Outdoor ovens make excellent additions to any outdoor spaces. Outdoor ovens are versatile cooking tools that can be constructed with many different materials and designed to suit various cooking needs. Outdoor ovens come in a variety of shapes, materials, and sizes. You can find outdoor pizza ovens in pre-assembled kits, portable units or a custom built-in unit. With all the options available to you, it can be difficult to pick out a quality outdoor oven.

This blog post looks at the important areas that will help you find a quality outdoor oven.

1. What Size Do You Need?

Your needs will dictate what size outdoor oven is appropriate. If you usually have large gatherings, a small wood oven won’t be enough and the long cooking times will have your guest waiting and starving. One of the benefits of a small unit is they’re easy to move in confined patio spaces. While large ovens boast greater cooking capacity, you’ll need to invest a lot of space to accommodate a large outdoor oven. Large ovens are excellent for volume cooking and long cooking sessions that require multiple temperatures.

Single chamber ovens are excellent for basic needs. If you’re looking for an outdoor oven for your family and small gatherings, single chamber oven are more than up to the task. Dual chamber ovens allow you to actively control the temperatures inside your oven. Heat rises from the bottom onto the side and across the top of the oven. The dual chamber design prevents oxygen flow to fire which gives you optimal temperature control.

2. Steel

The material you choose to build your outdoor oven with impacts its efficiency, ability to heat and the price. Your oven material is important for functionality as well as aesthetic value.

Stainless steel is maturing into a popular choice for outdoor ovens. Stainless steel is one of the most durable materials and requires very little maintenance. Stainless steel ovens are also generally easier to connect to gas as a fuel source. If you’re looking for an exterior that requires little maintenance, stainless steel is a good choice.

3. Brick

Brick ovens provide a beautiful, traditional look that suits any outdoor area. Brick ovens are excellent at trapping heat from fire. Brick ovens retain up to 85% of the heat from a fire which makes them pretty heat efficient.

4. Cob

Cob is a natural material created from clay, sand, and straw. Cob ovens are inexpensive and fuel-efficient. The only downside of cob ovens is you need to be a bit of an expert to run them. One mistake can cause a crack in the baking chamber if not fired properly.

5. Gas

Gas outdoor ovens are a modern option that is slightly more expensive. You’ll need to hire a tradesperson to safely connect your oven to gas or electricity on top of paying for the oven itself. Gas ovens are cleaner and easy to maintain than other fuel sources.

6. Wood

If you’re a fan of the flavors that come from wood-fired foods, then a wood-burning oven is the way to go. Wood burning ovens are popular since they can be freestanding and don’t need to be connected to any fuel sources.

In the end, the best outdoor oven depends entirely on what kind of experience you’re hoping to create. Large ovens are great for big gatherings; however, small ovens can be just as effective at creating a rustic setting. Remember to consider the four factors discussed in this blog post to help you make your decision!