Pizza ovens range in price from $80 for a small counter top oven all the way up to $9000 plus for professional commercial pizza ovens. The main factors that effect the price of pizza ovens is the temperature it can reach (and hold), the time taken to reach that temperature and the number/size of pizza that the oven can cook.
Below we explore everything from brick to electric ovens for your home and you might be pleasantly surprised how affordable top results can be! If you are considering your own restaurant then we have also included some information on commercial ovens.
You might be the owner of a pizzeria or perhaps you are an at-home pizza enthusiast. Either way, you’re in the market for a pizza oven, and we’ve got you covered. It’s time to dive into the range of options out there, as well as the most important question: how much is a pizza oven? Let’s break down some possibilities for you so you can make a more informed decision about your pizza oven purchase.
The good news is you have a huge variety of ovens to choose from. You don’t have to spend thousands on a bespoke brick built oven.
Is a Pizza Oven Worth It?
If you regularly order take out or purchase frozen pizzas, it might be time for you to upgrade to your very own pizza oven. Furthermore, if you’re a pizzeria owner, you’ll want to invest in a good-quality pizza oven for your restaurant. Keep in mind that these ovens can be used for more than just pizza! They work with fresh-baked bread, other baked goods, roasted veggies and meats, and appetizers.
Each consumer will have different reasons for buying a pizza oven, but what they all need to keep in mind is that quality matters. You can skimp and use a conventional oven, but your food will lack in flavor and texture, and if you’re a business owner, good luck retaining loyal customers. There’s just something about eating pizza that you specially prepared and baked in an oven made just for pizza pies.
I have owned various pizza ovens over the years. I started with a small electric one. I then upgraded to a portable dual fuel oven (gas and wood-fired). My second oven could reach a higher temperature and could achieve results closer to a professional oven. It is a great oven but I can only cook one pie at a time. If you regularly entertain this can mean you spend the whole event making pies and not spending time with your friends and family. Its better to have a good mix. So now I am planning my next pizza oven. I want something bigger! We are in the process of remodelling our backyard so it is the perfect time to add a show piece. I’m going for a dual purpose pizza oven and wood fire.
In my personal opinion a pizza oven is totally worth it. I have been on a pizza making journey and it has been so much fun.
How Long Do Pizza Ovens Last?
With the cost of ovens ranging between a few hundred dollars and some with a price in excess of $9k the length of time an oven will last does obviously vary. Cost is a big factor. A low cost counter top oven will have more limited life time than say a high cost commercial pizza oven. Another key aspect to the life span is of course how often you use them.
Commercial pizza oven manufacturers claim up to 25 years life time but 10 years seams to be the expected average. For a residential pizza oven using gas or wood as the heat source you could easily get the same 10 year life span. A home oven tends to be used much less than a commercial oven.
A cheap electric oven can suffer from heating element failure and so expect a shorter life time.
The main factors that influence life span
- Make
- Cost
- Indoor pizza oven/outdoor pizza oven
- Construction materials e.g. brick
- Gas/wood/electric
- Amount of use
If you look after a decent pizza oven you will get years of use out of it. The oldest pizzeria in America is Lombardies in New York. It was opened in 1905 and it still uses its original pizza oven. Also remember that a good oven will retain a lot of its value. If you decided later down the line you no longer wanted it you an always sell it on and recover a lot of your original investment.
How Much Is A Wood Pizza Oven?
There seems to be a general presumption that the cost of wood pizza oven is a higher cost but this isn’t actually the case. You can purchase a nice counter top oven for much the same cost as a gas one.
A decent one like the Gozney Roccbox starts at around $499 including shipping and has the added advantage of being wood fired or gas fired. It can also be an indoor or outdoor pizza oven.
At the high end the cost of outdoor brick pizza ovens can run into the thousands. These are constructed using pizza oven brick which has high insulation properties allowing the oven to maintain high temperatures. I personally love the Smokey flavour you get from a wood fired pie.
Which Oven Is Best For Pizza?
With so many ovens to choose from this a question I often see asked. The main consideration here is that you need an oven that can reach the high temperatures you need to get a fast bake. A quick fired pizza is essentially the main difference in achievable results between a commercial and an everyday home oven.
