While outdoor wood-fired pizza ovens are all the rage right now, some people prefer having a pizza oven inside, where they can access it all year long. Furthermore, some pizza fanatics don’t have the space in their backyards to dedicate to a pizza oven but still want the convenience of homemade pizza. In such situations, can you use a pizza oven indoors?
You can use a pizza oven indoors, as long as you’re using an oven designed for indoor use. There are several ovens available on the market specifically designed to be used indoors, and any of these would be an excellent addition to your home.
In this article, I’ll help you further explore the idea of an indoor pizza oven. I’ll answer the question of whether you can use your outdoor wood-fired oven inside your house and explain what considerations you should be aware of when using a pizza oven indoors.
Do You Need a Pizza Oven?
Let’s face it – most of us make pizza in our regular ovens. If this sounds like you, you may wonder whether you need a dedicated pizza oven in the first place.
The primary difference between a pizza oven and a regular oven is the temperature. Pizza ovens go up to extremely high temperatures, often as high as 950°F (510°C).
This extreme heat means your pizza will be ready very quickly – often in under 60 seconds. However, the speed of cooking isn’t the only difference.
A pizza oven gives your pizzas a different taste and texture than what you would get by making pizza in a regular oven. Many people argue that pizza cooked in a pizza oven is superior because the crust tastes moister while also being lighter and chewier.
Ultimately, whether or not you need a pizza oven for your home depends on what type of pizza you prefer. If you’re a fan of traditional Neapolitan-style pizza, a pizza oven is a must. However, if you’re not looking for restaurant-quality pizza, you can likely make your favorite pizza in your home oven.
Can You Use Your Outdoor Wood-Fired Pizza Oven Indoors?
You cannot use your outdoor wood-fired pizza oven indoors.
Your outdoor pizza oven is a permanent installation, not a portable one. It isn’t possible to bring it inside your house. Even if it were, the design of an outdoor pizza oven isn’t meant to be used inside. The smoke from the oven will get into every corner of your house, and there likely wouldn’t be enough ventilation to use it comfortably.
No matter which pizza oven you choose to use indoors – wood-fired or otherwise – it should always be designed for indoor use. There are several gas-fired models which are meant solely for outdoor use due to heat and ventilation concerns.
Building a Wood-Fired Pizza Oven Indoors
While using your outdoor wood-fired oven indoors isn’t possible for a variety of reasons, you can still enjoy making wood-fired pizza indoors. You’ll just need to install an oven designed for indoor use in your kitchen.
There are some considerations that come with installing a wood-fired oven inside, including the following:
- Building codes
- Clearance
- Ventilation
Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors.
Building Codes
Before you build a wood-fired oven inside, you’ll first need to check local laws and building codes to determine whether you can install a wood-fired oven inside your home. You’ll also need to check if there are any certifications you need to have before you begin the installation process.
Clearance
A wood-fired pizza oven inside your home requires a lot of dedicated space. This isn’t just referring to the oven size—you also have to consider the clearance needed on all sides.
Your oven should have 30 inches (76.2 cm) of clearance on all sides, 3 feet (91.44 cm) in front of the door, and 1.5 feet (45.72 cm) of clearance between the top and any combustible materials. Additionally, there should be 10 inches (25.4 cm) of clearance from the back and 30 inches (76.2 cm) from the bottom of the oven and any flammable materials.
These clearance requirements can often be prohibitive for people considering installing an indoor wood-fired pizza oven.
Additionally, these are only some of the clearance and material-related requirements. For example, you’ll also need to ensure the floor material in front of the oven door is non-combustible. To fully understand what building an indoor wood-fired oven will entail, you should always speak to a professional.
Ventilation
A wood-fired pizza oven needs to be vented. Ventilation ensures the fire burns properly, and the smoke doesn’t collect inside the oven, ruining the taste of your pizza.
When installing a ventilation system for your wood-fired pizza oven, you’ll need a flue that can withstand the heat produced by this oven. It will also have additional clearance requirements, further complicating the positioning of your oven.
If you prefer not to use a flue, you can use a ducted range hood instead. However, if you decide to opt for a range hood, you’ll need a hood that can match the power of your pizza oven (at least 1200 CFM), with filters that can handle the grease build-up that comes with pizza smoke. Furthermore, your hood will need to be large – at least 1-2 feet (30.48-60.96 cm) larger than your oven – to ensure enough coverage.
Improper ventilation of a pizza oven raises the concern of carbon monoxide being emitted. This isn’t really a concern in an outdoor oven since the outdoor nature of the installation means the dangerous CO dissipates into the air instead of building up in the space.
However, with an indoor installation, there’s a risk that carbon monoxide will build up to dangerous levels, especially if your kitchen is closed while you use your oven.
Aside from the considerations listed above, another consideration for people to keep in mind is the partition wall. An indoor wood-fired pizza oven must be enclosed within a partition wall, and creating this wall will be an additional expense.
Given the many restrictions involved with building an indoor wood-fired pizza oven, most people prefer to look for alternatives when considering an indoor pizza oven.
Other Types of Indoor Pizza Ovens
Aside from indoor wood-fired pizza ovens, you can also find a host of smaller, gas-fired, and electric ovens available at a relatively affordable price.
Some portable pizza ovens do allow you to cook with wood. However, these are generally not designed for indoor use and often need to be linked to a wood-fired grill. Because of this, portable indoor pizza ovens are usually gas or electric models.
If you’re looking for an indoor pizza oven, I recommend the Breville Smart Oven Pizzaiolo from Amazon.com. This model heats up to 750°F (399°C), allowing you to enjoy wood-fired pizza in the comfort of your own home. It’s also small enough to fit on your countertop. However, I should note that it’s rather expensive.
Can Indoor Pizza Ovens Be Used Outdoors?
While outdoor pizza ovens cannot be used indoors, the opposite is generally not true.
If you have a portable indoor pizza oven, there is no problem with you using it outdoors. Of course, if your oven isn’t portable – such as a built-in indoor wood-fired pizza oven – you won’t be able to take it outside to use. However, that is an issue of portability rather than of design.
Final Thoughts
Using a pizza oven indoors is possible, as long as the model is designed for indoor use. If the model is not intended for indoor use, using it inside can be both inconvenient and dangerous.
You can either get an indoor wood-fired pizza oven installed in your home or purchase a portable pizza oven. Indoor wood-fired ovens are complicated to build and take up a lot of space, which is why most people prefer electric countertop models.
