Best Alfa Pizza Ovens Review – 5 Alfa Forni Pizza Ovens as Reliable Investment
With Alfa pizza ovens, the fusion of traditional Italian craftsmanship with modern technology brings commercial-grade results that other portable pizza ovens sometimes fail to achieve. I mean, for example, Alfa Moderno stands shoulder to shoulder with Ooni Karu 16 and Gozney Dome, which are already the heroes of the market.
Factually, in terms of performance, the specific Alfa Oven can surely give Ooni Karu 16 and Gozney Dome a run for their money in many departments.
However, Alfa ovens aren’t for budget users. The whole line-up of Alfa Forni Pizza ovens consists of versatile indoor and outdoor pizza-making appliances. But to find what suits your needs better, I am going to pick 5 of the legendary and best Alfa ovens to align them with your purpose.
In a Time Crunch? Want to Make A Quick Decision? Here are the Best Alfa Pizza Ovens In 2 Minutes!
We know that some hyperactive souls may not feel comfortable going deep into each Alfa pizza oven review in a quest to find the best for their pizza journey. So, here is a quick overview: We picked 2 Alfa Ovens for domestic and commercial purposes. So let’s shed some light on these one-by-one.
For domestic usage, Alfa Ciao is our winner, while Alfa Allegro wins it in the commercial category. And yes, we can tell the characteristics of our winner at our fingertips
Alfa Ciao:
- Widest cooking area in midrange category
- Simplistic but highly practical with premium build and insulation materials
- Most fuel efficient in the family
- Light weight in the league
- Can cook multiple pizzas in one go
Comparing it with Alfa 5 Minuti and Nano One, this one certainly has many distinctions. While edging out with lightweight, wider cooking space, and great insulation materials, it can certainly cook more than one pizza simultaneously. Apart from that, it gives you the most efficient fuel economy as an Alfa wood-fired pizza oven. However, if you want to counter higher volumes, it may not rightly fit your purpose. This is where our second winner comes in, which is Alfa Allegro
Alfa Allegro:
- Most spacious 40” cooking space in the league
- Can cook 5 medium size pizzas in one go
- Quickly become live for action; within 10 minutes
- Super gigantic and robust
It’s an upgraded version of Alfa 4 Pizze and can cook 5 pizzas at one time. Apart from this, where big ovens struggle to achieve quick preheating temperatures, this Alfa Forni giant becomes ready in 10 minutes, even while countering harsh weather conditions well
5 Best Alfa Pizza Ovens as Reliable Investment for Your Pizza Adventures
While Alfa has a huge lineup of pizza ovens with different specs and intent, here are 6 best Alfa pizza ovens I have chosen with my experience with these appliances.
- Alfa Forno 4 Pizze: Large pizza oven, can cook multiple badges of pizzas (exactly 4 Pizzas) at once. Ceramic fiber insulated, Mainly known for its quickest preheating turnover.
- Alfa 5 Minuti: Compact, Relatively Portable, and user-friendly. Mainly known for cooking pizza just five minutes.
- Alfa Ciao: A most lightweight in Alfa Ovens midrange Lineup. Mainly known for its easy assembly, portability and commercial grade results.
- Alfa Allegro: Sibling of Alfa Forno 4 Pizze with more capacity to handle, Commercial grade oven for those who need to serve volume. A multiple purpose appliance for roasting and cooking big menus like big cakes and turkey.
- Alfa Moderno: A legend in the family, budget-friendly dual fuel, fantastically insulated, much practical and a great performer.
