Setting Up Your Outdoor Kitchen: Pizza Oven Edition

If the kitchen is the heart of a home, an outdoor kitchen, then, has the power to transform your backyard or terrace into an essential gathering space.

Building one immediately opens up your outdoor space to new uses, blurring the lines between utility and recreation.

Creating one of your own doesn’t need to be a major affair, either. Just like an Ooni oven, sometimes the best outdoor kitchens are designed to adapt to your whims. Maybe you need an L-shaped counter to best fit your space on a daily basis, but for a particular dinner, an island setup is just the ticket. For this kind of flexibility, a permanent installation just won’t cut it.

That’s why we created Ooni modular tables, which can be set to fixed or mobile settings by adding or removing casters. Two sizes (large and square or the slightly narrower medium table) for a close-to-custom fit, while modular features like connector kits (which, as you might guess, connect two or more tables), and hook and storage attachments for keeping your cooking essentials close at hand.

Now, choosing a spot for your outdoor kitchen might seem intuitive, but there are a few factors that make a big difference in the final result. Keep these six things in mind and you’ll end up with a setup that works for everything from cosy weeknight dinners to epic celebrations:

• Use your protection. Find a spot that’s somewhat sheltered from the wind to avoid unnecessary flare-ups and keep your oven at temperature.
• Keep clear. For safety reasons, you want to situate your kitchen with at least a meter of clearance above and around your Ooni oven.
• Steady, steady. Make sure your cook station is sitting on a level surface, and if you’re using casters on your table, lock them into place. For a more fixed setup, the Ooni Foot Pack is a great tool.
• Visualise your flow. Think about how you’ll be using the space and where you’ll want to prep, cook and serve. When you’re churning out multiple pizzas, an Ooni topping station helps keep things streamlined.
• Take in the view. Aesthetics matter — for you as much as your guests — so look for a site that overlooks an especially nice area of your outdoor oasis.

An outdoor kitchen is one of the best ways to change the way you entertain, stripping away any notion of formality and turning every get-together into a festive affair. To help you on your way, we’ve gathered all of the essential Ooni gear you’ll need to trick out your enviable outdoor kitchen — and before you know it, you’ll be holding court over your Ooni pizza oven from your own dreamy outdoor cooking area.