Discover the latest backyard pizza trends from the 2025 Pizza Expo in Vegas, including new ovens and tips for making pizza at home.
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It’s officially convention season, and champion pitmaster Christie Vanover just got back from one of the most delicious shows of the year, the Pizza Expo in Las Vegas. While she’s already been to a handful of expos this year, this was her first time attending the Pizza Expo, and she said it was a pizza lover’s paradise.
From doughs to toppings, ovens and boxes, the expo showcased everything imaginable for making pizza. While much of the event catered to commercial and food service operations, Vanover was on the lookout for trends and tools relevant to backyard pizza makers and home cooks.
All the Dough, Cheese and Drizzle
Every type of flour and pre-made dough was on display. Sauce vendors offered everything from canned Italian tomatoes to fully prepared blends. There were cheese and cured meat exhibitors, and even a booth from Mike’s Hot Honey featuring a pizza-themed video game. Vanover also sampled flavorful hot honey from Local Hive.
There were pans for every pizza style: Detroit, Neapolitan, thin and crispy. Plus, commercial mixers and massive pizza ovens that reminded her of her dough-slinging days at Little Caesars.
What’s New for Backyard Pizza Lovers
Even though most of the expo focused on restaurants, two brands stood out for home pizza enthusiasts.
Ooni Pizza Ovens
Ooni is launching the Koda 2 Series, with larger models (up to 18 inches), dual propane burners and Bluetooth temperature monitoring. While it doesn’t measure stone temperature directly, it tracks the oven’s ambient heat, which is ideal for timing your next bake. These models are expected to launch in April and May.
Ooni is also stepping into dough-making with the Halo Pro Stand Mixer. Sleek and dough-focused, it offers spiral mixing and three attachments. It’s set to launch in April.
Gozney
Gozney’s new Tread pizza oven is a compact, portable model designed for 12-inch pizzas and even skillet cooking. With add-ons like a tripod stand, cutting board lid and carry bag, it’s made for pizza on the go.
Palermo’s and the Dough That Stopped Her
One unexpected standout was a sample from Palermo’s Pizza. The dough had a ciabatta-like quality – crispy outside, airy and chewy inside with a yeasty, earthy depth. Though the company currently targets retail and food service, there’s talk of launching crusts for home use this fall. Vanover plans to keep an eye on that.
A Slice with Sean Martin from Vindulge
One of Vanover’s favorite moments from the expo was reconnecting with Sean Martin of Vindulge. He and his wife Mary Cressler just released a new cookbook, Fire + Wine: Backyard Pizza, hitting shelves April 1.
The book features more than 40 pizza recipes, foundational doughs and sauces, and tips for using grills or pizza ovens at home.
“We got really excited about how pizza ovens are changing the game in terms of reasonable investments to make restaurant style, quality pizzas,” said Martin.
He said the number one mistake people make when making pizza at home is not realizing the importance of your, pizza stone.
“Using a pizza stone helps keep a regulated heat at the base of your pizza so you get even cooking. That pizza stone is important, and the temperature is the most important. So having the ability to understand what the temperature is so that you’re not burning your pizza before the toppings are cooked through or vice versa.”
Sean’s favorite pizza? The Diavola layered with spicy cured meats and pickled peppers, and a sweet sauce. Mary’s go-to? A classic Margherita paired with a crisp sparkling wine. In fact, all of the recipes are paired with wine suggestions in true Fire + Wine style.
Fire + Wine: Backyard Pizza will be available on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble, local bookstores or directly from the Vindulge website April 1.
Tech Talk with ThermoWorks
Kyle Halvorson from ThermoWorks also emphasized the importance of temperature.
“Temperature matters every time you cook a pizza,” he said. He walked Vanover through their infrared thermometers (IRK-2, IR Gun S, and Thermapen IR), which you point toward the stone to get an instant temperature reading.
He said the temperature will vary depending on your dough and process. “Some doughs cook better at 500F degrees, if they’re a little bit thicker,” Halvorson said. “And of course your Neapolitan with a thin crust, generally does better at about 800-900F degrees.”
Whether you’re a backyard pizza pro or just starting your homemade pie journey, the 2025 Pizza Expo brought plenty of inspiration to fire up your pizza game.
With new ovens, ingredients and resources like Backyard Pizza by Vindulge, making restaurant-quality pizza at home has never been more accessible.
