I’m a restaurant chef with over 10 years of experience at my restaurant, Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, and I’ve had the chance to test and use dozens of outdoor pizza ovens hands-on. In this article, I’ll be comparing the Member’s Mark Pizza Oven and the Alfa Futuro 2 side by side, since I’ve used both extensively in my kitchen. I evaluated them based on quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and I also conducted a real pizza cooking test to see exactly how long it takes to produce a great result.
If you’d like, you can also check out the separate article I wrote where I walk step by step through the full process of how I test pizza ovens.
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Member’s Mark Pizza Oven: An affordable, lightweight gas pizza oven designed for backyard cooks who want decent results without spending a fortune.
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Alfa Futuro 2: A high-end hybrid oven made in Italy, combining modern design with traditional wood-fired or gas-powered performance for serious pizza enthusiasts.
I tested both the Member’s Mark Pizza Oven and the Alfa Futuro 2 and shared a detailed comparison in this article.
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Winner
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Loser
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Our Rating:
4.3
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Our Rating:
4.7
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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- Offers good quality for its price
- Rounded top
- Lighter weight and with a smaller footprint
- Relatively easy to clean
- Slower to heat up, taking around 30-35 minutes to reach a max of about 750-800°F
- Bit more trial and error to get the temperature right
- Uses propane only
- Handcrafted Italian design and stainless steel arch
- Heats up to 1000°F but takes closer to 30 minutes
- Sleek and spacious shape
- Runs on gas by default but includes an optional Hybrid Kit for wood-fired cooking
- Its size makes it more suited for permanent outdoor installations than Portability
- Requires more effort to clean
Disclaimer: I use referral links in this article that help keep my blog alive. If you find my reviews helpful, I’d appreciate you using them when making a purchase—it costs you nothing extra.
Member’s Mark VS Alfa Futuro 2: Quality and Materials
| The Member’s Mark Pizza Oven is made of aluminum and stainless steel with a cordierite stone. While the materials are thinner than premium ovens, they hold up well for the price and deliver solid cooking performance. |
The Alfa Futuro 2 is crafted entirely in Italy with high-end stainless steel, ceramic fiber insulation, and a handmade steel arch. The build is premium and very sturdy, but comes at a much higher cost.
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Member’s Mark VS Alfa Futuro 2: Temperature Control
| The Member’s Mark can reach around 750°F–775°F after 30–40 minutes, though controlling heat precisely can be tricky due to the smaller burner. For most home users, it’s still effective enough for good results. |
The Alfa Futuro 2 has exceptional temperature control and quickly reaches up to 1000°F in 30 minutes. It maintains stable heat with little effort, producing professional-level crusts consistently.
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Member’s Mark VS Alfa Futuro 2: Shape
| The compact rounded design of the Member’s Mark oven helps distribute heat reasonably well, despite some unevenness at max temps. The rotating stone aids even cooking. |
Alfa Futuro 2 has a clean, modern rectangular shape with an elegant glass door and ergonomic handle. The design is both aesthetic and functional, creating excellent airflow and circulation.
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Member’s Mark VS Alfa Futuro 2: First-Time Usage Impressions
| The Member’s Mark felt approachable and simple to operate. Setup was fast, and the learning curve was minimal. Despite modest heat output, it still delivered enjoyable pizzas early on. |
The Alfa Futuro 2 impressed immediately with its refined finish and smooth operation. However, it required more space and some learning to handle its higher power and capacity.
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Member’s Mark VS Alfa Futuro 2: Power Source
| The Member’s Mark runs on propane gas and has a rotating battery-powered stone, which is convenient for beginners and reduces mess. |
The Alfa Futuro 2 uses gas but also offers an optional Hybrid Kit for wood-burning, adding flexibility and authentic smoky flavors if desired.
