3 Best Indoor Pizza Ovens for Restaurant-Quality Pies All Year Long
Updated: Jan. 09, 2024
Make delicious pizzas in your own kitchen at home. Here are the best indoor pizza ovens to consider.
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Outdoor pizza ovens have become increasingly popular for cooking restaurant-quality pizzas at high temperatures at home. But what if you don’t have the room in your backyard or patio to set up a pizza station? Or, what if a cold climate (hello, Wisconsin!) separates you from melty, cheesy goodness six months out of the year? Luckily, an indoor pizza oven is an option.
Indoor pizza ovens mimic what an outdoor pizza oven can do. Typically, they’re all-electric, harnessing high heat to cook a pizza in a matter of minutes. The very hot temperatures result in a crispy crust, cooked toppings and wonderfully melty cheese. I make pizza at home in either an outdoor or indoor pizza oven at least once a week, and I’ve tested multiple brands and designs. These are the best indoor pizza ovens to consider for your next pizza night.
Ooni Volt Oven in Backyard
Best Overall Indoor Pizza Oven
Ooni Volt
Ooni has earned a top spot on the list of best outdoor pizza ovens. The brand has multiple oven designs for outside use, including models that use gas, wood and charcoal. The Ooni Volt is both an outdoor and indoor pizza oven with its all-electric, plug-and-play option.
The Volt is constructed with stainless steel and coated carbon steel for a durable, modern design. It can sit on any heat-safe surface but does need quite a bit of space with its dimensions of 24×21 inches. It has a large window on the front of the folding door so it’s easy to keep an eye on your pizzas while they cook. The oven takes 20 minutes to preheat to reach 850 degrees, but the temperature dial is flexible enough to turn it down to 150 degrees for ultimate customization.
Plus, the indoor pizza oven includes a cordierite pizza stone which warms by a bottom heating element, along with another heating element at the top of the oven. Both of those heating elements are adjustable once the oven comes up to the preheated temperature to allow you to choose the perfect cook for your pizza. If you love a thin Neapolitan-style pizza, this definitely comes in handy.
I use the Ooni at home at least once a week and love how simple it is to operate. It’s easy to turn on and preheat, and there isn’t much need to watch the pizza closely as there is with an outdoor pizza oven with a live flame. I’ve found that I can cook pizzas between 90 seconds to three minutes, depending on the toppings. I definitely still keep an eye on my pizzas to check on how much browning I’m getting, but there isn’t as much of a need to constantly turn them. Helpful pizza oven accessories such as Ooni’s perforated pizza peel are sold separately for this oven.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Reaches 850 degrees
- Indoor and outdoor use
- Balance dial to customize the cook on the pizza
Cons
- High price point
- Takes several hours to cool
Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo
Best Indoor Pizza Oven for Small Spaces
Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo
Breville is known for its wide variety of quality kitchen appliances including mixers, coffee makers and air fryers. The brand’s indoor pizza oven, the Smart Oven Pizzaiolo, is a solid option for those looking for restaurant-quality pizzas. It’s a pricy oven, but you might get lucky and find a pizza oven sale!
The Breville pizza oven is constructed from stainless steel with a double-paned front window. It has an internal cordierite pizza stone with a 12-inch cooking area in the 18.1×18.5-inch oven. The oven reaches 750 degrees in about 20 minutes and has a lighter/darker setting to control cooking, along with a dial to change the style and a built-in timer.
You can choose the “Wood-Fired” setting for homemade Neapolitan-style pizzas or use the frozen setting if you’re popping a store-bought pizza in the oven. If you prefer more control, manual mode allows you to adjust the temperatures on both the top and bottom heat elements.
The pizza oven’s design makes it look very similar to a toaster oven, but it does take up a bit more space. However, compared to other options on the market, it still is the most sleek and compact. This oven comes with a pizza peel and pizza pan, but other must-have pizza tools are sold separately.
