Types of Pizza Ovens
Ah, pizza! It’s fit to be the food for the gods if there ever was one. And, while there’s a pizzeria at every corner of the street, churning out ready-made pizzas that are especially microwaved for you, true happiness in life is a pizza cooked in a real pizza oven. Whether you want to dish out the best pizzas at the family brunch or want to start an eatery, there are various types of pizza ovens to pick.
Why You Need A Pizza Oven
A pizza oven? Can’t we cook the pizza in a regular oven? Well, we could. Or, we could whip up gourmet-style pizza. Here’s why you need a pizza oven:
- a) To get the best homemade pizza:
To make restaurant-quality pizzas for a party in your mouth, you need the right temperature to get the best crust and perfectly gooey cheesy layer. Only a stove that can generate 500F can do that.
- b) To cook the pizza fast:
Pizza ovens can hit a high temperature quite quickly. This not only ensures the best way to bake your pizza for a heavenly texture and taste but also brings the pieces to your plate within a short time.
- c) To hone your skills:
With a proper pizza oven, you don’t just cook for fun. You follow the science of cooking. You need to get everything just right – from the ingredients to the temperature to the duration of baking pizzas.
In simple words, a regular oven can never give the same quality, taste, and texture that a pizza oven can.
Types of Pizza Ovens
So, if you’re serious and passionate about pizza-making, then a pizza oven is a must. But which is the best oven for you? Let’s take a look at the different types of pizza ovens to understand which one will be the best fit for you!
Wood-Fired Brick Pizza Oven
Wood-burning pizza grills made of bricks are a favorite among restaurants. Why? Because of the charred smells, of course, you can only get from wood and the insulated brick walls. The smokey flavor is hard to miss and even harder to achieve in any other kind of oven.
A true pizza patron will never settle for anything less than wood-fired brick masonry. Sure, it demands lots of wood and lots of care and attention. But, that’s a small price to pay in return for the deliciousness that these ovens bring to every pizza.
These pizza ovens provide heat in multiple ways to the pizza to cook it perfectly. Plus, there’s a steamy environment that builds up inside the brick dome, making the bread moist and chewy. It’s the original way of cooking the best pizzas.
We love wood-fired brick pizza ovens because they are:
- Classic, and give you traditionally baked pizzas
- Best for infusing a smokey flavor to the pizza
- Perfect for making bread moist and delicious
- Capable of multiple heating for best results
- Suitable for high-end restaurants
Wood-Fired Portable Pizza Oven
The major problem of wood-fired brick masonry is that they are immovable. What’s the solution? Why, the wood-fired portable pizza oven, of course! It’s much more compact than brick ovens. You can place it anywhere you want!
With the help of these portable ovens, you get the goodness of the traditional ovens that use wood for cooking pizzas – without committing to a full-sized masonry. They are not exactly lightweight, though, and can weigh around 50 lbs. After all, they need to trap plenty of heat!
These ovens use wood pellets as fuel. As a result, you get the same smokey flavor that you want a wood-fired oven to infuse in your pizza. It’s much cheaper to purchase and to maintain. You’ll also find it easy to use and to fit it in indoor kitchens.
We love wood-fired portable pizza ovens because they are:
- Excellent for cooking traditional pizzas
- Compact and movable
- Suitable for indoor kitchens
- Fit for small units
- Perfect for restaurant-style cooking at home
Outdoor Gas Pizza Oven & Indoor Gas Pizza Oven
Pizza ovens come with a gas burner and use natural gas or propane as fuel. Their settings allow both high and low flames. You can cook at 500-800F using these ovens. They usually depend on top heating, though the sophisticated ones also offer floor heat.
They are excellent for commercial establishments as these ovens can maintain temperature for a long time, and you won’t need to check in on them constantly. You can also use these to cook bread at lower temperatures, using just gas.
Interestingly, they also allow the use of wood. So, most pizza makers like to use gas for cooking the pizza and using some wood for a little smokiness. So, even though you won’t get the same traditional smokiness of wood-fire ovens, you can still add a little dash of the authentic taste of pizza.
