For the discerning homeowner looking to build the ultimate backyard kitchen, an outdoor oven is a must-have. Though they're often referred to simply as "pizza ovens", these versatile outdoor cooking appliances can do so much more. If you're designing and building your own outdoor kitchen or grill island and are looking for the thing that's going to take it over the top for your family and guests, then an outdoor oven is an excellent choice.
Outdoor ovens can do so much more than pizza. In fact, they can do anything your indoor oven can do, plus they don't heat up the house while they do it! To help you decide whether an outdoor oven is right for your home, we've put together this handy guide to what they can do for you. If you're considering adding a pizza oven to your outdoor kitchen, then this guide is for you.
Can I Put an Oven Outside?
Yes, as long as you buy an oven designed for outdoor use. Many manufacturers offer ovens that are rated for use outside, such as this great countertop oven from Artisan or these excellent offerings from Alfa, one of the most popular outdoor oven brands on the market. When shopping for a pizza oven for your outdoor kitchen, it's important to check that you're looking at outdoor-rated appliances.
An outdoor pizza oven will usually be made from a corrosion-resistant material like 304 stainless steel or aluminum, for example. This helps prevent them from rusting when exposed to rain, snow or just humid air. Even so, we always recommend using a cover when the pizza oven isn't being used as an additional layer of protection.
How Do I Find the Right Outdoor Pizza Oven?
When shopping for an outdoor oven for your home, it's important to consider a number of factors to ensure you find the right model. For a full breakdown of how to find the right pizza oven, check out our in-depth pizza oven buying guide. Here's a quick rundown of what to consider to get you started:
Configuration
You'll need to decide whether you want a freestanding, countertop or built-in pizza oven. Freestanding is the easiest since you won't need anything else to use it, while built-in pizza ovens require quite a bit more work. Countertop models are a good middle ground because they just need a solid surface to rest on.
Fuel Type
The majority of pizza ovens sold these days are gas-powered, either natural gas or propane. However, we do carry quite a few wood-burning pizza ovens as well as some dual-fuel models, which can use gas, wood or charcoal as needed.
Oven Size
Prefab pizza ovens like those we sell here at Kickass Grills run the gamut from compact 23-inch models that can hold one pizza at a time to impressive 47-inch ovens with space for up to five pizzas at once. While we'd all love a big outdoor oven, space limitations can be an issue.
What Are the Best Outdoor Oven Brands?
There are a ton of options in the outdoor pizza oven market, which can make it overwhelming when you're trying to comb through them to find the best of the best. For help finding what you need, you can check out our guide to the best pizza ovens or just check out this quick outline of our favorite brands:
With one of the largest selections and greatest variety in the industry, there's almost certainly an Alfa outdoor oven to meet your needs. We love their clean, attractive design and use of quality materials as well.
This brand offers only one pizza oven design (though it comes in a variety of styles, including countertop and freestanding), and it's a truly impressive model. The Alfresco outdoor oven offers superior durability with its 304 stainless steel construction and exceptional power, with the ability to reach as high as 1,000°F.
Another brand with only a single model, the Artisan pizza oven offers an exceptional experience, with commercial-grade 304 stainless steel and spacious 447 square inch interior.
More Outdoor Oven Questions Answered
We hope this handy outdoor oven guide has helped answer some of your burning questions. If you need more info about pizza ovens before you make your purchase, be sure to check out our Outdoor Pizza Oven FAQ. This in-depth guide should address any other questions you have, but if you're still in need of more guidance after that, feel free to get in touch with our expert team. They're available Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm Central Time to answer your calls, emails and messages.