There’s nothing quite like sinking your teeth into a fresh slice of wood-fired pizza.
The crispy crust, tantalizing toppings, and melted cheese oozing off the sides… It doesn’t get much better than that.
But you know what does improve the experience?
Making that pizza with an oven you constructed with your own hands.
If you’re looking to DIY a pizza oven… Odds are, you’re considering some outdoor pizza oven kits.
But of course, this brings up a ton of questions! Is a pizza oven kit right for me? Which brand should I buy? And so on and so forth.
In this blog, we’ll answer all the above questions… And more!
So let’s begin, so you can start making fresh pizza ASAP!
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Why Consider a Pizza Oven Kit?
If you’re interested in building a pizza oven yourself… You’ll ultimately be deciding between a kit or going full DIY.
So, what are some signs that a pizza oven kit is the right choice for you?
Easier than Building from Scratch
Of course, a pizza oven kit will be easier than attempting a from-scratch project!
And if we’re being honest with ourselves… The vast majority of us have no experience with building a pizza oven.
While you may end up with a functional oven at the end… It won’t be without tons of frustration, setbacks, roadblocks, and likely extra expenses!
For this reason alone, an outdoor pizza oven kit is a smart choice. Some of the work will be done for you, and there will be clear action steps to complete the project.
Make no mistake, either. Even if you start with a kit, there’s plenty of steps and work involved!
However, you’ll have a clear path to finishing your pizza oven… Rather than being left in the dark.
Want to bring your idea to life?
It Can Match Your Outdoor Aesthetic
Another reason you might be interested in a kit is if you have a particular design in mind. If you’re buying a prefab outdoor pizza oven off the shelf… You’re limited to a select few aesthetics.
But if you go for a kit… You can finish your oven however you’d like!
Let’s say you have a brick fire pit or fireplace outside. You can make a brick pizza oven to match!
The same goes for stone.
Perhaps you have a stone outdoor kitchen. Your new pizza oven can be finished with the same stone!
Whatever aesthetic you’re going for… A pizza oven kit provides far more flexibility than a premade version.
Sense of Accomplishment
Even though you won’t be building your oven 100% from scratch… There is still a huge sense of accomplishment that comes from completing a pizza oven kit.
As we’ve already stated, these kits aren’t a breeze! There’s still a lot of work involved in the installation process.
So by the time you’re finished… You’ll definitely be basking in the glory of your handiwork!
If you’re someone who gets deep enjoyment out of hands-on projects… An outdoor pizza oven kit could be a great option!
It Can be Combined with an Outdoor Fireplace
If you’re looking for a unique and eye-catching addition to your backyard… Outdoor pizza oven kits can be combined with an outdoor fireplace!
While your pizzas are cooking in the oven… You can relax for a moment and enjoy the flickering flames.
This also makes cooking a pizza outdoors more enjoyable in the cooler months!
You can cozy up to the fire while your pies are baking.
This combination isn’t for everyone… But certainly worth mentioning if it has piqued your interest!
Settled on an outdoor pizza oven kit yet?
If so… Let’s take a quick look at how most kits come together.
How to Install a DIY Pizza Oven Kit
Before we jump into the steps… It’s important to note that not all pizza oven kits are alike!
Some will require more steps, others less.
But to give you a rough idea of what to expect… Below, we’ve outlined the process for installing a Forno Bravo pizza oven kit.
It may not reflect the exact process for other options, so remember to keep this in mind!
1. Prepare Your Base
The first thing you’ll need to do is prepare the base of your oven. At this point, you should already have your stand ready to put it on.
You’ll want to begin with taking some measurements on how to orient your oven. You don’t want the opening to be too far away from the edge, as this will make it harder to get pizzas in and out of the oven.
Then, if your kit provides ceramic board insulation… You’ll put that on your stand.
Lay your fire bricks on top, and trace the outline on the ceramic board. (The fire bricks will act as your pizza stone.)
Remove the fire bricks, and add sand on top of this outline. Alternatively, you could apply high-heat mortar here instead.
You’ll once again place the bricks on top. The final part of this step is to ensure your base is perfectly level. This base is what will become the cooking surface!
2. Place the Refractory Dome
Once your base is ready… You’ll place your refractory dome! These are pre-cast pieces that will create the shape of your oven dome.
