Overlanding getaways to the backcountry need not forego the simple pleasure of America’s favorite food. Adding an outdoor pizza oven to your cache of mobile cooking appliances instantly elevates life under the open skies.
Today’s portable pizza ovens incorporate several features, and many models use multiple fuel sources. The ideal pizza oven can reach much higher temperatures than regular ovens with less waiting time. That scorching heat is the key to getting a perfectly cooked pizza crust in only two minutes.
Different pizza ovens work for different people and situations. If a pizza oven is on your wish list but you don’t want to spend an excessive amount of money, a $1,200-plus model probably wouldn’t be worth it to you. Nonetheless, we found affordable portable pizza ovens that turn out artisan-grade pies.
And don’t think of a portable pizza oven as a one-trick pony. You can fire up a juicy piece of meat with a hearty sear, roast vegetables and fish, and even bake breadsticks.
Pizza Oven Tips
Plan for at least 20 minutes to warm up the pizza stone. The oven’s interior will heat up fairly quickly, but that doesn’t mean the baking stone is ready. Use an infrared laser thermometer to monitor the temperature of the cooking surface and target 750-850°F before sliding in your Neapolitan-style pie. New York-style pizzas or those with a thicker crust should bake at a lower temperature, somewhere near 550-575°F.
Rotate pizzas often to avoid burnt edges and overcooking. At 800°F or hotter, a 10-inch pizza will be fully baked in as little as two minutes. One way to avoid having a charred mess is to let the pizza set for one minute after sliding it in, then rotate it every 15 to 20 seconds. Since the time between rotations is minimal, you’ll want to monitor it closely to avoid a three-alarm smokefest.
Lower the oven temperature when baking your pizza. Pizza ovens, when left on their highest setting, can reach 900°F. One way to avoid burnt edges is to lower the flame setting while cooking. For a perfectly crunchy crust with a soft middle, 800-850°F puts you in the zone. In the case where a pizza oven gets too hot, especially when it’s been on for a while, turn down the heat while cooking to avoid burning the top edge of the crust. Of course, remembering to turn the heat back up in preparation for the next pizza is part of the process.
Allow time for oven cooldown, and note the pizza stone will take longer to disperse heat. (DM)
Solo Stove Pi Prime | Best Performing
Fuel type: gas
Dimensions: 15.5 x 20.5 inches (height x diameter)
Cooking surface diameter: 14 x 17 inches
Cordierite stone thickness: 13 millimeters
Oven opening size: 13 x 3.5 inches
Weight: 31 pounds
The Pi Prime by Solo Stove is a budget-friendly, gas-powered portable pizza oven that performs at the same level as the more expensive Gozney Roccbox and Ooni Karu. The results were fantastic once we got the timing down. The pizza crusts were soft and crunchy, and the Pi Prime was adept at cooking meat and fish in a jiffy with a perfect sear.
Unpacking and setup was a breeze. There aren’t any legs, a chimney pipe, or an oven door to attach. This single-item simplicity of design also comes into play when packing up for transport. Since the sole fuel source is liquid propane (LPG), the burner is positioned inside the oven instead of a detachable component at the back. A couple of minutes to insert the two-piece cordierite baking stone and attach a propane tank, and you’re ready to fire up some pizzas like a pro.
The flame intensity and cordierite stone temperature are balanced perfectly for stellar baking performance. The baking stone warms up in 20 minutes to reach 800°F, eventually reaching a maximum temperature of 850°F. The interior dome shape reflects heat down toward the cordierite stone, leading to more efficient and even cooking.
Two minutes and a few rotations in the oven got us a Neapolitan pizza with an airy, crunchy crust that puffed up nicely, with the right amount of leopard spots and a delectable gooey cheese melt.
For New York-style or pizzas with a slightly thicker crust, lowering the baking temperature to approximately 575°F and extending the cooking time close to four minutes avoids burning the cheese and amounts to a savory pizza with a nicely browned crust.
Using the Pi Prime to cook other foods was marvelous—provided you have a cooking dish that will get past the oven’s mouth. The opening is 13 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall, large enough to slide in a 10-inch, cast-iron skillet. Preheating the skillet in the oven beforehand works best for fish and meats.
