Pros And Cons Of An Outdoor Pizza Oven
Pizza is one of the most beloved foods around the world. If you are a huge pizza fan and love to cook, then you have probably made pizza in your home. Homemade pizza can be delicious, but it is even better when you use an outdoor pizza oven. These large outdoor cooking structures get very hot and make amazing food, but is it worth installing an outdoor pizza oven in your backyard?
The top benefits of an outdoor pizza oven are it cooks food quickly and makes pizza and other food taste delicious. You also have the freedom of a custom design. These ovens keep your home cool in the summer and keep strong food smells outside. The downsides to an outdoor pizza oven are that it is expensive, not ideal for cold and wet climates, and it takes up a lot of space in smaller yards.
If you are someone who likes to cook and can’t get enough pizza, then you have likely given some thought to building or buying an outdoor pizza oven. If you are wondering if this investment is worth it, keep reading. Below is a list of the top pros and cons of having an outdoor pizza oven to help you decide if it is the right decision for you.
Pros Of Installing An Outdoor Pizza Oven
1. It Makes delicious And Authentic Pizza
Arguably the most important benefit of having a pizza oven is the fact that it makes amazing pizza. Commercial pizza ovens reach upwards of 900 degrees, while the oven in your home reaches just over 500 degrees. This difference in temperature accounts for the difference in taste and texture between homemade pizza and the kind you get at a pizzeria.
Outdoor pizza ovens can reach well over 800 degrees, which makes them ideal for making pizza that tastes authentic and amazing. If you master your dough and sauce, then you can make pizza in your outdoor oven that’s as good or better than your local pizzeria.
2. You Can Bake More Than Just Pizza
You might think it’s a bit extreme to install a giant and expensive oven in your backyard just to cook pizza. This may be true, but you should know that you can cook a lot more than just pizza in an outdoor oven.
An outdoor oven can cook anything that an indoor oven can cook, and more. The high temperatures make it ideal to cook many baked goods, especially bread. You can also make a larger amount of food in this oven, as it tends to be larger than an indoor oven.
3. It Helps Keep Your Home Cool In The Summer
If you love baking but hate using the oven in the summertime due to the heat it adds to your home, then you’ll love an outdoor oven. In the summertime, you can stop using your indoor oven altogether, and just use your outdoor oven.
This will keep your kitchen and home cooler. It can also potentially lower your electric bill, since your HVAC system won’t need to work as hard cooling and dehumidifying your home.
4. Creates A Great Place To Entertain Guests
Just as an outdoor fire pit or fireplace makes a great place to entertain guests outside, an outdoor pizza oven can do the same. You can build outdoor furniture near your pizza oven, and make it a place to socialize as you prepare delicious pizza for guests.
Later on, you can even use it as a fire feature, especially if you build a wood-fired pizza oven. An outdoor fireplace can be a real wow factor and focal point in any backyard.
5. You Have The Freedom To Customize It To Your Needs
Another amazing benefit of an outdoor pizza oven is you can custom-build it for your needs. Since you build these ovens outside, you can usually make them as big or as small as you want. You have the freedom to add different elements and use whatever fuel you desire to heat the oven.Â
Indoor ovens do not offer even a fraction of this customization. If you are particular about your needs or simply want to try something new, then you can build what you want with an outdoor oven.
6. They Cook Food Faster
It might seem inconvenient to have to cook outside, but you should know that outdoor ovens cook food much faster than most indoor ovens. A fast-cooking oven can be a great asset, especially when you are preparing a holiday feast, or making food in bulk.
7. Helps Keep Unwanted Food Smells Outside
If you hate the smell of fish in your home or don’t like strong food smells coming from your kitchen, then an outdoor oven is for you. Since these ovens are located outdoors and far away from your nearest window, they ensure that all strong and bad smells stay outside. This is ideal for those who love seafood but hate the way it smells when it’s being prepared.
Cons Of Installing An Outdoor Pizza Oven
1. Can Take Up A Lot Of Space In Smaller Yards
One major downside to installing an outdoor pizza oven is that it occupies a lot of real estate in your yard. If you have a large yard, this isn’t an issue. If, however, your outdoor space is limited, then an outdoor pizza oven can be more of an inconvenience than a help.
2. Some Municipalities May Have Strict Regulations
If you live somewhere with an HOA or many building and zoning laws, then there may be very strict rules about the use of an outdoor oven. Outdoor pizza ovens may be completely prohibited, or you may need to comply with seemingly endless regulations to build one. All this red tape might make installing an outdoor pizza oven more of a headache than anything else.
3. Professionally-Built Pizza Ovens Are Pricey
Another downside to installing an outdoor pizza oven is the cost. A custom outdoor oven can cost thousands of dollars, which is nearly as much as a modest kitchen remodel. If you have other home improvements you need to take care of, then an outdoor pizza oven might be a very low priority based on its price tag.
4. They Require More Experience Than A Typical Oven
Outdoor pizza ovens aren’t usually particularly difficult to use, but the high heat and unique build require skill and experience. This is especially true if your goal is to make professional-level pizza and other baked items.
If you struggle in the kitchen as it is, or aren’t confident with your current oven, then you may want to rethink installing a large and very hot oven outside.
5. It May Not Be Fun To Use In The Winter
You can use an outdoor oven throughout the year, but if you live somewhere with particularly cold winters, then you probably won’t want to use it much in the winter. Just as you probably don’t grill when it’s freezing outside, the same principles apply to baking outside. Make sure you factor this time of non-use into your decision.
6. Not Ideal For Particularly Wet Climates
Baking bread and pizza outside is best done in drier climates. If it is constantly raining where you live, then an outdoor oven isn’t ideal unless you spend even more money to have rain protection. Make sure your climate is conducive to outdoor baking before investing in an outdoor pizza oven.
Summing Up The Pros And Cons Of An Outdoor Pizza Oven
An outdoor pizza oven is a dream for many home chefs. These outdoor cooking structures can also be showstoppers, and great spots for entertaining guests outdoors. They make incredible pizza and baked goods thanks to their high heat, and also cook food very quickly. They also keep bad smells outside and don’t make your home hot in the summer.
There are, however, some downsides to outdoor pizza ovens, as they take up a lot of space and can cost thousands of dollars to build. Also, if you have long cold winters or live in a very wet place, you may use your outdoor oven less than you’d like.
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Tom Gaffey is an expert writer who currently resides in Washington D.C. Tom has a passion for real estate and home improvement writing, as well as travel and lifestyle writing. He lived the last twelve years in Hawaii where he worked closely with luxury resorts and event planners, mastering his knowledge of aesthetics and luxury products. This is where he found his passion for home improvement and a keen interest in DIY projects. Currently, Tom resides in Washington D.C, and also working on his debut fiction novel.
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