The best portable pizza ovens get hotter than the oven in your kitchen, so they deliver pizzeria-quality pizzas that are piping hot with crispy crusts and bubbly cheese. You don’t even have to leave your own yard to have one that’s made from scratch!
I LOVE hosting pizza night at my house! Over the years, I’ve developed a ton of fun recipes for the classic meal that everyone loves, whether that’s a soft and chewy White Pizza or homemade Hawaiian pizza (yes, you can put pineapples on pizza)! The only thing that can make it better is investing in one of the best portable pizza ovens.
These pizza ovens get hotter than the traditional stove in your kitchen, so they deliver pizzeria-quality pizzas that are piping hot with crispy crusts–and you don’t even have to leave your own yard to have one that’s made from scratch.
After researching all of the best portable pizza ovens out there, I dubbed the Ooni Koda 12 Gas Powered Pizza Oven as my top pick. Below, you’ll find more details on other popular models from Ninja, Cuisinart, and more, buy, whether you crave wood-fired pizza or gas-powered convenience, or both.
My Top Picks:
- My Top Pick Overall: Ooni Koda 12 Gas Powered Pizza Oven – $399.95 at Williams Sonoma
- Also Great: Gozney Roccbox Portable Grill – $499 at Amazon
- Best Wood-Fired Pizza Oven: Ooni Karu 12 Pizza Oven – $297 at Amazon
- Best Electric Pizza Oven: Ninja Woodfire Pizza Oven – $349.99 at Amazon
- Most Versatile: Cuisinart 3-in-1 Pizza Oven Plus, Griddle, and Grill – $197 at Amazon
- Best Budget Pizza Oven: Onlyfire Stainless Steel Pizza Oven Kit for Grilltop – $169.99 at Amazon
Reviews of The Best Portable Pizza Ovens
At the end of the day, it’s the Ooni Koda 12 Gas Powered Pizza Oven that ranks as the best portable pizza oven you can buy. While it’s smaller than its mighty big brother, the Ooni Koda 16 Gas Pizza Oven, it costs around $200 less and still has enough propane-fueled power to reach up to 950 degrees in 15 minutes — that’s hot enough to cook a wood-fired pizza in just 60 seconds! Plus, a built-in flame keeper directs the flame toward food, so your pizza is cooked evenly every single time.
The sleek and compact design is easy to set up and to clean, which makes it very portable for tailgates, backyard parties, and neighborhood block parties. Since it has a large cooking surface, you can feed a crowd with ease.
The Specs:
- Heat Source: Gas
- Temperature Range: Up to 950 degrees
- Weight: 29 pounds
- Max Pizza Size: 13 inches
- Special Features: Can cook a pizza in 60 seconds
The Pros:
- Heats up fast
- Even cooking
- Easy to assemble
- Easy to clean
The Cons:
- Gas only
- Heavy
- Cover is sold separately
What Others Are Saying
The Ooni Koda 12 Gas Powered Pizza Oven was named best value pizza oven by Food & Wine and The Spruce Eats. Additionally, it has a 4.4-star rating on Amazon from 1,000 reviews.
Buy the Ooni Koda 12 Gas Powered Pizza Oven:
The Roccbox portable pizza oven rocks! (See what I did there?) While it’s on the pricier side, it’s for good reason — the design is super cute and compact, especially because of the three retractable legs and detachable burners that make it easy to transport and clean. Meanwhile, the safe-touch silicone exterior is a handy feature, making it safer to touch than other pizza ovens. It’s a little heavy at 50 pounds, but it would still make a great addition to any glamping grip or afternoon spent tailgating.
It’s also easy to use, extremely reliable for even cooking, and it can be used with gas, charcoal, or hardwood kindling so you can have the best of all worlds (just note you’ll have to buy the brand’s detachable wood burner as an additional accessory for that rustic taste).
The Specs:
- Heat Source: Gas, hardwood kindling, or charcoal briquettes
- Temperature Range: Up to 950 degrees
- Weight: 50 pounds
- Max Pizza Size: 11 inches
- Special Features: Includes a professional pizza peel
The Pros:
- Cute design
- Easy to set up and tear down
- Reliable
- Heats fast
- Comes with a pizza peel
The Cons:
What Others are Saying
The Gozney Roccbox Portable Grill has a 4.8-star rating on Amazon from more than 1,700 reviews. It was also named best portable by Food & Wine.
Buy the Gozney Roccbox Portable Grill:
This Ooni pizza oven is a multi-fuel model and can be used with wood, charcoal, or gas (you will need a gas burner that’s sold separately). It’s extremely compact and lightweight (it’s just above 26 pounds) making it a good portable option, but it still packs the heat of the bigger models since it gets up to 900 degrees in 15 minutes or less!
