Best Outdoor Pizza Oven

Last Updated: May 8, 2023 @ 1:23 pm.

Best Outdoor Pizza Oven, Gift Idea: Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven

As extreme pizza enthusiasts, let us present you our credentials. Yes, we’ve eaten pizza in Naples, Italy, the very birthplace of pizza. And we’ve dined on New York’s finest thin crust, from one of the last coal-fired pizza ovens in the country. We’ve even tried our hand at working a wood fired pizza oven in Tuscany (the results weren’t pretty, however).

So when it came to researching outdoor pizza ovens, we feel rather confident in our source knowledge!

To find the candidates for best pizza oven, we first surveyed the pizza oven enthusiasts among our parent readers. We took their top suggestions and then got to work—we did several hours of additional research, comparing features and real-world tests.

If you decide to invest in an outdoor pizza oven, here are a few tips from pizza oven owners:

1. An infrared thermometer is most helpful. These affordable gadgets can measure the temperature of the pizza stone. You want the stone itself to be hot enough to cook a pizza, not just the oven itself! An infrared or non-contact thermometer lets you do this safely—just be sure to get one that can measure temps up to 1000 degrees (some models stop at 600). 
2. Some ovens that are dual fuel require additional accessories to work. If you want to use propane with some ovens, you may have to separately buy an accessory burner.
3. Pizza peels are sometimes included with the oven . . . and sometimes not.
4. A small fan to circulate air into an outdoor pizza oven is helpful. Uneven cooking is one common complaint with these ovens—a small fan helps evenly disperse the heat.

If you have family or friends who’ve been contemplating a pizza oven, we found the best gift option for them: Bertello’s Outdoor Pizza Oven. Yes, this is the oven you might have seen on an episode of Shark Tank. As a result of that publicity, this oven has taken off in popularity. But is it worthy of all the hype? Here are the pros and cons:

What We Liked

• Works with wood, wood pellets, charcoal and propane. In the bundle, the propane gas burner now comes with it.

• Fun for kids! Kids + pizza + outdoor oven = fun times! 

• Works best with propane, in our opinion. Based on our review of real world testing of this oven, we think propane provides the most consistent cooking temperatures—and the best results.

• Great for camping. The bundle includes a cover for transport.

• Cooks a pizza in just 90 seconds. Yes, that is seconds!

• Heats up to 930 degrees!

What Needs Work

• Uneven cooking. This oven’s major drawback is uneven heating—where the pizza middle doesn’t get cooked, but the crust burns. Since the back of the oven is the heat source, you have to constantly rotate (every 15-20 seconds) the pizza for a good outcome.

• Learning curve! This oven works well, but it will take some trial and error to get it right.

• Doesn’t work as well with fuels other than propane (in our opinion)!

• Rather expensive. Check out our next pick if you’re looking for a less expensive alternative.

Best Outdoor Pizza Oven, Upgrade: Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven

If you want to upgrade your existing oven, we recommend Camp Chef’s Italia Artisan Pizza Oven. Yes, it is pricey—but it works with propane straight out of the box. 

How well does this oven do at making pizza? The answer: amazing!

Here’s why we think it is a worthy upgrade:

What We Liked

• Quickly heats up to cooking temperature. Based on our review of field tests, this oven is quicker to heat up than others on the market.

• Cooks evenly.

• Great for pizza—but you can use it for bread and baked potatoes as well.

• Easy to use and set up. Unlike other pizza ovens that have steep learning curves, this one is quite easy to use.

• Includes pizza stone.

• Stainless steel construction.

• Built-in valve ignition.

• Cover available (extra purchase).

What Needs Work

• Could be easier to clean.

• Heavy, which makes it hard to move around.

Best Outdoor Pizza Oven, Splurge: ROCCBOX by Gozney Portable Outdoor Pizza Oven

This pricey but good quality pizza oven has one key advantage over others we researched: it definitely looks more attractive! With it stainless steel oval-shaped body and legs, this oven has that spacey, new century modern vibe. And it doesn’t disappoint in performance, with the ability to use either wood or gas.

Here’s more:

What We Liked

• Built-in thermometer.

• Retractable legs make it portable.

• Dual fuel capable (but wood burner is extra purchase).

• Body is insulated to avoid burns.

• Quick! Can make a pizza in 60 seconds.

• Best pizza results with propane, based on our research of real-world tests.

What Needs Work

• Pricey.

• Heavy at 62 lbs. Yes, this pizza oven is pitched as portable . . . but it is definitely a two-person job to move it!

• Requires 1.5 hours to cool down before moving. That’s an important factor if you want to use this oven for tailgating.

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, surveying our readers for their experiences with products. And then we do hours of additional research, pouring over real-world tests and reports. We evaluate products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!

Best Outdoor Pizza Oven