Your Complete Guide to Using Your Pizza Oven in Winter

It can be difficult deciding whether or not you should use your outdoor pizza oven in the winter, but don’t worry…I’ve done a little research and I have some tips for you.

Even if you live in a place that seems like it’s perpetual winter (I grew up in Alaska…or as I call it “The Land of Always Winter,”) or in a town that has fairly mild winters there are a few things that can be done to get the most out of your pizza oven year ’round.

Can You Use An Outdoor Pizza Oven In The Winter?

In general, it is safe to use an outdoor pizza oven in the winter as long as it is a wood-fired oven. Electric pizza ovens do not heat up as much or as quickly and in the cold and gas models can be tricky to use since propane doesn’t always flow well in extremely cold temperatures.

While cooking with an outdoor pizza oven is nice during the summer, there are some pretty great benefits of cooking with one in winter as well. If you have ever used a wood-fired stove indoors you know that they put off quite a bit of heat which makes them perfect for heating your house during the winter.

This same concept carries over outside. If you are the one cooking the pizzas then you will have the warmest seat in the backyard. Some models will put out temperatures as hot as 900* F, so there is plenty of heat radiating out the door of the oven to keep you warm while cooking.

From an enjoyment standpoint, you will want to get the pizza inside as quickly as possible once it’s out of the oven otherwise you’ll just end up eating cold food.

What Is The Best Way To Use An Outdoor Pizza Oven In The Winter?

For the most part, you can use your outdoor pizza oven in the winter in much the same way as you would in the summer. If you’re in a location with extreme cold or lots of snow, then you may want to work under a covered porch or awning and you may find it takes a little longer for your oven to heat up.

You may want to adhere to a few points in order to keep yourself comfortable while cooking:

• Keep cooking time to less than an hour. If your food takes longer than that then you end up spending time in the cold, possibly feeling pretty miserable, and you have to constantly be moving food in and out so that it doesn’t get cold too quickly.
  
• Try to use premade ingredients to cut down on prep and cook time. If you’re a pizza purest and insist on using the freshest ingredients possible, then perhaps doing some of the pre-cooking steps inside would be a good idea. Things like shredding the cheese, kneading the dough, pre-cooking some of the meats.
  
• Know your temperature tolerance. I can handle temperatures fairly comfortably down into the low 40’s…but others check out if it dips below 70. If you’re the one doing the cooking, then those eating will just have to be at your mercy.

Can I Use An Outdoor Pizza Oven When It’s Raining?

In general, light to moderate rain shouldn’t affect the usage of your outdoor pizza oven. For comfort reasons, you may want to consider cooking under an awning or covered porch. If you are using a wood-burning oven make sure your firewood stays dry and no rain directly touches the wood or flame.

If you have to cook in the rain and there is no covered porch, then you may want to cover the area with a tarp. This is mostly to keep you and the food dry but also helps keep your firewood dry and prevents any water from hitting your flame.

In this situation, a gas-burning pizza oven may be more useful…but really, as long as you keep any wood you plan to use dry you should be fine.

If your firewood does get wet it can lead to a number of problems. It may not be as easy to light the fire, it will definitely smoke more which can lead to a bitter-tasting pizza and if your oven has a glass door it could potentially crack from all the moisture in the air being released by the wet wood (though most models that do have a glass door would be using tempered glass.)

Can Winter Weather Damage An Outdoor Pizza Oven?

In general, your outdoor pizza oven should not be damaged by cold weather. When you are not using your oven, do not leave it outside in the elements; or at the very least, make sure it is clean and dry before covering it with a pizza oven or grill cover to prevent snow and ice from accumulating on it.

A really harsh winter with lots of ice and snow may make things harder so using your oven might just have to wait for better weather. 

So, just using your outdoor pizza oven in the winter shouldn’t harm it…however, leaving it outside could cause damage depending on how cold, wet, or windy your town gets.

If left uncovered, freezing rain or snow buildup can add enough weight that it could bend the metal on the outside of your oven. If you are using a model that requires propane as its fuel source, extreme cold or ice build-up could crack the coupling that attaches the tank to the burner.

For more information about outdoor pizza oven covers, I’ve written an article covering the benefits of using covers and another one with some tips and advice about pizza oven covers.

Will An Outdoor Brick Pizza Oven Crack In The Winter?

In general, most brick ovens should not crack in the winter. However, if the outside of your oven has gaps or cracks that water can get into then it is possible for moisture to get in, freeze, and crack the outer layer of brick. Any cracks or gaps should be sealed immediately.

People that live in the South West have milder winters…and sometimes no winter at all…and even if the temperatures do dip, the climate is so dry that you usually don’t have to worry about any moisture getting into gaps and freezing.

In the South East USA, you are much more prone to wet weather and humidity, but the warmer climate means you will rarely experience freezing temperatures.

But the vast majority of the USA and all of Canada get to experience at least a few months of snow and ice and freezing rain (looking at you upstate South Carolina.) It’s these locations that need to plan ahead a bit about using a brick or concrete pizza oven in the winter months.

What Are Some Tips To Cooking Pizza In An Outdoor Oven In The Winter?

Even though your oven can be used pretty much the same way in the winter as in the summer, there are a few things you can do to help your oven out:

• If your oven has a door, use it. The door helps keep the heat in and can help cook your pizza faster.
• Only open the door when it’s time to turn your pizzas or it’s done cooking.
• If you plan on cooking multiple pizzas, start with really hot wood to get the coals burning quickly.
• Use small pieces of wood but have plenty on hand so that you can keep feeding the flame.
• Make sure your woods is good and dry before starting the oven.
• If your oven has coals inside, make sure you use an embers rake (preferably a curved one) to move them around to keep the heat even.
• Consider investing in a spartifiamma, which is a metal, shield type device that you keep the coals behind. It keep soot and ash from circulating around your oven and helps radiate the heat more evenly.

Final Thoughts

There is no reason you can’t enjoy homemade, wood-fired pizza year-round…even on chilly winter days.

Keep in mind that it’s not just about cooking pizza, having an outdoor oven means your family can enjoy other things like roasting marshmallows or making s’mores. And when all else fails there are plenty of other foods to cook and eat outside in the winter.