Home pizza ovens have seen a meteoric rise in the last couple years, transforming what has only been a pipe dream among foodies and pizzeria aficionados into an essential addition to the modern backyard. The oven offers a restaurant-quality pizza experience in one’s home, various styles to fit different needs and budget. But are they worth the investment?
This article will show you the pros and cons of home pizza ovens and explore their different types. You will also learn the various factors to consider before making a purchase.
Different Types of Home Pizza Ovens
Think about the several types of home pizza ovens for sale before you start weighing the advantages and disadvantages of owning one. From kitchen bench tops to brick domes, their designs span electric and gas as well as wood- or charcoal-fired systems.
Electric Benchtop
For a Friday night pizza party, these kinds can be laid straight on your kitchen bench. Unfortunately, they usually only hold one pizza at a time. In addition, they might cost anything from $150 to more than $1,000.
LPG or Gas-powered
Gas-powered pizza ovens have a built-in pizza stone and sit on a trolley or bench. They can only fit one pizza at a time, but they can also hold other things. This oven is simple to set up and light but can take up to 40 minutes to attain the desired temperature.
Wood or Charcoal
These are the real deal, but they require patience. They can expose work to light and get the desired temperature. Once there, it can keep the heat going for hours and, depending on the size, can often cook more than just the dough.
Is a Home Pizza Oven Worthy to Buy?
Purchasing a home pizza oven requires careful weighing of the advantages and drawbacks. In this sense, you can maximize your expenses. Here are the advantages and disadvantages you should consider while choosing the appropriate oven to help you decide.
Pros
Surely, there are many benefits you can experience from having a pizza oven at home. You can cook any time you want to satisfy your pizza cravings. But aside from that, here are the advantages of this amazing kitchen appliance.
Fast Cooking
Having the correct pizza oven is great since it allows you to create authentic pizza in a few minutes. You can eat a hot pizza slice in two minutes or less. Although you should watch over your pizzas. It's not something you can leave alone; you have to be there to see the dough bubble, so you can whisk it out just before it starts to char.
Fun to Use
An oven for making pizza can be a great tool for people who like to party or cook at home. If you have an outdoor kitchen or room in your backyard to build a brick wood-fired oven, your house will be the best place for any gathering.
A pizza oven is a tool that works well in any season; it's great for summer evenings and winter nights when its warmth and smells are just as inviting. Making and cooking the pizzas will be fun for everyone; it's almost like having two activities in one.
Variety of Cooking Options
Although some ovens are only made to cook pizza (and only one pizza at a time), other models can cook a lot of different foods. You can also use stone and high heat to make other kinds of bread, like focaccia, roast meats, and even sweet pies and cookies.
Cons
To balance things out, here are the disadvantages or considerations you should look out for when buying a home pizza oven. That way, you can decide if it’s a good value for your money and if you can use and maintain it well.
Ongoing Costs
Over time, the cost of heating whichever type of pizza oven you purchase—gas, electric, or wood—will be the same. If you cook weekly, some wood-fired ovens can cost $400 a year. This price included buying wood, kindling, and natural fire starters from a hardware shop. But you can get wood and kindling for much less money if you already have them.
On the other hand, LPG types can cost less, up to $130 a year, while electric ovens were by far the cheapest, at most $13. When you add up the cost of goods and the $400 a year running cost if you buy store-bought pizza once a week at $50 for two, you'll probably still be ahead.
Along with the cost of running the machine, you'll probably also need to buy accessories like a long peel, broom, pizza stone, or long tongs, since not all models come with these.
Require Skills
Don't be hard on yourself if you don't get to cook your pizza right the first time. It takes some practice to get the pizza just right. Even a pizzaiolo or a pizza chef can encounter some setbacks in their cooking, so what more for you?
Therefore, on the first try, you should not anticipate being able to produce store-bought wood-fired pizza. Also, before you hold a pizza party with all your friends and family, give yourself enough time to get used to your new appliance.
