Pizza Oven vs BBQ: Which Is Better?

For decades, the humble BBQ has been the centrepiece of the British summertime. However, over recent years there’s been a definite shift in buying habits, as people look to upgrade their garden setup and create the ultimate space to entertain family and friends. 

Pizza ovens therefore have become an increasingly popular choice, transitioning from a niche specialist product to a must-have for food lovers and outdoor cooking enthusiasts, and they’ve fast positioned themselves as a fierce rival of the traditional barbecue.

The truth is, both have their strengths. But depending on the type of cooking experience you’re looking for, one may suit you better than the other.

The Biggest Difference

Probably the biggest difference between a BBQ and a pizza oven is how they generate heat. A traditional barbecue mainly cooks using direct heat from below, whether that’s charcoal, gas burners or wood, which makes them a great option for grilling meats and imparting that classic charcoal flavour many people associate with summer.

An Igneus pizza oven, on the other hand, uses wood as its fuel source. But here’s where things get really different. Rather than relying purely on heat underneath, they create an enclosed cooking environment where intense heat engulfs the food from all angles. This combination of radiant heat, direct heat and a hot stone floor allows pizza ovens to reach intensely high temperatures compared to BBQs.

That extra level of heat means an Igneus pizza oven can cook a pizza in as little as 60 seconds. Incredible right? When temperatures in a pizza oven reach an excess of 450°C, something magic happens. Dough aerates, bases crisp, and gnarly leopard spots appear. That heat is also what makes pizza ovens so effective for cooking steaks, roasted vegetables, flatbreads and even seafood. More on that below!

Versatility

While the ability to cook restaurant-quality pizza at home is the main attraction for many people initially, most owners quickly discover that a pizza oven can become one of the most versatile cooking appliances in the garden.

Pizza ovens are capable of cooking everything from incredible steaks and succulent fish to roasted vegetables, sumptuous casseroles, and even delicious desserts! The intense heat and live-fire cooking style can add flavour and texture that’s difficult to recreate in a standard kitchen oven. Gone are the days when a pizza oven would be considered a novelty appliance only used a handful of times a year. Instead, they’ve become a staple of the garden setup. They’re quick and easy to heat up too, which means no waiting around if you fancy a spontaneous meal cooked using real wood fire.

Of course, BBQ’s still hold some advantages in terms of their ability to handle higher volumes more easily. If you’re cooking for a large crowd, you’ll likely be able to grill more food at once than you’d be able to cook in a pizza oven. That said, some of the larger pizza ovens in the Igneus range, such as the Igneus Classico, Igneus Pro 600 and 750, as well as the Igneus Ceramiko Range, have big enough capacity to handle two or more roasting trays with ease.

Rather than replacing BBQs entirely, pizza ovens offer a different style of cooking experience that’s often fully appreciated once you begin exploring beyond pizza. One thing we would say, however, is that many of the foods traditionally cooked on a BBQ can also be cooked exceptionally well in a wood fired pizza oven. The same can’t always be said the other way around.

Which Creates the Better Outdoor Cooking Experience?

The experience factor plays a huge role in outdoor cooking. It’s not just about the end product; it’s about the experience in getting there, cooking for friends and family and enjoying it while you do so. That’s one of the main reasons why we think pizza ovens have become so popular in recent years; they create atmosphere. Cooking with a pizza oven naturally feels interactive and social. Guests often get involved by stretching dough, choosing toppings and watching pizzas cook in front of them within seconds.

Much like a BBQ, the visible flames create a real sense of theatre, but the novelty factor associated with a pizza oven really sparks people’s interest and enthusiasm. We think the overall experience of cooking with a pizza oven feels more engaging than simply placing food on a grill and waiting for it to cook.

That doesn’t take anything away from the traditional BBQ experience, which many people still love for its simplicity and familiarity.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to choosing between a BBQ and a pizza oven, there’s no outright winner because they both offer something different. At the end of the day, it all boils down to personal preference in terms of the styles of food you and your family enjoy eating, the kind of cooking you like to do, and the level of versatility you require.

Thanks for reading, and as always, if you’d like to learn more about the range of Igneus Pizza Ovens, or have any questions you need answering, our friendly team is here to help. Call us on 01423 575885 or explore our full range of ovens and pizza oven accessories here.