A pizza oven elevates your garden and opens up new culinary possibilities. That leaves the question: wood, gas — or both? Here are the key practical differences to help you choose the right fuel source for your use.
Wood: traditional, atmospheric and versatile
Pizza ovens and dome ovens are traditionally wood-fired. For many people, lighting, tending and the crackle of the fire are as much part of the cooking experience as the meal itself.
Heating up and procedure
After lighting, the fire is built up. After around 40 minutes the oven is usually up to temperature and cooking can begin. For pizza, depending on the oven, high temperatures around 400 °C are reached. After the meal the fire dies down; the embers continue to give off heat and a cosy atmosphere.
Practical use: making clever use of residual heat
The heat stored in the oven can be used after baking pizza: once the embers have been cleared you can, for example, still bake bread. With the remaining residual heat the next morning, sweet baked goods such as a plaited yeast loaf turn out particularly well.
Handling and experience
Wood firing is the most traditional way to operate a pizza oven. It requires a bit of feel: the right amount of wood for the target temperature, the correct timing when to add fuel — with some practice this soon becomes straightforward.
Gas: fast, convenient and repeatable
Gas firing is modern and efficient. The flame is there at the push of a button; this shortens the heat‑up phase and makes for a quicker start.
Heat-up and control
Depending on the oven model, gas operation reaches high temperatures around 400 °C in roughly half an hour. For various models from Fontana and Valoriani, gas burners and — depending on the configuration — electronic controls are available. Food is loaded and cooked in the same way as in a wood-fired oven. Here, too, a little practice helps to tune the temperature and flame to dough and toppings. After cooking, a gas-fired oven is usually switched off immediately.
Wood or gas? Factors to decide by
- Storage capacity for wood: If you have enough space and dry wood, you benefit from the flexibility and residual heat of a wood-fired oven.
- Smoke and scent: A wood fire delivers a sensory experience; in sensitive environments gas can be more practical.
- Time and rhythm: Wood encourages a more relaxed, ritualised evening. Gas is ideal when you need quick starts or reproducible processes.
Hybrid options: use both, depending on the model
Many pizza ovens come as either wood or gas versions; some models offer solutions that allow operation with either wood or gas. If you want to switch between atmosphere and convenience, it’s worth looking at those options.
Personal advice and test baking
Which fuel source suits you best depends on your preferences, your location and how you intend to use the oven — private use or professional. We are happy to advise you in person on suitable oven models and options. Visit our showroom near Frankfurt am Main or call us on 06051 67777.
More information
In our magazine you will find further articles on choosing an oven as well as practical tips for cooking and baking in a pizza oven.