Gas vs Wood Fired Pizza: A Crust-to-Crust Pizza Showdown

Did you know that over 70% of people say they love pizza so much that they wouldn't mind eating it for breakfast, too?

If you're a fan of pizza, you might be aware that there are two main ways of cooking it. These include wood ovens and gas ovens. You may think that there isn't much difference between the two, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

Are you on the fence regarding which type of pizza is the absolute best? Keep reading to learn all about the pros and cons of wood-fired pizza vs gas-fired pizza in this crust-to-crust showdown.

The Pros and Cons of Wood-Fired Pizza

Aside from toppings, the way pizza is cooked is often a source of passionate debate. As you might guess from its name, wood-fired pizza is cooked in an oven that uses exclusively wood. Just like it's important to use the right fuel in a car, it's also important to pick the right wood when preparing to cook the pizza.

It must be a type of hardwood and should be dry. If a restaurant uses wood that's wet, then there will be much more smoke than fire. At that point, the pizza will taste terrible, almost like a mouth full of ashes.

The types of dry hardwood a pizzeria can choose from include cherry, oak, maple, or even apple.

The right wood will end up creating a powerful open flame that can work wonders for cooking pizza in record time. This is also helped by the heat-containing properties of the wood oven itself. One downside is that it can take a while to heat up the oven initially but once an expert gets it going, it can create a wealth of delicious pizzas.

It's also important for the person operating the oven to control the intensity of the flame. Putting in too much wood can cause a flame that's so powerful it burns the pizza instead of cooking it.

The benefits of wood-fired pizza don't stop at the speed of cooking and the slightly smoky deliciousness of the food. These ovens also produce ashes from the wood that a person can use to fertilize their gardens. This is due to the ashes being rich in nutrients.

However, it's also important to clean the ovens on a regular basis. This includes the soot that can accumulate around the inner part of the oven and elsewhere.

The Pros and Cons of Gas-Fired Pizza

With a gas-fire pizza, it's crucial to emphasize that there's no wood involved in the process at all. Instead, the oven will use one of two possible gas choices. There's the option of natural gas or propane.

The benefit of a gas oven involves its ease of use. Instead of dealing with various kinds of wood and trying to find the ideal temperature, all someone needs to do is turn it on and set it to the desired level of heat. The other benefit is that it doesn't take as long to heat up as a wood oven.

Since there's no wood involved, you also don't need to worry about wiping up soot and ash residue. This makes cleaning the oven much easier in general. Depending on the type of gas oven, a pizzeria may even have a larger area in which to cook multiple pizzas.

The major downside of these conveniences is that they don't produce the best type of pizza. This is due to the lack of a smoky texture. The pizza may even have a more synthetic or unnatural taste.

Your experience with gas-fired pizza can end up differing depending on your specific palate.

Another one of the cons of a gas oven is that a professional must install it. If you don't set it up in a specific way, it can turn into a huge safety hazard. The last thing you'd want is for the gas oven to explode.

Where to Find the Best Pizza

All this talk of wood-fired vs gas pizza has most likely kickstarted your appetite.

Many pizzerias claim to have the best pizza in their town, but there are plenty of ways you can confirm or deny that claim. Whether you're looking for wood-fired pizza or gas-fired pizza, it's worth taking the time to look up online reviews from customers who have eaten there one or more times. This is the best way to get at least a general idea of what to expect in terms of price, quality, customer service, and more.

Be sure to pay attention to the pizzeria's accumulative rating as well. This can help quite a bit with narrowing down your list instead of being overwhelmed by all the options that are out there.

Of course, the only way to know for sure whether a pizza is worth it or not is to try it yourself. You could always go on a food tour in your hometown in search of the best type of pizza, or you could just stick with what everyone else raves about. Once you find the pizza that speaks to your soul and tastebuds, you can keep going back to your heart and stomach's content.

Are You Ready to Enjoy Wood-Fired Pizza?

Now that you've learned all about the pros and cons of wood-fired pizza vs gas-fired pizza, you can decide what your favorite is. Don't forget to share a pie or two with your loved ones.

Bella Roma Pizzeria Restaurant is known throughout St. Cloud, Florida, and beyond for its delectable pizza. Our experienced team uses authentic wood-fired techniques to give you a pizza that tastes like it was delivered from the heart of Italy.

Feel free to stop by one of our two convenient locations, order online, or contact us and ask about our popular catering options.

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