Heat and technique
What else can you cook in a pizza oven?
Almost every answer to this question lists food. The useful answer is a specification: ovens that publish a low end cook other things, and ovens that publish only a peak do not.
The short answer
Yes — bread, roasts, steak, vegetables and cast-iron dishes all work, but only in an oven that publishes a LOW temperature as well as a high one. The Ninja Woodfire OO101 is the pick, because it publishes a 105 F to 700 F range and ships five non-pizza functions. An oven that publishes only a 950 F peak is a single-job appliance, and no technique gets round that.
The specification that actually decides it
Every maker in this category advertises a peak temperature, because the peak is what sells a pizza oven. Far fewer publish the bottom of the range, and that is the number that decides whether the oven cooks anything other than pizza.
The reason is simple arithmetic about time. A Neapolitan pizza is thin, wet and small, so 950 F cooks it through in 60 to 90 seconds before the surface carbonizes. A chicken thigh, a loaf of bread or a tray of potatoes is thick and dense. At 950 F the outside is black long before the middle is warm. Those foods need 350 F to 500 F and twenty minutes to an hour — and an oven with no published low end has no setting that gets there.
How we judged this
Three criteria, applied in this order, and all three are checkable against the maker's own published specification rather than against anything we claim to have cooked.
- A published low-temperature end. Not an inferred one. If the maker states a range, the oven has a usable thermostat or a low burner setting; if it states only a peak, we treat the low end as unknown and the oven as pizza-only.
- Named non-pizza functions or presets. A roast, bake, dehydrate or proof program tells you the maker designed and tested for that food. It is a much stronger signal than a low number on its own.
- Chamber access and shape. A 3.6 in door opening takes a pizza and a shallow pan and nothing else. Height and depth decide whether a whole chicken or a Dutch oven physically fits.
What we did not do is rank by how good the food tastes. We have not cooked on these ovens, and a page that claimed otherwise would be inventing the only part that matters. What follows is published capability matched to a job.
What the low end actually is, oven by oven
| Oven | Published range | Non-pizza functions the maker names |
|---|---|---|
| Ooni Volt 2 | 70 F to 850 F | Proof, roast, broil, boost |
| Ninja Artisan MO201 | 90 F to 700 F | None named beyond five pizza presets; 90 F is a proofing setting |
| Ninja Woodfire OO101 | 105 F to 700 F | Eight functions including smoker, roast, bake and dehydrate |
| Chefman Indoor 800 | 300 F to 800 F | A Frozen preset; no non-pizza program named |
| Ooni Koda 2 Pro | 320 F to 950 F | None named, but the range covers roasting |
| Cuisinart CPZ-120 | 350 F to 700 F | A deep-dish pan in the box and an eleven-style cooking chart |
| Ooni Koda 2 | 375 F to 950 F | None named |
| Ooni Koda 16, Gozney Arc XL, Gozney Roccbox | Peak only | None - these are pizza ovens, and their makers do not pretend otherwise |
Published temperature ranges. "Peak only" means the maker publishes no bottom figure - which is itself the answer to this page's question.
Read the bottom row as the honest summary of this whole category. Three of the best-regarded ovens on this site publish no low end at all, and that is not a flaw — they were designed to do one thing at one temperature. If cooking other food is a real requirement rather than a nice idea, it has to be part of the purchase decision, not something you discover afterwards.
The food, and what each one needs
Bread and focaccia — the best non-pizza case
A stone floor with serious stored heat is exactly what a loaf wants, and it is the one job where a pizza oven genuinely beats a domestic oven. The catch is temperature: most bread bakes at 400 F to 475 F, so you need either a published low end or the patience to bake on a falling oven after the pizzas are done.
That falling-oven technique is the free version of this page. Cook your pizzas, turn the burner off, and let the chamber coast down — a thick stone holds usable bread heat for a long while. It works best on the thicker floors; stone thickness is the variable that decides how long you have.
Steak and chops — the one job where 950 F helps
This is the exception to everything above. A steak in a preheated cast-iron pan wants the hottest surface you can give it, so a pizza oven at full temperature is genuinely the right tool and no low end is required. Put the pan in during preheat, not after.
The constraint is the opening, not the heat. Check the door height before assuming a skillet with a handle will fit — the Volt 2's 3.6 in opening is typical of indoor ovens and rules out most Dutch ovens.
Roasts, chicken and vegetables
These are the foods that need the low end. A tray of vegetables at 400 F to 450 F, a chicken at around 400 F — both ordinary oven jobs that an outdoor oven does well if, and only if, it can be held down there. On the Koda 2 Pro the 320 F floor plus independent dual-burner control is the combination that makes this practical rather than theoretical.