Transporting the Solo Stove requires some thought since its footprint differs from the typical pill-shaped pizza ovens. While the Pi Prime’s cylindrical body isn’t optimal for efficient packing, it does come with a soft cover, and wrapping your arms around it is doable for people of smaller stature. Accordingly, the oven weighs a reasonable 31 pounds.
Nevertheless, the dome shape optimizes heat distribution and retention, making the Pi Prime a top performer on par with more expensive portable pizza ovens and a superior choice over pizza oven conversion kits for grills. The one minor drawback is that there isn’t an option for wood or charcoal.
Pros
- Easy temperature control
- Easy to remove/clean two-piece cordierite stone
- Lots of available (Pi-inspired) accessories
Cons
- Round shape isn’t ideal for packing and transporting
- Breezy conditions can disturb flame and heat distribution
- Single fuel source
The Pi Prime comes with a lifetime warranty covering all manufacturing defects. (DM)
$349 | solostove.com
Gozney Roccbox | Best Design
- Fuel type: propane gas, wood
- Dimensions: 16.3 x 21 x 18.6 inches
- Cooking surface area: 12.4 x 13.4 inches
- Cordierite stone thickness: 19 millimeters
- Oven opening size: 12.25 x 3.25 inches (width x height)
- Weight: 44 pounds
The Gozney Roccbox was our favorite portable pizza oven for outdoor adventures and tailgating parties. We loved how it baked Neapolitan-style pizzas in two minutes or less, in addition to its thoughtful touches and fuel choices.
The dome shape, ceiling height, and baffle plate design create a perfect rolling flame and even heat distribution for cooking perfection. Using LPG, the Roccbox took a little over 20 minutes to reach 900° F. Thankfully, a commercial-grade silicone body wrap avoids accidental burns if someone inadvertently touches the side or top.
An integrated thermometer will give you a good indication of the temperature inside the oven. However, an infrared thermometer is always the best method for ensuring the pizza stone is at the desired cooking temperature. At 19 millimeters, the thickest of the bunch, it was also the best at heat retention and distribution.
A detachable burner system enables quick switching from gas to wood. Be that as it may, the Roccbox must be flipped onto its front face to access the mounting point for the attachment. No tools are required to make the change.
Space efficiency and portability are key design features that define the Gozney Roccbox. Its dual-hinge retractable legs and removable fuel source shrink its footprint, making it more manageable to pack and transport the Roccbox. The hook-and-loop carrying strap lessens the chore of lugging around the 44-pound pizza oven.
Cleaning the cordierite baking stone can be done by brushing off the burnt debris using a stiff, low-profile wire brush. Or you can remove the cordierite stone for a more thorough cleaning and brush-off, utilizing the small opening underneath the oven. Use a finger to push the baking stone up, then grab the edge and pull it out.
The big burner and small cooking space initially make it a tough oven for beginners. However, its efficient design creates an intense 900°F of blistering heat. Of all the pizza ovens we tested, the Roccbox had the greatest learning curve. Once you master the timing and technique, it’s the best oven for Neapolitan-style pizzas.
While we wouldn’t consider the 44-pound Roccbox a lightweight, this pizza oven has the right features for portability: detachable burners, retractable legs, and a silicone outer body. It’s a superb option for pizzaiolos who love overlanding or getting away in the great outdoors.
Pros
- Intense 900°F of cooking power
- Safe-touch, commercial-grade silicone body wrap
- Removable carrying strap
- Quality design features and materials
Cons
- Black soot collects on the front faceplate
- Opening is barely large enough for a 12-inch pizza
- Cordierite stone removal isn’t straightforward
All of Gozney’s pizza ovens come with a limited five-year warranty. (DM)
$500 | gozney.com
Gozney Tread
Gozney’s latest and greatest, the Tread, debuted in March 2025 after our Best of Breed testing was complete. The company claims it is the “world’s most portable pizza oven” at 30 pounds (33 percent lighter than the Roccbox), with roof rack handles and an aluminum and steel construction. It can hold a 12-inch pizza or cast-iron pan, and accessories such as the Venture stand ($250) make cooking on uneven surfaces in the backcountry a cinch. Propane-fueled, the lateral gas burner recreates a traditional wood-fired flame. External dimensions are 16.5 x 19.1 x 12.6 inches.
