The 4 Greatest Indoor Pizza Ovens of 2024, Examined & Reviewed

I’ve lengthy thought of myself a pizza eater however not a pizza particular person. You already know, somebody who slings pies of their yard on the common. However after attending culinary faculty in Italy, reviewing out of doors ovens, and testing Ooni’s first indoor mannequin final 12 months, that’s modified. I now love each consuming and making pizza.

Let’s circle again to indoor pizza ovens, although. Whereas Breville’s lengthy had the Pizzaiolo, the Ooni Volt burst onto the scene boasting a ridiculously excessive temperature vary. Once I examined it, I used to be astounded by simply how nice the pizza it made was, how scorching it received, and the way the outside managed to remain lukewarm to the contact even when the within of the oven was at 850°F. 

I’ve used the Volt commonly since then. Nevertheless, the idea of indoor pizza ovens, as an entire, has consumed me. As a New Englander who experiences chilly climate 65% of the 12 months, I’ve discovered that making pizza inside is commonly extra dependable. However is the Ooni Volt really the perfect there may be? To seek out out, we put it to the take a look at in opposition to 11 different indoor pizza ovens. 

The Winners, at a Look

This indoor pizza oven received ridiculously scorching, cooking pies in 90 seconds. Its touchscreen and dial controls had been simple to make use of and the outside stayed quite cool to the contact. Whereas this oven is kind of massive, its built-in handles make it simpler to maneuver.

The Pizzaiolo has a smooth, chrome steel physique that resembles a toaster oven. (It’s only a bit greater than a microwave.) It reached temperatures over its acknowledged 750°F, heated up shortly, and was simple to function.

This mannequin feels low-cost compared to the Volt or Pizzaiolo—but it surely’s additionally a fraction of the worth. Impressively, it nonetheless received as much as 725°F and charred pizza in some spots.

Kenji truly reviewed this oven many moons in the past. As a substitute of getting to show the pizza whereas it’s cooking, you place it on the Crispy Crust’s baking stone, shut the lid, and let the machine’s high and backside heating components do the work. It takes longer to prepare dinner pies, but it surely’s extra beginner-friendly.

The Exams

• Temperature Check: We set the indoor pizza ovens to their most temperature and took readings of the stones at 20 and half-hour utilizing an infrared thermometer.
• Cheese Pizza Check: We made a cheese pizza in every mannequin, taking the oven’s inside temperature earlier than and after cooking and timing how lengthy it took every to bake the pie. We additionally recorded the temperature 5 minutes after retrieving the pizza, to see how effectively the ovens recovered.
• Pepperoni Pizza Check: We repeated the above take a look at however with pepperoni pizza.
• Usability and Cleanup Exams: All through testing, we evaluated how simple the indoor pizza ovens had been to make use of and clear. We additionally famous how scorching the exteriors received when in use. 

What We Realized

The Greatest Indoor Pizza Ovens Acquired Sizzling, Sizzling, Sizzling

Should you’re after a pillowy, leopard-spotted crust (the hallmark of a very good Neapolitan-style pizza), you want an indoor pizza oven that will get scorching. We’re speaking not less than 700°F. Our winners all achieved this, except for the Crispy Crust (it received to 605°F, however we expect some cooks is perhaps prepared to commerce efficiency for comfort). The Ooni Volt reached 850°F in simply 20 minutes, leading to pies that had been prepared in 90 seconds, with noticed bottoms and puffy edges. The Breville Pizzaiolo received to almost 800°F—increased than its marketed temperature.

That stated, simply because the inside of an oven will get blazing scorching doesn’t imply the surface also needs to. In reality, it should be the other: An equipment used inside ought to keep cool to the contact, or not less than get no hotter than a toaster oven. The Ooni Volt has a carbon metal shell that rose to merely heat in our checks.

Twin Heating Components Cooked Higher

One of the best-performing indoor pizza ovens had heating components on the tops and bottoms, blasting warmth all around the pies and resulting in even cooking. The Breville Pizzaiolo has one heating ingredient underneath the ceramic deck and two concentric coils above the deck. The Ooni Volt has two heating components and routinely adjusts their output relying on the chosen temperature (although this may be manually overridden). As defined in our assessment of the Volt, “Completely different kinds of pies require numerous temperatures and profit from hotter higher or decrease components. If this sounds even mildly complicated, don’t fear: The oven features a information as to what temperature to make use of for every pizza kind. For instance, Neapolitan needs to be cooked at 850°F and the oven will favor the highest heating ingredient. New York pies, alternatively, needs to be cooked at 650°F, and the warmth shall be way more balanced between the highest and backside components.”

Digital Controls Have been the Approach to Go

Each the Volt and Pizzaiolo have digital controls mixed with dials for simply toggling the temp, time, and settings. This made for a vastly higher consumer expertise. That stated, they’re additionally much more costly. The analog controls of the Cuisinart labored high-quality however had been clunkier. 

