Pizza may be one of Europe’s most loved foods, but for millions of households, attempting it at home often ends in frustration rather than enjoyment. New research from Electrolux Group, through a survey of 15,000 adults across Europe, reveals that more than a third of Europeans (35%) have ruined or burned a homemade pizza they were excited to eat. To help close this quality gap, the PizzaExpert oven is being rolled out across Europe under the Electrolux and AEG brands, delivering restaurant‑quality results in just 2.5 minutes.
Across Europe, pizza lovers say homemade efforts rarely match restaurant standards
The findings highlight a growing disconnect between Europe’s love of pizza and confidence in making it at home. Nearly three‑quarters of Europeans now rely on restaurants, takeaway or frozen pizza, avoiding homemade versions altogether. Strikingly, even in Italy – the cultural heartland of pizza – consumption is high with 95% of Italians eating pizza at least once a month and 64% enjoying it weekly. Yet, despite this deep-rooted popularity, just 28% of people make their national dish at home.
At the heart of the issue is quality. Across Europe, pizza lovers say homemade efforts rarely match restaurant standards. Almost half admit their biggest struggle is getting the crust right, while others cite problems with dough handling, oven temperature and cooking time. For many, the emotional cost of failure is enough to stop them trying again.
The research reveals that one in three people has experienced a pizza night they would rather forget. Spain and Poland emerge as hotspots for kitchen mishaps, with 43% of respondents in Spain and 45% in Poland admitting to burning or ruining pizza at home.
Time pressure only compounds the problem. On average, Europeans say they are only willing to wait around 21 minutes for a homemade pizza to cook, with one in six citing long cooking times as a key reason they avoid making pizza from scratch at all.
Despite this, appetite for homemade pizza hasn’t disappeared. Nearly 60% of Europeans say they would make pizza from scratch more often if restaurant‑quality results were guaranteed, revealing a clear gap between aspiration and reality.
Closing the quality gap
It is this gap that inspired Electrolux Group to launch the PizzaExpert oven in Europe, created to remove uncertainty from homemade pizza. Delivering restaurant‑quality results at up to 340°C in just 2.5 minutes,* PizzaExpert combines high heat with step‑by‑step guidance to help home cooks achieve consistent results with greater confidence.
The only domestic oven expert approved by the world-renowned Italian pizza school “Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli”, PizzaExpert recreates the intense, even heat required for Neapolitan‑style pizza – something conventional home ovens struggle to achieve. By combining Swedish design and innovation with traditional Italian pizza‑making expertise, the oven offers precise temperature control and optimized baking performance for consistently crisp bases, airy crusts and perfectly cooked toppings.
“Pizza is deeply rooted in culture, connection and enjoyment across Europe, but our research shows confidence is holding people back from home creation,” says Elisenda Picola Brau, VP Marketing & Sustainability EMEA at Electrolux. “The data tells us that more people would create pizza at home if they could trust the result and get it done quickly. The PizzaExpert functionality was created to give home cooks the confidence to achieve restaurant‑quality pizza in only two and a half minutes.”
Confidence unlocks creativity
Alongside quality, the research shows that confidence plays a crucial role in how Europeans personalize their pizza. Once the basics are mastered, consumers are more willing to experiment with toppings. In France, 68% enjoy egg on pizza, 53% of Italians opt for tuna, and in Poland, 66% favour kebab, highlighting a shift towards more personalized pizza experiences once reliable results are assured.
Taken together, the findings point to a broader shift in expectations at home. European consumers increasingly want appliances that deliver professional‑level results without demanding professional‑level skill. With PizzaExpert, Electrolux aims to bring confidence back to homemade pizza, turning disappointment into enjoyment, and risk into reassurance.
The Electrolux 700/AEG 7000 MealAssist with PizzaExpert oven is now rolling out across Europe.
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Research conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Electrolux.
*Based on internal tests on the product preheating 25 min, baking in 340°C, as validated by the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli.
