The Ooni Koda 12 is the best pizza oven for most people.
Ooni
What’s the best pizza oven for 2023?
Based on our testing of seven models, the reliable and fairly priced Ooni Koda 12 is the best pizza oven for 2023, but there are other models we liked and also recommend.
At-home pizza ovens are all the rage. Pizza lovers across the country are finding out how easy — and cheap! — it is to make pizza in these superhot gas- and wood-powered ovens. Pizza ovens are also fast, with most cooking pizza in under five minutes, often in more like two or three. If you’re looking for an excellent oven to pull pies from this summer, we tested several — and ate a whole lot of slices — to find the best pizza ovens for 2023.
Ooni
The Roccbox made a flurry of excellent pizzas in under two minutes per pie. The rotund Roccbox is easy to set up, and it reached 900 degrees F in under 13 minutes. It runs on gas as default, but a wood burner attachment can be purchased as an extra (we only tested it using gas).
Ooni
At $550, the Versa is considerably pricier than the Ooni models, but it has two advantages that make it worth the cost: The rotating pizza stone eliminates the need to manually adjust your pies. And the unique liftable lid provides unparalleled access.
Alpha
Other pizza ovens we tested
Solo Pi Pizza Oven: Another solid pizza oven that’s sturdily built and fast to cook, but more expensive than the Ooni Koda.
Ooni Karu: Ooni’s multifuel pizza runs on wood, charcoal or gas via an adapter, making it a good option if you plan to regularly use more than one fuel source to cook pizzas.
A picturesque pie pulled from the hot chamber of the Alpha Nano.
David Watsky/CNET
We cooked a minimum of three pizzas in each, following the manufacturers’ guidance on time, temperature and technique. Ovens were scored on their ability to produce crispy crust and toppings that were fully cooked and cheese that was evenly melted. We also took notes on how long each oven took to cook a pizza. Spoiler alert: None of these ovens take more than five minutes to bake even a large pie.
We also evaluated the ease with which the ovens attached to their fuel source and how intuitive the dials and controls were. Finally, we looked out for any ovens that were particularly difficult to break down or clean after use.
Top pizza ovens compared
The Gozney is an excellent oven, but heavier than the average model at 60 pounds.
David Watsky/CNET
Home pizza ovens run on either gas, charcoal or wood. Propane and natural gas pizza ovens can be connected quickly, ignite instantaneously and heat up in just a few minutes. They also burn clean, with less smoke and little mess to clean up.
Wood and charcoal ovens, in contrast, need to be loaded (and sometimes reloaded) and take longer to heat up; also, an even temperature is trickier to maintain. They also make a bigger mess, leaving behind ash and soot.
And though you may assume wood-fired pizza ovens would impart a smoky flavor, the pies are not in the oven long enough to absorb much of that wood flavor.
A pizza peel is the most critical accessory for making pies at home.
Ooni
Best pizza oven FAQs
This depends on the size of the pizza and how hot you have your oven turned up to. But most modern at-home pizza ovens cook pizzas in less than five minutes, often as quickly as two or three.
Can you make other food in a pizza oven?
Pizza ovens have become one of the buzziest home kitchen appliances for a reason. They work extremely well, are easy to use and turn out pizzeria-quality pies with just a little practice. A good pizza oven can also be had for as little as $250, making them a worthy investment for a pizza lover.
How hot should a pizza oven get?
The pizza stone is likely the part of the oven that will need cleaning regularly. Because most pizza ovens have stones that are attached, you’ll have to wait until the oven cools and wipe the inside of the cooking chamber and pizza stone surface with a wet rag. Avoid the use of soap since any residual could affect the flavor of future food. For stubborn bits, Ooni makes a pizza oven grill brush for $30, but your existing grill brush will also do the trick. If the stone can be removed, wait for it to cool and run it under hot water and scrub it with soap, as needed.
