Sometimes you want the results of an outdoor cooking appliance without all the hassle that comes with actually cooking outside – especially when summer is drawing to an end. It's why indoor grills remain so popular, and indoor pizza ovens are starting to make a pretty convincing case for themselves too.
The Kenwood My Pizzeria arrived earlier this year as an option for anyone without the outdoor space – or budget – for one of the best outdoor pizza ovens. Despite its compact size, it can reach seriously high temperatures and isn't limited to pizza either, with Kenwood suggesting everything from quesadillas and flatbreads to toasties and pastries.
I couldn't wait to see whether it could actually deliver a proper pizza-oven experience from the comfort of my kitchen, and you'll find all my thoughts below.
Price and availability
The Kenwood My Pizzeria has an RRP of £150 and comes in either black or a metallic Storm Blue, the latter matching the colour found across Kenwood's Go collection.
However, it's already possible to find it for considerably less, including through Kenwood's own website and Argos, where it's currently priced at £99.
Design and features
The My Pizzeria measures 35.2 x 36 x 18.5cm and weighs just 4.7kg, so it's relatively compact. The body combines metal and plastic, and whilst it's still going to take up a decent amount of worktop space, it's light enough to move into a cupboard when you're not using it.
There are just two physical dials on the front, with one controlling the temperature and the other the cooking time. A ClearView window in the lid also means you can watch your pizza cook without constantly opening it and losing heat.
Inside, dual-sided heating elements allow the My Pizzeria to reach temperatures of up to 400°C. Having heat coming from above and below is designed to crisp the base whilst cooking the toppings at the same time, with Kenwood claiming pizzas can be ready in just a few minutes.
At the bottom sits a 30cm removable ceramic pizza stone, helping create the crispier base you'd expect from a dedicated pizza oven. Kenwood actually recommends allowing the stone to season naturally over time rather than trying to scrub it clean after every use. When it does need a clean, it can be removed and wiped down with a damp cloth.
You also get two split stainless-steel pizza peels in the box, which help with getting your pizza onto and off the hot stone, and they can also be used to scrape away any stubborn bits left behind afterwards.
As mentioned, Kenwood also suggests using the My Pizzeria for flatbreads, quesadillas, toasties, pastries and even s'mores, and it'll happily accommodate homemade, chilled and frozen pizzas. Whether you'll actually start baking s'mores in it every weekend is another matter, but it's good to have the option.
Performance
The Kenwood My Pizzeria is incredibly easy to use, and I think that's going to be one of its biggest appeals. You simply choose your temperature with one dial, set the cooking time with the other and let it get on with the job. Some people might prefer more precise digital controls, but I quite liked how straightforward everything was.
I was also pleased to see the ClearView window built into the top, although in practice I couldn't actually see a huge amount through it once everything was cooking. You can get a general idea of what's happening inside – and, crucially, whether your pizza is starting to burn – but don't expect a crystal-clear view as the name suggests.
There's a large handle across the top, which makes opening the oven easy, whilst the pizza stone itself has two handles so it can be lifted out when you need to clean it. There's plenty of room inside too, with the 30cm stone giving you enough space for even a large pizza.
For testing, I made my dough using the Ooni Halo Core Spiral Mixer, which I've covered in much more detail in my full review. Once proved, rolled out, topped and transferred into the My Pizzeria, I was particularly interested to see whether Kenwood's claimed four-minute cooking time would actually be enough.
Thankfully, I was really impressed with how evenly the pizza cooked, particularly underneath. Four minutes doesn't sound like much, and I've used pizza ovens before where the toppings start burning long before the dough underneath has properly cooked, but I didn't have that problem here. The stone did a great job of cooking the base through whilst the upper heating element took care of the toppings, leaving me with a crisp bottom rather than an unpleasantly doughy centre.
My first pizza was delicious, although four minutes was slightly too long for my personal preference. The crust had a little more charring than I usually like, so for my second attempt I dropped the cooking time to around three to three-and-a-half minutes. That was the sweet spot, giving me a nicely cooked base, melted toppings and just enough colour around the crust.
I'm also not someone who particularly enjoys the idea of seasoning pizza stones, cast-iron pans or anything else you're encouraged not to clean too thoroughly, so I decided I was going to give the ceramic stone a proper clean after its first use. By that point, it was covered in melted cheese, crumbs and burnt-on bits, and I was fully expecting a bit of a scrubbing session once everything had hardened.
Thankfully, it was far easier to clean than I expected. Once the stone had completely cooled, some warm water and a cloth lifted almost everything away with very little effort. The built-in handles make a difference too, as you can lift the whole stone out of the oven and clean it separately rather than awkwardly reaching inside.
Verdict
The Kenwood My Pizzeria doesn't try to overcomplicate things, and that's exactly why I enjoyed using it. However, most importantly, it produced a properly cooked pizza base without burning the toppings before the dough was ready. The viewing window could be better, but the removable stone is easy to clean and the whole experience requires very little effort. It's a great-value indoor option for anyone who wants speedy homemade pizza without investing in – or finding space for – a larger outdoor oven.
Alternatives to consider
If you like the idea of an indoor pizza oven but want something a little sleeker, the Caso Design PizzaChef 430 is another option. It can reach temperatures of up to 430°C using top and bottom heating elements and has a similarly compact footprint. However, its touchscreen display gives it a more contemporary feel compared to Kenwood's dials.
At the more premium end, there's the Ooni Volt 12. It's a considerably bigger investment, but it's worth considering if you want something slightly more advanced.
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