Know these ovens quickly but in great details:
Alfa Forno 4 Pizze | Alfa 5 Minuti | Alfa Ciao | Alfa Allegro | Alfa Moderno | Alfa Nano | |
Size | Large Dome | Compact | Compact | Large | Compact | |
Weight | 315lbs | 188lbs | 176lbs | 343lbs | 77lbs | |
Intent | Commercial Grade cooking for handling Volume | Space-saving design with good practicality | Identical to Alfa 5 Minuti | Commercial Grade cooking for handling large volumes | Budget-friendly with Excellent Cooking abilities | |
Fuel Type | Wood | Wood | Wood | Wood | Gas (LP) | |
Temperature Reach/ Preheat Time | 1000F/20 minutes | 1000F/15 minutes | 1000F/15 minutes | 1000F/20 Minutes | 1000F/20-30 Minutes | |
Insulation type | Ceramic Fiber | Ceramic Fiber and Refractory tiling | European Ceramic fiber | European Ceramic fiber, Powdered coating | Proprietary mix of European Ceramic Fiber insulation | |
Practicality | Perfect for Handling Volume in compact space | Compact and highly safe | Compact and highly safe | Perfect for Handling large gatherings | For budget users having small family | |
Pros | Robust Build Quality, Excellent heat retention, Lightning fast speed to deliver pizzas, | Space-saving design, tremendously insulated, cook multiple pizzas at once | Space-saving design and relatively light weight, consume less fuel, cook multiple pizza at once | Spacious cooking bay, Preheat in manageable timing, can cook large batch of pizzas in one go | Relatively budget-friendly and light weight, good cooking quality, | |
Cons | Higher Cost, Overkill for small family, bulky to move without a cart | Pricey considering fuel option, may struggle for large parties | Pricey considering fuel option, may struggle for large parties | Consume considerable fuel, heavy to move without a cart, design all-same with rest of Alfa Ovens | Small burner, preheat a little slower than its siblings | |
1. Alfa Oven 4 Pizze
Why Do We Choose This:The primary reason to grab this Alfa outdoor pizza oven is that it fulfills the purpose of cooking a large batch of pizzas without taking up a huge chunk of your backyard space. And to add a bit more flair to practicality, the space-saving design coupled with double ceramic fiber insulation makes it one of the safest ovens in the outdoor pizza oven niche. Sure, considering the price, the design might seem a little old-school. But if you’re someone who heavily relies on purpose and practicality, this baby hulk of pizzas can serve the purpose nicely.
Who’s it For: Outdoor pizza cafes, big families, users with naughty pets and kids, bakeries and restaurants, authentic Neapolitan lovers
Who Should Avoid It: Users looking for highly portable ovens in outdoor niche, dual-fuel lovers, small families, low-moderate budget users,
Best Selling Points of Alfa Forni 4 Pizze Oven:
- Fantastic Practicality: As a wood outdoor oven, it’s portable and spacious enough to cook multiple pizzas at once, especially when comparing it to big and stationary wood-fired ovens.
- Mind-Blowing Heat Retention: With double-layered ceramic fiber insulation and refractory bricks, the heat retention is sublime. One more mentionable point here is the patented Heat Genius Technology.
- Highly Robust Engineering: The 315lbs oven is sturdily built with high-gauge stainless steel that withstands the test of time.
Alfa Forni 4 Pizze oven comes 2nd in the lineup, considering the bigger size and capacity. The main thing that’s noticeable right away is the larger cooking space. With a 31-1/5 x 23-3/5″ cooking area, the manufacturer says it can cook 4 medium-sized pizzas. However, as it’s a wood variant, I found 3 pizzas at one time more practical than the marketing claim.
But set that aside for a minute! Do you prioritize durability and performance over anything else? The high-gauge, powder-coated stainless steel body, with double ceramic fiber insulation and ceramic refractory tiling, leaves no questions regarding its quality. And while it can handle 3-4 pizzas at once, it can deliver 12-13 pizzas in 15 minutes.
Quite lightning fast!
Yes, it adds some substantial weight to its body. However, this contributes to appreciable heat retention and endurance against harsh weather conditions. Our guy Brian said it didn’t transfer any harmful amount of heat to its outer shell while hitting 800F under the dome.
Moreover, the cumbersome weight doesn’t let practicality fade away. I mean, when we compared the spacious cooking floor and movable cart to stationary, big wood-fired ovens, it’s definitely a way ahead appliance.
The only point that might be a turnoff is that it’s not a pretty face with an analogue pyrometer. It could be a bit off-putting for aesthetics lovers, but for individuals looking to invest in a purposeful machine, Alfa 4 Pizze Oven aligns with your purpose.
