How to Choose a Pizza Oven: Home and Professional

The right pizza oven depends on four things: how many pizzas you need at once, the fuel you want to use, where it will sit, and how much heat it has to hold. Answer those and the list gets short fast.

1. Start with how many pizzas you make

At home, a family usually cooks one pizza at a time, plus bread, roasts or vegetables on a long-burning fire.

• Compact (one or two pizzas at a time): the Alfa Moderno Portable bakes one pizza at a time on a 15.7 × 15.7 in floor and weighs 77 lb. The Forno Piccolo fits up to two 12-inch pizzas at a time; it's a stainless-steel oven of 27 × 25 × 20 in and 118 lb.
• Mid-size (24–28 in interior): the Forno Mini (24 in), Forno Tradicional 65 (26 in), Forno Nino (28 in), and Forno Sabbia / Forno Lustro (28 in, on a stand with wheels).
• Large, for entertaining: the Traditional Oven comes in 28, 32, 36 and 40 in (plus 32 and 36 in corner versions). The Forno Gran Famiglia has a 48 × 40 in interior.

For a business, think in pizzas per hour:

• Alfa Pro Quick 2P: about 50 pizzas an hour, up to four 12-inch pizzas at a time. It's the most compact professional Quick, made for food trucks and tight kitchens.
• Alfa Pro Quick 4P: about 80 an hour, up to six 12-inch pizzas at a time.
• Alfa Pro Quick 6P: about 110 an hour, up to eight 12-inch pizzas at a time on a 47.2 × 43.3 in floor.
• Alfa Pro Quick: Alfa's largest mobile hybrid, up to about 110 pizzas an hour.
• Brick ovens for pizzerias: Forno Pro 100 and Pro 100 Milano (40 in interior), Forno Pro 120, and the handmade Alfa Napoli Pro.
• Built to order in Italy: MAM Napoli, Milano, Roma and Torino. Their static versions are Vera Pizza Napoletana approved, and rotating versions are available for high volume.

2. Choose the fuel

• Wood-fired gives the classic flavor and the highest heat. Most of our traditional ovens are wood-fired.
• Gas is the most convenient: turn it on, and it holds temperature steadily. The Alfa Moderno Portable runs on LPG (propane).
• Gas/wood hybrid lets you cook with either fuel. Hybrid options include the FWO IGNIS 85, IGNIS 100, Forno Piccolo, Forno Venice and the Alfa Pro Quick line.

For more detail, see Wood-Fired vs. Gas Pizza Ovens.

3. Heat-up time and heat retention

There are two kinds of oven, and they suit different cooks.

• Fast-heating ovens suit a quick pizza night. The Forno Piccolo heats up in 20 minutes and bakes a pizza in about 90 seconds, up to two 12-inch pizzas at a time. The Alfa Moderno Portable reaches 932 °F in about 30 minutes.
• Heavy, insulated ovens take longer to heat but keep cooking for hours. The Forno Sabbia and Lustro heat up in about 30 minutes with 2–3 pieces of wood and can cook on residual heat for up to 12 hours: pizza first, then bread, roasts or slow cooking. Our traditional refractory ovens reach cooking temperature with very little firewood.

4. Where it will go

• Outdoors: our traditional ovens have a projected cork paint finish (or mosaic on the Gran Famiglia) made for outdoor use.
• Moving it around: the Sabbia, Lustro and Gran Famiglia come on bases with wheels, and the Forno Mini can sit on a wheeled base.
• Weight and base: a 28 in Forno Nino weighs about 375 lb. Plan a solid, level base, and see our guide to building the base for a prefabricated oven.
• Indoors (commercial): the Alfa Quick 6P's materials allow indoor or outdoor installation with no masonry. Check your local code for ventilation and clearances before you buy.

5. Plan the delivery

Most ovens ship by freight from our warehouse in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, with curbside delivery, so have help or equipment ready to unload. You can also pick up at the warehouse. Ovens are final sale unless they arrive defective, damaged or wrong, so confirm the size, fuel and finish before you order. See Shipping a Pizza Oven or Mixer from Puerto Rico to the U.S. for details.

Quick picks

Frequently asked questions

What size pizza oven do I need for home?

Most families are well served by a 24–28 in interior, such as the Forno Mini, Tradicional 65, Nino, Sabbia or Lustro. Choose 32–40 in or larger if you often cook for big groups, or want to bake bread and roast at the same time.

Is a gas or wood-fired pizza oven better?

Wood gives the traditional flavor and the most heat. Gas is easier and steadier. A gas/wood hybrid such as the IGNIS 85, IGNIS 100 or Forno Piccolo lets you use both.

How many pizzas per hour does a professional oven make?

In the Alfa Pro Quick line, about 50 (Quick 2P), 80 (Quick 4P) and 110 (Quick 6P and Pro Quick) per hour.

Can a pizza oven stay outdoors?

Yes. Our traditional ovens have a projected cork paint finish (or mosaic) made for outdoor use.