We love gas pizza ovens because they are:
- Perfect for both indoor and outdoor kitchens
- ideal for cooking pizzas and bread
- Excellent for busy eateries
- Equipped to cook at high and low heat levels
- Capable of using both gas and wood
Electrical Pizza Oven
Electric pizza ovens are perfect for kitchens and businesses that do not have access to natural fuel. In the commercial electric stoves, you can use the power to provide different levels of heat in the top and the bottom with the help of separate controllers.
Electric pizza ovens can maintain a temperature of more than 500F. If you choose a commercial stove with a conveyor belt, it will churn pizzas continuously without delay. All you have to do is to make the pizzas and put it on the belt – and the oven will do the rest.
Electric ovens usually do not take up a lot of space and work well in small kitchens. Besides, if you need mobility, these ovens will be perfect. So, if you run a pizzeria in your home kitchen, or have a food truck, electric ovens are for you. Some of them are even elevated to save floor space.
We love electric ovens because they are:
- Small and mobile
- Space-saving
- Great for indoor kitchens
- Perfect for moving kitchens like food trucks
- Superfast
Modular Pizza Oven
As the name suggests, modular pizza ovens are easy to install in any kind of kitchen, even in difficult and small units. They are compact and can be conveniently moved around. Even the assembly doesn’t demand a lot of effort.
It’s actually a pizza oven kit that you can put together to get your oven. It’s usually the wood-fired oven that comes in the form of such a kit, thus saving you the trouble of building the oven dome by stacking bricks. It’s much quicker and simpler.
In fact, many pizza-makers are shifting to modular ovens. These are dependable and don’t burn a hole in the pocket! If you’re looking to build an outdoor kitchen with an al-fresco dining arrangement, modular pizza ovens can complete the dream.
We love modular pizza ovens because they are:
- Convenient to construct.
- Compact and fit into difficult units.
- Perfect for outdoor kitchens.
Buying Guide for Pizza Ovens
Now that you know about the different types of pizza ovens, here are a couple of other tips o buy the best one for yourself:
- a) Capacity of Making Pizzas:
First, ask yourself: what do you need the oven for? Is it for your home for the occasional pizza nights? Are you known for your Sunday porch parties with all your friends gorging on the cheesy deliciousness that you cook? Accordingly, pick an oven with a low or medium pizza-making capacity.
Now, do you own an eatery and want to add the pizza oven to your commercial kitchen? You still don’t necessarily need a pizza oven with a high production capacity, unless you own a pizzeria or have a high demand for pizzas at the eatery. A regular restaurant can do with fewer pizzas.
- b) Space and Location of Kitchen:
This is an essential aspect to consider at the time of purchasing a pizza oven. Depending on how much space you have in your kitchen, you will need to find an appropriate oven. There are many small-sized pizza ovens, some of which are even tall and narrow to save floor space.
In addition, you also need to check the power source in your kitchen space. Do you have access to natural fuel, or is it easier to plug the oven into an electric board? The location of your kitchen space is also essential. An indoor kitchen, outdoor arrangement, or moving eatery will affect your choice.
- c) Pizza Type:
Do Neapolitan pizzas feature on the menu of your restaurant? Do you like to cook American pizzas at the games night? Are you looking to offer a variety of crust choices to your guests? At the time of purchasing the pizza oven, you also need to consider the kinds of pizzas the device can cook.
- d) Budget
Another factor you need to consider at the time of buying a pizza oven is your budget. This is not just about the pricing of the stove itself. You must also think about the amount you’ll need to spend on the different fuel types, as well as the maintenance of the oven.
Conclusion:
Now you know how to select the best pizza oven. So, why wait? Spend a little time analyzing the pizza furnace you’ll need in your kitchen. Think about your purpose – and be realistic with your pizza goals. This way, you’ll get the best oven, without spending on something that you’ll not use at all. With the right oven, you’ll be churning out pizzas that will make you the talk of the town in no time!