‘Honey, I Shrunk the Pizza Oven!’: The Rise of the Portable Pizza Oven

For the longest time, pizza ovens have traditionally been large, monolithic structures many considered the holy grail for cooking authentic Italian style pizzas. These built-in ovens were designed to be integrated into outdoor kitchens or patios, but very few could afford them as they cost thousands of dollars. (Not to mention, they took up a lot of space!) Thankfully, we’ve entered a new age of pizza making through portable pizza ovens.

In the past few years, we’ve seen an evolution in pizza ovens – they’ve become more portable, with units you can buy off the shelves without building them into your backyard. Recently, these ovens have shrunk even more, with tabletop pizza ovens taking the world by storm. 

Offering the convenience of being used in smaller spaces and becoming much more affordable than their larger counterparts, the tabletop pizza oven is transforming regular Aussies into pizza connoisseurs as they can relish a myriad of topping combinations while enjoying the theatrics of making their own authentic pizza at home.

How to Choose a Portable Pizza Oven

The key to perfecting your homemade pizza recipe is to achieve high heat. If you’re not reaching at least 371°C on the cooking surface, it will be difficult to achieve the right bake on your dough and get that coveted bubbly, charred crust.

When it comes to elevating homemade pizzas, cooking with fire is a must. The Ooni KARU is the ultimate outdoor pizza oven that delivers a world class experience. It’s super easy to use and can reach high temperatures up to 500°C in just 15 minutes.

Versatile and packed with helpful features, the Ooni KARU offers multiple fuel options, from wood to charcoal to gas for maximum cooking versatility. But for the best experience, we recommend using your favourite fuel, like the Firebrand PREMIUM Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal combined with Firebrand Vintage QLD Ironbark, to impart authentic and mouthwatering wood fired flavours to your creations. Have your 16 inch, restaurant quality pizzas ready in as little as 60 seconds. You can even use it to cook meat, fish and vegetables!

Great for beginners and experienced cooks, the Ooni Karu has a soot-resistant full glass door and a front mounted digital thermometer for accurate and immediate temperature readings. No more second guessing if your oven is ready for cooking! This portable pizza oven is made with durable, power coated carbon stainless steel and can be used in your backyard all year round. Buy it here for $1,499.

Ooni FYRA 12” Portable Woodfired Pellet Outdoor Pizza Oven

Want authentic wood fired pizza but in a smaller package? The Ooni FYRA is the perfect option, cooking stone baked, 12 inch pizzas in as little as 60 seconds! 

Feed it with Firebrand BBQ Pellets for that neutral smokehouse flavour, and reach high temperatures up to 500°C in just 15 minutes. Thanks to its lightweight design at just 10 kilos, you can take it from the backyard to anywhere you want to cook. This little beast comes with foldable legs for easy transport and storage! 

WITT Etna Rotante Gas Powered Pizza Oven with Twin Burner and Rotating Stone

Take your homemade creations to new heights with this gas powered portable pizza oven that boasts an impressively quick heat up time of 15 minutes. The eco friendly, award winning design features double insulation with a booster burner beneath the rotating pizza stone for rapid heating. 

Its large working space can easily handle up to 16 inch pizzas, and the rotating U-shaped burner produces perfectly even heat so you can get that ideal leopard spotted and crunchy crust in just 90 seconds. Made from quality aluminium and steel materials, this portable pizza oven is built to last. Comes in 4 sleek colours – matte graphite, matte stone, black and matte orange. Buy it here for $1,100.

How to Make Delicious Pizza Using a Portable Pizza Oven

Once you’ve sorted your oven and fuel, it’s time to bust out your skills for your homemade creations. Here are some tips for creating the best tasting, restaurant quality pizza every time:

Choose your dough.

While you can always make your own pizza dough, don’t dismiss store bought options either. They’re great in a pinch and easy to handle for beginners – perfect for entertaining “hangry” guests at the last minute!

Build your pizza directly on the pizza peel.

Doing this lets you avoid the mess of transferring your toppings covered dough from the cutting board to the pizza peel! Just make sure to cover the peel’s surface with flour or cornmeal to prevent your dough from sticking.

Don’t overdo your toppings.

Too many toppings can weigh your pizza down and lead to a soggy crust. Instead of fancy sauces, try crushing a can of whole, peeled tomatoes with your hands and scattering them across the surface of your dough. And when it comes to your preferred toppings, from thinly sliced mushrooms to strands of fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil and cherry tomatoes, add less than you think you should. Don’t forget to add salt and drizzle olive oil to your pizza before placing it in the oven!

Pay attention to your cook.

Once the temperature of your portable pizza oven reaches the desired high heat, you can place your pizza onto the pizza stone, and it will cook very quickly. In about 60 to 90 seconds, you’ll see charring on the far side of the pizza closest to the flames. When this happens, quickly turn the pie 180° so you get even charring. Wait for another 60 to 90 seconds and you’ll have the perfect homemade pizza in no time.

With enough practice, you can say goodbye to store bought pizza forever and enjoy hot, fresh pizza in minutes with your portable pizza oven – ideal for last minute get togethers and soaking up the outdoors!

Shopping for pizza essentials? Drop by every Saturday between 9 am and 2pm and enjoy Super Saturdays at Sydney’s BBQ Mecca for big discounts. Get 20% OFF all BBQ fuel and 10% OFF all pantry items. Plus, enjoy live BBQ cooking demos and tasting! Check out our blog or sign up for our newsletter for more BBQ guides!