With the arrival of summer evenings, buying an outdoor pizza oven is an excellent idea for outdoor cooking enthusiasts… However, with so many different models available on the market, making a choice can be complicated. Each model, whether wood-fired, gas-fired, electric or pellet-fired, has its own particular characteristics. In this article, Ephrem offers you a comparison of outdoor pizza ovens to help you find your ideal cooking tool. The aim? Turn your garden or balcony into a real Italian pizzeria… or almost!
An outdoor pizza oven: a good idea!
Imagine yourself outside, surrounded by friends and family, preparing delicious homemade pizzas in a specially designed oven. Each of your guests gets in on the act, choosing his or her favorite ingredients. Good humor and laughter are the order of the day. In short, everything you need for a great time.
That’s the promise of an outdoor pizza oven! It immediately transforms your garden into a veritable outdoor kitchen, adding a touch of conviviality to every meal. Indeed, whether you have a spacious terrace or a small balcony, cooking outdoors creates a relaxed and festive atmosphere, perfect for gatherings with friends or family. So your pizza oven will become the focal point of your gatherings, drawing your guests in with its delicious smells and comforting warmth.
But that’s not all! If you’re a true pizza lover, these culinary tools will also delight your taste buds. Designed to reach high temperatures in no time at all, they guarantee rapid, even cooking of pizzas, and deliver an incomparable taste to every one of your preparations.
So if you’re looking for conviviality and outdoor gourmet pleasures, an outdoor pizza oven is the perfect investment for you.
Outdoor pizza oven: compare before you buy
Gas, wood, electric or pellet? Which to choose?
Outdoor gas pizza ovens
Are you looking for an outdoor pizza oven that’s easy to light, doesn’t generate smoke, and is simple to maintain on a daily basis? Outdoor gas pizza ovens are the perfect answer. Thanks to their burner system, they heat up quickly and provide precise temperature control. No need to juggle with logs and ashes, just turn on the gas and set the desired temperature for perfect baking.
What’s more, some models are equipped with rotating trays, ensuring fast, even pizza cooking. You’ll no longer need to turn your pizzas manually to avoid undercooked areas.
But you might as well know: some purists believe that the taste of gas-fired pizza differs from that of wood-fired pizza. So if you’re looking for the smoky aroma and distinctive flavor that only burning wood can deliver, a gas oven won’t fully satisfy your expectations. In addition, it’s important to note that using gas can be expensive over the long term, especially when compared with wood, which is reputed to be more economical.
Outdoor pellet pizza ovens
Combining the convenience of gas with the authentic taste of wood, pellet pizza ovens provide an excellent alternative to traditional wood-fired models. They let you enjoy the unique flavor of wood-fired cooking while offering ease of use and heating speed comparable to gas ovens.
However, there are a few drawbacks to this type of equipment. Hardwood pellets, required for these ovens, can sometimes be hard to find. Softwood pellets, although more common, are not recommended for cooking food because of the residues they can leave behind. In addition, wood pellets need to be stored in a dry place, as they are sensitive to humidity, which can complicate their preservation.
Despite these points, pellet pizza ovens remain an attractive option for pizza lovers looking for both practicality and authentic flavor.
Electric outdoor pizza ovens
Their advantages? They’re compact, easy to plug in, require no fuel, heat up quickly and remain affordable. Electric pizza ovens offer an efficient and economical solution for all pizza lovers who want to cook pizza at home without the hassle.
What’s more, electric pizza ovens are often equipped with additional features that make them very practical. Options such as an internal light, adjustable thermostat, timer or even a pyrolysis system simplify the use and maintenance of these appliances. So you can set the temperature, program the perfect cooking time and easily clean your oven after each use.
However, while the idea of enjoying a pizza in just three minutes sounds tempting, you won’t get the flavor or authenticity of wood-fired cooking. Nor will you get the wood-fired experience, which is much warmer, more visually appealing and much more convivial.
Wood-fired outdoor pizza ovens
Nothing beats the taste and aroma of a wood-fired pizza! This cooking method gives the crust a crispy texture and a unique smoky taste, worthy of the best pizzerias. The advantages of these ovens are numerous: they can reach temperatures of up to 400°C, enabling a pizza to be baked in just a few minutes. This speed of cooking is ideal for obtaining well-cooked dough and tasty toppings.
But using a wood-fired oven is above all an art! It’s a skill appreciated by wood-fired cooking enthusiasts, even if it can seem a little intimidating for those in a hurry. Indeed, lighting the oven and maintaining the fire requires a little technique and practice. But this preparation time, this care in nurturing the flame, is precisely what enthusiasts love. Once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll enjoy making beautiful flambées. The wood-fired oven is more than just a cooking tool; it’s a real experience that begins as soon as the fire is prepared.
Another advantage? Wood-fired ovens made from refractory materials, such as Ephrem ovens, offer excellent insulation and thermal inertia. This absorbs and distributes heat evenly, guaranteeing even cooking from crust to topping. A real plus for those who want to enjoy a pizza worthy of an Italian trattoria, right in their own backyard.
