizza crusts that nice, crispy, blackened finish and are relatively easy to clean – just leave the heat on to carbonate the mess, then brush it down.
I’ll start with some big names:
The VonHaus Outdoor Pizza Oven (£149.99 with all the accessories bundled in) comes highly rated by many review sites, making its £150 price tag good value. You get A+ energy rated stainless steel oven with a ceramic stone that can cook pizzas up to 12-inches. Its chimney is removable and the legs can be folded for easy storage (the included bag to prevent scuffs). In the box you’ll find a peel, chopping board, cutter and the aforementioned bag. £150 for all the kit is an absolute steal.
Ooni is another big name with many of their ovens featuring in the best buy roundups of multiple publications. Here I’m including the Ooni Karu 2: switch between fuelling with wood, charcoal or gas. It’s the most versatile option on this list for cooking, whether you want a 12-inch pizza, slow cooked meats, or vegetables. It’s even more expensive than the VonHaus, but you do get what is essentially a pizza oven, a BBQ and a smoker in one.
Best value electric pizza ovens
British weather is incredibly temperamental so having a pizza oven that can be used indoors as well as out makes its value even greater. Who doesn’t want to be able to make homemade pizzas all year round?
Unlike wood fired ovens, electric ovens provide an even, all over heat so you don’t have to rotate the pizza mid-cook. The privilege, however, does make them slightly more expensive.
Here’s my pick of two plug-in models:
The Big Horn 14-inch Pizza Oven has two separate temperature controls for the top grill and the stone, giving life to its six preset cooking modes: Manual, Wood Fired, Frozen, New York, Thin and Crispy, and Deep Dish. The pizza stone is removable for easy cleaning. The versatility is pricey, but you do get a lot for your money.
We’re big Ninja fans at Simple & Homely, with our three trusty Ninja air fryers supporting a lot of our cooking recipes. The brand’s own pizza oven, the Artisan, can still air fry and bake, but it can also fit a 12-inch pizza and prove dough.
Best value gas pizza oven
If you own a gas BBQ, you can just swap your current gas bottle over. No need for any new fancy attachments, either. If you don’t already have a gas supply, a gas bottle is relatively affordable.
My first gas pizza oven is a proper lazy man’s option: the NutriChef Gas Pizza Oven. Its 360-degree rotating pizza stone means you don’t need to manually do it with the peel, giving you more time to relax and have a beer (or an alcohol-free bevvie, if that’s what floats your boat). Handily for British weather, the NutriChef also comes with a rain cover so it can be used all year round.
Next up is one from VonHaus, a big name in outdoor cooking (we also included their charcoal BBQ in our best value barbeque roundup). It’s a fair wad cheaper than the NutriChef at £160 RRP, but you do miss out on the snazzy Lazy Susan cooking stone. The VonHaus does, however, offer a 360-degree heat so you shouldn’t have to rotate the pizza anyway. It comes with all the kit, as well, which makes it even better value for money: a cutter, bamboo serving board, peel, hose and regulator, and carry bag.
£149.99 at Amazon
Best value BBQ pizza oven
Here we go – the cheapest type of pizza oven you can buy: BBQ top pizza ovens. I bought one from The Range last summer for around £30 for homemade pizza nights and, although cooking one pizza at a time is slow progress, it did produce a nice flavour crust. Obviously, this option is only the cheapest if you already own a BBQ, if not, you’ll be best off buying one of the other types above.
The Range’s BBQ Pizza Oven is £40 this year, £10 more expensive than last summer. It doesn’t specify what the maximum diameter of pizza is, but we made plate-sized pizzas and were more than satisfied with the outcome. It definitely took longer than the claimed 90 seconds to cook, though.
It’s time for another VonHaus, this time it’s much cheaper. For £40, you get a charcoal/gas BBQ-top pizza oven that has carry handles, a temperature gauge, a stainless steel body and ceramic pizza stone. With a max temperature of 400C, it’s reported to create a nice crust.