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Best Alternative to Alfa Forni 4 Pizze Oven – Clementi Family Wood Pizza Oven:
To counter the Forni 4 Pizze oven, here is the Clementi Family wood oven. It comes in 3 sizes, allowing you to cook multiple pizzas to suit different needs. I have picked the Clementi Family 80×100, which can cook 5 pizzas at a single time. Though it’s bigger in size, it somewhat takes longer than the 4 Pizze to preheat, reaching a max of 400C or 750F. On the other hand, it’s much larger and also a 500lbs appliance that is definitely tough to move without a cart. But when it comes to heat retention, I found both ovens quite similar in terms of maintaining temperature and cooking quality
2. Alfa 5 Minuti Pizza Oven
Why Do We Choose This: You know why it caught my immediate attention? It’s because of the larger space for making multiple pizzas at once, better fuel consumption, and the same great build quality. Due to these factors, I ranked it higher than the Alfa One oven, which comes with a similar price tag but can only cook one pizza at a time. Apart from this, true to its name, it becomes operational within 5 minutes, which is super practical when your little ones can’t wait even a minute longer.
Who’s it For: Impatient Pizza lovers, moderate budget users looking for good value-to-money, Small families, Beginners who have some budget to get started,
Who Should Avoid It:Limited Cooking Space, Users looking for more versatile oven, large commercial gatherings.
The Best Selling Points of Alfa 5 Minuti Pizza Oven:
- Super Quick to Get Charged: Though it attains its highest temperature reach in 15 minutes, getting operational in 5 minutes is super Wow for impatient pizza lovers.
- Good Fuel Consumption: With an average 6 pounds/hour fuel consumption, it’s more than good for a wood-fired oven that can cook multiple pizzas at once.
- Robust Build Quality: Like its sibling, Alfa 5 Minuti pizza oven features ceramic fibre insulation and a thick gauge stainless steel body to ensure a great endurance against tough circumstances.
“Aesthetically, the bold red color of the 5 Minuti pizza oven is a definite attraction for those who love strong hues. But there’s so much more to this oven than just its color. The most practical aspects are its capacity and the rapid ability to turn raw dough into hot, piping crispy crust.
Alfa One is legendary, there is no doubt about that. However, with all the add-ons, it turns into a $2K appliance that can only cook one large pizza at a time. If you want similar robustness, exceptional heat retention that saves a good amount of fuel, can combat harsh weather conditions, and above all, has multiple pizza capacity, then the 5 Minuti pizza oven should definitely be a top priority. And Let’s Guess The best part? All these qualities come at almost the same price as the Alfa One.
What really caught our attention was the 5-minute get-set-go feature of this Alfa pizza oven. That means, it becomes operational in just 5 minutes. In our testing, Brian told us that the oven got sparked up using some premium red oak and a handful of small kindling, giving it a good 10-minute burn to really ignite those flames. Within 5 minutes, it easily reached 500F, while the internal temperature soared to 850F, even peaking at 950F within 20 minutes—a truly excellent feat.
With that being said, the 23.6” wide cooking space allows you to cook 2 large or 3 personal pan pizzas at a single time. Whatever arrangement you follow, it can deliver 6-8 pizzas in 15 minutes, which is a quite good number when it comes to serving small gatherings or families
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Best Alternatives to Alfa 5 Minuti Pizza Oven – Chicago Brick Oven – Americano
If you’re looking for something slightly less expensive, yet more muscular and stylish, the Chicago brick oven might better serve your purpose. Plus, it’s UL and NSF4 standards certified, which adds a layer of trust to this appliance. It’s somewhat smaller in cooking capacity, but that’s often negligible. The main thing to note is that it’s heavier than the Alfa 5 Minuti, which might make portability a concern for those who want to change the pizza location often. However, both ovens can reach 1000F and cook multiple pizzas at the same time. What we particularly liked about the Americano brick oven was its internal mechanism and burner layout, which seemed more manageable and fancier than the Alfa oven.
3. Alfa Ciao Pizza Oven
Why Do We Choose This: When you’re finding it hard to decide between Alfa 5 Minuti and Nano One, let me make it decisive with one more Alfa oven, which is Ciao. Out of all these, I consider this pizza oven a better value provider due to its relatively extensive cooking space powered by a lightweight chassis. Plus, it’s more fuel-efficient than 5 Minuti, making it more favorable for users who keep a close eye on operational costs. And if all these features don’t sound overwhelming to you, Ciao is also better at aesthetics with two color options.
