The key when trying to decide which electric pizza oven best suits your needs is considering how you will use the oven. A person can buy an electric pizza oven that is small enough to use at home to prepare pizza for a family. They also are available as large ovens designed for use in commercial settings.
If you want an electric pizza oven for family use in the home, then a small countertop model is probably the best option. These are designed to cook a 12-inch (30.48-cm) pizza quickly and efficiently and will bake either fresh or frozen dough. This type of pizza oven is compact and easy to store. Residential-use electric pizza ovens are available in many retail stores, especially in the U.S., with prices starting around $50 US dollars. They are touted for cooking a pizza more quickly than a conventional oven, and some of them require no preheating prior to beginning to bake.
People with larger families or those who entertain frequently may find a good choice in a countertop electric pizza oven that allows you to cook more than one pizza at a time. These ovens have vertically stacked oven trays, known as decks, and are available with two, three, or four decks. Deck ovens are frequently found in commercial settings where pizza is served. When using deck ovens, pizzas can be started at different times, but someone must be available to remove each pizza from the oven when it is finished baking.
Other businesses prefer to use a conveyor belt electric pizza oven. This style of oven is especially popular in establishments with a small staff because they are quick and efficient and it is not necessary to have anyone supervise the baking. The pizza slides in at one end of the oven and a conveyor belt transports it to the main cooking core. When finished, the pizza slides out unaided. An electric conveyor oven is capable of producing pizzas continuously throughout business hours.
One point to consider when shopping for a conveyor oven is the ease with which it can be cleaned. It is best to select a model with doors or removable panels that allow easy access to the interior. If the oven has to be disassembled to be cleaned, it will take longer to do the task and there is an added risk of losing parts or reassembling the oven incorrectly.
Although gas or traditional wood-fired pizza ovens are also available, there are some advantages to choosing an electric one. Electric ovens heat up quickly and maintain a consistent temperature. They usually take up less room than other types of pizza ovens, are easy to operate, and are portable. Most importantly, electric ovens typically offer dual controls that allows you to individually control the temperature of both the upper and lower heating element, so you can prepare a perfect pizza every time. Some of them also can cook foods other than pizzas.