Residential Pizza Ovens
Having a pizza oven in your home is a total game changer. You get to control the look, feel, and taste of your pizza, plus you can share the experience with friends and loved ones. Moreover, your options are open as to what kind of oven you want. There are attachments and kits, as well as full ovens that you can put in your home.
This ooni Pro outdoor pizza oven comes at a price tag of $599.99 and can support multiple fuel sources, making it convenient for families. You can heat up your oven using charcoal or gas, or you can go the wood-fired route for a more authentic taste. Its cooking surface measures 17.7”x 17.7”, making it perfect for large Neapolitan pizzas, or any other pie of your choosing. It can also fit meats and breads, making it a great multi-purpose oven to have at home. It takes just 15 minutes for the oven to reach a maximum temperature of 900 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing you to cook a stunning pie in less than two minutes. A removable door allows for easy access, and the stainless steel body ensures consistent heat.
This kit from KettlePizza is an Amazon’s Choice and costs just $129.95. It’s a convenient attachment that you can put right on an 18.5” or 22.5” kettle charcoal grill. This kit is a 304-grade steel sleeve that fits on top of the grill, with the lid resting on it to create an enclosed space for optimal pizza cooking.
The steel sleeve has a wooden handle on either side for easy handling, and the kit comes with a thermometer and a 14” pan. Since everything remains enclosed, the attachment retains heat, cooking your pizza quickly at up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Since there is no door, the flow of air creates that consistent flame that cooks your food perfectly each time.
If you want something more substantial, this ilFornino wood-fired pizza oven will do the trick. Thick stainless steel provides more insulation and heat retention, while standard fire bricks add a genuine look and durability. This oven provides over 1,000 inches of cooking space and reaches prime cooking temperature within about 20 minutes.
For those who are somewhat handy and want the experience of building something, there are DIY pizza oven kits available, too. This one from PizzaWood Ovens is a top seller and provides straightforward instructions on how to construct your own at-home oven.
Included is a polystyrene foam base that pairs well with local bricks that can help keep the cost low. When it’s all set up, it gives you 700 inches of cooking space and has an attractive dome shape complete with a chimney. You can buy the base for just $174.99.
When thinking about how much is a pizza oven, keep in mind that you get what you pay for. If you invest in something of great quality, it will be well worth the money. It’s pretty easy to spend less than $1,000 if you go with a modular kit or a size that suits your particular home and family.
.
Commercial Wood-Fired Ovens
Professional wood-fired ovens can get pricey, but of course, they’re great quality. If you need one for a restaurant or food truck, check out top brands such as Bosch, Miele, Moffat, and Wisco. They come in different styles and features, which are great for those who are serious about pizza making.
This pizza oven from ilFornino Grande G-Series pulls out all the stops. It costs $4,295.00 and is built with 304 grade stainless steel. This refractory oven comes with a 2” pizza stone, three peels, a pusher and shovel, a brush/scraper, and fire guard. It’s also portable and allows 1,260 inches of cooking space. All in all a great piece of oven kit.
Another option is the Lincoln Impinger II Express Conveyor Pizza Oven. It runs at $9,968.00 and its 28” baking chamber can cook in as little as one minute. It runs off of natural gas and has a convenient on/off switch, perfect for busy restaurateurs. Size wise this is big! This single-belt conveyor oven is ideal for cooking pizzas, as well as appetizers, entrees, and more. Pretty much the best oven kit for a restaurant you could buy but at a price that will make most think twice about it.
There are a huge variety of commercial ovens to consider but if you are looking at a commercial oven then first and foremost think about your clientele. Who, how many, how quickly etc. Answer these questions and it will quickly allow you to narrow down which ovens to consider.
Pizza Oven Buying Tips
Yes, commercial ovens will definitely cost more than at-home ovens. The good news is that today you have a much bigger choice of ovens. Before you worry about how much is a pizza oven, consider the features and functions that you need. You’ll certainly want a refractory oven with medium-density fire bricks. This heats up in less time and retains that heat for even cooking and delicious pizza.
Furthermore, think about size. The average home pizza oven includes an internal cooking area of about 33.5”. If you plan on doing a lot of entertaining with your oven, then consider getting something bigger, and if you’re a professional, you’ll definitely want something that can accommodate your clientele.