Pros
- Reaches 750 degrees
- Element iQ system for customized cooking
- Pizza peel and pizza pan included
- Manual mode to control top and bottom heating elements
Cons
- High price point
- Limited cooking space
Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven
Best Indoor Pizza Oven for Beginners
Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven
Cuisinart’s indoor pizza oven is a great option for those who want to make quality pizza at home without complicating things (and without the higher price tag!). The pizza oven has a simple on/off switch and a temperature dial ranging from 350 degrees to 700 degrees. Reaching the top temperature takes 20 to 30 minutes to preheat. Constructed from stainless steel, the oven weighs much less than other options on the market at 25 pounds and is 17.5 x 19 inches.
Our Test Kitchen tried this indoor pizza oven and found that the internal light was bright and incredibly helpful to watch the cooking process. “It was fun to watch the transformation and pretty essential considering the crusts cook so quickly with a fairly small window of doneness,” says Peggy Woodward, RDN. She also notes that this pizza oven is really simple to operate and the front decals imprinted on the door to note cooking times for different types of dough and pizzas are very helpful. Pizzas cook in about five minutes, with a 12.5-inch cooking area to accommodate 10 to 12-inch pizzas.
Cuisinart also makes a great 3-in-1 outdoor pizza oven, but this one is all-electric and sits easily on your countertop. It has built-in fans for cooling, which Woodward notes make a bit of noise, but are helpful for cooling the oven down faster after use.
Pros
- Beginner-friendly
- Includes pizza peel and deep dish pan
- Integrated cooling technology
- Lower price point than other options
Cons
- Limited cooking space
- Only reaches 700 degrees
What to Look for When Buying Indoor Pizza Ovens
Indoor pizza ovens can be a pricey investment, and the pizza oven options on Amazon and other retailers can be overwhelming. To find the best model for your needs, first consider your favorite style of pizza. The Ooni Volt allows more customization than other options, while the Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven is more beginner-friendly. It’s also important to consider the dimensions and weight of an indoor pizza oven. These kitchen appliances take up quite a bit of counter space, so it’s helpful to think about whether you want it to live on your countertop, or if you plan to move it before and after use.
How We Found the Best Indoor Pizza Ovens
To find the best indoor pizza ovens, we combined firsthand testing experience with our years of outdoor cooking knowledge. We have tested both the Ooni Volt and Cuisinart’s pizza oven, along with many outdoor pizza ovens including the Ninja Woodfire 8-in-1. We also researched comparable products and considered them based on features and reviews. Our decisions are based on the construction and durability of each indoor pizza oven, along with its user-friendly nature.
Why You Should Trust Us
As a former bakery owner turned professional baker, recipe developer and product writer, I’m always in the kitchen working with a variety of doughs. As a pizza oven expert, I’ve tested eight different pizza ovens across a number of brands, including the Solo Stove Pi Prime, and continue to use these ovens on a weekly basis. Senior Food Editor and RDN, Peggy Woodward, brought her more than 20 years of experience in the industry to assist with testing indoor pizza ovens too.
FAQ
Is there such a thing as an indoor pizza oven?
While outdoor pizza ovens are incredibly popular, yes, there are options to get the same results inside! Indoor pizza ovens are all-electric, so they don’t have a live flame. They work similarly to any small kitchen appliance but reach very hot temperatures to cook a perfect pizza. While a pizza steel helps to cook pizzas with crisp crusts in your conventional home oven, an indoor pizza oven reaches higher temperatures.
How do you vent an indoor pizza oven?
While turning a pizza oven on to 800 degrees in your home kitchen sounds unsafe, they’re fit for high temperatures. Indoor pizza ovens are built with insulation in mind, so there’s no need for special venting.
Can indoor pizza ovens be used outside too?
Most indoor pizza ovens run on electricity and are not built to battle outdoor elements. However, the Ooni Volt is fit for both indoors and outdoors because of its specific weather-resistant powder coating and carbon construction. This is the only Ooni model suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Always check your indoor pizza oven’s manual to be sure it’s set up in the proper space.
Is an indoor pizza oven worth it?
Indoor pizza ovens are an investment. However, if you’re someone who orders a lot of delivery pizza, this is a great alternative. An indoor pizza oven is a great way to kick off a pizza-making hobby.
