There are several portable pizza ovens on the market that are highly rated by consumers. Some of the best portable pizza ovens include:
Ooni Koda: This portable gas-powered pizza oven can reach temperatures up to 932°F and cook a pizza in just 60 seconds. It’s lightweight and easy to use, making it a great option for outdoor cooking.
Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven: This portable pizza oven runs on propane and can reach temperatures up to 700°F. It’s designed specifically for outdoor use and has a built-in thermometer for precise temperature control.
Roccbox Portable Pizza Oven: This portable pizza oven can reach temperatures up to 932°F and cook a pizza in as little as 90 seconds. It runs on either wood or gas, making it a versatile option for outdoor cooking.
Bakerstone Pizza Oven Box: This portable pizza oven runs on gas and can reach temperatures up to 750°F. It’s designed to be used on a gas grill and has a built-in thermometer for precise temperature control.
When choosing a portable pizza oven, it’s important to consider factors such as cooking time, temperature range, fuel source, and portability. It may also be helpful to read reviews from other users to get a sense of the oven’s performance and ease of use.
You may also consider the alternative more affordable starter pizza oven that Walmart released this past summer. Their Expert Grill 15″ Charcoal Pizza Oven is on sale now for $97. Click the image below to purchase from Walmart.
After a few months of use, I’ve learned what not to do and how to use Expert Grill charcoal pizza oven. First, the pizza oven is easy to use and pretty lightweight if you remove the stone. So far, it has taken a lot of abuse from me and the fires I create. There is some paint chipping at the back of the oven, where you make the fire. This is probably from me accidentally throwing fuel on the metal and catching it on fire. Besides that, the stove still looks good, and the handle did not melt or fall apart.
Tips on How to Use Expert Grill Pizza Oven
After assembling the pizza oven, you want to clean it up and start your fire. I start my fires with charcoal and then build them up with a few small wood slices. I also left the charcoal outside in the rain a few times and used only wood to build a fire. No matter what you use, the fire will get hot and heat the oven. The highest temperature we’ve reached is 800F but we don’t want it hotter than 700F.
I like to cook my pizzas in the Expert Grill charcoal pizza oven once it reaches 600-700F. One thing I quickly learned is that the stone needs to get hot. While the oven temperature can promptly reach 700F, the stone requires a little more time to heat. Give the oven a good 15-20 minutes to heat up, making sure to keep loading the back with charcoal or wood. So while you work on slicing your veggies and prepping your dough, have someone else mend the fire.
After heating the pizza oven for 15-20 minutes or more, depending on your fire, you can place your pizza. Make sure that your pizza dough bottom doesn’t have too much flour. This will burn your pizza stone and won’t cook the bottom of the pizza either. Plus, who wants flour on their pizza?
After placing your pizza in the charcoal pizza oven, let it be for 30 seconds. If your fire is too hot, push the pizza towards the front so it doesn’t catch fire. Every 30 seconds or so, spin the pizza 1/4 way. Your pizza should be done to perfection in 2-3 minutes. Again, this depends on your oven temperature, pizza dough thickness, and the toppings you’ve added.
Once the pizza is done, place it on a surface where it can breathe from the bottom. We use a steel pizza pan screen, which we got for under $5 at Walmart. We’ve used it to make pizza in the electric oven, which helps cook the pizza more evenly. Give the pizza a minute or so to rest, cut it and enjoy it!
How NOT to Use Expert Pizza Oven
Some basic things not to do with your pizza oven are:
Placing the pizza in too soon – While no one likes to wait, you need to have patience and wait for the pizza oven to heat up. The pizza oven needs to heat up, and the pizza stone also needs time to retain the heat. A cold pizza stone will not cook your pizza from the bottom. Instead of perfectly cooked pizza, you can end up with raw dough and a white, soggy bottom.
Turning your pizza too soon – If you want to see that pizza dough rise and fill up with air, let it be. Leave the pizza dough to rise for at least 20-30 seconds before turning it. Turning the pizza too soon can prevent it from growing fully for an airy pizza. Instead, your pizza dough might end up chewier and dense.
You don’t need to close the pizza door – The pizza oven door comes off and should stay off when you’re cooking the pizza. It will release heat when you do this, but your pizza will be OK for two minutes. It will also make it easier to see the pizza rise and brown when you need to turn it.
Check your charcoal basket often– When it comes to charcoal pizza ovens or wood-burning pizza ovens, you need to ensure the fire keeps going. If the fire dies, the oven temperature will drop fast, and your pizza will not rise or cook evenly.
We recently purchased the Expert Grill Charcoal Pizza Oven from Walmart. My goal is to see if I can build a club house to fit in my new pizza oven on the deck. There is no plans for this build, I’m doing it as I go and changing my mind a thousand times =)
The framing is almost complete. At this point I had to go back to Home Depot for more supplies and to see what options I have for the tiling I want to use inside.
After wasting hours driving from Home Depot to Lowes because only Lowes had the .59cent tiles. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on this and it was my first time doing tiling.
Now we are up to the the tiling part of this DIY Pizza fan club build. It got really messy for our first time tiling but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be =). The next goal is to find something cheap to use on the sides of the house that is waterproof. This has slowed down the build because I can’t decide on what I want to use lol
When it comes to choosing the best pizza ovens, there are endless options. Pizza stoves can be indoor or outdoor, small or large, and use electric, gas, wood, or charcoal. The pizza oven you choose will depend on your budget, needs, and cooking preferences. Some other things to consider when purchasing a pizza oven are:
The size- do you want mini pies or 16-inch family pies?
Placement – where will you put it/is there enough space?
How often will you use it?
How heavy is it?
What assembly is required?
Indoor Pizza Ovens
If you don’t have a backyard or outdoor space but want to make pizza, an electric indoor pizza oven is your choice. There are numerous of different types of pizza stoves for your home that are easy to use and store. The options are abundant, from rotating pizza ovens to countertop toaster and double-decker pizza ovens. Be sure to look at the product specs to ensure that the product will fit in your kitchen.
Wood Fired Pizza Ovens
If you have a backyard or want to make a pizza oven on a camping trip, you can go with a charcoal or wood-burning oven. Charcoal pizza oven reach a higher temperature than wood-burning stoves. These options will char your pizza and finish it in under two minutes. Woodburning pizza stoves come in several options, including some with a compartment for storing wood. Based on your budget, you can easily find a great wood-fired pizza oven for under two hundred dollars. Be sure to clean your burning pail/container after each use.
Gas Burning Pizza Oven
If you love your gas stove and can’t work with anything but gas, you might as well go for the gas pizza stove. Unlike woodturning and charcoal pizza ovens that need to be cleaned out, gas stoves use clean propane to heat the oven. Gas pizza ovens are easier to use and control as well. Just open the gas, turn on the stove and watch it heat up in no time at all.
When choosing the best pizza ovens for your home, select an item that will suit your needs and budget. Just because an oven costs thousands of dollars doesn’t mean it works better than a $150 pizza oven. The quality of the pie depends on the temperature and your pizza ingredients. Be sure to let your pizza ovens reach high temperatures, so the pizza stone heats up. If the stone doesn’t heat up properly, the pizza won’t cook evenly, and the pie’s bottom will be white.
