GAS-FIRED Pizza Ovens
2023 Guide
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Perfect Gas-Fired Pizza Oven
If you're a pizza lover, you may have considered investing in a pizza oven for your home. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one. Modern gas-powered models vary in size and type, this guide will help you navigate the different types of pizza ovens and find the perfect one for your needs.
What makes gas-fired pizza different than wood-fired?
Gas pizza ovens are much more convenient that woodfired ovens. In a gas oven, propane or natural gas is used as the fuel to heat the cooking chamber. Most commercial ovens used in pizza restaurants are gas-fired “deck-style” pizza ovens. These ovens are known for their reliability and ability to create a very constant temperatures which is critical in a commercial pizza cooking operation.
Gas grills can also be used to cook amazing pizza. Since gas grills have the problem of losing heat when the lid is opened, KettlePizza has developed the Gas Pro cooking chamber that sits on the grill grate and creates an oven type atmosphere that can be used on most gas grills with three or more burners.
HOW does gas-fired pizza taste?
Pizza cooked in a gas-fired oven tastes great! Even though the pizza will lack the added wood smokiness that adds flavor to a woodfired cooked pizza, pizza cooked in a gas oven will accurately portray the flavors of the dough, sauce, cheese and toppings. Both propane and natural gas cook very cleanly which will not jeopardize the flavor of the pizza and foods cooked in the oven.
HOW long does it take to cook pizza in a gas oven or gas grill?
The biggest advantage to cooking with a gas-fired oven is speed. Once the gas is ignited it is only minutes to get the chamber up to temperature. With a KettlePizza Gas Pro, the oven insert and stone are actually “cooked” inside the grill for 15 minutes or so where they absorb heat. When the pizza is placed in the cooking chamber it then deflects the heat back down onto the pizza where the entire pizza top and bottom cooks quickly and thoroughly.
Can you cook other things in a gas grill pizza oven or gas-fired oven?
Can you get woodfired flavor in a gas-fired oven?
It is not recommended to add wood to a commercial deck oven. On a gas grill with the KettlePizza Gas Pro insert, however, you can add fist sized chunks of hardwood to either side of the pizza stone. These chunks flame up during the cooking process and adds the wonderful smoky flavor that chefs desire when cooking woodfired pizza.
Can you achieve pizza crust leoparding in a gas-fired oven?
“Leoparding” or leopard spots on a pizza occurs when the raised parts of the crust called the “cornicone” bubble and blacken in spots resembling the spots on a leopard. Achieving leoparding is no easy feat. An oven that can exceed dome temperatures in excess of 800 degrees F is usually required. Dough that has higher hydration and is properly fermented is also helpful in achieving leoparding on your pizza. The key to achieving the perfect spotting is the irregular textured surface of the dough. Using a preferment (poolish) is the best way to prepare dough for leoparding as it gives the yeast more time to develop and makes the dough rise to form more prominent and more irregular bubbles instead of small ones. This article from Dishcrawl cites a great recipe for poolish: https://dishcrawl.com/poolish/
Are gas-fired pizza ovens easily transportable?
Some of the smaller gas pizza ovens as well as the KettlePizza Gas Pro oven inserts are easy to move and transport. A traditional deck style oven which you see in many pizza restaurants are not at all transportable. One of the benefits of KettlePizza ovens is that they are easily transported to any place that you can have a cooking grill at. Backyard pizza party, tailgate, music event or charity function. The KettlePizza is a welcomed sight for some amazing pizza to be enjoyed by all.
How much does a gas pizza oven cost?
Today there are many gas-fired pizza ovens on the market that range from a few hundred dollars to just over a thousand dollars. These ovens vary greatly in build quality, so do your homework before purchasing. If you have a gas grill with at least three burners a KettlePizza Gas Pro pizza oven kit can cost you as little as $279 and its American Made!
WHAT accessories will I need with my pizza oven?
One of the most important tools that you will need with your pizza oven will be one or two high quality pizza peels. Many people choose to go with two and I will tell you why. Wooden pizza peels are best for preparing your pizza on. Add a little semolina or corn meal under the dough on the wooden peel and it helps the pizza to slide off and onto the stone.
Metal pizza peels are best for retrieving the pizza and turning the pizza while it is cooking. Aluminum peels are light and easy to handle and slide right under the crust very easily. A wooden peel is a bit harder to retrieve a pizza because it is thicker. If you are cooking numerous pizzas, two peels is key. That way you can prep your next pizza on the wooden peel and still have the metal peel for turning and retrieval of the pizza that is currently cooking.
Which pizza oven is best for me?
Every person has different needs and desires when they are researching pizza ovens. If you own a Gas Grill or Charcoal Grill please consider one of our KettlePizza Oven Kits. But we understand our products are not for everyone so consider how you will use the oven before making the investment. Is this oven going to be used multiple times per week where the cost of a large permanent oven can be justified? Will you be on a tight time table when using the oven where startup time is a factor? Do you want to be able to bring the oven to pizza parties and tailgates? Only you can answer these questions when trying to find the perfect pizza oven. If you are considering building your outdoor pizza oven check out this article from our friends at Porch who wrote this informative article: Everything You Need to Know to Build an Outdoor Pizza Oven.
What if a KettlePizza is not for you?
Ok. So you learned about the KettlePizza Gas Grill Pizza Oven Kits and maybe it just isn’t the pizza oven for you. That’s OK! We want you to be happy with your purchase! Over the years (14 years to be precise) selling and making our pizza oven kits we have learned a few things. Some people want a stand alone pizza oven that they can fire up fast and get cooking pizza. We get it and have two recommendations that stand above all the rest. Roccbox from Gozney makes a superior stand alone pizza oven. It is solid and works great. Ooni is probably the market leader for stand alone outdoor pizza ovens and also make solid units. For those in the market for a Professional Pizza Oven check out this review on Dishcrawl. If you aren’t going to buy one of our products the products made by these companies are definitely the way to go! Good luck in your decision!