Smoking — only one oven here does it
The Ninja Woodfire's pellet box is the only genuine smoke function in this registry. It burns about half a cup of pellets per cook alongside the electric element, which produces real wood smoke with no fire to manage. Worth knowing that this is a different mechanism from a wood-fired pizza oven, where a 90-second bake is far too short for smoke to penetrate anything.
Frozen pizza — the one thing a pizza oven is worse at
Counter-intuitive, and worth stating plainly because it catches people out. Frozen pizza is formulated for a 400 F to 425 F domestic oven. At 950 F the base is black before the middle has thawed. Only the ovens with a Frozen preset — the Chefman and the Breville Pizzaiolo — are better at it than the oven already in your kitchen. If frozen is most of what you eat, that is a reason not to buy a pizza oven at all.
Quick picks
Ranked for fit, not for hype. Every figure below is the maker’s own published number, and “n/p” means they do not publish it — which is itself worth knowing. Tap a row for the full write-up, or go straight to the listing.
| # | Oven | Best for | Max pizza | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ninja Woodfire OO1011,700 W outdoors, 105 F to 700 F, and a pellet box that puts genuine wood smoke into an electric oven. | Electric outdoors, with real smoke | 12" | 32.4 lb | $287.27 · Check on Amazon-28% |
| 2 |  Ooni Volt 21600 W on a standard 120 V outlet, and 850 F on a stone floor. | 850 F on a normal kitchen outlet | 12" | 38.8 lb | $698.95 · Check on Amazon |
| 3 |  Ooni Koda 2 ProThe Koda 2 Max's dual burners and 0.8 in stone in a body 29 lb lighter and 4 in narrower. | Dual-zone without the Max footprint | 18" | 66 lb | $798.95 · Check on Amazon |
| 4 |  Ninja Artisan MO2011,760 W at 120 V drawing a published 15 amps, 90 to 700 F, and a 12 in stone. | An electric oven with five named pizza styles | 12" | 30.83 lb | $299.95 · Check on Amazon |
| 5 |  Cuisinart CPZ-120The best-equipped box in the indoor category — stone, peel and a deep-dish pan included, on a three-year warranty — b... | Pan pizza and a long warranty | 12" | 25 lb | $350.00 · Check on Amazon-10% |
Max pizza and weight are the makers’ published figures, sourced on each write-up below. Neither is a measurement we took, and no column here is a score — we have not cooked on these ovens and will not pretend otherwise.
Top pick · Electric outdoors, with real smoke
Ninja Woodfire 8-in-1 Outdoor Oven (OO101)
Ninja · Electric
1,700 W outdoors, 105 F to 700 F, and a pellet box that puts genuine wood smoke into an electric oven. It is the only appliance here that bridges the electric and wood-fired arguments.
Published specification
- Power
- 1,700 W at 120 V, rated 15 A, per SharkNinja. The Amazon listing's technical details say 1,760 W
- Temperature range
- 105 F to 700 F
- Smoke
- Half a cup of pellets per cook, in a dedicated box
- Size
- 21.5" L x 18" W x 15.1" H
- Weight
- 32.4 lb
- Functions
- Eight, including pizza, smoker, roast, bake and dehydrate
- Placement
- Outdoor
What it does well
- Real wood smoke without a fire to manage — the pellet box is the honest middle ground in the wood versus gas argument
- The widest temperature range here by a distance: 105 F to 700 F covers dehydrating through pizza in one appliance
- Electric outdoors means no cylinders, no ash, and no tank runtime arithmetic
What you give up
- 1,700 W is about 14.2 A at 120 V, so it needs a 15 A circuit with nothing else running on it — under an amp of headroom. Check the outdoor circuit before buying — see power requirements
- 700 F is the lowest ceiling in this registry; the Neapolitan preset takes about 3 minutes, not 60 seconds
- It is eight appliances in one, which means it is not the best at any of them
Buy it if
A covered patio with a suitable outlet, and a cook who wants smoke flavor without tending a fire.
Skip it if
Indoors, high-temperature Neapolitan, or an outdoor circuit it has to share.
Pick 2 · 850 F on a normal kitchen outlet
Ooni Volt 2 Electric Indoor Pizza Oven
Ooni · Electric
1600 W on a standard 120 V outlet, and 850 F on a stone floor. It is the only oven here that turns a kitchen counter into something close to a pizzeria deck.