Safety Issues
For that crisp beauty to show up in all its bubbly glory, you need to set your oven extremely hot. However, all that heat can be dangerous, especially if kids are around. Since electric and gas ovens don't usually have as much protection as brick ovens, the surface can get very hot.
Some of the cheaper models are seriously unsafe because they are too weak and get too hot, which could be risky.
You Already Have an Oven
Your choice about how much you're willing to spend on homemade perfection will likely depend on how serious you are about pizza. But keep in mind that many ovens today have a pizza mode with a fan-forced base element, a top element, or a bottom element and a fan.
Despite this, home ovens rarely get hotter than 250°C. If you're okay with pretty good pizza, your current kitchen oven and a pizza stone might be enough for you. But remember, not all pizza ovens will give you the taste and look of a real wood-fired pizza. Some will just cook the pizza the same way an oven does.
Still, a home oven will never be able to make that smoky, burned dough taste the same.
Things to Consider When Buying a Home Pizza Oven
Before you purchase a pizza oven, you should check some key factors to ensure you acquire one that will last for years and operate as expected. Here are some considerations before deciding on the ideal home or outdoor pizza oven.
Customizability
You should be able to change the temperature of the top and bottom parts of your home pizza oven separately. This level of customization is great for pie lovers who want to make a perfect pie, but not everyone may need it.
Desired Pizza Type
The most crucial consideration for anyone wishing to purchase an indoor pizza oven is the type of pizza you wish to create. While it's not feasible to create food that tastes "wood-fired" indoors, choose a pizza oven capable of reaching 750ºF or over if that is your preferred temperature.
This high temperature will help you cook pizzas fast, but they might get charred. Furthermore, if all you want to do is cook leftover pizzas, you won't have to pay a lot of money. You'll find success with either your toaster oven or full-size oven.
Ease of Use
Ideally, you should search for an oven you could use regardless of your cooking skills. Whether you're just starting to cook outside or are already experienced, having a simple oven makes cooking over a live fire more enjoyable.
Features like built-in thermometers, variable burner systems, and a wide mouth will all make your experience better. These features can also make it easier for you to make restaurant-worthy pizza.
Also, you need to remember some safety tips if you have a family with kids. Electric ovens can get hot because they aren't insulated like brick ovens. Whether you buy a pizza oven that runs on gas, electricity, or wood, you will have ongoing costs for fuel to heat it.
Insulation
You need a pizza oven that can hit and keep temperatures of up to 500°C. Good insulation is important for this. Because the covering is thick, it keeps the heat in, so you can cook pizza after pizza without the quality going down.
Quality Materials
When one buys a pizza oven, this is the time when he wants it to last. Also, to ensure that every time the oven is used it doesn’t get worn down, seek ovens made of profession-grade materials with a stone floor more than 10mm thick.
Rolling Flame
Like real wood-fired grills, you want an oven that gives off a strong, golden flame. There are no blue flames or strip lamps to be seen. A golden flame that rolls and reaches across the oven's roof will give you real top-down cooking. This flame can also heat the walls and the floor to make sure an even bake, crispy crusts, and perfectly cooked toppings.
Size
A lot of pizza ovens are about the same size as a regular toaster oven. When you shop, you should also think about the depth. It can be harder to move a deeper oven if you want to store it somewhere. It also takes up more room on your counter. If you want to move the machine, you should also find out how heavy it is.
Is a Home Pizza Oven Right for You?
Your lifestyle, interests, and culinary goals will influence your home pizza oven purchase. If you love the art of pizza-making and want to serve restaurant-quality pizzas at home, this oven can be a useful addition to your kitchen. Having the opportunity to prepare delicious and personalized pizzas, experiment with various cooking styles, and host memorable events can make the investment worthwhile.
If you want to make the perfect slice, buy the best home pizza oven today. With a good-quality oven, you can enjoy restaurant-quality pizza in the comfort of your home.