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These affordable pizza ovens slice the price of alfresco dining
The outdoor cooking options include portable and tabletop models
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Spring is officially here, which means summer will be on the horizon soon too. The lighter nights and longer days offer plenty of opportunity for outdoor activities, and we’re already dreaming about alfresco dining. Come rain or shine, nothing says British socialising like garden soirées.
Whether you favour a barbecue with friends or love entertaining the entire family, eating in the open air is a seasonal treat. From putting on a buffet with sweet treats, sandwiches and more, to having a picnic in the park, we can almost smell the scent of freshly cut grass and taste the glass of Pimm’s we’ll be sipping come spring and summer.
Pizza ovens are another quick fire way of conjuring up a tasty slice of dinner, while creating holiday vibes. After prepping the base, add your own toppings for a tailormade feast to suit all tastes and ages. Then bake in the fresh air for an authentic Italian tasting experience.
But these cooking devices can also be a considerable investment, with some costing up to an eyewatering £2,000. So, here at IndyBest our expert shopping team has been hunting out the cheapest pizza oven picks for you to peruse.
Whether you’re a pizza-making afficionado or simply fancy serving up some tasty dishes for less dough, we’ve rounded up a few options from Aldi, Argos, Amazon, Salter, Ooni and more. Covering BBQ pizza ovens and portable buys, all our picks are no more than £400. Keep scrolling to get your summer 2023 outdoor eating options covered.
Read more: Salter’s pizza oven is less than £130
VonHaus tabletop pizza oven: Was £159.99, now £149.99, Vonhaus.com
This tabletop pizza oven is just shy of £150, so it’s an affordable and portable option to save room if you’re pushed for space too. Suitable for cooking pizzas up to 13in, it can reach 350C and cook pizzas in 15 minutes. After use, simply empty out the oven’s ash collector. There’s also a removable chimney and foldable legs for compact storage, and transportability.
Argos home pizza oven BBQ topper with paddle: Was £60, now £45, Argos.co.uk
Add this affordable 14.5cm x 35cm x 40cm pizza oven onto the top of a gas or charcoal barbecue, and pop the dough on its integral pizza stone. There’s a thermometer included to see when your margherita may be ready and a paddle to easily remove this freshly cooked feast.
Read more: Ooni launches new pizza ovens
Aldi gardenline gas pizza oven: Was £199.99, now £149.99, Aldi.co.uk
This bargain gas pizza oven includes a chrome-plated grid and is also fitted with a clip-on gas regulator and a connecting hose. Meanwhile, there’s a handle and wheels for moving it around the patio or garden as you please. Save 25 per cent on the price right now.
Salter progress 12in wood pellet pizza oven: Was £125, now £105, Wilko.com
Heating up to 500C in 15 minutes, Salter’s pizza oven is said to cook 12in creations in just one minute (just like Ooni ovens). Fuelled by wood pellets, the included scoop lets you add chips to the back, as well as chargrilled meat, fish and vegetables to enjoy alongside your pizza. The model is also complete with a pizza stone and paddle, for inserting and serving food with ease. Compact, portable and easy to dismantle, its practical and sleek industrial design will slot seamlessly into your outoor space.
Big Horn Outdoors pizza oven: £129.99, Amazon.co.uk
This wood pellet pizza oven can get as hot as 460C and be ready to cook food in less than 20 minutes. The stainliness steel frame has folding legs, and there’s no tools needed for building it. This is a multi-tasking outdoor dining buy because as well as making pizzas, you can also use it for meat, fish and veg too.
Salter wood pellet 12in pizza oven: £279.99, Amazon.co.uk
This portable pizza oven heats up to 500C in only 10 minutes, and cooks 12in pizzas in a minute. A baking board and paddle are included, plus you can cook chips with the paddle. There’s a carry bag for easy storage and transportation too. Meanwhile, a list of recipes arrive with the oven for cooking inspo as well.
Unfortunately, others have cottoned on to this deal, so it’s currently out of stock on Amazon. However, the retailer notes this is only temporary and that it is working on getting more of the nifty appliance.
Read more: The best garden furniture retailers
KuKoo outdoor pizza oven: Was £175.99, now £164.99, Robertdyas.com
This outdoor pizza oven has a matte black finish, removable ash drawer, stainless steel doors and a fuel shelf for charcoal. Complete with two wheels and a handle, the portable cooking device also comes with a pizza cutter and pizza stone. It can be used to smoke, bake and barbecue food for extra cooking versatility.
Woody wood fired pizza oven kit: £249.99, Woodyoven.com
Containing everything you need to make pizza, this versatile wood fired pizza oven is complete with pellets, wood, coal and gas. Reaching 500C in 15 minutes, pizzeria-worthy creations can be cooked in under 60 minutes. Plus, it weighs just 12.5kg, so you can cook pizza almost anywhere.
Ooni karu 12 multi-fuel pizza oven: £299, Ooni.com
This is one of the cheapest Ooni options in the range, so it’s ideal if you’re looking to spend less on the popular pizza-oven brand, which is IndyBest tried and tested too. It can reach a whopping 500C in 15 minutes, which means you should be able to cook a pizza in only 60 seconds. Add wood or charcoal as fuel, or use this model with a separate gas burner for Ooni karu 12 (£89.99, Ooni.com).
Haven wood 11in pizza oven with raincover and pizza paddle: Was £279.99, now £139.99, Robertdyas.co.uk
Claiming to cook your pizza in 13 minutes (counting the 10 it takes to heat the oven in the first place), nab this appliance from Haven at Robert Dyas and become a garden-party hit this summer. This pizza oven is not only touted as being durable but it’s said to retain its heat for hours, too – so you can really keep the pizzas coming all night long. Fuelled by wood pellets and chopped wood, to help achieve an authentic taste, and with a built-in thermometer, it should be easy to manage the temperature inside, making for a low-maintenance dinner. Save £140 now at Robert Dyas.
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