Whether you're hosting a family game night or a planning backyard get-together, an outdoor pizza oven is guaranteed to elevate your entertaining setup. Friends and family will love customizing their toppings and sharing fresh slices of their favorite pizzas.

Outdoor pizza ovens reach extremely high temperatures – up to 800° – that can cook a pizza as fast as 60 seconds. The high heat creates the ideal combination of a crisp yet chewy crust while the short cooking time ensures that the pizza doesn't burn. These pizza ovens come in a variety of designs and sizes, which makes it easy to find one that fits in your space and gives you enough room to make plenty of delicious meals. Our outdoor pizza oven guide covers everything you need to know, including tips on choosing the right type of outdoor pizza oven and selecting the best size for your home.

Types of Outdoor Pizza Ovens
Outdoor Pizza Oven Sizes

Tip!

Read our guide The Best Outdoor Pizza Ovens to discover our top picks for outdoor pizza ovens.

Types of Outdoor Pizza Ovens

Show off your culinary skills and make outdoor dining more exciting with the help of an outdoor pizza oven. To find the right outdoor pizza oven design for your home, there are a few things to consider. Factors like installation, fuel type, and material can help you determine which type of outdoor pizza oven is best suited for your space.

Type of Oven

With three main types of ovens to choose from, think which setup would work best for your outdoor space.

Built-In: This type of outdoor pizza oven is permanently installed into an enclosure or row of cabinets. Since these models often require professional installation, built-in pizza ovens tend to be more costly than countertop or freestanding ovens. Built-in pizza ovens are an excellent addition to outdoor kitchens or patio dining spaces.

Countertop: If you have limited space or want a more portable option, countertop pizza ovens are a great choice. Countertop pizza ovens are budget-friendly and can be placed on nearly any flat, heat-safe surface. Just make sure this type of outdoor pizza oven isn't placed beneath any structure so that it has plenty of overhead space for proper ventilation.

Freestanding: Freestanding pizza ovens offer plenty of versatility. With a wide range of sizes, they provide a happy medium between built-in and countertop models. Freestanding pizza ovens often have wheels, so they can be moved from one place to another with ease. Because of their size and portability, freestanding pizza ovens are ideal for any patio, deck, and backyard.

Fuel Type

Outdoor pizza ovens can be fueled in one of two ways: wood or gas. Since each type of fuel has its unique benefits, it's important to think about which type meets your culinary needs.

Wood-Burning: Wood-burning pizza ovens are powered by dry hardwood, such as cherry, oak, apple, or maple. This adds a rich and smoky flavor to your food, much like a restaurant pizza experience. Wood-burning pizza ovens often take more time to heat up and require more work to keep the interior of the oven at the correct temperature.

Propane / Natural Gas: Gas pizza ovens are powered by propane or natural gas. They are typically more straightforward and easier to use, so great for pizza-oven beginners. Simply attach the gas tank to the oven, set the desired temperature, and wait for the oven to heat up. Though these ovens don't add a smoky flavor to the food like wood-burning ovens do, gas pizza ovens offer more convenience.

External Material

The external material that the pizza oven is made of is another key element. Each material has its set of pros and cons, such as the time it takes to heat up or how long the oven stays warm.

Steel: Stainless steel outdoor pizza ovens are lightweight in comparison to cement or brick options. They also cool faster than other materials. This makes it easier to store steel pizza ovens when you're finished using them. Though they tend to lose heat faster than other materials, you can quickly bring steel pizza ovens back up to the desired temperature.

Cement: These outdoor pizzas ovens are constructed from refractory cement, a thermal-resistant type of cement designed to withstand high heat. The cement creates an insulating effect that keeps the oven at a high, steady temperature so that you can achieve a perfectly crisp pizza crust.

Clay: Clay outdoor pizza ovens are made from a highly durable, thermal-resistant clay that maintains high temperatures. Clay pizza ovens are typically smaller than other types and come with a four-legged stand that allows you to use the oven on any heat-safe surface. They have a handmade aesthetic that adds a decorative flair to your outdoor space.

Brick: Brick outdoor pizza ovens hold heat extremely well, allowing you to cook multiple pizzas in a row without having to reheat the oven between each pizza. This type of oven takes a while to heat up, so it's best to plan ahead so that it will be ready when you want to start cooking.

Oven Designs

In addition to the setup, fuel type, and materials, there are three main oven designs to consider in your choice.

Single-Dome Chamber: This type features a single chamber, which means that the heat source and the cooking surface are in the same chamber. The dome shape allows this type of oven to reach high temperatures ideal for achieving a crisp pizza crust.

Single-Barrel Chamber: Similar to the single dome chamber, a single barrel chamber is made of one chamber. It has a rectangular floor space and a top with a half-barrel shape. This oven type heats up quickly because of its compact interior.

Dual-Chamber: This outdoor pizza oven design features two chambers. The top chamber is designated for cooking, while the bottom chamber is made for the furnace. The flames from the bottom chamber fill the upper chamber with indirect heat. This disperses the heat and allows your pizza to cook evenly.

Outdoor Pizza Oven Sizes

Outdoor pizza ovens come in a wide range of sizes to fit any space – from small decks to spacious backyard patios. Like any appliance, it's best to measure your available area first to ensure you find the right size.

Outdoor Pizza Oven Dimensions

When looking for an outdoor pizza oven, the right size depends on your outdoor space and your lifestyle. Factors like how much outdoor space you have available or how many pizzas you plan to make at the same time will help you determine which size is best for you.

Width

Outdoor pizza ovens come in a variety of widths ranging from compact to quite spacious. Small pizza ovens that measure less than 20" wide would be an excellent, portable option that fits neatly on a countertop. Pizza ovens wider than 40" can cook multiple pizzas at one time and would be better suited for a spacious backyard or an outdoor kitchen.

Depth

To make enough space for the heat source and the cooking surface, most outdoor pizza ovens are deeper than they are wide. Pizza ovens with a depth that measures less than 20" are best for cooking one small pizza, while ovens with a depth of 40" or more can cook one large pizzas or two small pizzas.

For easy access and added safety, leave plenty of additional space in front of the pizza oven so that you can open the oven doors fully and remove hot pizzas. Include this extra space when you’re measuring the available room for the oven.

Height

The height of an outdoor pizza oven varies by the type of installation. Freestanding pizza ovens have legged bases that make them taller than countertop models.

Note: Most pizza oven designs have a chimney that releases extra heat to maintain the internal temperature, so make sure that your pizza oven has enough overhead space for this chimney and any necessary ventilation.

Cooking Surface Width

The cooking surface is another key measurement that refers to the surface area inside the pizza oven. To find the right width, consider how many pizzas you plan to cook at the same time.

Small (Less Than 20"): Small outdoor pizza ovens have a cooking surface that is less than 20" wide and can fit one 12" pizza at a time.

Medium (20" to 29"): This size has a cooking surface that ranges from 20" to 29" wide and can fit one to two 12" pizzas.

Large (More Than 30"): Large outdoor pizza ovens feature a cooking surface that measures more than 30" wide and can accomodate more than two 12" pizzas.