Check out 6 of the best mobile pizza ovens for food trucks, trailers and mobile catering businesses
Pizza food trucks have become very popular over the last few years as the food truck industry has expanded. They are also pretty eye-catching and produce a great aroma, especially when using wood-fired pizza ovens which is a sure way to attract a crowd.
So if you have landed on this article you are probably thinking about or have already started a food truck business and are wondering what is the best mobile pizza oven for food trucks?
The best pizza ovens for food trucks and mobile catering, in general, are either wood-fired or gas-powered models that can be moved around when either installed in a food truck or mobile pizza trailer or placed on a countertop under a pop-up gazebo.
Below I’ve put together a buyer’s guide for what to look out for when choosing the right model for your needs and 6 of the best mobile pizza ovens for food trucks and mobile catering businesses.
Contents:
- Buyers Guide
- Gozney Roccbox Portable Outdoor Pizza Oven
- Ooni Koda 16 Propane Pizza Oven
- Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven
- MAXIMUS Wood-Fired Pizza Oven
- Alfa Quattro Pro Top Wood-Fired Pizza Oven
- Alfa Quick Pro Pizza Oven with Base
- Pizza food truck & trailer manufacturers
- Key takeaways
1. Buyers guide
There are a few things you should consider when choosing the right mobile pizza oven for a food truck or mobile catering business
Different types of pizza ovens
There are 2 main types of commercial pizza ovens for mobile catering in how they are powered which are wood-fired and gas. Both have their pros and cons and are something you should familiarise yourself with before choosing the right model for your needs.
Wood-fired pizza ovens
Pros
- Produces a unique flavor as a result of the smoke
- Are cheaper to buy than electric & gas-powered models
- Are durable and have a long lifespan
- Eco-friendly and a good alternative to other power sources
Cons
- Takes longer to reach the cooking temperature
- Takes longer to clean as the nurn wood and ash need to be cleared away
- Temperature and flavor are not always consistent
Gas pizza ovens
Pros
- Very easy to operate and doesn’t require a level of skill
- Cleaner to operate than wood-fired pizza ovens as you don’t have to clean out the ash.
- No chopping and carrying of wood to power the oven
- Cheap to run
Cons
- Slower cooking time, which may impede output
- Can be more expensive than comparable models
Weight
A commercial pizza oven can be very heavy weighing over 300 kg which means you need to make sure the food truck or mobile trailer you are putting it can hold a certain amount of weight.
Portability
If you are just starting out and want to test the market and don’t want to shell out thousands on a top-end commercial pizza oven that weighs a ton, then it’s worth considering smaller, cheaper, and more portable models.
This can give you the flexibility for example to place it on a countertop under a gazebo, which means you won’t even need a food truck (which is another large expense).
Price
Mobile pizza ovens can range from as little as $700 for portable countertop models all the way up to $10,000 and beyond for wood-fired and gas ovens that are fitted inside a food truck or mobile pizza trailer.
It’s therefore a good idea to think about where you are in your mobile catering business and whether you can justify making such a large purchase or can get away with initially using a light-commercial model to test the market.
2. Gozney Roccbox Portable Outdoor Pizza Oven
Features:
- Power: Gas or Wood
- Weight: 24 kg
- Pizza capacity – 1 x 14″
- Heat up time – 20-30mins
- 19mm thick stone floor
- insulation
- SafeTouch silicone jacket
- Dual Fuel
- Built-in thermometer
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Budget-friendly
- Sleek design
- Dual-fuel
- Retractable legs
- Good for countertop
Con’s:
- Light commercial use
- Wood burner attachment sold separately
First up is the Gozney Portable Outdoor Pizza Oven and my pick for the best budget model for a food truck.
It can be powered using gas or wood and has a built-in thermometer so you can keep an eye on the temperature. It also weighs only 24kg and has retractable legs which makes it very portable so you can have it not just inside a food truck but also under a gazebo on a tabletop surface.
The main downside with this model is as it’s at the lower end of the budget for a commercial pizza oven you can only cook up to 1 x 14″ pizzas at a time which means it’s only suitable for light commercial use at smaller events. The gas burner is also sold separately from this model which increases the total price.
3. Ooni Koda 16 Propane Pizza Oven
Features:
- Power: Propane gas
- Weight: 18.2 kg
- Heat up time – 20 mins
- Cooking time – 60 seconds
- Pizza capacity – 1 x 16″
Pros:
- Fast heat-up time
- Lightweight
- Good for countertop use
Con’s:
- Propane sold separately
- Not dual-fuel
The Ooni Koda 16 Propane Pizza Oven is a similar type of pizza oven to the Gozny but offers a little bit more in terms of functionality.
It also has retractable legs and at 18kg is lighter than the Gozney which means this is a good model for transporting between different areas of your setup, such as from inside your food truck and onto a table inside a gazebo.
It also has a larger cooking capacity of 16″ (compared to 14in) and a faster heat-up time of 20 mins (compared to up to 30 mins) which means you can get set up and serve customers quicker.
The main drawback of this model is it can only be powered by propane gas. Whilst this does offer more control over temperatures and a faster cooking experience, it could be an issue for some who want to use charcoal or wood.
4. Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven
Features:
- Power: Wood, charcoal, gas
- Weight: 28.4 kg
- Heat up time – 15 mins
- Cooking time – 60 seconds
- Pizza capacity – 1 x 16″
- Insulated oven body
- Mounted digital thermometer
- Viewflame technology
Pros:
- Multi-fuel
- Fast heat uptime
- Good for countertop
Con’s:
- Gas burner sold separately
- Heavier than similar models
The Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven produces the same size pizza as the Ooni Koda pizza oven but with a few more features.
