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 realize, somebody who slings pies of their yard on the common. However after attending culinary faculty in Italy, reviewing outdoor ovens, and testing Ooni’s first indoor mannequin final yr, 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. After I examined it, I used to be astounded by simply how nice the pizza it made was, how scorching it bought, 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 repeatedly since then. Nonetheless, the idea of indoor pizza ovens, as a complete, has consumed me. As a New Englander who experiences chilly climate 65% of the yr, I’ve discovered that making pizza inside is commonly extra dependable. However is the Ooni Volt actually the perfect there may be? To search out out, we put it to the take a look at towards 11 different indoor pizza ovens. 

The Winners, at a Look

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

The Pizzaiolo has a smooth, stainless-steel physique that resembles a toaster oven. (It’s only a bit larger than a microwave.) It reached temperatures over its acknowledged 750°F, heated up rapidly, and was straightforward 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 bought as much as 725°F and charred pizza in some spots.

Kenji actually 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 parts do the work. It takes longer to cook dinner pies, but it surely’s extra beginner-friendly.

The Exams

• Temperature Take a look at: 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 Take a look at: 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 properly the ovens recovered.
• Pepperoni Pizza Take a look at: We repeated the above take a look at however with pepperoni pizza.
• Usability and Cleanup Exams: All through testing, we evaluated how straightforward the indoor pizza ovens have been to make use of and clear. We additionally famous how scorching the exteriors bought when in use. 

What We Discovered

The Greatest Indoor Pizza Ovens Obtained Scorching, Scorching, Scorching

Should you’re after a pillowy, leopard-spotted crust (the hallmark of a great 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, excluding the Crispy Crust (it bought to 605°F, however we predict some cooks could be keen to commerce efficiency for comfort). The Ooni Volt reached 850°F in simply 20 minutes, leading to pies that have been prepared in 90 seconds, with noticed bottoms and puffy edges. The Breville Pizzaiolo bought to almost 800°F—greater than its marketed temperature.

That mentioned, simply because the inside of an oven will get blazing scorching doesn’t imply the skin also needs to. In reality, it must 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 exams.

Twin Heating Parts Cooked Higher

One of the best-performing indoor pizza ovens had heating parts on the tops and bottoms, blasting warmth all around the pies and resulting in even cooking. The Breville Pizzaiolo has one heating factor underneath the ceramic deck and two concentric coils above the deck. The Ooni Volt has two heating parts and mechanically adjusts their output relying on the chosen temperature (although this may be manually overridden). As defined in our review of the Volt, “Completely different kinds of pies require varied temperatures and profit from hotter higher or decrease parts. 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 sort. For instance, Neapolitan ought to be cooked at 850°F and the oven will favor the highest heating factor. New York pies, however, ought to be cooked at 650°F, and the warmth can be rather more balanced between the highest and backside parts.”

Digital Controls Had been the Strategy 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 mentioned, they’re additionally much more costly. The analog controls of the Cuisinart labored effective however have 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 lovely pizzas we’d fortunately eat any day of the week. Plus, most residence ovens can attain a most of 500°F, so a better temperature makes a devoted indoor pizza oven well worth the funding. The controls ought to be intuitive (digital is finest, although ovens with these are dear) and the skin of the oven ought to keep comparatively cool to the contact. 

Our Favourite Indoor Pizza Ovens

What we appreciated: The Ooni Volt is probably 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 lovely leopard recognizing and pillowy crusts. It has two heating parts, which the oven will mechanically alter primarily based 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 after we used it for hours. 

What we didn’t like: After all, this oven is depraved costly. It’s additionally heavy and big—and we will’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: Modern and in regards to the dimension of a microwave, this indoor pizza oven has impressed us for years. It has three heating parts and, in our exams, it reached 797°F, which is greater than its acknowledged most temperature of 750˚F. Pizza from it had lovely char spots and pillowy crusts, and the warmth recovered rapidly in between pies. As we mentioned in our devoted evaluation of the Pizzaiolo, “The Breville recovers its goal temperature within the time it takes to stretch and high the following pizza, whereas a daily residence 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 have been its digital controls and dials, which have been straightforward 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, it is a very costly indoor pizza oven. Nonetheless, 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 bought as much as 725°F—spectacular, given its sub-$300 value. It took an appropriate half-hour to preheat and baked up good pizzas, although it took longer than different ovens (extra on this under). Its controls have 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 may be 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 approach 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 largely 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. Nonetheless, we predict newbie cooks or these seeking to make do-it-yourself 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 exploit an Ooni pizza oven indoors? 

You can not use a typical Ooni pizza oven (or any outdoor model, 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 threat). 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 cook dinner pizza, reside in an space vulnerable to inclement climate, and lack outside house however have storage house, an indoor pizza oven could possibly 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 Take a look at Kitchen and Food52. 
• For this evaluation, we examined 12 indoor pizza ovens, evaluating how scorching they bought, how lengthy they took to warmth up, the qualities of their pizzas, and extra.