GoKawiilPizza is Universal. It is America's favorite food—the thin sliver of Venn occupied by both preschoolers and sophisticates. But until recently, the best pizza ovens for home use required compromise or an expensive, backyard-filling obsession. A Neapolitan-style pie asks for a blistering 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Most home ovens are lucky to crest 500, too low even for a New York slice without a good pizza stone to absorb and retain heat.
This has rapidly changed in the past decade since Ooni (then called Uuni) pioneered the modern, affordable backyard pizza oven. Since then, I and fellow reviewers Adrienne So, Martin Cizmar, and Kat Merck have made more than a thousand pizzas in the quest for the best backyard pizza ovens. A decade later, an Ooni remains the top outdoor pizza oven pick for most people. The Ooni Karu 2 ($449) is both attractive and versatile, letting you swap between wood-fired rusticity and the convenience of cooking with gas.
But others have caught up a bit. The All-Clad Gas-Powered Pizza Oven ($800) is an excellent propane oven with an accurate temperature gauge that will rotate your pizza for you to ensure even heat. As of early April, it's available for a steep discount right now if you buy directly from All-Clad. For those who simply must have blistering temperature stability at 950 degrees needed for real Neapolitan pies, the Gozney Dome Gen 2 ($2,300) with a Neapolitan arch ($60) is your best bet.
But we’ve also included indoor pizza ovens, a good budget pizza oven, and an excellent portable pizza oven for those who want to make pizza at base camp or a cabin. Be sure to check out our many other buying guides, including the Best Griddles, Best Cast Iron Pans, Best Smokeless Fire Pits, and Best Grills. Thirsty? Here are the Best Slushie Machines.
April 2026: I've added the Gozney Dome Gen 2, our top upgrade pick for Neapolitan pizza. We also tested and added the Gozney Arc Lite to our honorable mentions, and the Ooni Volt 2 to our roundup of indoor electric pizza ovens. I have updated prices and descriptions throughout, and added information on new oven models.
Best Pizza Oven Overall: Ooni Karu 2
Photograph: Adrienne So
Photograph: Adrienne So
Photograph: Adrienne So
Photograph: Adrienne So Chevron Chevron Save to wishlist Save to wishlist Ooni Karu 2 $449 Ooni $449 Amazon WIRED/TIRED AccordionItemContainerButton LargeChevron WIRED Gorgeous wood oven with a propane-add o
... continue reading