Ooni Karu 2 (12G) | Best Multi-Fuel
- Fuel type: wood, charcoal, or propane
- Dimensions: 29.7 x 28.7 x 16.4 inches
- Cooking surface dimensions: 13.25 x 13.25 inches
- Cordierite stone thickness: 15 millimeters
- Oven opening size: 13.25 x 4 inches
- Weight: 34 pounds
The Ooni Karu 2 is a multi-fuel portable pizza oven that can reach a toasty 950° F. Moreover, Ooni is one of the few pizza oven makers that incorporates a glass oven door, which helps keep the heat inside and blustery winds from affecting the convection process. More importantly, it is wonderful at producing wood-fired beauties with a chewy crust and burnished bottom.
The Karu 2 features a large firebox for hardwood charcoal, wood, and kindling that delivers a generous flame across the top of the oven. The sizeable capacity also meant refilling it less than smaller wood-fired ovens.
For the pizza connoisseur who isn’t ready to stoke a wood fire, the convenience of liquid propane gas is hard to deny. Heating the pizza oven using LPG is quicker, maintaining the right temperature requires less attention, and cleanup is pretty straightforward since there’s no ashy firebox to empty. If time and convenience outweigh the pursuit of having a wood-fired pizza, an optional gas burner for the Karu 2 is available.
The biggest benefit of using a pro-level pizza oven is its ability to turn out the perfect pizza crust: crispy on the outside with a soft texture inside. And the Ooni Karu 2 accomplishes that with resounding success. The high heat and stone baking surface quickly cook the dough, rendering a delectable canvas of flavors and textures. Since the stone draws moisture out from the dough, the mouth-watering result is a puffy crust with spots of char, a crunchy bottom, and a light, airy center.
As a testament to the Karu 2’s versatility, a preheated 10-inch skillet was used to grill meat and veggies to complete satisfaction. Consistent low-temperature cooking is achievable due to the oven door and the adjustable air vent in the chimney stack.
The small-scale dimensions equate to quicker heat-up times and a minimal footprint when disassembled for transporting. Conveniently, the three legs are hinged and will tuck neatly under the base. The chimney pipe detaches with a quick twist, but the handles for the oven door and fuel hatch stick out from the pill box shape of the body. A soft cover, available separately, has a handle for single-hand carrying comfort.
Pros
- Superior heat distribution cooks pizzas more evenly
- Oven door with borosilicate window helps retain heat
- Powder coating protects the oven body
Cons
- Longer learning curve when using wood or charcoal
- Pizza peel, turning peel, soft cover, and other accessories sold separately
The Ooni Karu 2 comes with a five-year warranty. (DM)
$399 | ooni.com
Cuisinart 3-in-1 Grill, Griddle, and Pizza Oven | Best Multi-Purpose Under $300
- Fuel type: liquid propane gas
- Dimensions: 26 x 20 x 18.5 inches
- Cooking stone surface diameter: 13 inches
- Cordierite stone thickness: 12 millimeters
- Oven door opening size: 13 inches
- Weight: 56 pounds
Real estate for packing and storing gear in a vehicle is always at a premium. Hence, the propane-fueled Cuisinart 3-in-1 model has the advantage of minimizing space and maximizing function when cooking away from home. This multi-purpose outdoor appliance can grill, sizzle, and bake outstanding pizzas in a single, convenient package from the get-go.
Straight out of the box and after 30 minutes of assembly, the Cuisinart 3-in-1 is ready for triple duty. The kit includes a cast-iron griddle plate, a cast-iron grill grate, and a 13-inch diameter cordierite pizza stone that sits firmly between built-in pegs on the grill grate. Whichever piece isn’t used can be stowed tidily on a suspended shelf underneath the appliance.
Gas grills are dreadfully inefficient by design. Whenever the lid is opened, all the heat buildup inside is lost. The lid features a 13-inch oven door for sliding in pizzas to reduce heat loss when lifting the cover. Caution is warranted, and hand protection is necessary before grabbing the oven door handle. Regrettably, the lid and handle insulation are meager and become too hot to touch when the oven/grill is used.
