Wood-Fired Pizza Ovens

People have been cooking with wood for thousands of years. It’s practically in our DNA. Wood cooks food quickly but gently, which can help preserve nutrients, while high heat creates a crispy, satisfying crust on meat and bread.   

We recommend only using dry hardwoods like oak or maple in your Fontana Forni wood oven. These wood species burn cleaner due to their low sap content, and they won’t dirty up the inside of the oven like wood species with higher sap content.

Oak is a particularly good choice because it produces intense heat and burns steadily, making it perfect for high-temperature cooking. 

Make sure the hardwood you choose is dry and properly cured, as this will make lighting the oven easier. We recommend purchasing kiln-dried wood from a trusted supplier, like Fontana Forni. 

The team at Fontana Forni invites you to hear what our customers are saying about our wood pizza ovens and explore all of our wood-burning pizza ovens for sale. Also, be sure to check out our wood-fired pizza oven accessories. 

• Fontana Forni wood-fired ovens are 100% designed and made in Italy.
• The dome is constructed from bent steel to ensure maximum stability and durability, and it features solid-weld construction using 2.5-millimeter 441 stainless steel.
• A 5-millimeter Corten steel panel reinforces the interior of the cooking chamber for added strength and heat resilience.
• The cooking chamber is surrounded by 12 centimeters of insulation on all sides—including the back, top, and bottom—to maximize heat retention and cooking efficiency.
• Our uniquely designed cooking chamber is domed from front-to-back and side-to-side, which eliminates hot spots and ensures uniform heat distribution.
• The exterior is constructed using a combination of stainless steel and powder-coated steel. Painted surfaces are electro-galvanized before powder-coating, providing superb protection against corrosion.
• A stainless-steel damper control provides excellent heat retention and precise temperature control.

Yes! Fontana Forni wood-fired pizza ovens and hybrid ovens are incredibly versatile. Use them to cook a variety of pizza styles—from tavern-style cracker pizza to classic Neapolitan pizza—as well as bread, meats, roasted vegetables, casseroles, desserts, and more. Check out our recipes page for mouth-watering recipes, from Pork Wellington to savory cabbage rolls.

Fontana Forni ovens take approximately 30 minutes to reach 700°F. How long it will take to bring the oven to your desired temperature will depend on the quality of wood you use and how well you oxygenate the fire.

We recommend using kiln-dried hardwood from a trusted supplier, like Fontana Forni. Oak and maple are particularly good choices. Do NOT use wood pellets and avoid high-resin wood species like pine or birch. These woods produce a lot of smoke, which you don’t want for cooking.

We recommend opening the damper and door on your wood-fired oven for 5-10 minutes to allow proper airflow. Once the fire ignites, partially close the chimney damper to let smoke escape. Crack the door slightly to allow in more oxygen, if needed. Once you have a strong, steady fire, add another piece of wood every 15-20 minutes to keep it going.

If you’re cooking pizza, it depends on the style of pizza you are making. Tavern-style cracker pizza should be cooked at around 550°F, while classic Neapolitan-style pizza requires temperatures of 800°F or higher. Other dishes (such as casseroles or roasts) may require temperatures anywhere between 300°F and 500°F. 

Note about using pizza stones: If you are cooking directly on pizza stones, know that the stones may not heat at the same rate as the oven. Do not start cooking until your oven temperature and stone temperature are as close to equal as possible. Measure the heat of your stone with an infrared thermometer to be sure it’s the right temperature.

Once your oven reaches the desired temperature, use the chimney damper and the oven door to help regulate the temperature.

Open the damper to reduce interior temperature, if needed. When you achieve the right temperature, close the damper about halfway to help retain heat. Open the door slightly, as needed, to oxygenate the fire.  

Keep a close eye on the fire and monitor the temperature of the chamber and the pizza stone (if using) with an infrared thermometer. Feed the fire with one piece of wood every 15-20 minutes, or as needed.

Fontana Forni ovens can reach temperatures of 1000°F (537.8°C) or more—the highest on the market. 

Only high-heat ovens create those little black bubbles on the crust (known as “leoparding” or charring), a hallmark of authentic Neapolitan-style pizza. Fontana Forni wood-fired outdoor ovens can produce heat far beyond what most home ovens can achieve.

Interior: Wood ovens create some ash, but they are essentially self-cleaning, as ash and soot burn off. Wait until the oven is completely cool to clear away ashes from the interior. Clean the cooking surface using the brush and scraper provided with your oven. You can also use a shop vac to clean ashes out of the oven.

Exterior: Simply wipe down exterior surfaces with a damp cloth or sponge. Wait until the oven exterior is completely cool to start cleaning. Be sure to use cleaning products that are safe for stainless steel.

Which size is best depends on your cooking needs and space. 

• If you have plenty of outdoor space and/or you want the ability to cook multiple pizzas simultaneously for parties or a large family, go with a larger model like the Marinara Wood-Fired Oven, which features a generous 768 square inches of cooking space and can cook 4 pizzas at once. 
• If you have limited space and/or are only cooking for a small family, couple, or single person, a smaller-capacity oven, like the Margherita Wood-Fired Oven is a great choice. 

Also, think about portability. If you have a large outdoor space, consider adding a mini-cart or full-size pizza desk to your countertop pizza oven. This way, you can move your oven around as needed. 