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Member’s Mark VS Alfa Futuro 2: Size
| The Member’s Mark is lightweight and compact (24.2″ x 15.5″ x 11.6″) and weighs under 30 pounds. It’s ideal for smaller patios and easy to move or store. |
The Alfa Futuro 2 is very large (70 x 40 cm cooking area) and heavy. It’s designed for serious outdoor kitchens rather than casual setups.
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Member’s Mark VS Alfa Futuro 2: Ease of Cleaning
| The Member’s Mark is simple to clean. Cool it down, remove crumbs, wipe the stone and surfaces—done in minutes. |
The Alfa Futuro 2 requires more effort to clean because of its size and weight. You need to sweep out debris, clean the chimney, and scrub stubborn residue.
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Pizza Cooking Test
I ran the same Margherita pizza test in both ovens to see how they stacked up in a real-world scenario.
The Member’s Mark took about 35 minutes to preheat to its highest stable temperature, which hovered around 750–775°F. Once heated, I launched the pizza onto the rotating stone. The cook time was about 7 minutes until the crust turned golden and the cheese bubbled nicely. The final pizza was tasty, with a crisp base and a gentle char on the edges, though it didn’t achieve the same leopard spotting you see in true Neapolitan bakes. The flavor was balanced, and for a budget-friendly oven, the results were impressive.
The Alfa Futuro 2 preheated in just 30 minutes to nearly 900°F. I placed two Margherita pizzas inside at once, and within 90 seconds, both were perfectly cooked. The crust developed gorgeous leopard spots with a puffy, airy texture. The toppings cooked evenly, and the overall flavor was outstanding—very close to a traditional wood-fired pizzeria result.
Overall, while the Alfa Futuro 2 produced more authentic high-heat pizzas faster, the Member’s Mark held its own for everyday home cooking, delivering crisp, satisfying pies with minimal fuss.
How We Tested
To fairly compare the Member’s Mark and Alfa Futuro 2 pizza ovens, I set up both units side by side outdoors on heat-safe surfaces and followed each manufacturer’s recommended assembly and safety steps. I preheated them to their maximum claimed temperatures, timing how long each oven took to get fully ready using a calibrated infrared thermometer to confirm accuracy. For the cooking trial, I prepared identical classic Margherita pizzas with fresh dough, San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil. I baked them back to back in each oven, noting how quickly the pizzas cooked and whether the heat remained steady or showed any fluctuations. Throughout the test, I paid close attention to how easy it was to load and unload the pizzas, how evenly the crust browned, and how well the toppings cooked. After baking, I also looked at how quickly each oven cooled down enough to clean and how easily I could remove any ash or food residue. This process helped me evaluate both ovens in real, consistent conditions like you’d find in any backyard or professional setting.
Conclusion
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Winner
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Loser
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|
Our Rating:
4.3
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Our Rating:
4.7
|
|
Pros:
|
Pros:
|
|
Cons:
|
Cons:
|
- Offers good quality for its price
- Rounded top
- Lighter weight and with a smaller footprint
- Relatively easy to clean
- Slower to heat up, taking around 30-35 minutes to reach a max of about 750-800°F
- Bit more trial and error to get the temperature right
- Uses propane only
- Handcrafted Italian design and stainless steel arch
- Heats up to 1000°F but takes closer to 30 minutes
- Sleek and spacious shape
- Runs on gas by default but includes an optional Hybrid Kit for wood-fired cooking
- Its size makes it more suited for permanent outdoor installations than Portability
- Requires more effort to clean
Ultimately, it’s your choice whether the Member’s Mark or the Alfa Futuro 2 pizza oven is the better fit for your needs and budget. Both are capable ovens with their own strengths, and either can help you create excellent homemade pizza. If you decide to buy one, I’d highly appreciate it if you use my referral links for your purchase. I’ll earn a small commission at no cost to you, which helps keep my blog alive and allows me to keep sharing honest reviews. Here is the link for Member’s Mark, and here is the link for Alfa Futuro 2. Thank you for your support!
Be sure to explore our top pizza oven picks.