Key takeaways
- Most portable pizza ovens hit 400-500C, roughly twice as hot as a home oven, so a pizza cooks in 60 to 90 seconds.
- Gas is the easiest fuel for beginners; wood and charcoal give more flavour but need more babysitting.
- A 12-inch oven suits couples and small gardens; step up to 16 inches if you cook for a crowd.
- Prices in this guide run from about £127 for a budget pellet oven to £499 for a big gas or electric model.
Garden pizza nights have become a proper British summer habit, and the ovens that make them have got cheaper and easier to live with. Searches for portable pizza ovens climb every year once the weather turns, and this July is no different. The appeal is simple: a small outdoor oven gets far hotter than your kitchen one, so you get a blistered, leopard-spotted base in about a minute rather than a pale, chewy one after ten. Below are six ovens sold on Amazon UK right now, each picked for a different kind of buyer.
How we picked these
We looked at ovens that are genuinely portable, widely available on Amazon UK, and cover a spread of fuels and budgets. Temperature matters most: to cook a Neapolitan-style pizza you want an oven that reaches at least 400C, and the models here all clear that. We weighed up fuel type (gas for convenience, wood or pellets for flavour, electric for indoor use), cooking size (12 inch versus 16 inch), how long each takes to heat up, and the faff of cleaning and storage. We also leaned on the wider pattern that most first-time buyers start with gas because there’s less to learn. Prices were checked at the time of writing and can move, so treat them as a guide.
At a glance
| Oven | Best for | Fuel | Max size | Around |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ooni Koda 12 | Overall gas pick | Gas | 12″ | £299 |
| Ninja Woodfire | All-rounder | Electric | 12″ | £299 |
| Ooni Koda 16 | Feeding a crowd | Gas | 16″ | £499 |
| Mimiuo Gas | Even cooking | Gas | 13″ | £240 |
| Big Horn Pellet | Budget | Wood pellets | 12″ | £127 |
| Ooni Volt 2 | Cooking indoors | Electric | 12″ | £499 |
The best portable pizza ovens
Ooni Koda 12
Best gas oven overallThe Koda 12 is the one most people should start with. It runs off a standard gas bottle, lights in seconds, and reaches pizza temperature in about 15 minutes with no fire to manage. The single flame keeps things simple, and turning your pizza every 20 seconds is enough for an even cook. It’s light enough to carry out to the garden and pack away after.
The catch: the 12-inch stone is tight if you like a big pizza, and it only does gas, so there’s no wood-fired flavour.
Gas, 12″ stone, folding legs · around £299
Check price on AmazonNinja Woodfire Electric Outdoor Oven
Best all-rounderThis one plugs into the mains and does more than pizza. It’s an 8-in-1 unit that also roasts, bakes and works as a BBQ smoker, using a small pellet scoop to add real woodfire flavour if you want it. For anyone who wants one gadget that earns its shelf space rather than a single-job oven, it’s a smart buy, and it heats up without a gas bottle.
The catch: it needs an outdoor power socket, and it doesn’t get quite as fierce as a dedicated gas oven, so cook times are a little longer.
Electric, pellet flavour option, 8 functions · around £299
Check price on AmazonOoni Koda 16
Best for feeding a crowdSame easy gas setup as the Koda 12, but with a 16-inch stone. That extra room lets you cook bigger pizzas or fit a couple of smaller ones back to back, which speeds things up when you’re feeding a table full of people. The L-shaped flame spreads heat across the wider stone, so you don’t get a cold back edge.
The catch: it’s bigger and heavier to store, and at this price it’s a bigger commitment than the 12-inch model.
Gas, 16″ stone, L-shaped burner · around £499
Check price on AmazonMimiuo Gas Pizza Oven
Best for even cookingThe Mimiuo’s party trick is a rotating stone, so the pizza turns itself while it cooks. That takes away the main bit of skill with these ovens, which is remembering to spin the base before the near edge scorches. It runs on gas with a UK regulator in the box, and it’s noticeably cheaper than the big-brand gas ovens.
The catch: the turntable is another moving part that can stick if flour builds up, and the brand has less of a support network than Ooni or Ninja.
Gas, 13″ rotating stone, UK regulator included · around £240
Check price on AmazonBig Horn Wood Pellet Pizza Oven
Best budgetIf you want to try garden pizza without spending much, this stainless pellet oven is the way in. It burns cheap wood pellets, gets properly hot, and comes with a stone and a peel, so there’s little else to buy. For the money it’s a fair bit of kit, and pellets give you some of that woodfire taste that gas can’t.
The catch: pellet ovens need topping up and tending during a session, so it’s more hands-on than gas, and the temperature is harder to hold steady.
Wood pellets, 12″ stone, peel included · around £127
Check price on AmazonOoni Volt 2
Best for cooking indoorsNot everyone has a garden or wants to cook outside in the rain. The Volt 2 is a countertop electric oven you can use in the kitchen, and it still reaches around 450C, which is well beyond a normal oven. You get a dial for temperature and a timer, so it’s the most controllable option here and the easiest to use in winter.
The catch: it’s expensive for a 12-inch oven, and being electric it lacks the live-fire flavour some people are after.
Electric, indoor use, 12″ stone · around £499
Check price on AmazonFAQ
How hot does a pizza oven need to get?
For a proper thin-crust pizza you want around 400 to 500C on the stone. That’s about double a home oven and is what cooks the base in a minute or so.
Gas or wood, which should I buy?
Gas is easier and more consistent, so it’s the usual first choice. Wood and pellet ovens give more flavour but need more attention while you cook.
Can I use a pizza oven all year round?
Gas and pellet ovens work fine in cold weather as long as you’re outdoors. If you want to cook inside, an electric model like the Ooni Volt 2 is the safe option.
Do I need any extra kit?
A pizza peel is the main one, and some ovens include it. An infrared thermometer helps you check the stone is hot enough before you launch a pizza.
Sources
Prices and product details checked on Amazon UK at the time of writing. Cooking temperature guidance draws on Ooni’s own cooking guides.