Who’s This Best For: Users looking for fuel efficient outdoor pizza oven, Home Cooking Enthusiasts, Moderate Budget Shoppers, Small to Medium-Sized Families, beginners
Who Should Avoid It: Commercially Intended users, Big families, Users looking of hybrid fuel system
The Best Selling Points of Alfa Ciao Pizza Oven:
- Relatively Spacious Cooking Area in Alfa’s CounterTop Lineup: Racing beyond Other Alfa Pizza ovens like Nano One and 5 Minuti, Ciao enjoys a bigger cooking space standing at almost 28”.
- More Fuel Efficient: Minuti 5 is considered as fuel efficient with 6 pounds/hour consumption. Ciao does it better with almost 5 pounds/hour.
- Attractive Physical Features: Though it’s overall similar to the rest of the Alfa family, the two colors option and relatively lesser weight further enhance its value-to-money score.
You may have seen above that Ciao stands above both Alfa Nano and 5 Minuti in terms of physical characteristics and performance. However, it looks quite similar like its other siblings which is a bit of a turn off for those who want something unique while spending a moderate budget of 2K$.
Talking about the performance of this appliance, it’s not that quicker than 5 Minuti but powerful enough to reach 950F under 20 minutes. With iconic ceramic fiber insulation and interchangeable refractory tiles, we attained 850F in almost 18 minutes in our testing facility.
With that said, the manufacturer says, it’s the most fuel efficient Alfa pizza oven in the family. Ideally, we used 4-5 pounds of wood log after every 8-9 minutes to maintain the 700F operational temperature.
Body-wise, it isn’t that big. However, the roomy interior is the most spacious among 5 Minuti and Alfa Nano. The 27.5” inches wide cooking space lets you cook 3 personal pan pizzas easily while 2 large or one small pizzas can be cooked with little compromise on space.
But we tried 2 14” pizzas and it was quite handy to manage these pizzas simultaneously. So with these numbers, we got 4-6 pizzas within 10 minutes which is an excellent number to serve a gathering of 8-10 persons.
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Best Alternatives to Alfa Ciao – Gozney Dome
While Ciao offers good value for money in terms of performance and safety, it lacks style, futuristic features, and a hybrid fuel option. These shortcomings are all addressed in the Gozney Dome, which is also a moderately-priced countertop oven for domestic use. The hybrid fuel system, digital thermometer, and modern design for managing wood logs make this popular pizza oven the most intelligently-designed, practical outdoor pizza appliance.
With all these perks, it’s much lighter in weight, weighing in at only 128lbs. However, Ciao wins big when it comes to cooking multiple pizzas at once. Dome falls short in this area, as it only has 16-18” of usable cooking space compared to Ciao’s spacious 27” cooking area. If you want to handle volume, Ciao is the way to go. However, if style and other details matter to you, Dome beckons you to pick it
4. Alfa Forni Allegro
Why Do We Choose This: If you want something even more substantial than the Alfa 4 Pizze pizza oven, consider the Allegro, with 40” of cooking space that can handle 5 pizzas at a single time. With this capacity, it’s a multipurpose Alfa oven that can cater to both domestic and commercial needs, churning out almost 16 pizzas in 15 minutes. But be prepared; you’ll need some strong hands to move this thing, as it weighs almost 500lbs with its metallic base
Who’s it For:Big families, Cafes, Bakeries and Restaurants, users with budget not their primary concern, bigger backyard owners
Who Should Avoid it: Moderate budget users with small backyard space, users who are poor at managing fuel consumption
The Best Selling Points of Alfa Forni Allegro:
- Mighty in Size but in Performance too: While this is definitely not the smallest thing, it still reaches a scorching 350c in less than 10 minutes – Quickly setting a base for initial batches of pizzas.
- Great Practicality: For domestic pizza fanatics, and commercial bakeries, this pizza oven is a one-stop solution for all your “Pizza” needs.
- Robust, Safest, and Quickest: With interchangeable refractory tiles, Ceramic fiber insulation, and the biggest cooking space, it cooks pizzas with great safety and swiftly.
Well, the Allegro is the biggest in the hall, boasting a belly that can hold 5 pizzas at one time. With almost 40” of cooking space width, this Alfa wood-fired pizza oven is surely a win for many outdoor commercial kitchens and domestic pizza parties alike.