Most likely, this dome will arrive in multiple pieces. After placing it carefully… Mortar the pieces together and allow it to cure.
3. Install the Flue
Most kits will come with a flue and anchor plate.
There will be a designated spot on the dome where you attach the anchor plate. Once secured, you’ll then attach the flue to the base.
Then, you’ll apply mortar on top to seal the flue in place.
4. Apply Insulation
The next step is to apply insulation. The insulation material will likely vary across kit options.
In this example, ceramic fiber insulation is used.
If your kit comes with ceramic fiber… Be sure to wear PPE during this step. (The particles are dangerous to inhale!)
Essentially, you will wrap your insulation around the dome. Pieces will have to be cut to size and adjusted.
Continue to do this until the entire dome is covered, including the top.
5. Prepare for Finishing
Now, you have to prepare the oven for finishing. You’ll start by trimming away the excess ceramic board base.
Then, you’ll apply a sheet of wire mesh to the front of the oven. Wrap another sheet around the sides and back of the dome.
You’ll also need to cut a piece for the top, with an opening for the flue.
Once mesh is secured to the entire surface of the dome… It’s time to finish.
6. Apply a Scratch Coat & Finish
Before you apply your finish material… You will first need to apply a scratch coat to the oven. This will allow the finish to actually adhere properly.
Take some high-heat mortar and cover the entire dome exterior and allow it to cure.
Once cured, you’ll use more mortar to apply the finish material of your choice. Stucco, tile, and brick are all popular options.
Now that you’ve seen a quick rundown on the process… What are the best DIY pizza oven outdoor kits out there?
Best Outdoor Kitchen for Your Pizza Oven
Best Outdoor Pizza Oven Kit Brands
Before you click “checkout” on an option you might be considering… Take a moment to review some of the top outdoor pizza oven kit options!
Chicago Brick Oven Pizza Oven Kits Outdoor
Chicago Brick Oven has been in the pizza oven game for a little while… And it shows!
They have a well-established line of tailgater, freestanding, hybrid, commercial, countertop ovens, and DIY kits, of course!
In total, there are 4 DIY options from Chicago Brick Ovens. They are most commonly finished as stone outdoor pizza oven kits.
All of these options are virtually identical. The only difference is size! Cooking surfaces are available in the following sizes: 27” x 22”, 38” x 28”, and 53” x 39”.
But wait… Those are only three sizes, aren’t there four options?
Yes! The fourth option is actually a hybrid oven in the 38” x 28” size. This means it can be used as both a wood and gas pizza oven.
All options will come with a dome made from commercial grade refractory cement. This allows the ovens to safely reach temperatures in excess of 1,000°F!
Chicago Brick Ovens also reinforces this concrete with stainless steel fibers. This ensures your ovens are built to last, even in frigid regions of the country!
Aside from the dome… These kits will also include a decorative door (material unknown), wire cleaning brush, pizza peel, IR thermometer gun, foundational steel plate, Duravent anchor box, insulating boards, insulating blanket, and hardware for the door and plate.
Chicago Brick Ovens offers a 3 year warranty on their pizza oven kits.
And for price… You’ll pay $2,899.00 – $7,999.00, depending on the option you choose.
Brickwood Ovens Build Your Own Outdoor Pizza Oven Kit
Brickwood Ovens is a purveyor of wood burning pizza oven kits and materials.
And these kits are a bit different than most options you’ve seen!
Rather than selling a dome made from refractory concrete… Brickwood Ovens’ best seller is simply a form, called the Mattone Barile.
This form is designed to allow you to make a pizza oven solely from bricks and mortar.
There’s also the Cotile Barile, which allows you to pour your own refractory dome… And the Mattone Cupola, which is the same thing in a different shape.
Overall, Brickwood Ovens are even more DIY-intensive than most other options. However, their website has a plethora of pizza oven plans to walk you through the process.
Package options vary widely as well. You can buy just the mold and source the remaining materials yourself… Or you can purchase a kit that includes every item you need to build your oven.
Considering most of you will want the comprehensive option, we’ll stick to that!
The comprehensive package for the Mattone Barile (brick oven) will include the pizza oven form, ceramic fiber blanket, door with oak handles, aluminum pizza peel, exhaust kit (for the flue), high-temperature mortar, and tan firebricks.
