TOP 5 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Portable Pizza Oven

It’s not rocket science. The perfect oven is the one that meets YOUR needs. A good portable pizza oven should be compact, easy to assemble, and powerful. The cooking method and price are also important factors to consider when finding your perfect pizza oven.

Find out the top 5 questions to ask before buying a portable pizza oven.

Is this pizza oven compact enough for my lifestyle?

If you love cooking outdoors and plan on taking your oven everywhere you go (the campground, a park, or your friend’s house), Alexandre recommends a smaller and lightweight model like the Ooni Fyra 12. Not only is this model ultra-compact, but it’s also easy (and quick) to take apart and put back together.

If you prefer cooking in your backyard, a portable yet slightly larger model, like the Ooni Pro 16, is a great alternative. With its extra-large cooking surface, you have more cooking flexibility, allowing you to bake larger pizzas and whip up other delicacies like fresh rolls! Not only is the Ooni Pro 16 the best in its class, but it’s also one of the most versatile thanks to its multi-fuel capability. (Click here to learn more about multi-fuel models.)

Our comparison chart can help you decide which size is right for you.

Is this pizza oven easy to assemble?

Portable pizza ovens should be easy to use whether it’s just arrived at your door, or you’ve taken it apart for transportation. Who has the time to read (or reread!) the instruction manual each time? Some models don’t need to be assembled before use, but there are others that do.

Christiana raises some good points when it comes to assembly and transport :

  • foldable legs
  • removable chimney (if there is a chimney)
  • cover for storage (if the model has one).

At Thepizzashop.ca, the models we carry are super easy to assemble. We even have videos to show you how!Click here to check out our models.

Does this pizza oven reach 900 °F or higher?

In order to get a 100% authentic Neapolitan pizza with a “perfectly” crispy crust, your pizza must bake at a high temperature: 900 °F or higher! Even if an outdoor pizza oven is considered portable, make sure that it’s powerful, i.e. able to reach and maintain its heat. If the preheating time is quick (20 minutes), it’s even better for a spontaneous pizza/birra night!

What is this pizza oven’s cooking method?

A pizza oven can be powered by many different types of fuel: propane, pellets, wood, charcoal. There are even multi-fuel ovens that combine propane cooking with wood or charcoal. Before making your choice, be sure to evaluate the characteristics of each fuel to find the option that works best for you.

For example, cooking with wood or charcoal is the most consistent and delicious option because it infuses all your dishes with a rich, smoky flavor. Benvenuto in Italia! Although propane cooking is considered “less traditional”, it’s consistent and simple to use, so you can spend time focusing on other tasks, like enjoying the moment!

Psst… click here if you want to know more about the benefits of each type of fuel.

And does the type of fuel REALLY influence the taste of the pizza? Click here to hear our thoughts!

How much am I willing to invest in a pizza oven?

Being able to make pizza as delicious as your wildest Italian dreams and at a good price, who can beat that? But where exactly is your sweet spot?

Here’s everything you need to know in terms of price:

A smaller and more economical choice, like the Ooni Fyra 12 or WPPO’s Le Peppe, is the perfect oven for the pizzaiolo looking to test out their skills before investing more money. Most low-priced ovens are pellet, coal, or wood fired. That said, with these ovens, there’s a bit of a learning curve before you understand how often you need to add more fuel. In that sense, they’re a hair more complicated, but honestly, the technique is easily learned.

A larger and more expensive choice, like the Ooni Koda 16, is the perfect oven for either the beginner pizzaiolo or for those who prefer the dolce vita to the vita dura because a propane pizza oven is much easier to operate. Plus, with its spacious cooking surface there’s less room for error (ciao burnt crusts!). You’re also able to enjoy all the conveniences of propane cooking (simple, quick, no fuss) AND a big, crispy, great-tasting pizza.

Still don’t know which portable pizza oven to choose?

Reach out to us! We’ve acquired a great deal of expertise so we can advise you on other alternatives.

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