Turn your backyard into the neighbourhood’s best pizza spot
This summer, we’re making way for mild evenings and al fresco entertaining. It’s the perfect opportunity to refresh your tableware, invest in an outdoor fire pit, and, for the finishing touch, a pizza oven to level up your outdoor get-togethers.
If you’re wondering what makes a pizza oven special, there’s nothing quite like the taste of wood fired pizza. These days, pizza ovens come in various styles and sizes to fit all kinds of indoor and outdoor spaces while delighting your taste buds.
To discover which oven is best for making pizza, browse our editor-approved selection of pizza ovens and must-have accessories below.
The best woodfired pizza ovens in New Zealand
Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven
$799 from Shark Ninja
It’s almost an insult to refer to this gadget simply as a pizza oven – it’s more like a whole outdoor kitchen in one. It can roast, smoke, bake, grill, dehydrate… and of course, make outstanding pizzas. Heating to temperatures as high as 370°C, each Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Oven comes with a pizza peel, pizza stone, a pro heat pan and a roasting rack, for serving up ‘zas, flatbreads and meats. You’ll be the host or hostess with the mostess at your next dinner gathering.
Bonus: You can also add extra-smoky flavour to your food by adding the specialty wood pellets.
KEY FEATURES
- 8-in-1 functionality
- Cook meals 40% faster than indoor
- Weather resistant
- 5 attachments included
- 2-year warranty
Longhorn Gas Fired Pizza Oven
$429 from Trade Tested
This gas-powered, portable pizza oven is simple to set up and use, perfect for mounting on an existing bench or surface. Reaching up to 260°C in ten minutes, the oven has a built-in thermometer to ensure the temperature is just right. It comes with a pizza stone, is easy to clean, and will bring you many happy outdoor memories for what’s set to be a scorcher of a Kiwi summer.
KEY FEATURES:
- Tabletop mounted design
- Enamelled cooking grid
- Temperature gauge
- Stainless steel tube burners
- LPG regulator and gas hose included
- AGA Certified for LPG and natural gas summer
Sunbeam Multi-Function Oven + Air Fryer
$269 from Folders
If you need help deciding between a pizza oven and an air fryer, this versatile multi-function oven is the appliance for you. Its roomy interior fits a 12-inch pizza, 2.8kg chicken or even a 750g bag of fries so that you can enjoy your favourites crisped to perfection.
KEY FEATURES
- 5-in-1 functionality
- Turbo convection heat technology
- Adjustable rack settings
- Included mesh air fry basket, baking pan, wire rack, removable crumb tray
- 1-year warranty
Longhorn Woodfired Freestanding Pizza Oven
$1,399 from Trade Tested
The perfect addition to your patio or deck, this outdoor pizza oven will have you mastering the art of creating the perfect pizza (and other meats and bread) in no time. Boasting a sleek, stainless steel design, this sturdy appliance has a wheeled base and a handy space for hanging your tools.
High-quality fire bricks and insulation help the oven heat up fast and maintain the high, even temperature that creates the perfect pizza, crisp-skinned whole fish or warm crusty bread. There is even a built-in temperature gauge, to help you keep an eye on things.
KEY FEATURES:
- High-quality, full stainless steel construction
- Sleek, minimalist design
- 4 castor wheels, 2 braked
- Integrated temperature gauge
- Folding side tables
- 2-year warranty
The Smart Oven Pizzaiolo
$1,199.95, from Breville
Are you looking for an indoor pizza oven? This clever device by Breville is one to consider. It replicates the three types of heat a brick oven generates to produce authentic woodfired pizza in just two minutes. Plus, it provides an ideal baking environment for different pizza types — thick crust, pan, thin and crispy, and frozen.
For wood-fired and Neapolitan-style pizzas, the optimised deflector shield has been designed to protect your fragile toppings from intense heat while reflecting radiant heat towards the crust to achieve the leopard-spotted effect. Think perfectly melded mozzarella and perfectly charred crust.
KEY FEATURES:
- Accessories: Pizza Peel, Pizza Pan
- Dimensions (WxDxH): 47.2 x 46.5 x 27.3
- Stainless Steel
- Capacity for 30 cm Pizza
- 7 Preset settings & Manual mode
- Power 2250 W
- 2-Year replacement warranty
Karu 12G Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven
$749 from Ooni
This roundup wouldn’t be complete without an Ooni pizza oven (discover our editor’s review of the Ooni Karu 16 multi-fuel pizza oven here). A portable style, it can impressively cook a pizza in just 60 seconds and reach the ideal baking temperature in just 15 minutes. It’s an asset to your alfresco dining arsenal when you’re entertaining last minute.
KEY FEATURES:
- Clear View technology prevents soot and ash buildup on the glass door
- Maximum temperature of 500 °C (950 °F) and can cook pizzas in just 60 seconds
- Monitor temperature with the integrated thermometer
- The Sure Grab door handle stays cool to the touch
- Cook 12-inch pizzas and more on the thick 15mm cordierite baking stone
Best pizza accessories to buy
Avanti Pizza Oven Peel / Spatula
$33.95, from Marston Moor
This nifty pizza spatula is a tried and tested tool for removing pizzas from the oven. It easily slides under the pizza and features a gripped, non-slip, heat-resistant handle for effortless removal.
Avanti Ultra Grip 10cm Pizza Cutter
$15.95, from Marston Moor
A pizza party isn’t complete without a tool that cuts your pizza to perfection. Thankfully, this stainless steel number by Avanti is sharp enough to slice through your creations without the toppings or cheese sliding off, and its silicone handle is comfortable to grip.
The Complete Kiwi Pizza Oven by Alan Brown
$49.99 from Marston Moor
Wood fired pizza and a Kiwi backyard summer go hand in hand, so thankfully, chef Alan Brown’s book is a comprehensive resource on all things pizza ovens. From tips to recipes, this book is a must-read authority (and makes a great gift too).
30cm Pizza Stone
$25 from Trade Tested
Don’t have a pizza oven? Don’t worry, for the next best thing, this traditional pizza stone will ensure perfectly-crusted pizza that’s baked to perfection.
Saturday Pizzas: The Essential Guide to Making Pizza at Home by Phillip Denhardt and Kristin Jensen,
$29.99, from Marston Moor
Want to impress at your next outdoor gathering? This delectable recipe book will elevate your pizza toppings and have you testing out new gourmet creations. From recipes for dough and sauces to roast meat, seafood and vegetarian pizzas, this is an essential resource.
Related articles:
- These outdoor dining sets are perfect for enjoying al fresco meals all summer long
- Cooking and dining go al fresco in this new outdoor trend
- The best barbeques on the market right now
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