What qualities do you want? Some pizza ovens run off of gas or electricity, while others use wood or charcoal. Some are multi-tiered deck ovens, others are conveyors, and there are also traditional pizza ovens that use a pizza stone.
Do you want the oven to be outdoors or indoors, or maybe both? Should it be portable or would you rather it be permanently mounted? Consider the additional parts and accessories included in your purchase (fire bricks, peels, etc.) and calculate any additions into your overall budget. Is a brick oven for pizza better? Some say yes but you can achieve the same results from a steel one. A brick pizza oven is often a bigger size so some of its advantages come from being able to quickly make more pizzas. Something you may only need if you are planning a lot of pizza parties. If you only need to cook one pizza at a time then you probably don’t need a large outdoor brick pizza oven.
If you are thinking about an outdoor pizza oven you may want to think carefully about the size. It is possible to make an oven that is dual purpose i.e. it can double up as fire when you are not baking. A brick pizza oven can make a wonderful outdoor garden feature and a great bit of oven kit.
Have a look here for some pizza oven reviews we did.
Conclusion
In my personal opinion having a pizza oven at home is a fantastic thing. Pizza for me evokes wonderful childhood memories, It was something the whole family did and I loved it.
We would take off for lunch on a Saturday and my favourite place to go was called the pizza pipes. I must have been about 4 or 5 years old but I still remember this place. It combined pizza and a sort of musical show. They had this fantastic church organ (hence pipes) and a host of furry characters that would play along. You could make requests and mine was always the theme to star wars. We would all sit round a big table eating our pizza and listening to the show. The ability to prepare and make your own at home adds so much depth to the experience. My kids love getting involved and the net result is they really want to try different foods if they have made that pizza.
You don’t need to be mega rich to enjoy this experience. Sure you can spend thousands of dollars for a real show piece outdoor brick oven in your backyard but equally you can get amazing results from ovens costing a few hundred dollars. Outdoor brick ovens are great but small portable ones can be used indoors as well as outdoors.
My first pizza oven was $80 and it helped get me started and showed me the basics. If funds are tight then knowing what I know now I would spend a little more and go for something around the $500 mark. I really like both the Gozney Roccbox and the Ooni Koda. These ovens are small, portable (we have taken ours camping before), reach a good high temperature and achieve amazing results. Also don’t look at this as $500 just gone. These ovens are very popular and hold their value. They can be resold online at virtually the new price. I have seen them go on ebay for $450 even after some use. With that in mind this is something you can try for only a few dollars as you can recovery most of your initial investment should you decide its not for you. Have a look at the videos below for more info on both of these.
You may want a backyard show piece but don’t want to spend thousands then you can achieve this going the build your own route. Me personally I’m not that great at DIY projects such as these but you could pay someone a day rate and it would still cost less than buying and installing an outdoor pizza oven kit.
The thing is, both residential and commercial pizza ovens can be a wonderful asset, whether to a hospitable home or a bustling pizza shop.
Once you have chosen your oven then the next key component in my opinion is the dough. Check out this article on the best pizza dough to go for.
After dough you need to consider the pizza sauce and cheese. Have a look here for the best pizza sauce to use and here for how to make your own. Cheese wise I go for a combination. Try and get the best pizza mozzarella you can find. I have a short article here about what to look for and why.
Best of luck, and happy pizza making (and eating)!
If you do want a backyard show piece but don’t want to spend thousands then you can achieve this going the build your own route. Me personally I’m not that great at DIY projects such as these but you could pay someone a day rate and it would still cost less than buying and installing an outdoor pizza oven kit.
The thing is, both residential and commercial pizza ovens can be a wonderful asset, whether to a hospitable home or a bustling pizza shop.
Once you have chosen your oven then the next key component in my opinion is the dough. Check out this article on the best pizza dough to go for.
After dough you need to consider the pizza sauce and cheese. Have a look here for the best pizza sauce to use and here for how to make your own. Cheese wise I go for a combination. Try and get the best pizza mozzarella you can find. I have a short article here about what to look for and why.
Best of luck, and happy pizza making (and eating)!
