Pros and Cons of An Outdoor Pizza Oven

The traditional image of a wood-fired pizza oven is of stacks of logs, billowing smoke, and a two-hour wait for the stone to reach the right temperature. However, the Ninja Artisan Pizza Oven has fundamentally changed that narrative, bringing high-heat artisanal cooking to the backyard without the learning curve of a traditional hearth. Its price is significantly lower than that of gas ovens on the market. And so we have been testing it in our photography studio.

If you’re considering adding an outdoor pizza oven to your patio, here is why this electric powerhouse is an affordable and easy-to-use option.

The biggest hurdle for most home pizza makers is temperature. A kitchen oven typically reaches 500°F, but a true Neapolitan pie requires 700°F or higher, and most think pizzas will turn out crisper if the oven is 550-600 degrees F.

The Ninja Artisan Pizza Oven reaches 700°F using electric heating elements. This provides several distinct advantages:

• Faster and easier than a wood oven: preheats in 15 minutes and cooks a pizza in 4 minutes.

• Bakes more evenly than a gas oven.

• Precision: You set the exact temperature on a digital dial.

• Consistency: Unlike wood, which burns down, electric heat remains constant, ensuring your fifth pizza looks just as good as your first.

• Versatility: You can also use it to broil, roast, and bake.

• Saves money and makes a healthier pizza at home versus takeout.

• Family fun in preparing a meal. Who doesn’t want to watch a pizza bake on a stone?

More Than Just a Pizza Maker

While it’s marketed as a pizza oven, the Ninja is actually an 8-in-1 outdoor kitchen. Because it offers such granular temperature control, it handles more than just dough. It also has a timer to prevent you from forgetting and burning your food.

Is it Right for Your Patio?

The Pros

• Plug-and-Play: No propane tanks to refill and no charcoal to clean up.

• Weatherproof: Designed for year-round outdoor use and storage.

• Beginner Friendly: Multiple pizza styles available, from Neapolitan to NY Style and Thin Crust.

• Less expensive than gas pizza ovens, which cost $800-1200, this one costs only $212 on Amazon.

The Cons

• Requires Power: You’ll need a dedicated outdoor outlet or a heavy-duty extension cord.

• You can’t use it in the rain and should keep it covered when not in use. Do not use it indoors.

• Size: It’s great for 12-inch pizzas, but that is the limit.

• You need to buy a pizza peel and to store the oven on a table with a cover. It is still expensive for an item you might only use once a week but over the long haul it saves money and makes cooking and eating pizza at home more fun.

Bottom Line:

The Ninja Artisan Pizza Oven is the "Goldilocks" of outdoor cooking. It’s hotter than your indoor oven but significantly more convenient than a traditional wood-fired stone hearth. It’s a great way for families to have more fun making meals together and to save money by avoiding takeout pizzas. Health-conscious cooks can lighten up on the cheese and use more whole ingredients, such as roasted chicken and veggies, instead of pepperoni and sausage.

We also like it for roasting beets and other veggies. When the pizza was done cooking for lunch I put a cast-iron skillet of beets in the oven and baked at 375 for 45 minutes - then had them for a salad for dinner!