It can be powered using wood, gas, and charcoal (as opposed to just gas), heats up to cooking temperature faster than the Koda at only 15 mins, and has view flame technology which is a full glass see-through door so you can keep an eye on how your pizza is cooking.
And despite being slightly heavier than the Koda model at 28 kgs it’s still very portable and good for placing on a range of tables and countertops.
However, the main downside for me about this model is like the Gozny pizza oven you have to buy the gas burner separately.
5. MAXIMUS Wood-Fired Pizza Oven
Features:
- Power: Wood
- Weight: 55 kg
- Heats up time – 30 mins
- Cooking time – 60 seconds
- Pizza capacity – 2 x 12″
- Firebrick floor tiles
- Internal stainless steel liner
Pros:
- Free Accessories
- Brick design
Con’s:
- Relatively heavy
- Stand sold separately
The MAXIMUS Wood-Fired Pizza Oven is a step up in terms of cooking capacity where you can cook up to 2 x 12″ pizza at a time. This doubles your serving capacity making it more suitable for higher footfall events.
It comes with free accessories such as a baking dish, pizza peel, fire retention guard, and spare fire brick and you don’t have to buy any other bits of equipment with it, unlike the gas burners for the Gozny and Ooni models, so it’s pretty much good to go straight out of the box.
The only real negative I can see with this model is that it’s a pretty basic model and lacks some of the features of the other models. It also only runs on wood which may be an issue for some people who want more choices on how to power their mobile pizza oven.
Related articles:
- What Equipment Do I Need For A Food Truck?
- 5 Best Commercial BBQ Grills
- 7 Most Profitable Food Truck Items
6. Alfa Quattro Pro Top Wood-Fired Pizza Oven
Features:
- Power: Gas, wood
- Weight: 195 kg
- Heats up time – 30 mins
- Cooking time – 60 seconds
- Pizza capacity – 3 x12″
- 70 pizzas per hour (cooking load)
- Strong stainless steel and refractory tiles
Pros:
- Dual fuel
- 3 x 12″ pizza at a time
Con’s
- Expensive
- Heavy (pizza trailer needed)
- Flue and cap are sold separately
The Alfa Quattro Pro Top Wood Fired Pizza Oven provides an even larger pizza cooking capacity than the Maximus pizza oven.
You can cook up to 3 x 12″ pizzas at a time which according to the manufacturers equates to 70 pizzas per hour, making this model a good choice for food trucks in high-footfall locations.
The main negative with the Alfa Pro is that it’s a heavy commercial pizza oven which means you will need to retrofit it inside your food truck, making sure you take into consideration weight limits or buy a separate mobile pizza trailer to transport it.
The flue and cap are also sold separately from the main oven which seeing as this is a pizza oven at the top end of the market seems like these items should be included in the cost of the main unit.
7. Alfa Quick Pro Pizza Oven with Base
Features:
- Power: Gas, wood, hybrid
- Weight: 330 kg
- Heats up time – 40 mins
- Cooking time – 60 seconds
- Capacity – 6 pizza
- 110 pizzas per hour
- Dual-fuel
Pros:
- High output model
- Comes with a base and wheels
Con’s:
- Very heavy (pizza trailer needed)
- Top-end of budget
- Comparatively longer heat-up time
Last but certainly not least is the mammoth Alfa Quick Pro Pizza Oven with Base. This is at the top end of the commercial pizza ovens for food trucks, which can be powered by gas, wood, or a hybrid of both.
It has a cooking capacity of 6 pizzas at a time and can crank out up to 110 pizzas per hour making it the ultimate pizza oven for keeping up with large orders in high-footfall areas. It also comes with a sturdy cast iron base to house the pizza oven on top which means it is pretty much ready to be installed inside a food truck.
The main downside with this model for me is as it’s at the top end of the budget it is quite costly so may not be suitable for someone just starting out or on a tight budget.
It’s also very heavy and not portable like the Gozny and Ooni models which you can set up in a number of different places aside from inside a food truck or mobile food trailer.
And as this is such a heavy model at 330kgs it’s a good idea to get advice from a food truck manufacturer to find out about the weight restriction for your vehicle so you don’t damage your food truck or trailer when installing it.
8. Pizza food truck & trailer manufacturers
Because some of the pizza ovens for food trucks on the list are very heavy (the 2 Alfa models for example) and may need specialist installation I’ve included a list of some food truck manufacturers that specialize in installing pizza ovens below.
A & R Willis Catering Trailers
Related articles:
9. Key Takeaways
If you are just starting out and are working with tight budgets I recommend going for the Ooni Koda 16 Propane Pizza Oven
It’s at the lower end of the budget and once you purchase the additional propane gas, has everything you need to start making mobile pizza and test the market. It’s also very lightweight and highly portable which means you don’t need an additional mobile pizza trailer to house it and can move it from inside a food truck and onto a table inside of a gazebo.
If however, you are more established and/or have a higher budget to work with go for the Alfa Quattro Pro Top Wood-Fired Pizza Oven or the Alfa Quick Pro Pizza Oven with Base models. There are some of the best commercial pizza ovens for food trucks and trailers on the market and are high-output models making them a good choice for cranking out pizzas in high volume.
However, you will need a specialist to install these types of pizza ovens so make sure you contact a food truck manufacturer to check weight limitations and specifications.
