Char-Broil Gas Pizza Oven
A capable pizza oven that gas fuel, best judged on the fuel type and pizza size that suit how you cook.
What Temperature Should a Pizza Oven Be?
Temperature is what separates pizza-oven results from a kitchen oven. This guide explains the target temperatures for different styles, how to measure them, and how to hit and hold the right heat.
The short answer
For classic Neapolitan pizza, aim for around 450-500C on the stone, where a pizza cooks in 60 to 90 seconds. Other styles want lower heat: thicker, New-York-style and pan pizzas cook better around 300-350C so the middle cooks through before the base burns. Match the temperature to the style you are making, not the highest number the oven can reach.
Neapolitan temperatures
True Neapolitan pizza is defined by fast, fierce heat: roughly 450-500C, a thin base, and a bake measured in seconds. That heat puffs the crust, blisters it with leopard spots and crisps the base before the dough dries out. This is what dedicated pizza ovens are built for and what a domestic oven simply cannot reach.
New York and thicker styles
Thicker crusts, more toppings and pan or New-York-style pizzas need gentler heat, around 300-350C, and a longer bake of several minutes. Too much heat chars the base and crust before the centre and toppings are ready. If you like a chewier, sturdier slice, run the oven cooler and give it more time on the stone.
How to measure it
An infrared thermometer pointed at the stone is the most reliable way to know your true cooking temperature, since the air can be hotter than the stone. Many ovens have a built-in gauge, but these often read the air or dome rather than the stone. The stone temperature is what cooks the base, so that is the number that matters most.
How to hit and hold it
Preheat fully and give the stone time to absorb heat after the oven reaches temperature. On gas, adjust the dial to hold steady; on wood, keep a small, rolling flame rather than a roaring fire. Let the stone recover between pizzas - launching onto a stone that has just cooled from the last bake gives a pale base.
Troubleshooting
- Pale, soggy base: the stone is too cool - preheat longer and let it recover between pizzas.
- Burnt base, raw top: the stone is too hot for the style - lower the heat or use a cooler oven.
- Burnt crust, raw middle: too hot for a thick pizza - drop to 300-350C.
- Uneven bake: turn the pizza more often as it cooks.
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Frequently asked questions
What temperature should a pizza oven be?
For Neapolitan pizza aim for around 450-500C on the stone, cooking in 60 to 90 seconds. For thicker, New-York-style or pan pizzas, run cooler at about 300-350C so the centre cooks through before the base burns.
How do I know how hot my pizza oven is?
An infrared thermometer pointed at the cooking stone is the most reliable way, because the air can be hotter than the stone and the stone is what cooks the base. Built-in gauges often read the air or dome rather than the stone.
Can a pizza oven be too hot?
Yes - for thicker pizzas, too much heat burns the base and crust before the centre and toppings cook. Neapolitan pizza wants 450-500C, but New-York and pan styles bake better at around 300-350C.
Bottom line
Our top pick is the Char-Broil Gas Pizza Oven (our score 9.5/10) - A capable pizza oven that gas fuel, best judged on the fuel type and pizza size that suit how you cook..