If you’re one of the very lucky ones who uses a proper outdoor oven for baking their pizza, then you might consider shopping for the best pizza oven thermometer. It’s a great investment both for wood- and gas-fired pizza ovens.
On top of that, if you’re at the level where you throw the dough in the air for a perfect distribution of thin dough, then I really envy you. I can’t even toss a pancake in the air. At least I make delicious dough for both.
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Best Pizza Oven Thermometer Reviews
The best pizza oven thermometer will always have to be chosen from infrared models simply because they’re perfect for this kind of job.
Most are also called laser infrared thermometer. The laser makes the aiming easier. Obviously, don’t point the laser into someone’s eye. I’m pretty sure that I didn’t have to warn you about that.
The good news is that some are also quite affordable and you can pretty much find them anywhere.
Now, let’s find the most accurate best pizza oven thermometer, hopefully one that won’t make us hot from the price tag.
1. Etekcity Infrared Thermometer: Overall Best Pizza Oven Thermometer
This is without a doubt one of the most popular pizza oven thermometers. There are a lot of people who are completely satisfied with it.
The first thing that you’ll notice is the really affordable price. You pretty much can’t get a better deal than this one. If you’re looking for something affordable, this might be the best pizza oven thermometer for you.
Let’s go over its features:
- measures temperatures between 58℉ to 1022℉ (-50℃ to 550℃), which is really nice
- has a response time of 0.5 seconds
- class 2 laser
- the distance between the thermometer and object of measurement should approximately be 14.17 inches (36cm) – a considerable distance
- you can use it to measure the surface temperature of various objects, including pizza ovens
- it also comes with a 9V battery that is preinstalled
- 2 years warranty – this is a surprising addition, especially for this price tag
We are not offered a margin of error but that’s not unheard of.
Now that we’ve gone over the main features, I want to talk to you about some of the complaints that users have regarding this model from Etekcity.
It seems that some people have trouble replacing the battery once it’s dead, this is a frequent complaint. As one reviewer said: he tried several new batteries, tested the connections, and nothing would work.
It will take a while before the battery is gone, depending how often you use it, but you must be aware of this potential problem.
Another complaint is regarding its accuracy. A user discovered that it can vary by 15-20 degrees sometimes. Even if it’s true, that won’t impact pizza making.
2. ennoLogic Temperature Gun: Expensive Pizza Oven Thermometer
This is a great option as the best pizza oven thermometer but the price is a bit on the expensive side.
It offers a wide measurement range: 58 degrees F to 1202 degrees F. That’s really high, which is exactly what we want.
The manufacturer also states that it has a ± 3.5°F margin of error, which is impressive. This is one of the most accurate models, as far as I can tell. And without costing a whole lot, like the ones manufactured by Fluke. Fluke is definitely a manufacturer to check out if you have a really big budget.
This ennoLogic Temperature Gun also has a 0.5 seconds response time and requires a 9V battery, which is included.
It also comes with two built-in laser pointers to precisely identify the target spot you’re pointing at.
The distance-to-spot is 10:1. That means that it will measure the temperature of a 1-inch diameter circle from 10 inches away. The distance is a bit short but it’s still pretty good.
What can I say? It’s pretty great, as long as you’re willing to spend a bit more.
3. ooni Infrared Thermometer Gun
ooni is a brand that needs no introduction to those who love baking their own pizza at home. While they make amazing pizza ovens, they also make a whole lot of other tools, like this infrared thermometer or awesome pizza peels, etc.
The ooni Infrared Thermometer Gun is not the cheapest but not the most expensive either. With a price under $50, we’ll call it moderately priced. Although, if you’re looking to spend a lot less, I recommend the Etekcity Infrared Thermometer or the really cheap ChengBangDa Laser Infrared Thermometer.
This ooni is accurate. It will show us exactly when our pizza stone or our big pizza oven is ready for our pies.
It works just like the others.
The ooni Infrared Thermometer Gun is a gun with laser pointer that allows to measure surfaces temperatures in a matter of seconds.
We simply aim the ooni at the surface we want to measure the temperature for and the reading will appear on the display screen.
If you’re measuring the temperature of a pizza stone, point the laser to the middle of the stone.
ooni recommends that we should aim for 752 degrees F (400 degrees C) if we want to cook a pizza in 60 seconds.
The backlit screen displays temperatures in both C and F with maximum reading 600°C / 1112°F and minimum -32°C / -25.6°.
All in all, the ooni Infrared Thermometer Gun is one of the best pizza oven thermometers without any doubt, it’s really great.
4. Klein Tools IR5 Dual Laser 12:1 Infrared Thermometer
Just like the ennoLogic Temperature Gun, the Klein Tools IR5 Dual Laser 12:1 Infrared Thermometer is another expensive option.
I like the ennoLogic a bit more if we talk about expensive picks for the best pizza oven thermometer but this Klein Tools isn’t all that bad either.
Still, I much prefer tools in the ranges of ooni or, even better, the more affordable Etekcity Infrared Thermometer.
In the end, it’s a matter of how much you’re willing to spend on a tool that measures surfaces temperatures.
The 12:1 is the optical resolution, the distance-to-spot. It means that we can measure from 12 inches away. Even the really cheap ChengBangDa Laser Infrared Thermometer offers the same feature.
This one from Klein Tools also includes dual-laser targeting.
It has a bunch of features, like: auto-scan; max/min/avg/diff; high/low alarm; backlit display; auto power-off.
On the other hand, I’m surprised by the measurement range.
