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This glorious weather always makes me happy, as I get to eat outdoors in the garden. There is something extra special about alfresco eating and this summer is all about grabbing a slice of pizza. I love a barbeque, I love mixing up salads, but there is something so nice about making your own pizza, and there are so many outdoor pizza ovens that will make it easy.
In my dream outdoor kitchen, I would love one of those freestanding brick pizza ovens, you know to get the real taste of Italy. But in reality, I’ve heard that they can be a little temperamental as keeping the cooking temperature hot and constant is a skill, plus they are quite pricey, take up a lot more space, and need to be built.
You could try one of those pop on top of your barbecue grill, Aldi and Lidl often have great options, but they cook slower and to be honest, I’ve never had much success with ours.
For a quick, authentic taste without the hassle, I’ve been looking into getting a portable pizza oven. Not only do they offer you portability – use in your garden or take along with you for your staycation, they also come in a range of multi-fuel options – such as gas, charcoal or wood-fired. Best of all, some can stone-bake a pizza in 60 seconds (after warming up of course). They are, of course, an investment, with many costing more than £200.
Bring a little of Italy to your garden with a portable pizza oven
I’ve been considering a pizza oven one for a while now, but I have to be honest, there are so many out there, so I thought I would share some of the amazing options I’ve found to help you enhance your outdoor dining this summer.
During my research for a portable pizza oven, three brands kept coming up Ooni, Gozney and DeliVita. All look incredible, but there is a varying price point from £249 to over £1,000. Plus, it seems that everyone wants pizza this summer, and it might be hard to find one in stock.
3 Ooni Pizza Ovens
First up, Ooni, these are probably my front runners for my pizza oven, as I know someone very happy with theirs, plus they have so many different options when it comes to not only price, but size, fuel options, and a great range of accessories, from a pizza peel to carry case, and you can even buy frozen sourdough dough balls, so you only need to figure out what toppings to have!
I’ve heard that gas is easier to use and control the heat than wood-fired ones. While gas maybe not be as authentic, I’ve eaten pizza made in both gas and wood-fired, and there is little difference in flavour – so it will come down to personal choice.
Ooni pizza ovens are also much more than just about delivering great pizza they are also perfect for searing steaks, fish and grilled veggies. You have to check out their website as they have a great recipe section.
Ooni Karu 16 is the investment pizza oven at £699, but it does allow you to cook 16” Neapolitan-style pizza with wood or charcoal out of the box, or use gas. It heats up to 500°C in just 15 minutes and cooks stone-baked, flame-cooked pizza in 60 seconds on its thick custom-made cordierite baking stone.
The Ooni Karu 16 is also suitable for year-round outdoor cooking as it has a carbon steel shell with a high temperature-resistant powder-coated finish offering improved insulation and increased weather resistance.
The downside, it is currently only pre-order, so won’t be ready to ship until October 2021. Don’t mind a 12″ pizza, the smaller Ooni Karu 12 is available for £299.
Ooni Koda is probably the option I’m considering as this gas-powered oven comes in either a 12-inch or 16-inch size, so an option for those wanting a more portable oven, as the legs fold away for easy storage, or one that offers larger pizzas.
As with the rest of the Ooni range, you can cook your pizza in only 60 seconds, and it heats up fast to reach as much as 500°C in only 15 minutes. The larger 16″ option also boasts a wide opening, large cordierite stone baking board and an innovative L-shaped flame for one-turn cooking.
Ooni Koda 12 retails for £299 and the Ooni Koda 16 for £499.
Ooni Fyra 12 is the most affordable Ooni at £249 and it gives you that authentic wood-fired pizza fuelled by wood pellets for ease of use. It is also very portable weighing in at just 10kg so perfect for making pizza anywhere you want. Ooni also sells a carry case for it, which might be a great idea if you plan on taking it on the road.
Buy Ooni Pizza Ovens
Gozney Roccbox
Billed as a restaurant-grade portable pizza oven, the Gozney Roccbox for £399 comes with a gas burner as standard, with the option to buy a detachable dual fuel wood burner for an extra £100. The Roccbox is geared to be taken anywhere and has retractable legs, a detachable burner and has a safe-touch silicone jacket to reduce the risk of skin burns that can often occur with metal bodied ovens.
The Roccbox has a built-in thermometer and cooks a Neopolitan pizza in 60 seconds, as well as the ability to cook meat, fish and vegetables. Plus it comes in a cool olive green or grey colour, and with a professional-grade pizza peel as standard.
DeliVita Outdoor Pizza Oven
The DeliVita is the chic pizza oven that is most certainly an investment as it is £1,295. I know right, a little more than the other options, but it does come in a gorgeous range of colours, such as chilli red, berry hot and orange blaze, which are also completely waterproof, so will really brighten up an outdoor kitchen.
Authentic wood-fire cooked pizza is ready to eat in around 90 seconds, after warming up for 25 minutes. Plus it also cooks meat, fish and vegetables. While this is billed as portable, at 30kg it is a little on the heavy side, so not probably the best to buy if you are thinking of taking it on your travels.
Like with Ooni, you can also buy frozen dough to take the stress out of making your own pizzas perfect if you are having a party, as you will just need sauce and toppings.