We tested this big guy at our facility, and there were some stunning revelations. One of these was the speedy rise in temperature despite having a massive cooking area; usually, bigger ovens require a long preheating time. We reached almost 300°C within 10 minutes and 850°F within 20 minutes. That’s surely a high standard, considering the single fuel capability and the large cooking area to cover.
To continue further, you can easily cook 3 family-size and 1 small pizza. We tried 4 medium 12” and 1 personal pizza in this Alfa oven, and all of them came out to perfection. However, you should be careful and highly attentive when rotating pizzas timely.
As for the safety and build quality part, do you really think there are questions about these? Well, with double European ceramic fiber insulation and thick powder-coated stainless steel, this 500lbs (with a movable cart) Alfa pizza oven is the safest and most robust appliance in the whole family.
You’ll certainly need 2-3 strong individuals to move this thing without a cart.
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Best Alternative to Alfa Forni Allegro Oven – Chicago CBO 750
With every large Alfa oven, Chicago seems to offer straight competition. This time, it’s an Allegro vs. Chicago CBO 750 battle. I must say, both ovens are somewhat similar in terms of cooking space and performance. However, Allegro remains comparatively more affordable when chosen as a base countertop oven without the moving cart. In contrast, the Chicago CBO 750 only comes with a cart, making it more expensive in comparison with Allegro. But if you set this difference aside, both ovens are strong performers in their respective leagues.
5. Alfa Moderno
Why Do We Choose This: The main reason for choosing this oven? In fact, we have a variety of reasons. First and foremost, it’s the most affordable among all the Alfa pizza ovens we selected in this series. Secondly, although it’s the smallest one, it’s a strong performer in its category. And last but not least, it’s a gas variant, standing out in a lineup dominated by Alfa wood-fired pizza ovens. With this combination of factors, it’s no surprise that this modern oven was certainly a top choice.
Who’s it For: Budget users, small families, non-techie beginners, Users looking for an efficient gas oven, congested spaces, family picnics
Who Should Avoid It: Extremely tight budget under a grand, moderate family size, authentic smoky and wood pizza lovers.
The Best Selling Points of Alfa Moderno:
- Inexpensive Yet Efficient in the Family: If you want to stay away from inexpensive ovens which struggle when temperatures drop, Moderno is your go-to pizza oven.
- Superb Insulation Brings Impeccable Heat Retention: The lowest pricing doesn’t let it get compromised on Alfa’s Patent Heat Genius technology and Ceramic Fiber insulation that are key to Impeccable heat retention.
- Pretty Easy To Operate: With simple Gas ignition, beginners find it creamy to make it operational within no time.
Don’t underestimate this pizza oven. Even though it’s the smaller one in the lineup, it still has features comparable to its elder siblings. The relatively lower price tag doesn’t mean Moderno can’t reach 1000°F to cook a Neapolitan or artisan crust; it can achieve 450-500°C within 25-30 minutes.
Granted, it’s a bit slower compared to the more expensive Alfa 5 Minuti pizza oven, but the Moderno is designed for smaller families and compact backyards and kitchens. Its cooking area is just 15.5″ wide, allowing for only one 12″ pizza at a time, although we managed to cook a 14″ pizza in our experimentation.
Setting that aside, some ovens like Ooni Karu 16″ and Roccbox, priced under $1000, may struggle in harsh winter conditions. Moderno stands firm like a champion due to its robust heat retention technology and ceramic fiber insulation, which are core reasons for excellent heat retention. We appreciate that even as a budget entrant in the Alfa ovens lineup, Moderno still possesses patented technology and potent insulation features to outperform the competition.
The only thing we missed here is the hybrid fuel system, which is available in the less expensive Ooni Karu 16. However, that might not be a deal-breaker, as Moderno fulfills most of the purposes of a dual-fuel option through its robust heat retention.
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Best Alternative to Alfa Moderno – Ooni Karu 16:
There’s a significant price difference between these two ovens, but if you prioritize aesthetics, functionality, and a dual fuel feature, the Ooni Karu 16 offers better value and performance. However, it doesn’t have as robust a construction, so heat retention might not be its strongest suit, especially when compared to Alfa Forni pizza ovens. But if you’re skilled at managing temperatures and want to add a smoky touch to your pizza flavors, the Ooni Karu 16 again wins this battle.