We get a temperature range of -22-degrees to 752-degrees F (-30-degrees to 400-degrees C).
It’s a range that we find in much cheaper models but more expensive models tend to have a higher limit.
It uses a 9 volt battery. Life expectancy is 10 hours of continuous use, it will last a really long time. I like that we get a custom pouch and batteries.
5. Pwwdada Laser Infrared Thermometer: Cheapest Pizza Oven Thermometer
You really can’t get a much cheaper best pizza oven thermometer than this one from a manufacturer with a pretty funny name.
The price doesn’t exceed $10 by much, if you want an idea about just how cheap it is.
However, you should check out the large number of negative reviews before making the purchase.
It has some interesting features:
- accuracy: ±1.5% or ±1.5℃
- the distance to spot ratio is 12: 1 – you can measure from 12 inches away, a nice distance
- LCD screen is backlit
- °C/°F setting
- surprisingly, it even comes with a 2-year warranty
For some, the disappointment might be when they discover that they can only measure temperatures in the -58°F to 752°F (-50°C to +400°C) range.
That’s pretty much the temperature we bake Neapolitan pizza at. So, it’s all good.
My general advice is to get a model that measures at least 1,000°F. However, given how cheap the price for this pizza oven thermometer is, I will allow that smaller range.
If you really don’t want to spend a lot of money, consider it.
Best Pizza Oven Thermometer Buying Guide
Getting an infrared pizza oven thermometer is a top option if you’re looking for a device just for your pizza baking.
It measures temperatures from a distance so, you can measure both the heat from the floor and the heat radiating from the walls and the ceiling (air temperature).
What is an infrared thermometer?
This type has one primary purpose, which makes it perfect as the choice for the best pizza oven thermometer: to read surface temperatures. It will help you establish the hot and cold spots.
But you can also establish the air temperature, just based on how hot the floor is. I’ll tell you how in a minute.
It’s useful because you can measure from a distance, especially when we’re talking about how hot wooden- and gas-fired ovens get.
The first thing to make sure of when picking one up is that it’s capable of reading high temperatures, at least 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit as the top limit.
How do you use an infrared thermometer on a pizza oven?
Shoot the infrared gun at the floor of the oven and then you add 100 degrees to that. And that’s how you get how hot the air is, too.
If the floor is reading 600 degrees, then the air temperature is 700 degrees.
It’s important to know the air temperature because this is the one that melts the cheese and bakes the toppings.
That’s the best way of using an infrared thermometer on a pizza oven.
Here is a video that shows you exactly how it’s done. It’s a very short video of about a minute but it’s really helpful for complete beginners.
Why Use a Pizza Oven Thermometer
Let’s talk about pizza ovens more in-depth so that we can explain why buying the best pizza oven thermometer might be a good option for you.
Pizza ovens get really hot
If you aim to achieve a slight char on the bottom and perimeter of the crust, while ensuring that your toppings also get cooked, without burning any of them, then you might consider getting the best pizza oven thermometer to enhance your experience.
A pizza oven is without a doubt a thing of beauty. I’m absolutely fascinated whenever I see one being used. And a wood-fired pizza is the pinnacle because it gives a depth of flavor unlike any other.
Moreover, it’s one of the fastest ways to bake pizza.
Things move very quickly when you’re baking at 750 degrees Fahrenheit (almost 400 degrees Celsius). Where the fire is, the temperatures can reach 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (more than 500 degrees Celsius). That’s why the pizza is rotated as it bakes.
At these temperatures, a thin-crust pizza is done in two and a half minutes.
A Neapolitan one can be done in as little as 90 seconds.
As I said, things move incredibly quickly. You can feed a crowd in just a few minutes if you have everything set up.
Different pizzas require different temperatures
Another reason for buying the best pizza oven thermometer to use at home is that different pizzas are baked at different temperatures.
A Neapolitan-style pizza can be baked in 90 seconds or two and a half minutes tops.
But a Chicago-style deep dish pizza is cooked at lower temperatures for a longer period of time.
This can get a bit tricky to nail down without the help of a thermometer for pizza ovens.
Uniform heating
When it comes to these types of ovens, there are two factors to consider: surface temperature and air temperature.
This is where a thermometer for pizza ovens really comes in handy.
The baking is done from a combination of heat from the floor and the heat radiating from the walls and the ceiling.
The heat radiating from the walls and the ceiling is the one melting the cheese and baking the toppings.
If the air temperature is too hot, the toppings will burn before the other components get baked.
On the other hand, if the floor is too hot, the crust will burn before the toppings are cooked.
Wood-fired pizza ovens
It’s really hard to know exactly how hot it is just by guessing.
That’s because there are quite a lot of factors to consider: type of wood used, the quantity of wood burned, how long you’ve been heating the oven for, where the fire is placed.
You should start the fire in the middle and then push it to the back or the side 30 minutes before baking. It’s usually placed in the back.
If you don’t want to guess the temperature, consider checking out my recommendations for the best pizza oven thermometer.
Who doesn’t need to get a thermometer
It’s pretty clear that those who use a regular electric/gas oven don’t have to think about getting a pizza oven thermometer.
We’re just left with heating the oven on the highest heat setting possible (500 degrees Fahrenheit or maybe 525 – 260 or 274 degrees Celsius) for 30 minutes to an hour with a pizza stone or a baking steel inside. That’s not a bad replacement at all.
You could get a thermometer to measure the temperature of your baking steel or pizza stone but it’s not something absolutely necessary.
There are also countertop pizza ovens if you want another alternative. You don’t need to buy the best pizza oven thermometer for those either.
