Dual Fuel Pizza Ovens

Buying guide

A dual fuel (hybrid) pizza oven gives you the convenience of gas and the flavour of wood in one oven. Light the gas for a quick weeknight pizza; build a wood fire at the weekend. Here is how Fontana's hybrid ovens work and how to choose between them.

The Fontana hybrid ovens

Both have 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. Each listing shows the finishes available.

Family size

Margherita

Two pizzas at a time on a 60 x 60cm floor. The right size for most families.

See the Margherita

Entertaining

Mangiafuoco

Four pizzas at a time on an 80 x 60cm floor, for up to 6 place settings.

See the Mangiafuoco

How switching fuels works

Fontana's hybrids are supplied to run on bottled LPG (propane), with the gas hose and pressure regulator in the box. A hybrid conversion kit is also included so you can cook with wood instead. Follow the manual each time you change over.

Is dual fuel right for you?

• Choose dual fuel if you want quick, clean pizza most of the time and the option of a wood fire for flavour and slow roasting.
• Choose wood only if you will always cook with a fire and want to keep things simple: see wood-fired ovens, including the five-pizza Fontana Marinara.
• Choose gas only if you never want to handle wood or ash: the Fontana Maestro 60.

Gas safety

Use propane for cooking in cold weather, keep the cylinder outdoors, upright and away from the oven's heat, and leak test the joints with soapy water each season. Use the oven only outdoors in a well-ventilated area. If you want to run on natural gas, ask us first: any connection to your home supply must be made by a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Cooking with wood

When you switch to wood, burn dry hardwood split small, ideally kiln-dried, and never painted or treated timber. Build the fire in the centre, let the floor and dome heat through, then push it to one side and cook beside it. In England, firewood sold in volumes under 2 cubic metres must be certified Ready to Burn (20% moisture or less).

Cooking on gas or wood in a hybrid

On gas, the oven heats quickly and holds a steady temperature at the control, which is ideal for a run of pizzas on a weeknight or for practising your launch. On wood, you build the fire in the oven, let the floor and dome soak up heat, then cook beside the flames for a lightly smoky crust; as the fire dies back, the stored heat roasts vegetables and bakes bread. Many owners use gas most of the time and save wood for weekends and parties.

Countertop or trolley?

A countertop hybrid sits on a stable, non-combustible worktop, stand or masonry base, ideal for an outdoor kitchen. A trolley version stands alone on a wheeled base with a working shelf. Covers differ: the countertop Margherita takes Fontana cover SAF06 and the trolley version SAF03; the countertop Mangiafuoco takes SAF07 and the trolley version SAF04. See pizza oven covers.