The different types of outdoor wood-fired pizza oven: advantages and disadvantages
Built-in outdoor pizza ovens: building your own wood-fired oven
Inspired by the bread ovens of yesteryear, built-up outdoor pizza ovens are made from refractory materials such as stone, volcanic rock or brick. This means you have to build your own pizza oven to enjoy the benefits of a real, traditional wood-fired oven. Inside the cooking chamber, the specific dome shape contributes to optimal and constant air circulation, ensuring even heat distribution for perfectly cooked pizzas.
But that’s not all! The generous interior diameter of these traditional models means you can put several dishes in the oven at once. A considerable advantage for those who like to entertain a large number of guests. Stainless-steel pizza ovens, on the other hand, are smaller and have limited capacity, making them unsuitable for large parties.
Another advantage, and not the least, is that when you choose to build a pizza oven, you choose to cook in a wood-fired oven that retains the heat produced by your wood fire. You’ll be able to cook a wide variety of recipes, because thanks to its refractory mass, your oven will still be hot the next day, with just one flare-up! This is the advantage most appreciated by true wood-fired oven enthusiasts.
In addition to their functionality, traditional pizza ovens add an unparalleled aesthetic touch to your garden or outdoor kitchen. Whether you prefer a modern or more rustic design, this equipment always adds charm and elegance to your outdoor space.
However, it’s important to note that their installation can be an obstacle for those looking for greater flexibility. These ovens require a fixed location and sometimes complex assembly. What’s more, their price can be an obstacle. Investing in a traditional pizza oven certainly represents a certain budget, but bear in mind that these ovens are designed to last a lifetime, unlike other models, notably stainless steel pizza ovens, which can become obsolete more quickly. Also, beware of some wood-fired ovens made from a single piece of terracotta: they have a limited lifespan.
Semi-fixed outdoor pizza ovens
One of the main advantages of semi-fixed ovens is their mobility. The most practical models are mounted on mobile carts or platforms, making them easy to move around your garden or terrace. For other models, maneuvering is a little trickier, requiring the help of one or two people to move them from one place to another.
In terms of capacity, semi-fixed ovens feature a more spacious hearth than portable ovens, enabling them to bake larger pizzas, up to 40 cm in diameter. This feature is ideal for lovers of generous, gourmet pizzas.
However, it’s important to note that simultaneous baking capacity remains limited. Unlike large stationary ovens, it’s generally not possible to put two pizzas in the oven at the same time, which can be a disadvantage when you’re entertaining several guests.
Portable outdoor pizza ovens in stainless steel
Compact and lightweight, portable pizza ovens are ideal for those who like to enjoy a perfect pizza wherever they go. These are often easy-to-transport stainless steel pizza ovens, perfect for camping trips or small outdoor gatherings. Their mobility means you can enjoy a home-made pizza on any occasion.
The main advantage of portable ovens is their practicality. You can take them with you wherever you go, making them a flexible and practical solution for those who don’t want to limit themselves to their garden or terrace.
However, there is a “but”. The materials used in their construction lack the robustness of fixed or semi-fixed models, which can affect their long-term durability. It’s important to handle these ovens with care to prolong their lifespan. In addition, portable ovens have limited cooking capacity, which can be a problem when entertaining large numbers of guests. They are generally designed to bake one pizza at a time, which can slow down service at large parties.
Finally, these pizza ovens don’t have the same inertia as a traditional stationary wood-fired oven. The heat produced by the wood fire won’t be retained for long, and you’ll need to feed your oven regularly to maintain an adequate temperature level. This means a greater need for firewood to ensure optimal baking.
Outdoor pizza oven: traditional, wood-fired, the best option!
Of all the alternatives available, the wood-fired outdoor pizza oven remains a safe bet for those who want to bake their pizza the old-fashioned way.
This equipment offers a unique flavor, difficult to reproduce with other types of oven. It’s true that burning wood to generate intense, even heat is ideal for obtaining a perfectly crisp crust and a soft interior. The living flame and embers also add a distinctive smoky aroma to this famous Italian specialty. An inimitable touch that electric or gas cooking can’t match.
But that’s not all! The whole process, from lighting the fire to baking the pizzas, is a true sensory experience. Admittedly, all this preparation takes a little time, but it’s well worth the wait. In fact, it’s precisely this phase that makes using a wood-fired oven so special.
Involving your guests in the making of the recipes will transform your pizza party into a friendly, interactive event. Everyone can get their hands dirty, choose their ingredients and watch the magic happen before their very eyes. Laughter, lively discussion and the delicious smells of burning wood and fresh pizza will create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The outdoor wood-fired pizza oven then becomes not only a cooking tool, but also an element of pleasure. So, if you’re ready to make this investment, you won’t be disappointed by the convivial moments you can share with your loved ones.
There’s another detail to bear in mind. A wood-fired oven like Ephrem’s Authentique Pizzaiolo is not designed exclusively for pizzas! In fact, you can bake bread, marinate meats, roast vegetables or use it as a barbecue. Convincing, isn’t it?
Outdoor pizza ovens provide the perfect answer for anyone who wants to enjoy delicious pizza at home, even without a large outdoor space to spare. However, not all home ovens are created equal. After careful analysis, it’s clear that the traditional wood-fired oven stands out and remains the best choice for true Neapolitan pizza lovers. With its distinctive smoky aroma and ability to create an unrivalled crispy crust, it offers an incomparable taste experience that no other pizza oven model can match.
Pictures : Ephrem