Published specification
- Power
- 120 V / 1600 W, standard North America Type B plug
- Temperature
- 70 F to 850 F (450 C)
- Stone
- Cordierite, 0.4 in (10 mm)
- External size
- 21.5" x 17.4" x 10.4"
- Opening height
- 3.6 in
- Weight
- 38.8 lb
- Body
- Powder-coated carbon steel, triple-paned tempered glass door
- Placement
- Indoor use only
What it does well
- 1600 W draws about 13.3 A, which fits inside a standard 15 A North American kitchen circuit — that is the whole reason this oven is practical. See power requirements
- A proof mode that goes down to 70 F means the same appliance proofs the dough it later bakes
- Triple-paned glass and a filtered exhaust are why this can live in a kitchen and a Koda cannot
- 850 F is roughly 300 F hotter than a domestic oven's maximum, which is the entire difference in crust
What you give up
- 0.4 in stone is the thinnest floor in this registry. Consecutive bakes need recovery time and the oven's control system spends its effort managing exactly that
- 850 F, not 950 F: a true 60-second Neapolitan is out of reach and Ooni does not claim it
- 3.6 in of opening height rules out deep pan builds
- Indoor use only, stated by Ooni — this is not an outdoor oven that also works inside
Buy it if
Apartments, winter, and anyone whose real obstacle is that the oven has to live indoors.
Skip it if
Anyone whose target is a 60-second, 950 F Neapolitan.
Where these numbers came from
Pick 3 · Dual-zone without the Max footprint
Ooni Koda 2 Pro Gas Pizza Oven
Ooni · Propane
The Koda 2 Max's dual burners and 0.8 in stone in a body 29 lb lighter and 4 in narrower. For most households this is the better version of that idea.
Published specification
- Max temperature
- 950 F (510 C); range starts at 320 F
- Stone
- 21" front x 18" rear cordierite, 0.8 in thick
- Max pizza
- 18 in
- External size
- 26.85" x 25.67" x 15.47"
- Weight
- 66 lb (30 kg)
- Burners
- Dual lateral burners with independent controls
- Fuel
- Propane tank or natural-gas line
- Cleaning
- Pyrolytic self-cleaning cycle
What it does well
- Independent dual-zone control at 66 lb rather than 95 lb — the same headline feature as the Max in a body a determined adult can still reposition
- The temperature range starts at 320 F, which is the difference between a pizza oven and an outdoor oven you also roast in
- 0.8 in stone is the thickness that stops the recovery-time problem between back-to-back pizzas
What you give up
- 18 in maximum means a true 20 in New York round is still out of reach — that is Max territory only
- Ooni does not publish a BTU input figure, so there is no way to compare its burner to a Gozney or a Solo Stove on paper
- The Ooni Connect hub is bundled with the Max but not with every Koda 2 Pro configuration — check the listing you are actually buying
Buy it if
The buyer who read the Koda 2 Max specification, wanted the dual zones, and then read the 95 lb line.
Skip it if
A balcony, or a table that is not rated for a 66 lb appliance plus its heat.
Where these numbers came from
Pick 4 · An electric oven with five named pizza styles
Ninja Artisan 5-in-1 Portable Electric Pizza Oven (MO201)
Ninja · Electric
1,760 W at 120 V drawing a published 15 amps, 90 to 700 F, and a 12 in stone. The presets are the story: Ninja is the only maker here that ships a separate program for New York, Neapolitan, thin crust and pan.
Published specification
- Temperature range
- 90 to 700 F
- Power
- 1,760 W at 120 V
- Current
- 15 A, as published by SharkNinja
- Stone
- 12 x 12 in pizza stone
- Dimensions
- 22.52 x 15.87 x 12.36 in
- Weight
- 30.83 lb
- Presets
- Neapolitan, Thin Crust, Pan, New York, Custom
- In the box
- 12" bake tray, 12" pizza stone, quick start guide, owner’s guide
- Warranty
- One year limited
- Bake time
- 3 minutes at 700 F, excluding preheat
What it does well
- Five named pizza programs, which is the first time any oven on this site has admitted that a New York bake and a Neapolitan bake are different problems
- 90 F at the bottom of the range makes it a proofing box as well as an oven — the only oven here that goes low enough to be useful cold
- SharkNinja publishes watts, volts and amps. Most electric-oven makers publish one of the three
- A 12 x 12 in stone and a 12 in bake tray both in the box, so a pan pizza does not need a separate purchase
What you give up
- A published 15 A is the full rating of a standard household circuit. Only the Cuisinart CPZ-120 draws more, and these two are the only ovens here that leave no usable headroom — it wants a circuit to itself
- 700 F is 250 F below the outdoor gas ovens here, and 150 F below the Ooni Volt 2 — a three-minute bake, not a 90-second one
- Weather resistant rather than weatherproof: Ninja still recommends a cover, and there is not one in the box
- 30.83 lb is heavy for something described as portable, and there is no handle in the published specification
- One-year warranty, against the two years Ooni offers on the Volt 2
Buy it if
Someone who cooks more than one style of pizza and wants the oven to hold the settings.
Skip it if
Anyone chasing Neapolitan char, or anyone who cannot give it a dedicated 15 A circuit.