Finally, consider ventilation. Fontana ovens have an industry-leading clearance requirement of just 1” of space between our ovens and combustible materials (such as a wall or fence). If you plan to place your oven on an enclosed patio or balcony, you’ll need at least 6 feet of clearance from the top of the chimney cap to the ceiling. In this case, you may also want to consider going with a gas oven, which will produce far less smoke/exhaust.

We recommend watching our tutorials on how to use wood-fired pizza ovens. These visual lessons provide step-by-step instructions on how to use your new oven, what type of wood to use, and more.

The cost of a wood-fired pizza oven varies depending on the model you choose. Our smaller-capacity residential wood-fired ovens start at around $2,500*. Our hybrid (wood/gas) ovens start at around $4,000*, and our commercial wood-fired ovens start at around $13,000*. 

*Prices are subject to change at any time

There are plenty of outdoor ovens on the market, but Fontana Forni ovens are in a league of their own. Our wood-burning outdoor ovens combine decades of Italian craftsmanship with innovative engineering to deliver the ultimate outdoor cooking experience. Here’s why Fontana Forni stands above the rest:

• Innovative dome design: Our domed cooking chamber, curved front-to-back and side-to-side, eliminates hot spots for even, consistent heat distribution.
• Superior insulation: The entire cooking chamber is surrounded by 12 centimeters of rock wool and ceramic insulation for maximum heat retention and cooking efficiency.
• Unmatched temperature control: A variable adjustable stainless steel chimney cap and a perfectly sized oven door allow our ovens to reach up to 1000°F, the highest temperature rating in the industry.
• Industry-leading safety: Thanks to outstanding insulation and smart design, Fontana Forni ovens require only a 1” clearance from combustible materials, setting the standard for outdoor oven safety.
• Built to last: All critical components, including burners and electrical elements, are fully housed internally for protection against rain, snow, and wind.
• True Italian craftsmanship: Every Fontana Forni oven is 100% designed and made in Italy.

When you choose Fontana Forni, you’re investing in the best. Search our entire line and discover why Fontana Forni ovens are the best wood-burning pizza ovens on the market today.

Both gas and wood ovens have their advantages. Which one is right for you depends on your needs.

Here are some of the advantages of wood-fired pizza ovens:

• Wood-fired ovens send aromas into the air that signal good food is on the horizon, a huge part of their appeal.
• Wood fires are a natural way to get others involved, since they require tending. It’s why wood-fired ovens are a hit at family dinner nights and parties.

Here are some of the advantages of gas pizza ovens:

• Gas-fired pizza ovens are easy to use, making them perfect for beginners and experienced cooks alike.
• Gas ovens offer heat up more quickly than wood-fired ovens and offer precise temperature control, allowing for consistent, perfectly cooked pizzas every time.
• With a gas oven, you don’t have to constantly monitor the fire, which some people find more convenient. 

If you can’t decide, Fontana Forni’s hybrid ovens offer the best of both worlds!

Kiln-dried hardwoods like oak and maple are best for a wood-burning pizza oven. 

Avoid high-resin species like pine and birch, which produce a lot of smoke. Also avoid wood pellets, which do not burn consistently enough or produce the high heat needed for classic Neapolitan pizza. 

For best results, purchase kiln-dried pizza cut hardwood from a trusted supplier, like Fontana Forni.

If you’re serious about wood-fired cooking, you can’t do better than a Fontana Forni oven. Designed and engineered by experts who have spent decades perfecting outdoor pizza ovens, Fontana Forni units feature a unique cooking chamber that’s domed from front-to-back and side-to-side, eliminating hot spots and ensuring uniform heat distribution.

With a temperature rating up to 1000°F+—the highest on the market—you’ll get professional-level results right in your backyard. Yet Fontana Forni ovens are so well insulated, the exterior is safe to the touch, even at cooking temperature. That means you can place your Fontana oven within 1” of combustible materials (such as an exterior wall or fence)—unrivaled in the industry.

Choosing a Fontana Forni oven means you’re getting a piece of true Italian craftsmanship, not a rushed knockoff. Every oven is designed and made 100% in Italy using only the highest-quality materials. Whether you’re in the market for a countertop, freestanding, or commercialwood-burning pizza oven, Fontana Forni has an option for you. For truly professional results, add our exclusive Saputo pizza stone, straight from Naples. A wood-fired pizza oven from Fontana Forni is an elegant upgrade to your cooking experience.

Yes, our countertop pizza oven models are ideal for outdoor kitchens and are available in different sizes and capacities. The compact Margherita Countertop Pizza Oven holds two 10” pizzas or one 12” pizza—perfect for families and small gatherings. Our largest countertop model, the Marinara, holds four 10” pizzas or three 12” pizzas, making it ideal for outdoor entertaining and large parties.

Our freestanding wood-fired pizza ovens are perfect for outdoor areas where space is limited and for those who simply want the flexibility to bring out their oven when they need it and tuck away when they don’t.

Optional authentic Neapolitan Saputo pizza stones, made in Naples, Italy, are exclusively available with Fontana Forni. 

Get everything you need for your wood-fired oven on our accessories page, including pizza peels, turning peels, ash shovels, pizza carts, and more.