The Mattone Barile has a 27” wide interior.
The comprehensive package for the Cotile Barile and Mattone Cupola (concrete) will include a foam form, stainless steel fibers, exhaust kit (for the flue), ceramic fiber blanket, door with oak handles, aluminum pizza peel, castable refractory, high-temp mortar, and tan firebricks.
The Cotile Barile does not have dimensions listed… But the Mattone Cupola is available in 28” or 40” sizes.
As far as a warranty… We were unable to find any details online. You’ll have to reach out to Brickwood Ovens to find out!
Pricing varies widely depending on what kit you choose… And how many materials you get with it.
Options start at $189.99 on the low end for just a form… And top out at $3,299.99 for a complete kit.
Forno Bravo Modular Outdoor Pizza Oven Kit
Next on our list, we have Forno Bravo. They offer residential or commercial pre-assembled ovens, and residential or commercial modular kits.
For our purposes, we’re going to stick to the kits! And since Forno Bravo was our assembly example… Much will look familiar here!
For their residential kits, there are three series offered: Casa, Giardino, and Premio.
All kits will include a concrete dome made from a high density refractory material. This blend includes a high amount of alumina, which reduces the preheat time of your oven.
Forno Bravo’s best seller is the Casa series… Which is designed to fit the needs of most homeowners.
The Casa is available in 32”, 36”, 40”, and 44” sizes… And is able to be adapted for liquid propane or natural gas.
This kit will come with a concrete dome, firebricks, ceramic fiber insulation, high temperature mortar, steel door with built-in thermometer, stainless steel stove pipe, and chimney cap.
If you need something a bit smaller in scale… Forno Bravo also offers the Giardino kit. This is just a smaller oven! You can purchase in either a 24” or 28” size.
This kit includes a refractory dome, firebricks, high temperature mortar, insulation board, insulation blanket, stainless steel pipe flue with cap, and a steel pizza oven door and thermometer.
The Premio kit is for those who want a commercial grade oven that’s suitable for residential use. These larger ovens come in 40”, 44”, and 48” sizes.
The kit will include a thicker refractory dome (3” rather than 2”), firebricks, ceramic fiber insulation, high temperature mortar, steel door with a built-in thermometer, stainless steel stovepipe, and chimney cap.
Like the Casa… The Premio can be adapted for use with liquid propane or gas.
Forno Bravo also offers a wide variety of accessories to jazz up your oven even more! There’s options for bakeware, oven tools, and more.
Forno Bravo offers a 5 year warranty on their domes and fireboxes. All other support components are covered for 1 year.
Depending on the kit and size you choose… Prices will range from $2,905.00 – $6,545.00.
Californo Pizza Oven Kit Outdoor
Now let’s draw our attention to Californo, offering a variety of pizza ovens since 2005. If you browse their site… You’ll find pizza oven trailers, commercial and residential kits, commercial and residential pre-assembled ovens, oven stands, and even outdoor kitchens.
For residential pizza oven kits, Californo provides three options. There are only a few slight differences between them, primarily size.
The Garzoni 260 is the smallest of the three, measuring at a 26” wide interior. The kit will come with a seamless refractory dome (single piece), proprietary refractory cooking surface, chimney adapter, steel door, insulation blocks, insulation blanket, and heat resistant mortar.
The next size up is the Garzoni 280, with a 28” wide interior. This version will come with a seamless oven dome, proprietary refractory cooking surface, chimney adapter, cast iron oven door, insulation blocks, insulation blanket, and heat resistant mortar.
Finally, there’s the Garzoni 350 with a 35” interior width. This kit will have 4 oven dome pieces, proprietary refractory cooking surface, metal door, insulation blocks, insulation blanket, and heat resistant mortar.
Like many of the previously mentioned brands… Californo offers a selection of supplies and accessories for your oven.
All Californo ovens come backed with a 5 year warranty on the dome… And a 1 year warranty on all other parts.
Depending on the size you choose, Californo ovens cost $1,899.00 – $2,499.00.
The Fire Brick Co Outdoor Brick Pizza Oven Kits
Last but not least, we have The Fire Brick Co. This Australian-based brand offers a variety of pizza oven kits stateside.
