Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the questions that come up most, with links to the longer version of each.
These are the questions that come up most often across this site. Each answer links to the guide that covers it properly.
Questions people actually ask
+What temperature should a pizza oven be?
It depends on the style, and the number you want is the stone temperature rather than the air. Neapolitan wants a floor at 800 to 900 F; New York style wants 550 to 650 F; pan styles want 500 to 550 F. Running everything at 950 F is the most common cause of a burnt base under a raw top. See how hot should a pizza oven be.
+What size pizza oven should I buy?
The largest pizza you will actually cook, plus two inches of turning clearance. Most people make 11 to 12 in pizzas, so a 14 in oven is the practical minimum and 16 in is comfortable. See how to choose a pizza oven.
+Gas, wood or electric?
Gas for almost every first oven — it holds temperature without supervision, so you cook more often, and frequency is what improves home pizza. Wood if you will genuinely tend a fire. Electric if the oven must live indoors. See wood vs charcoal vs gas.
+Why does one side of my pizza burn?
A single rear or side burner heats the near edge far harder than the far one. Turn the pizza a quarter rotation every 20 seconds after the first 30. If there is no room to turn it, the chamber is too small for the pizza. See why one side burns.
+How long does a propane tank last?
On a 15,000 BTU burner, a 20 lb cylinder gives roughly 20 to 28 hours — about 25 to 35 pizza evenings, since the preheat is what consumes the gas. Most makers do not publish a burner rating, so this can only be calculated honestly for the ovens that do. See propane tank runtime.
+Do I need an infrared thermometer?
Unless your oven has a built-in floor probe, yes. Dial thermometers read air near the roof, which can be 200 F away from the stone your pizza actually sits on. Buy one that reads past 1,000 F — the popular 716 F models are below a pizza stone's working temperature. See the thermometer roundup.
+What accessories do I actually need?
Four: a perforated peel sized to your oven's mouth, an infrared thermometer reading past 1,000 F, a turning peel if your oven has a single burner, and a cover if it lives outdoors. Everything else is optional. See accessories you actually need.
+Can I use a pizza oven on a balcony?
Often not. Many leases and local fire codes restrict open-flame appliances and propane storage on balconies, and gas ovens need genuine outdoor ventilation with open sky above. Check before buying. See balcony and apartment rules.
+What surface can a pizza oven sit on?
A non-combustible, level, load-rated one — stone, concrete, tile or a purpose-built stand. Not wood, resin, plastic or glass, and not most patio furniture. Your oven's manual has the authoritative clearance figures. See clearances and surfaces.
+How much does a pizza oven cost to run?
Very little in fuel. A 15,000 BTU propane oven uses about 0.7 lb of propane in a one-hour session; a 1,600 W electric oven uses about 1.6 kWh at full draw. Ingredients cost far more per pizza than energy does. See running costs.
+Why is my pizza pale and dry?
The stone was not at temperature when you launched. The oven's dial reads air, which heats far faster than a ceramic floor — so an oven can read 'ready' while the stone is 200 F behind. Preheat longer and measure the floor.
+How do I stop pizza sticking to the peel?
Build fast, because a topped pizza welds itself down within a couple of minutes. Use semolina rather than fine flour, shake the peel to confirm it slides before you commit, and use a perforated peel. See choosing a peel.
+Do I need to season a new pizza oven?
Not in the cast-iron sense — there is no oil layer to build. Nearly every maker does specify an initial burn-off run at temperature with nothing inside. Follow your own manual. See the first burn guide.
+Can I leave a pizza oven outside all winter?
It is the main way these ovens fail. Water in a burner assembly and a saturated stone are the two failure modes. At minimum, take the stone indoors, dry the oven, disconnect the cylinder and cover it once it is completely cold. See maintenance and winter storage.
+How thick should a pizza stone be?
Thicker stores more heat and recovers better between pizzas. Floors on this site range from 0.4 to 0.8 in — a factor of two in stored energy. If you cook one at a time it barely matters; if you feed a table it is the specification to buy on. See stones and steels.
+Is a more expensive pizza oven better?
Above a floor, extra money buys chamber size, stone thickness and insulation — in that order of usefulness. It also buys digital gauges and connectivity, which an infrared thermometer replaces for a fraction of the cost.
+Can an electric pizza oven make real Neapolitan pizza?
Not to the strict definition. The best electric oven here reaches 850 F against the roughly 900 F and 60-to-90-second bake that defines the style, and the makers do not claim otherwise. The result is very good pizza that is not technically Neapolitan.
+Will an electric pizza oven trip my breaker?
Only if the circuit's total load exceeds its rating. A 1,600 W oven draws about 13.3 A and fits a 15 A circuit alone; add a 1,500 W kettle on the same circuit and it will trip. See power requirements.
+Does wood-fired pizza actually taste smoky?
Not meaningfully — a 60-to-90-second bake is far too short for smoke to penetrate. What wood genuinely changes is the char on the rim from a live rolling flame, which is a real difference and a different one from what people describe.
+Have you tested these ovens?
No, and we say so on every page. This site compares published manufacturer specifications and cites the source for each figure. Where a purchase turns on something specifications cannot capture, we say that rather than inventing an impression. See our methodology.