Pizza ovens are a fun way to cook for friends and family. Thanks to the radiant heat they produce they can be used year-round and in most weather conditions.
The debate of whether or not you need a door on your outdoor pizza oven has been going on for years among manufacturers and consumers alike. I thought I’d dig into this topic a little deeper and pass on what I’ve learned so you can make the best decision for your family.
Does An Outdoor Pizza Oven Need A Door?
In general, you will want to have a door for your pizza oven. Even if you don’t use it every time, you will likely end up cooking foods other than pizza and a door will make cooking food much easier. Having a door will help you regulate the heat inside and will help keep the ash from escaping.
Most of the outdoor pizza ovens that I’ve seen have a door on them. This is primarily because it helps retain heat, which makes for an efficient cooking experience. However, some people don’t like using a door since they think doors block too much radiant heat and burn through wood more quickly.
Most people will probably want to have the best of both worlds and either hang on to the door if your pizza oven came with one or look into picking one up. A door only costs about $30 so it’s not a huge investment and can be very useful…and just because you have one doesn’t always mean you have to use it.
If you are still looking for an outdoor pizza oven to purchase, I would encourage you to look at models that do come with a door. If you have to buy a door from a third-party manufacturer then there is no guarantee that it will fit as well as one built by the same manufacturer as your oven.
What Is The Best Way To Use An Outdoor Pizza Oven Door?
The best way to use a pizza oven door depends on what foods you are preparing. Foods that cook quickly and need to be rotated, like personal-sized pizzas, won’t need a door. Foods like calzones or steaks need to sit in direct heat a little longer so a door will help keep that heat inside the oven.
Having a door for your pizza oven, coupled with adding more fuel, will allow you to control the temperature. More heat, close the door; less heat, open it; somewhere in between, have the door open 50/50.
Pizza ovens aren’t as nuanced as a kitchen oven which is designed and refined to be pretty accurate. You crank the dial to 400 degrees F, chances are your oven will be pretty spot on to that. A pizza oven takes a little more finessing since you are cooking with wood (or propane) and sometimes fighting against outdoor temperatures.
The bottom line is that a door will help you cook your food faster and more efficiently. Just like using a grill, you will find what works best for you and the foods your prepare…but I think most people would agree that it is better to have a pizza oven door and not need it than the other way around.
When Should You Not Use A Pizza Oven Door?
In general, if you are preparing foods that cook very quickly and have your pizza oven burning at a very high temperature, you will want to leave the door off your oven so that you can turn your food and remove it from the oven without the obstacle of a door.
If you have your oven blazing at a fairly hot temperature and are cooking thin, smaller-sized pizzas (say in the 8-11 inch range) you can probably leave the door off your oven.
This is because these smaller food items cook very quickly and you’ll need to be able to turn your pizza after about 45 seconds and then pull it out of the oven after another 45 seconds.
This is especially handy if you’re cooking several pizzas in a row…you can just keep churning through them without having to fiddle with a door.
Metal Vs. Glass: Which Is The Better Pizza Oven Door?
In general, a metal pizza oven door is more durable but can be difficult to see through when trying to look at your cooking progress. A glass door lets you see your food without opening it but does not retain heat nearly as well.
If you think you might be using a door with your pizza oven and will need to open and close it often, then you may want to consider a glass door since glass does not hold heat in nearly as much as metal does.
This isn’t to say that a glass door won’t burn you if touched with your bare hand, so make sure your door has a wooden or heat resistant handle attached and also use a towel or oven mitt, just as an extra precaution.
Like I mentioned above, doors aren’t that expensive so you might want to consider one of each type up just so you have the options, or better yet, look for a model that comes with both in the box.
Can I Make My Own Pizza Oven Door?
Making a door for your pizza oven is a great DIY project, especially if you have also built your own outdoor pizza oven. Building your own will allow you to get more accurate measurements and tweak things as you build.
The nice thing about a pizza oven door is that you don’t need to attach hinges…in fact, most experts will say it’s better if you don’t. This way you can completely remove the door without having to worry about it being in your way or closing when you don’t want it to.
Many pizza oven doors just sit inside the opening of the oven…kind of like a plug. The nice thing about these is you can move them in or out, keep them half-open, 3/4’s open, etc…giving you full control of airflow and better control of temperature.
Some experts will say you should learn or hire someone to do some welding on your door, but for most people that is a bit overkill. I’ll link to a YouTube video below that offers a great 4 minute tutorial on how to build a basic pizza oven door using white oak and aluminum…but the gist is:
- Use Cardboard or fiberboard to make a template of the oven opening.
- Use heat resistant glue (video uses gorilla glue) to hold two planks of white oak together.
- Trace your template onto the boards and cut out using a jigsaw or band saw.
- Trace your template onto an aluminum sheet and cut out.
- Cut out a couple of handles and screw to door using stainless steel screws.
- Screw the aluminum sheet to the wood door, also using stainless steel screws.
If done in a similar fashion to the video, the handles also act as feet for the door, making it stand up easily and not fall over.
The guy in the video also uses a pretty robust-looking wood planer, but if you don’t have one just use a hand sander or even a sanding block and some elbow grease.
Final Thoughts
Most portable or outdoor pizza ovens that you buy should either come with a door or offer one as an add-on purchase…or at the very least have a 3rd party offer one. But really you could probably get by without one, especially if you’re just making some pizzas for the family.
A lot of experts will even say to leave the door off if you’re making pizzas since they cook so quickly and need to be spun halfway through the cooking process. From start to finish a standard 8 to 11-inch pizza will cook in about 90 seconds with one-half turn in the middle of cooking.
But as you learn how to use your oven you’ll want to experiment with cooking different foods and perhaps using different fuels (if your oven allows it) so you’ll want to have a door so that you can control airflow, temperature, and even smoke level inside in case you get the urge to try smoking some foods….speaking of which, there’s an article on that right here!
If you’re looking to get into pizza making in your backyard, here are a few recommendations (all under $400) to get you started.
Big Horn Outdoor Pizza Oven – This is a great portable model that uses wood pellets rather than logs or coals. It has a modern look, ultra-portable at just 25 pounds, and can cook a pizza in about 18 minutes. This model is affordable, usually coming in under $200, but check Amazon for current prices since it often goes on sale.
If you’re looking for a more traditional outdoor pizza oven but still has great portability, check out the U-Max Outdoor Pizza Oven. This model has an arched top that gives it a more familiar dome look and is also built into a cart, making rolling it in and out of the garage very simple. This model also uses wood logs as its heating source giving your pizza that delicious wood-fired taste.
When purchasing something that’s new to me I always try to find an “all-in-one” kit so that I know I have everything to get started without having to make multiple purchases on Amazon or multiple trips to the store. The all-in-one solution for outdoor pizza ovens is the Bertello Outdoor Piza Oven. This kit burns coal, gas, and wood and comes with a meat thermometer and a pizza peel.