Where these numbers came from
- SharkNinja — Ninja Artisan 5-in-1 Portable Electric Pizza & Outdoor Oven MO201 product page: 90 to 700 F, 1,760 watts, 120 volts, 15 amps, 22.52 x 15.87 x 12.36 in, 30.83 lbs, 12x12 in pizza stone, five presets, one year limited warranty
- Amazon listing — Ninja Artisan pizza oven, 12 in pizza in 3 min, 700 F, 5-in-1, MO201
Pick 5 · Pan pizza and a long warranty
Cuisinart Indoor Pizza Oven, CPZ-120
Cuisinart · Electric
The best-equipped box in the indoor category — stone, peel and a deep-dish pan included, on a three-year warranty — behind the lowest peak and the highest draw. 700 F and 1,800 W are the two numbers to weigh.
Published specification
- Max temperature
- 700 F; published range 350 F to 700 F
- Max pizza
- 12 in, on a 12.5 in square stone
- Stone
- 8 mm (about 0.31 in) — the thinnest floor on this site, per authorized-retailer spec sheets
- Power
- 1,800 W at 120 V, per authorized-retailer spec sheets. Neither the Amazon listing nor the manual states a wattage, and Cuisinart's own page could not be read for this review
- Preheat
- 20 to 30 minutes, per the manual, depending on the temperature set
- Size
- 17.5" D x 19" W x 11" H
- Weight
- 25 lb
- In the box
- 12.5 in stone, wire rack, foldable peel, 12 x 12 x 1.5 in enameled deep-dish pan, crumb tray
- Controls
- Temperature dial, countdown timer, interior light, built-in cooking guide, 2-hour auto shutoff
- Placement
- Indoor only — the manual says do not use outdoors
- Warranty
- Limited three years
What it does well
- The only indoor oven here that ships with a deep-dish pan as well as a stone and a peel — the pan styles in Cuisinart's own chart (deep dish, Detroit, Sicilian, focaccia) all cook in it
- A three-year warranty against one year on the Chefman and the Ninja, and Cuisinart publishes stone thickness and weight where several rivals do not
- A 350 F low end and a published chart of eleven pizza styles, so it is usable for far more than a fast Neapolitan bake
What you give up
- 700 F is the lowest peak among the indoor ovens here, and Cuisinart's own chart gives a Neapolitan five minutes at that temperature — not the 60-to-90-second bake the style is defined by
- 1,800 W is 15.0 A at 120 V — the full rating of a standard household circuit with no headroom at all. It needs that circuit to itself; see power requirements
- An 8 mm stone stores very little heat, and Cuisinart's manual itself says to give the oven 5 to 10 minutes between pizzas if they start coming out pale
Buy it if
A household that cooks pan and New York styles more than Neapolitan, wants everything in one box, and has a kitchen outlet that nothing else shares.
Skip it if
Anyone buying an indoor oven for the fastest, hottest bake it can manage — that is the Ooni Volt 2's territory, 150 F higher.
What the second job costs you
No oven on this list is the best pizza oven on this site, and that is not a coincidence. The two ovens with the widest published ranges — the Woodfire and the Artisan — both top out at 700 F, which is 250 F below the outdoor gas ovens and puts a true Neapolitan bake out of reach. Breadth and peak temperature are traded against each other.
Ooni's Koda 2 generation is the exception that proves it can be done: both the Koda 2 Pro and the Koda 2 keep the full 950 F ceiling and publish a floor — 320 F and 375 F respectively. The Pro goes lower, and its independently controlled dual burners make holding a low setting more practical than a single burner does. You pay for that in weight and money: 66 lb against the Koda 2's 35.27 lb.
The other cost is the one nobody mentions in the listing. Fat from a roast lands on a porous cordierite stone and stays there. Use a pan or a tray for anything that renders, and read cleaning and maintenance before the first roast rather than after it — soap is never the answer on a pizza stone.
If you only want pizza, buy a pizza oven
The honest counter-argument to this entire page: a multi-function oven is a compromise, and the ovens that do one job do it better. If roasting is an occasional thought rather than a plan, buy the best pizza oven for your space from how to choose a pizza oven and use the kitchen oven you already own for everything else.
The decision only tips when the second job is real — a small kitchen where one appliance has to cover several, an outdoor setup where you would rather not run the kitchen oven in summer, or a genuine interest in smoking. In those cases the breadth is worth the 250 F.
How these picks were made
We did not cook on these ovens. Every figure on this page is the maker’s or the listing’s published specification, cited on each write-up so you can check it in one click. The ranking comes from matching those published capabilities to a stated use case — space, pizza size, fuel, and how many pizzas you cook in a row. Where a maker does not publish a number, we say so instead of estimating one.
The full version of that argument, including what we deliberately do not claim, is on our methodology page.
