There are not many people who don’t like pizza. It’s tasty, fun to make, and a great way of entertaining and sharing a slice at a family gathering or BBQ. Since lockdown, the pizza oven has been more popular than ever. Everyone baking banana bread while stuck at home has now branched out into pizza dough, and we don’t blame them.

There are many pizza ovens on the market now to complement your outdoor kitchen or camping trip setup. Some brands, such as Gozney and Ooni, take the cooking experience to the next level with powerful and efficient ovens to get great results every time. 

When it comes to pizza, there are endless possibilities. There are so many dough recipes, toppings, cooking methods, tools and ovens to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start. So, in this guide, we’re going to help you choose the perfect pizza oven. For accessories, make sure to check out our top 6 pizza accessories blog post.

What to consider when choosing a pizza oven

We believe there are three main factors to consider when choosing an oven: the size, the type of fuel used, and heat retention. 

Oven size

Pizza comes in different sizes, but the most popular size is the 12-inch pizza. Most ovens on the market are built for 12-inch pizzas, such as the Ooni Koda 12, the Oonie Karu 12 and Karu 12G, and the Gozney Roccbox.

Then we have the Ooni Koda 16, the Ooni Karu 16 and the Gozney Arc XL, all allowing for 16-inch pizzas for larger parties and the pizza-obsessed. You can also cook 14-inch pizzas in these, with good space for turning. These larger ovens are perfect for other tray and griddle-style cooking too, so don’t limit yourself just to pizza!

The bottom line is size only matters when it comes to your preferred pizza. If you consider purpose, however, perhaps you might like a bigger oven to sit stationary in your garden, but a smaller portable one to bring with you on your outdoor adventures.

Fuel types

On the market today, you’ll find two main types of pizza oven – one fuelled by gas, and the other by wood. There is a big debate about which type of fuel makes the best pizza, but both have excellent benefits.

Some say you can’t beat a wood-fired pizza oven for flavour, and it’s true that there is something special and traditional about lighting the oven, watching the flames and tasting those crispy, perfectly charred crusts.

Others claim you can’t really taste the difference between the two, but that gas is much easier to light and control, cleaner and doesn’t make your clothes smell, which they say makes it the better choice.

There are pellet pizza ovens, but the pellets burn out fairly quickly, so if you want to cook several pizzas then this might not be the best option. However, if you’re committed to pellets, you can use them, and coal, inside the Ooni Firebox for added flavour and temperature control.

Ooni has 3 wood-fired pizza ovens: the Karu 12, 12g and 16, which are great options for those who love wood-fired pizza at a reasonable price. The Gozney’s wood-fired option comes as part of the dual fuel dome oven – this naturally has a higher price tag, but it is capable of cooking other food, too.

Gozney has several gas models which are all fully insulated to keep the stone temperature consistent for those who prefer gas ovens. Ooni has 3 ovens with stone which tend to be less insulated than the Gozney, and 2 ovens which can take gas adapters.

Purpose and heat retention

When it comes to pizza ovens, Gozney is one of the leading experts. They have insulated their ovens and stones so heat retention isn’t an issue, which is why so many pizza companies are using them to pump out perfect pizza after perfect pizza. Check out Peddling Pizza, a Gozney brand partner and famous pizza vendor, or Norfolk local company Peaky Pizzas, delivering the most delicious pizzas with a Gozney oven from us. 

With other ovens, you may have to wait over 2 minutes for the stone temperature to get back to a hot enough temperature after each pizza. This isn’t ideal when cooking for friends, family or the public, so if you want a hot stone to help your dough rise immediately every time, Gozney is the way forward. 

If you are happy to wait a minute longer for each pizza or still mastering the art of cooking pizza, then the Ooni range is a fantastic and more affordable option.

Pizza ovens from Norwich Camping

Personally, on the toppings front, we think less is more – don’t overtop your pizza as you want to let that dough rise, cook evenly, and crisp up perfectly. But that’s just our opinion, along with the other opinions on the best pizza ovens we’ve mentioned in this post.

To summarise, we’d suggest a Gozney if you’re an avid pizza chef and want to cook for the masses. If you don’t mind a slightly slower pace but an oven that still delivers exquisite pizza, opt for one from the Ooni range. They each come in a range of designs and prices to suit you, but no matter which one you choose, you and your friends and family will have delicious pizza to bite into at your next event.

Still not sure about which oven is right for you? Give us a call on 01603 717600 to chat, or visit us in-store to see the ovens for yourself and talk to our expert team. If you find your chosen model online somewhere else at a lower price, get in touch and we’ll price-match it.