I’ve Cooked 3,000+ Pizzas in My Backyard and Found the Best Pizza Ovens to Gift This Holiday Season

I’ve been a backyard pizza maker for most of my life. I was about 11 when my mother and I mixed up a Chef Boyardee pizza kit on a hot summer day. It was the best supermarket pizza kit I ever tasted — and I was completely in love with cooking pizza outdoors.

I am still very much infatuated with pizza-making and recently became trained and certified in the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli methods. My training and experience give me a pretty good sense of what I like and dislike in a home pizza oven. I have more than 2,600 photos of pizzas I’ve made, and I estimate that’s barely a third of what I’ve cooked over the years. So, let’s take a look at some of the pizza ovens I’ve cooked with, what makes them special, and why I like cooking with them.

• Blackstone Outdoor Propane Pizza Oven, $755, originally $800
• Blackstone Leggero Outdoor Tabletop Propane Pizza Oven, $246, originally $300
• Halo Versa 16 Propane Gas Outdoor Pizza Oven, $450, originally $550
• Gozney Dome S1 Gas/Wood Outdoor Pizza Oven, $1,500
• Gozney Roccbox Outdoor Pizza Oven, $500
• Solo Stove Pi Prime Pizza Oven, $500
• Ooni Koda 16 Gas-Powered Pizza Oven, $600
• Blackstone 22-Inch Griddle with Pizza Oven Attachment, $390
• Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Pizza Oven, $350, originally $400
• Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven, $899
• Gemelli Electric Indoor and Outdoor Pizza Maker, $250, originally $300

Rotating Turntable Pizza Ovens

Blackstone Outdoor Propane Pizza Oven

Blackstone blew my mind when they released this outdoor pizza oven with a rotating stone. This pizza oven is built tough, looks great, and, most importantly, cooks an amazing pizza. The burner on this oven looks more like the nozzle of a fireman’s hose, and it gets hot quickly. Two cordierite pizza stones — a bottom, rotating one for cooking and a stationary, top stone — provide radiant heat and thermal mass that consistently holds temperatures of over 900°F for cooking pizzas in about a minute. 

Blackstone Leggero Outdoor Tabletop Propane Pizza Oven

Taking advantage of Blackstone’s rotating pizza stone technology, the Leggero pizza oven is a lightweight dragster with a powerful engine. With a smaller footprint than its older sibling, the 13-inch pizza stone is perfect for both backyard use and cooking pizzas on the go. Weighing in at about 30 pounds, it’s easy to transport and can operate using a 1-pound or 20-pound propane tank.

Halo Versa 16 Propane Gas Outdoor Pizza Oven

Halo’s Versa 16 is the first two-burner rotating stone pizza oven I’ve come across, and it gets the job done with little fanfare or adjustments. Weighing in at 43 pounds, it’s not super light, but it’s well-balanced and easily portable. One of the only rotating pizza ovens with a hinged lid, Versa is one of the easiest pizza ovens to clean and it takes only seconds to access the burners or rotating stone. At full power, it’s completely heat-soaked in 15 minutes and gets the pizza party started quickly!

Stationary Deck Pizza Ovens

Gozney Dome S1 Gas/Wood Outdoor Pizza Oven

Released as a follow-up to the wildly successful Roccbox, Gozney’s Dome positioned itself as a multipurpose outdoor cooker, blurring the lines between gas grill, smoker, and wood-fired pizza oven. Its appearance is stunning, taking inspiration from Kamado cookers while infusing its own take on futuristic design features. The gas/wood oven can run on either fuel source, but Gozney recommends against using both simultaneously. It comes with dual-temperature probes, and there are various aftermarket features like a steam insert, detachable door, and hearth extender. I like this oven because of its ergonomic design. Its extra deck space makes me want to roast veggies, cook whole chickens, and make beef roasts like Picanha and tri-tip. 

Gozney Roccbox Gas and Wood Fired Outdoor Pizza Oven

One of the first residential ovens embraced by food trucks and professional pizza makers, the Gozney Roccbox paved the way for cooks who wanted a Neaoplolitan-style pizza at a reasonable price. Its compact design and smaller footprint are perfect for making 12-inch pizzas. The rear burner preheats the oven in about 20 minutes up to temperatures of 950°F. Features like foldable legs, a soft-touch jacket, and a beefy Velcro girdle for transporting make this pizza oven one you’ll want to cook more than just pizza with. 

Solo Stove Pi Prime Pizza Oven

The first time I actually rode a snowboard, I told myself it’s fun because it’s easy. Which is the same way I feel about the Solo Stove Pi Prime. Its fuel knob is conveniently placed in the front of the oven. Playing double-duty as an ignitor, the knob fires the oven like a flintlock on a muzzleloader, reliably igniting with a press and a twist. 

With an open hearth conveniently placed above the knob, you get an ergonomic view as you dial in the flames. Pi comes without a temperature gauge, front door, or other fancy features, and its simplicity is part of its majesty. Launching, cooking, and serving a pizza without many modern distractions is uniquely satisfying. 

Ooni Koda 16 Gas Powered Pizza Oven

One of the most popular ovens in Ooni’s portfolio, the Koda 16, is a powerhouse that commands respect. Two burners form a right angle along the back and side of the oven — meaning less turning is required to cook a perfect pie. Koda’s 16-inch capacity is like an upgrade to business class. Compared to other ovens with a smaller deck, the extra space is noticeable. Dual burners mean this oven can get excessively hot and should be taken into consideration during your pre-launch sequences. 

Blackstone 22-Inch Griddle with On-the-Go Pizza Oven Attachment

Pizza inserts are nothing new for gas grills, Kamados, or pellet grills. But this pizza oven insert fits perfectly with your Blackstone 22-inch griddle, making it the ultimate conversion accessory for the outdoor cook. Cooking pizzas up to 15 inches, the conversion kit can be removed and replaced with a 22-inch Blackstone griddle surface, making it ideal for camping, tailgating, or having a versatile cooker that takes up a small footprint in your outdoor space. It’s compatible with both 1-pound and 20-pound propane tanks.

Electric Pizza Ovens

Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Pizza Oven

I was lucky enough to have extensively tested this oven prior to its launch. Ninja was very excited that the oven not only boasted 8-in-1 functionality (which I appreciate), but the clear winner for me has been its superior ability to cook pizzas. Similar to other outdoor products by Ninja, this oven allows you to easily generate smoke and perfume foods at temperatures ranging from 105°F to 700°F. This oven is ideal for someone who can’t have a gas grill or smoker in their outdoor space but still wants to get the benefit of cooking at higher temperatures. Unlike other pizza ovens, Woodfire predictably preheats in about 20 minutes or less, regardless of ambient temperature. 

Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven

Ooni’s Volt electric pizza oven is another outdoor-friendly oven but is a great indoor pizza oven as well. It allows people who aren’t allowed to use gas or wood-fired pizza ovens to cook inside and outside at high temperatures. With the ability to adjust both top and bottom heating elements independently, Volt can dial in temperatures so the bottom of your pizza is crispy and browned — and the cheese is perfectly melted and not overdone.

Gemelli Electric Indoor and Outdoor Pizza Maker

If size, quality, and price are all things you’re considering before purchasing a pizza oven, the Gemelli Electric Pizza Maker Oven is worth a look. Rated for indoor and outdoor use, Gemelli offers top and bottom heating elements that can be digitally adjusted up to 750°F, along with six preset baking functions, ranging from frozen to Neapolitan. It’s got a smaller external footprint than similar ovens and a synthetic matte exterior shell that keeps the oven cooler to the touch than other appliances operating at similar temperatures.