The Standards: What to Search for in an Indoor Pizza Oven

One of the best indoor pizza ovens reached temperatures exceeding 700°F, leading to stunning pizzas we’d fortunately eat any day of the week. Plus, most dwelling ovens can attain a most of 500°F, so a better temperature makes a devoted indoor pizza oven well worth the funding. The controls needs to be intuitive (digital is finest, although ovens with these are expensive) and the surface of the oven ought to keep comparatively cool to the contact. 

Our Favourite Indoor Pizza Ovens

What we appreciated: The Ooni Volt is essentially the most highly effective indoor pizza oven we’ve ever tried. It reached 850°F in 20 minutes, cooked pizza in 90 seconds, and yielded pies with stunning leopard recognizing and pillowy crusts. It has two heating components, which the oven will routinely modify based mostly on the chosen temperature. The clear glass door opens and closes easily, and it has handles constructed into its facet. The outside additionally stayed pretty cool to the contact, even once we used it for hours. 

What we didn’t like: In fact, this oven is depraved costly. It’s additionally heavy and large—and we are able to’t think about having a big sufficient kitchen the place this might keep out full-time. So, you’ll must have a devoted storage spot for it.

Key Specs

• Weight: 39.7 kilos
• Dimensions: 24.2 x 20.8 x 10.9 inches
• Temperature vary: 150 to 850°F

What we appreciated: Glossy and in regards to the dimension of a microwave, this indoor pizza oven has impressed us for years. It has three heating components and, in our checks, it reached 797°F, which is increased than its acknowledged most temperature of 750˚F. Pizza from it had stunning char spots and pillowy crusts, and the warmth recovered shortly in between pies. As we stated in our devoted assessment of the Pizzaiolo, “The Breville recovers its goal temperature within the time it takes to stretch and high the following pizza, whereas a daily dwelling oven takes some toggling (switching from broil again to bake) and not less than a couple of minutes to come back again as much as temp.” Additionally a boon had been its digital controls and dials, which had been simple to function and allowed you to select from totally different pizza kinds (like pan and skinny and crispy).

What we didn’t like: Just like the Volt, this can be a very costly indoor pizza oven. Nevertheless, it didn’t warmth as evenly because the Volt.

Key Specs

• Weight: 32.3 kilos
• Dimensions: 18.1 x 18.5 x 10.6 inches
• Temperature vary: 350 to 750°F

What we appreciated: This oven received as much as 725°F—spectacular, given its sub-$300 value. It took a suitable half-hour to preheat and baked up good pizzas, although it took longer than different ovens (extra on this beneath). Its controls had been analog and clearly labeled. This isn’t the fanciest indoor pizza oven, however that’s okay.

What we didn’t like: It took a full 4.5 minutes to bake a pizza, which resulted in a chewier-than-desired crust. There’s additionally a scorching spot at the back of the oven, so we needed to be vigilant about turning pies.

Key Specs

• Weight: 25 kilos
• Dimensions: 17.5 x 19 x 11 inches
• Temperature vary: 350 to 750°F

What we appreciated: Kenji reviewed this indoor pizza oven years in the past and he appreciated it. We felt the identical manner after retesting it. As Kenji wrote, “Fortunately, I can report that the oven does certainly carry out as marketed, pumping out 10-inch pies in about 7 minutes, crisp backside crust, respectable charring, and all.” It’s principally hands-free, too: Pop the pizza on the stone, shut the lid, and wait. There’s no pie-turning concerned. 

What we didn’t like: It took a very long time to warmth up and bake pizza and didn’t attain the excessive temps of our different winners. It additionally affords much less warmth management. Nevertheless, we expect newbie cooks or these seeking to make home made pizza with out fuss might just like the Crispy Crust.

Key Specs

• Weight: 14.8 kilos
• Dimensions: 13.5 x 18 x 10 inches
• Temperature vary: As much as 572°F

The Competitors

FAQs

Can I take advantage of an Ooni pizza oven indoors? 

You can not use a regular Ooni pizza oven (or any out of doors mannequin, for that matter) indoors. They use propane, kindling, charcoal, or wooden pellets and have an open flame, which might be harmful inside (to not point out the carbon monoxide danger). The Ooni Volt, nonetheless, is the corporate’s first electrical indoor-outdoor pizza oven.

Is it value getting an indoor pizza oven? 

Should you like to prepare dinner pizza, dwell in an space vulnerable to inclement climate, and lack out of doors house however have storage house, an indoor pizza oven might be value it.

Why We’re the Consultants

• Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm is the senior commerce editor at Critical Eats. She’s been with the positioning since 2021 and beforehand labored at America’s Check Kitchen and Food52. 
• For this assessment, we examined 12 indoor pizza ovens, evaluating how scorching they received, how lengthy they took to warmth up, the qualities of their pizzas, and extra.