The floor of the box is a pizza stone while the body is made of stainless steel that deflects constant heat onto the pizza. For wood-fired pizza, all you have to do is light a pile of wood pellets in a small tray on fire. As they burn, they put off a flame that travels across the oven and out a chimney. Every 15 or 20 seconds you need to give the pizza a spin.
The result? Delicious wood-fired pizza that comes out crisp, slightly charred, and puffy in 90 seconds or less.
The Specs:
- Heat Source: Wood, charcoal, or gas (if using the attachment).
- Temperature Range: Up to 750 degrees
- Weight: 26.4 pounds
- Max Pizza Size: 12 inches
- Special Features: Burns pellets
The Pros:
- Versatile
- Compact and lightweight
- Makes crispy crusts
- Heats up quickly
The Cons:
- Stray pellets can burn you
What Others Are Saying
The Ooni Karu 12 Pizza Oven has a 4.7-star rating on Amazon from more than 1,400 reviews. Additionally, it was named best for wood-fired pizza by The Spruce Eats.
Buy the Ooni Karu 12 Pizza Oven:
The best thing about the Ninja Woodfire Pizza Oven is that even though it’s electric, it’s still portable and it gives a wood-fire flavor without having to go through the hassle of starting a grill. All it takes is less than one cup of wood pellets to get that classic taste!
The process of cooking the pizza is also straightforward, especially because you can choose from five pizza settings: Neapolitan, thin crust, pan, New York, or frozen. You don’t have to rotate the pizza to make sure it heats evenly, so you aren’t constantly opening a door and letting the heat out. The drawback of this is that you can’t see the pizza while it’s cooking, so you might have a little trial and error at first, but the manufacturer says it takes about 3 minutes.
Once you figure out how to use it, you’ll be amazed by how much it can do! As an 8-in-1 machine, it also has settings for max roast, specialty roast, pizza, broil, smoker, bake, dehydrate, and warm. Just imagine being able to cook some charred vegetables alongside your pizza the next time you dine al fresco!
The Specs:
- Heat Source: Electricity
- Temperature Range: Up to 700 degrees
- Weight: 32.4 pounds
- Max Pizza Size: 12 inches
- Special Features: Wood-fired flavor without the work
The Pros:
- Straightforward to use
- Wood-fired flavor
- Even cooking
- Heat controlled by dial
The Cons:
- You can’t see the food while it cooks
- Requires electricity
What Others Are Saying
The Spruce Eats named the Ninja Woodfire Pizza Oven the best electric portable pizza oven.
Buy the Ninja Woodfire Pizza Oven:
If you want an outdoor pizza oven that offers versatility without overwhelming you with settings, the Cuisinart 3-in-1 Pizza Oven Plus, Griddle, and Grill is a great pick.
As the name suggests, it includes a cast-iron grill gate, a griddle, and a 13-inch pizza stone made of cordierite that fits snuggly in between bars on the grill grate. When not in use, you can store the pizza stone on a shelf built into the bottom. This model isn’t intended to get up to scorching hot temperatures like some of the others on this list, so it takes a few minutes longer to cook a pizza. However, since you can seamlessly go from cooking pizza to grilling burgers, I think it’s a fantastic tool for outdoor dining.
The Specs:
- Heat Source: Propane
- Temperature Range: Up to 800 degrees
- Weight: 45 pounds
- Max Pizza Size: 12 inches
- Special Features: Comes with a pizza stone
The Pros:
- Affordable option
- Simple assembly
- Consistent heating
- Multi-function
The Cons:
- Doesn’t get as hot
- Longer cooking time
- Big footprint
What Others Are Saying
The Cuisinart 3-in-1 Pizza Oven Plus, Griddle, and Grill was dubbed the best multipurpose pizza oven by The Spruce Eats.
Buy the Cuisinart 3-in-1 Pizza Oven Plus, Griddle, and Grill:
What’s great about this model is that you don’t have to spend an arm and a leg on a whole unit — you can just purchase this product that folds up and goes with you to a place where there’s already a grill. This makes it perfect for camping, especially if you’re at a site where they have public grills. Since it only weighs 10 pounds, it couldn’t be less of a hassle to get from your car, either.
The top of the baking chamber has a flip-over lid, which not only makes it easier for a pizza to slide in and come out, but also allows you to check the baking status of the pizza at any time. The kit also includes a 4-piece tool pack: a heavy stainless steel chamber, a 14-inch round pizza stone, an aluminum pizza peel, and a thermometer.
