You know you want a pizza oven, but not sure whether to go the gas or the wood fire route.  We break down the benefits of wood fired and gas fired ovens; the answer will ultimately be down to your own your own requirements.  

Reasons to buy a wood fired pizza oven

• Modern wood fire ovens such as the Alfa Pizza 5 Minuti are now very efficient and easy to use.
• Metal pizza ovens can take less than 5 minutes to get to a cooking heat and 15-20 minutes before cooking pizzas (400 to 500 degrees celsius).

• The metal cart type of wood fire pizza oven has no requirement for firing/curing process over a period of days prior to being able to cook pizzas.  This is due to the construction not having sand and cement like traditional ovens do which requires a slow burn for days to evaporate the moisture out slowly to avoid cracking and damaging the oven with raging fire.
• The fire in the oven chamber produces smoke from the wood which flavours the pizza. 
• Wood fire cooking is the authentic way of cooking which we have been doing for thousands of years.
• Pre-assembled Wood Fire Ovens are very popular these days, more so than gas, due to all the benefits as mentioned, plus on a apples and apples quality comparison the wood fire ovens are priced lower than gas due to the same structure as the gas ovens but without the burner elements.  
• It's always great to stand around a fire with your friends and family, either in warm Summer evenings or brisk Winter nights to keep your hands warm.

Reasons to buy a gas fired pizza oven

• Gas ovens are far easier to operate than a wood-fire oven very easy to operate as you literally turn them on, let them heat up, put your pizzas in and watch them cook away.  When you're finished enjoying your pizzas just turn off the oven. Simple.  Check out the Alfa Forno Pizza E Brace Oven which really is a spectacular oven.
• Gas fired pizza ovens are simply a cleaner way to cook pizzas than a wood-fired oven which you would have to clean out and dispose of the ash or log remains after you've finished cooking your pizzas.

• There is no chopping up, carrying or having to order logs and timber for your oven.
• LPG Gas bottles are convenient to use and obtain, they are the same as you would use on your barbeque and can be purchased and refilled at your local servo, hardware supply store or convenience store.
• A natural gas pizza oven can be plumbed into your home gas supply,  bayonet, however, you will need a qualified plumber, which means you will be on your gas meter which is a very economic fuel source.  Most Pizza ovens come as LPG ready but require a natural gas conversion kit which may or may not be included with your oven - check each products inclusions as may be extra.

How do you decide?

The choice comes down to whether you want to have a clean, efficient, convenient simple way of cooking pizzas (choose gas) or if you want to have an authentic, smoked pizza flavour with a fire that will be a party centre-piece (choose wood).  The wow factor of the wood fire will never disappoint and there is something both primitive and special cooking with fire and is the reason why 99% of our pizza ovens sold are wood fired.