BBQ or pizza oven?

If you could only have one cooking appliance in your garden, should it be a barbecue or a pizza oven?

In recent years there has been a significant trend towards people either building or buying a pizza oven for their outdoor cooking pleasure. For many of these, it’s more than likely that they already have a barbecue, and that the addition of a pizza oven is an ‘as well’. But for those of us with more bijoux outdoor spaces, the decision is an ‘either or’, so which should you choose, a BBQ or a pizza oven?

BBQ v pizza oven

Both BBQs and pizza ovens come in sizes large and small, in gas fuelled or wood/charcoal. The prices range quite dramatically too, of course, meaning there are options for almost every budget.

On a BBQ you are cooking over the heat, on a grate or griddle. This is perfect for getting that lovely smoky flavour on traditional barbecue foods, from sausages to steaks, halloumi to kebabs. With BBQs that have a lid, you can cook larger pieces of meat, even legs of lamb or whole chickens (who hasn’t heard of beer can chicken?)  

In a pizza oven the heat comes from flames at the rear, which rapidly heat the whole space, which can very quickly get super-hot, up to 450 degrees C. This is perfect for the classic fast-cooked pizza, with a crispy base and melty top, but not ideal for steaks and sausages. Or is it…?

Can you cook pizza on a BBQ?

Well, yes, you could, but it would need to have a lid, to get the heat affecting the top of the pizza, and you’d need to have the pizza stone on there for some while to get hot enough. You also can’t see through a BBQ lid, so can’t see when it’s cooked, but if you take the lid off, you let all the necessary hot air out. So, yes, but not with great ease.

Can I cook steak in a pizza oven?

Yes, you can. Again, however, it’s not as straightforward as cooking steak, or any other meat, on the BBQ. First, you can’t just put your steak on a pizza stone and stick it in the pizza oven. You need a really good (and not cheap) cast iron skillet or griddle pan. You’ll also need to learn how to manage the heat of the pizza oven, if it’s a wood-fired version. However, a quick Google of recipes suggests a rib-eye steak cooked in a pizza oven is absolutely possible, and it’s really good, too.

In fact, some very fast research brings up all sorts of exciting recipes for cooking things that aren’t pizzas in a pizza oven. Yes, there’s the obvious, such as flat breads and pita, but what about a spatchcock chicken, or baked Camembert, or even roast peaches? 

The key to all these dishes is to manage the temperature of the pizza oven, and to have the right pans in which to bake your chosen foods. The same can be said of course for the barbecue – nobody likes a sausage that’s charcoaled on the outside and raw on the inside.

Of course, whether you can cook anything but pizza in your pizza oven depends on the size of your pizza oven; the depth and width of the mouth of the oven, and the height and width of the oven itself.

So, what is the best choice for your garden – BBQ or pizza oven?

Well, at this point it really comes down to personal choice – sorry. 

Both offer options for cooking a wide range of dishes, depending on their size. Both have options for budgets large and small (though BBQs tend to start at a much lower price than pizza ovens) and both can be operated with solid fuel or gas. Both are great for cooking with friends, and both are great for mass catering occasions, though a gas-fired barbecue is the quick and easy option when you’re cooking just one or two steaks.

So the question to ask yourself is, how often do you like to fire up the barbie, versus how often do you really fancy a pizza? 

Eddie Friday 12th July 2024. (Images used from Forton marketing team).