The Specs:
- Heat Source: Gas
- Temperature Range: Up to 800 degrees
- Weight: 10 pounds
- Max Pizza Size: 14 inches
- Special Features: Comes with a pizza stone, pizza peel, and built-in thermometer
The Pros:
- Super portable
- Not fussy
- Lightweight
- Comes with accessories
The Cons:
- Thermometer may not be reliable
Buy the Onlyfire Stainless Steel Pizza Oven Kit for Grilltop:
Other Portable Pizza Ovens I’ve Researched
The steel shell of this model is powder-coated for weather resistance and it’s insulated so you can take your pizza party outside during the colder months. But outside of that, it doesn’t offer much more than my favorite electric pizza oven from Ninja, which costs around $500 less. The Ooni Volt 12 Electric Pizza Oven is available at Amazon for $899.
Although it’s compact, it’s also on the pricey side considering it’s such a small oven that doesn’t have a door and requires you to constantly turn the pizza. The Solo Stove Pi Pizza Oven is available at Amazon for $449.99.
This model is pretty cool— it can be converted to a 22-inch tabletop griddle for maximum flexibility. Plus it comes with a pizza peel, and rocking pizza cutter, and has a built-in thermometer. But there are much sleeker options that are a little more aesthetically pleasing. The Blackstone Portable Pizza Oven Is available at Walmart for $274.
Why You Can Trust Me
Hi! I’m Alyssa Rivers, the foodie behind The Recipe Critic. This website launched in 2012 and has blossomed to become a huge part of my life. I’ve been featured on Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and Good Morning America, and I’ve created and developed TONS of pizza recipes that you can make at home. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly option everyone will love or a way to upgrade the classic meal, I’ve got you covered.
When choosing the best portable pizza ovens, I researched trusted review publications and manufacturer websites to get a feel for what’s out there. After that, I scrolled through hundreds of reviews and read comments from buyers to narrow down the best picks based on performance, overall value, and my expertise.
What to Know About Portable Pizza Ovens
What to Consider Before Buying a Portable Pizza Oven
Discover the ultimate guide to portable pizza ovens! From the sleek and powerful Ooni Koda 12 to the versatile Roccbox Pizza Oven, explore top picks for unleashing your inner pizzaiolo anywhere.
- Fuel Type: Portable pizza ovens are typically powered by gas, wood, charcoal, or a combination of these fuels. Gas-powered pizza ovens are convenient and easy to use because you can control the temperature with minimal effort. Wood-fired pizza ovens are prized for the way they add a smoky flavor, but they require more skill and effort. Charcoal-powered pizza ovens are in between. The charcoal briquettes add a smoky flavor but require less maintenance or skill.
- Portability: Portability features like size, weight, and ease of transportation are important. Opt for a model that is lightweight and compact if you plan to take it on camping trips, picnics, or other outdoor adventures.
- Heat Output: Look for a pizza oven that can reach high temperatures quickly and maintain consistent heat for optimal cooking results. Higher temperatures are essential for achieving crispy crusts and evenly cooked toppings.
- Versatility: Some portable pizza ovens offer additional cooking capabilities beyond pizza, such as baking bread, roasting vegetables, or grilling meats. If you want to ensure that your investment is truly worth the money, you may want to opt for a model that can cook more than just pizza.
How Much is a Portable Pizza Oven?
My favorite budget model comes in under $200 and my pick at the top end costs $500 — but there are portable pizza ovens available that cost as much as $1,600! The cost usually depends on the features, materials, and size.
How to Use a Portable Pizza Oven
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use a typical portable pizza oven.
- Preheat: If your oven is gas-powered, check that the gas supply is connected and turn it on. For wood or charcoal-fired ovens, start by lighting the fuel source then let it sit until it becomes a bed of hot embers.
- Prepare the pizza: While the oven is preheating, prepare your pizza dough and toppings. The sky’s the limit here!
- Cook: Once the oven has reached the desired temperature, use a pizza peel to transfer the pizza to the oven. Make sure to monitor the pizza as it cooks, rotating it if necessary until each side is cooked.
- Remove and Serve: Once the pizza is cooked, remove it from the oven with the pizza peel. Transfer the pizza to a cutting board, slice, and enjoy.
Can you Build a Portable Pizza Oven?
Anything is possible if you try hard enough, right!? You could purchase clay bricks and other insulating materials and connect them to a metal stand or cart. But it seems like a lot of work, and it could be dangerous to engineer a propane tank on your own. I’d say you’re better off buying one from my list of the best portable pizza ovens!