Outdoor pizza ovens are simply smaller (and in some cases portable) versions of the larger pizza ovens that have been built into upscale outdoor kitchens for years. But the appeal remains the same: You can build a roaring fire and cook a pizza at temperatures north of 700° F, which is on a par with the cooking temperatures in the big ovens used in pizzerias. You’ll generally never reach temperatures that high in your kitchen oven or on many grills.
And with the wood- and charcoal-burning pizza ovens, you get a distinct smoky taste that you can’t safely replicate indoors.
As a culinary school grad and former chef, I’ll admit that, for years, perfect pizza was my white whale. I’ve nailed it a few times in a Kamado grill, but outdoor pizza ovens make the process far simpler. I’ve made about 50 pizzas, split between the eight models below, and I have some pretty clear favorites, plus a few tips for the best results.