While they offer precast pizza oven kits like all of the previously mentioned companies… The Fire Brick Co also offers outdoor brick oven pizza kits!
So if you want to make your oven solely with bricks, pay close attention.
If you’re up for the challenge… The Fire Brick Co provides two comprehensive brick oven kits, the difference being size. You can choose between a 41.3” diameter oven, or an enormous 51” interior diameter!
These kits will come with calcium silicate board (for the base), precut floor tiles, CNC cut formwork (for the archway), trammel tool (for laying bricks), precut archway bricks, mortar mix, precut dome bricks, flue, ceramic fiber blanket, perlite render (for finishing), and an oven door.
Don’t want to commit to that much work?
The Fire Brick Co also offers precast oven kits that might be more your speed.
Currently, a single option is offered in the precast line. This oven will have a 33.5” internal diameter.
The precast oven kit comes with calcium silicate board floor insulation, precut floor tiles, refractory dome (reinforced with stainless steel fibers), CNC cut formwork (for laying archway bricks), precut archway bricks, flue, fiberglass dome, refractory mortar, ceramic fiber blanket, wire, mesh, nails, perlite render (for finishing), and an oven door.
When it comes to a warranty… The Fire Brick Co covers their products for a period of 1 year.
For price, the precast kit will run you $2,390.00. The smaller brick outdoor pizza oven kit will cost $2,990.00, and the larger one will cost $4,490.00.
Now that you’ve seen some of the most popular options… Which one is best?
Best DIY Outdoor Pizza Oven Kit
You’re settled on purchasing a wood fired pizza oven kit. But now you have to decide which brand you want to buy from!
It can be a difficult decision to make. And to be quite honest… Any of these companies could be a good fit for you.
By and large, the materials being used are nearly identical across the board. So in terms of durability and longevity, there’s not much to quibble on there.
However, if you want to build an outdoor pizza oven from brick alone… The Fire Brick Co or Chicago Brick Oven’s Mattone Barile will be the clear choice.
Another factor you’ll want to consider is the warranty. Forno Bravo and Californo offer the longest warranty periods… With 5 years on the dome, and 1 year on all other parts.
But ultimately, the choice is yours… And you can’t really go wrong.
However, after seeing all the work involved in a DIY outdoor pizza oven kit… What if you want a pizza oven, but don’t want to be bothered with all the work?
Want Something a Little Easier to Manage?
It’s no secret that outdoor pizza oven DIY kits require a ton of elbow grease. And if you’re looking for something more akin to instant gratification… A pizza oven kit simply won’t fit the bill.
If this sounds like you, we’d like to bring both Coyote and Alfa’s Italian made pizza ovens to your attention.
These expertly crafted, authentic pizza ovens are already fully constructed… Ready to dish out perfect pizzas as soon as the box hits your doorstep.
Both Coyote and Alfa utilize high quality, top notch materials… And are designed to perform effortlessly in the outdoor environment. (Plus, they just look beautiful!)
Coyote’s line in particular even includes an insulated chimney with their ovens… Ensuring even heat retention and a superior outdoor cooking experience.
But of course, your pizza oven will need a stand to rest on.
In our mind, there’s no better solution than a BBQ island from us at RTA Outdoor Living.
We offer a dedicated pizza oven stand with plenty of wood storage underneath… So you’ll never run out of fuel for pizza parties!
And if you want to take it a step further, consider connecting your stand to a grill island or outdoor bar. (You could add a wood pellet grill or built-in gas grill for even more cooking options!)
Not only will this allow you to maximize your outdoor living space … You’ll also have a ton of counter space to work with your dough!
And the easier it is to cook pizzas outdoors… The more often you’ll be enjoying authentic, Neapolitan style pizza!
Is the vision (with your perfect pizza oven) beginning to come into focus?
To get a full picture, give our free online design tool a whirl. You’ll be able to design your custom outdoor kitchen in minutes… And see exactly what it will look like with your pizza oven!
Excited yet?
Go ahead, get started!
Need Help With Your Plans?
FAQ
The price for a pizza oven outdoor kit can vary widely depending on the materials and what is included. Most kits start at around $1,500.00 – $2,000.00, and can go beyond $8,000.00 on the high end.
