best pizza oven to buy

[pizza1newbie]

I am new to pizza making, and wanted to ask a question that has probably been asked a lot on this forum.  I built a smoker and a big grill area in my backyard, and I am looking to add a pizza oven.  I would like to purchase a prebuilt pizza oven because it took way too long to build what I have now, but I would like some help on deciding which would be the best for me.  I want a wood-fired pizza oven, and I would like one that can bake pizza or bread in it, ideally.  I would be baking more pizza than bread in it more than likely. 
I am looking for suggestions for good manufacturers, the best shape of a pizza oven for retaining heat, the best materials that it should be made out of, a good size for cooking for groups of people, etc.  Any help would be much appreciated, and I look forward to hearing from some experts!

Ryan

[amolapizza]

You might want to first consider what kind of style of pizza that you want to bake, as this will have a major influence what kind of oven will give the best results!

[pizza1newbie]

Thanks, amolapizza, I haven't thought much about that.  I would ideally like to make different styles of pizza since our family members like different styles, but we would probably make the Neopolitan style more than others.

[amolapizza]

The thing is that different styles bake at different times and temperatures.

Napoletana might be 1 minute at 900F, while a normal Italian/European pizza might be 2.5m at 700F, while a NY style might be (just guessing) 7m at 500F.  The oven will have a lot of influence on how well you could execute each of them.  To be able to bake good bread with the residual heat you'd like more mass, which means a longer time to heat it up.  IMO, most domestic ovens will bake a great bread once you figure out how.  Also different materials used in the oven will work better at different temperatures.

Also consider gas, especially if you have a permanent supply.  It's similar to wood in how it bakes, but much less hassle and much cleaner.

[Cardellino]

As a Newbie myself start with getting comfortable with the dough and use a regular oven. You can cook wonderful pizza there and many more types then in a pizza oven. It just takes a little longer.

C

[Bill/SFNM]

Since you are new to this hobby, I'd suggest you get one of the many portable propane ovens popular on this forum. I'd view this as a "starter" oven to develop basic skills and better determine your actual needs for a more substantial WFO.   

[pizza1newbie]

Thanks, Bill, that sounds like a good suggestion.  I will check out the ovens that are popular on this forum.  Does propane vs wood give the pizza a noticeably different taste, or is it just a matter of different heat sources and not taste?

It sounds like there is more to great pizza making than just a great oven.  Are there specific techniques and instructions for pizza oven dough that are necessary to learn first, or specific ingredients that are necessary?  I haven't done much research into those sorts of things yet.

[Bill/SFNM]

Thanks, Bill, that sounds like a good suggestion.  I will check out the ovens that are popular on this forum.  Does propane vs wood give the pizza a noticeably different taste, or is it just a matter of different heat sources and not taste?

It sounds like there is more to great pizza making than just a great oven.  Are there specific techniques and instructions for pizza oven dough that are necessary to learn first, or specific ingredients that are necessary?  I haven't done much research into those sorts of things yet.

I have electric, propane, and wood-fired pizza ovens - mainly for Neapolitan-style pizzas. I have never been able to detect any taste differences related to the type of fuel. Managing a wood fire can require an advanced set of skills - and the smaller ovens are much more demanding.

Building a consistent dough, managing its fermentation, shaping the crust, and loading the pizza into the oven are necessary skills to master regardless of the oven. 

[9slicePie]

I have electric, propane, and wood-fired pizza ovens - mainly for Neapolitan-style pizzas. I have never been able to detect any taste differences related to the type of fuel.

Interesting.

[SonVolt]

I couldn't be happier with my recent purchase of a Fontana Forni Marinara.

[pizza1newbie]

is there a particular brand or brands of portable propane ovens that Bill mentioned that most people on this forum think are better than others?

[JeffShoaf]

This is like asking "what is the best car to buy." The absolutely final correct answer is... it depends!

Since you're just getting started with making pizzas and aren't sure what goes of pizza you will make most often, I'd advise you to start off with a relatively easy to use oven that provides a lot of flexibility. You will either end up happy with that oven, learn enough that you can have a better feel on what to look for in an upgrade, or decide that you'd rather just buy pizza instead of making them.

My advise is to start off with the Breville Pizzaiola for several reasons:

• its flexible and can do a good job on multiple styles of pizza
• it's relatively easy to use, allowing you to focus on learning to make pizza instead of messing with learning to manage a wood fire or gas oven
• you don't have to sorry about sourcing wood or gas
• you can use it inside

The only downside I can think is that it's not inexpensive.

I started with the 1st generation Pizzaiola and still use it often when making just one or two pizzas. Once I figured out that I wanted to make mainly Neopolitan-ish pizzas, I added a gas Pizza Party and then replaced the Pizza Party with a gas Fontana Forma which meets my needs pretty much perfectly.

[Pizza_Not_War]

If you are inexperienced in pizza making buy a pizza steel and learn on your indoor oven. Then you can make a more informed decision on what to splurge on.

I wound up determining that I don't need the outdoor oven until the perfect one appears. Still waiting!

[nickyr]

is there a particular brand or brands of portable propane ovens that Bill mentioned that most people on this forum think are better than others?

Ooni and Roccbox are most popular probably

[TexasPizzaBandit]

I JUST set up My OONI today and the Medium cart. Haven't cooked yet, but it's a solid brand for home. Got 20% Sales and got the Koda 16.

[Artimas]

I started making pizza at home about 2 years ago and so far have been using my home oven with a pizza steel. I decided it was time to try and move forward so I ordered my first pizza oven on Black Friday. The Black Friday deals convinced me.

After a lot of research, mostly reading this site, I chose a Carbon. I also considered the Rocccboc and Ooni, but the discourse here convinced me to get the Carbon. I know it has some warts, but so do the others.  I hope I have chosen wisely. It is sitting in my garage while I'm away from home for the holidays.  I am very anxious to get home and try it and of course will report back.

Happy Holidays to all.

[adamcain112]

I started making pizza at home about 2 years ago and so far have been using my home oven with a pizza steel. I decided it was time to try and move forward so I ordered my first pizza oven on Black Friday. The Black Friday deals convinced me.

After a lot of research, mostly reading this site, I chose a Carbon. I also considered the Rocccboc and Ooni, but the discourse here convinced me to get the Carbon. I know it has some warts, but so do the others.  I hope I have chosen wisely. It is sitting in my garage while I'm away from home for the holidays.  I am very anxious to get home and try it and of course will report back.

Happy Holidays to all.

I was looking at the Carbon ended up with the Roccbox since the carbon wasn't in stock. How long did shipping take? Let us know how you ike it. Love my Roccbox but still interested in the Carbon