Buying guide
A countertop pizza oven is the natural partner for a built-in BBQ: it sits on your outdoor kitchen worktop or a masonry plinth and gives you a second, wood-fired way to cook. This page explains the Fontana countertop ovens, what the base needs and how to plan the space around one.
What is a countertop pizza oven?
Fontana makes its Margherita, Mangiafuoco and Marinara ovens in two versions: on a wheeled trolley, or as a countertop oven with no trolley that stands on four support feet. The countertop version is the one for outdoor kitchens, because it sits on a stable, non-combustible worktop, stand or masonry base you build to suit. The oven itself is the same: a stainless steel inner structure, a galvanised steel outer with Qualicoat powder coating (or stainless steel on stainless versions), a refractory chamotte floor and ceramic-fibre insulation.
Sizes and weights
| Oven | Fuel | Pizzas | W x D x H (mm) | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margherita | Wood, or LPG and wood | 2 | 780 x 855 x 1140 (dual fuel 1175) | 100kg |
| Mangiafuoco | Wood, or LPG and wood | 4 | 980 x 855 x 1140 (dual fuel 1175) | 135kg wood / 120kg dual fuel |
| Marinara | Wood | 5 | 980 x 1055 x 1140 | 150kg |
| Maestro 60 | Gas | 2 | 752 x 565 x 1050 | 58kg |
Heights include the flue and chimney cap. All three of the larger ovens have a 150mm top flue.
Outdoor kitchen
On a worktop
Set the oven on a non-combustible worktop beside the BBQ, with prep space either side.
Two pizzas
Margherita
The most compact Fontana wood-fired oven we sell, wood only or dual fuel.
The base and the space around it
- Strong enough. A Marinara weighs 150kg and a Mangiafuoco up to 135kg. Build the plinth or worktop to carry that comfortably.
- Non-combustible. Block, brick, concrete or stone, with a stone, concrete or tiled top. No timber or composite under or beside the oven.
- Clear above. Leave the flue and chimney cap open to the sky, away from branches and solid roofs.
- Working height. Set the oven floor at a comfortable height for the peel and leave space in front to work.
- Access. Keep the door and mouth clear, and plan where ash and logs will go.
Follow the clearances in the oven's manual. If you are building around a gas BBQ as well, our guide to modular and custom outdoor kitchens shows how to plan both.
Wood, dual fuel or gas?
Wood-only countertop ovens burn dry hardwood. Dual fuel Margherita and Mangiafuoco ovens run on bottled LPG with the hose and regulator supplied, and include a conversion kit for wood; Fontana says gas and wood must never be used at the same time. If the oven runs on gas, plan a ventilated space for the cylinder outdoors and away from the heat. The Maestro 60 is gas only. See dual fuel ovens.
Pairing it with a BBQ
Most outdoor kitchens pair a countertop pizza oven with a built-in gas BBQ: gas for quick grilling, wood for pizza and slow roasting. Keep the two far enough apart that each has the clearances its manual asks for, and that two cooks can work without getting in each other's way. A worktop between them gives a shared prep and serving area. See built-in BBQs.
Covers
Countertop ovens take Fontana's countertop covers, made to fit without a trolley: SAF06 for the Margherita, SAF07 for the Mangiafuoco and SAF10 for the Marinara.
A freestanding alternative
If you would rather not build a base, the Firepits UK Modular Kitchen Tall Pizza Oven stands at 125cm on its own steel base and is designed to sit alongside the Firepits UK fire bowl and work station as a modular outdoor kitchen. It weighs 118kg and is handmade in Wales from 3mm steel.
Common questions
What is the difference between a countertop and a trolley pizza oven?
The oven is the same. The countertop version has no trolley and stands on four feet on a worktop, stand or masonry base; the trolley version comes on a wheeled stand.
What base does a countertop pizza oven need?
A stable, level, non-combustible worktop, stand or masonry base strong enough for the oven: up to 150kg for a Fontana Marinara.
Can I build a pizza oven into a timber outdoor kitchen?
Not next to timber. Use block, brick, concrete or stone with a non-combustible top, and follow the oven's clearances.
Which countertop oven cooks the most pizzas?
The Fontana Marinara, five at a time on an 80 x 80cm floor.
Do countertop ovens come in dual fuel?
Yes. The Margherita and Mangiafuoco come as dual fuel countertop ovens that run on LPG or wood.
How tall is a Fontana countertop oven?
From 1050mm for the gas Maestro 60, and 1140mm (wood) to 1175mm (dual fuel) for the Margherita, Mangiafuoco and Marinara, including the flue and chimney cap.
Which cover fits a countertop Fontana?
Fontana countertop covers: SAF06 for the Margherita, SAF07 for the Mangiafuoco and SAF10 for the Marinara.
Can I put a pizza oven under a pergola?
Keep the chimney open to the sky and away from anything that can burn. Avoid solid roofs above the oven and follow the clearances in the manual.
Plan the whole kitchen
See built-in BBQs, masonry BBQs and other outdoor kitchen pieces, or send us your plans for a second opinion.