Preheating the baking stone takes about 25 minutes to reach its maximum temperature in the neighborhood of 600°F. Once we got past the learning curve, it took six to eight minutes to bake thin-crust pizzas. Additionally, our testing revealed pizzas with thicker crusts bake better when the stone is closer to 550° F to avoid burning the bottom side before your pie is ready.
When pizza wasn’t on the menu, the Cuisinart 3-in-1 had liberal space for grilling meats, fish, and vegetables. Swap in the griddle plate, and it’ll be ready for early morning KP duty. A sizable 230 square inches of cooking space provides ample real estate for preparing a batch of fluffy flapjacks, eggs sunny side up, and a side of sizzling bacon.
Convenience, versatility, and portability define the Cuisinart 3-in-1. While it is awkward to carry, this multi-purpose grill and pizza oven can roast, sear, grill, and bake restaurant-quality pizza with a quick swap of cooking surfaces—all for a price lower than a dedicated pizza oven.
Pros
- Multi-purpose design
- Integrated tray conveniently stores cordierite stone and cast iron griddle
- Attractive price for outdoor cooks not ready to purchase a purpose-built pizza oven
Cons
- Can’t reach the high temps of purpose-built pizza ovens
- Pizza-making accessories are sold separately
- Oven door is a little janky, and the handle isn’t insulated well
Cuisinart has a three-year warranty for this item. (DM)
$250 | cuisinart.com
Slinky Stove 17-inch Pizza Oven | Best Expanding Fire Pit/Pizza Oven Combo
- Fuel type: wood
- Dimensions: 17 inches in diameter
- Cooking surface area: 10 x 14 inches
- Stone thickness: 3/8 inch
- Oven opening size: 10 x 3 inches (w x h)
- Weight: 16.5 pounds
Slinky Stove’s pizza oven is a thoughtful addition to their popular fire pits. Owner Eddie Cantelar noted an absence in the market, which was durable and collapsible fire pits and pizza ovens. Using heavy-duty stainless steel, Slinky Stove’s fire pits can adjust to three heights and easily collapse down for storage.
The pizza oven rests on top of the fire pit and has a fuel opening (for adding more wood) and a cooking opening. Both openings help to manage heat in the oven, as does the small chimney for exhausting smoke and heat out of the top. There are heavy-duty wood handles to prevent burns and a mechanical temperature gauge mounted to the front for monitoring cooking temps.
The 3/8-millimeter-thick cordierite stone helps prevent burning and improves heat retention. During testing, it was important to heat the stone prior to adding the pizza, reducing the likelihood of burning the toppings.
The entire system is compact when folded and includes a quality carry bag. Both the fire pit and oven have handles that aid in moving or transporting it. Four legs fold out to elevate the fire pit from the ground and improve the user’s access for cooking or warming. The legs would benefit from additional structure and a wider placement.
Any wood fire pit and oven requires regular cleaning to remove soot and dispose of ashes properly. There is a small ash pan that can be easily removed for dumping coals and remnants (once cool to the touch).
In use, the pizza oven cooks quickly and requires close attention to prevent burning. It took me a few tries to get it right, and ultimately it just required letting the wood burn down a bit further. Most thin-crust pizzas cooked in XXX minutes on a heated stone with the oven temperature surpassing 600°F.
The entire assembly only weighs 16.5 pounds and is constructed from high-quality 304 stainless steel, stamped and welded. One of the most compelling features is how easily the fire pit and oven telescope up for use, which removes so much of the frustration from lugging around a heavy or bulky fire pit. The one area that needs the most attention is the sharp edges, so I recommend using gloves while handling (gloves are a good idea with fire, regardless). The oven we tested was a prototype, and price estimates are $345-$420, depending on the size.
Pros
- Heats quickly from firewood
- Easy to slide the pizza into the oven
- Collapses to 7 inches
Cons
- Sharp edges require caution when handling
- Difficult to manage cooking temperatures
- Smaller opening and stone limits to an 8- to 10-inch pizza (approximate)
Slinky Stove offers a lifetime warranty. (SB)
$TBD | slinkystove.com
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Overland Journal’s Summer 2025 Issue.
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