Pizza Ovens: A Must-Have for Your Outdoor Kitchen

The pizza oven has long been a rare kitchen appliance that only the most dedicated of pizza chefs have had in their kitchens. However, this doesn't need to be the case anymore: Today, there are a variety of pizza ovens available that not only make amazing pizzas, but are also engineered to be used outside! Read on to find out more about outdoor pizza ovens and the kinds of meals that you can cook with them.

Is an Outdoor Pizza Oven Worth It?

An outdoor pizza oven comes with a ton of benefits when you decide to add one to your yard or outdoor kitchen. Their main function is to make cooking pizza easy and fun, but they also come with a host of other perks that can be beneficial to any outdoor space. Having the oven outside ensures that you won't need to worry about cleaning up any mess inside the house while you cook, and it can save you indoor kitchen space. It's also a much more versatile kitchen appliance than you may initially think. Though it can cook an amazing pizza pie with ease, these ovens can cook a whole lot more than just that.

What Can I Cook in an Outdoor Pizza Oven Other Than Pizza?

On top of being able to cook a wide variety of delicious pizzas, you can also cook a number of other dishes in an outdoor pizza oven. Since the pizza oven will function much like a regular oven, you'll find that you can efficiently bake things like rolls and other doughy foods without a problem. You can also make some delicious dips with a nice layer of melted cheese over the top, or some baked macaroni and cheese. You can even use your pizza oven to cook a steak. If you like to cook your food to have a nice crispy texture and you love that homecooked feel, an outdoor pizza oven will make a fine addition to your outdoor space.

Outdoor pizza ovens are available in a variety of fuel types, including gas, wood pellets, and multi-fuel ovens that can run on both. Each different fuel type comes with a few pros and cons.

Gas outdoor pizza ovens can reach high temperatures faster than other types of ovens, and they don't take much to maintain once they get going. You can also very easily control the temperature of a gas-powered pizza oven. The downside of using gas as a fuel source is that, even though it is easy to cook with, you won't get that smoky flavor that you'd get when cooking with wood. You also will need to run a fuel line of some kind to the oven to get it to work. Whether you choose to run a utility line from your home or you choose to use a propane tank will be up to you. Overall, using gas can be an easier and more manageable option, but you may miss out on part of the taste that many people love from pizza ovens. However, wood pellet powered come with many perks of their own.

Using wood pellets as a fuel source will ensure that you'll get that authentic wood fired taste, but you'll have to sacrifice some cooking control to do so. With wood pellets, you'll have to refill the oven between uses, and you need to keep a closer eye on your temperature levels, as they are more prone to fluctuating when cooking with wood.

The outdoor pizza ovens that run on multiple different fuel types, like select Ooni outdoor pizza oven models, allow their user to make use of the best features of each fuel type. Being able to change from wood power to gas on demand allows you to keep that smoky taste, while also giving you the ability to better control your heat. Keep in mind that some models require a separate conversion kit to allow them to operate with gas.

Figuring out the best size for your outdoor pizza oven will depend on the size of your outdoor space and what you intend on cooking with it. If you have an established outdoor kitchen, you're going to need to clear a space for your new pizza oven. If you're looking to build a new outdoor kitchen from scratch, you're free to choose whatever size you want. If you're only looking to make personal pies with your pizza oven, you can probably settle for a smaller 12-inch oven model without a problem. If you're looking to make large-scale pizzas for the whole family, you may need to consider getting an oven with a little more space like a 16-inch model. Another thing to consider is the pizza oven's portability. If you wanted to take your oven on the road, or out to a campsite, you would probably need to get a smaller model to be able to do so. Figuring out the size that's right is mostly up to personal preference, you just need to know what you're looking to do with the appliance beforehand.