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Ooni pizza oven: The ultimate guide to choosing the right model

Pizza is a beloved food worldwide, and it has been enjoyed for centuries, so it’s no surprise that many people have tried their hand at making it at home. But achieving the perfect pizza requires more than just the right ingredients and toppings — it also requires the right equipment. This is where the Ooni pizza oven comes in.

hand lifting a slice of pizza from a whole pizza with melty cheese.

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The Ooni pizza oven is a type of outdoor pizza oven that is designed to cook pizza quickly and evenly. It uses wood or charcoal as a fuel source and can reach temperatures up to 932 F (500 C). The high heat allows the pizza to cook in as little as 60 seconds, resulting in a crispy crust and perfectly melted cheese.

Pizza ovens are great for baking flatbreads, too, like Garlic Naan and Homemade Pita Bread.

These portable pizza ovens are great for making homemade pizza any time—for pizza night or for a DIY pizza bar—since you can cook each pizza in just 60 seconds.

When considering buying an Ooni pizza oven, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, it’s important to consider the size of the oven and whether it will fit in your outdoor space. Additionally, you’ll want to think about the type of fuel you want to use — while wood-fired ovens are traditional, they require more maintenance than charcoal-fired ovens.

We spent hours researching and testing different outdoor pizza ovens to identify the best options on the market, and the Ooni pizza oven stood out for its combination of performance and affordability. With its sleek design and impressive cooking capabilities, the Ooni pizza oven is a great choice for anyone looking to take their homemade pizza to the next level.

Best Ooni pizza ovens

We love pizza, and we love cooking it at home. That’s why we’ve put together a list of the best Ooni pizza ovens on the market. These ovens are perfect for creating authentic, wood-fired pizza right in your own backyard. Whether you’re a seasoned pizza pro or a beginner enjoying a pizza bar with friends, there’s a pizza oven to suit your needs. 

Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven

If you’re looking for an outdoor pizza oven, you should definitely consider the Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven. It’s a great choice for pizza lovers who want to make their own authentic, stone-baked pizzas at home.

Pros

  • The Ooni Karu 12 heats up to 950 F in just 15 minutes, allowing you to cook a delicious pizza in just 60 seconds.
  • It’s ultra-portable and weighs only 26.4 pounds, making it easy to move around your backyard or take it with you on camping trips.
  • The custom-designed fuel tray maximizes airflow and delivers a powerful blast of searing flame, allowing the Ooni Karu 12 to maintain the ultra-high temperatures needed for perfect pizzas.

Cons

  • The Ooni Karu 12 can be a bit tricky to use at first, especially if you’re not familiar with wood-fired ovens. But with a bit of practice, you’ll be making perfect pizzas in no time.
  • The Ooni Karu 12 is a bit expensive compared to other outdoor pizza ovens on the market. But if you’re serious about making great pizza, it’s definitely worth the investment.
  • The Ooni Karu 12 doesn’t come with a gas burner attachment, so you’ll need to buy that separately if you want to use gas instead of wood or charcoal.

We recently tried the Ooni Karu 12 and were impressed with its performance. The oven heats up quickly and maintains its temperature, allowing you to cook pizza after pizza without any issues. The custom-designed fuel tray is a great feature that ensures maximum airflow and delivers a powerful blast of searing flame, resulting in perfectly cooked pizzas every time.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Ooni Karu 12 can be a bit tricky to use at first. You’ll need to experiment with different types of wood and charcoal to find the perfect combination that works for you. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll be making delicious pizzas in no time.

Overall, we highly recommend the Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven to anyone who loves pizza and wants to make their own authentic, stone-baked pizzas at home. It’s a bit expensive, but it’s definitely worth the investment if you’re serious about making great pizza.

Ooni Koda 12 Gas Pizza Oven

If you’re looking for an outdoor pizza oven that’s easy to use and cooks delicious, authentic stone-baked pizzas in just 60 seconds, then the Ooni Koda 12 Gas Pizza Oven is definitely worth considering.

Pros

  • Gas-powered for easy use and great results
  • Cooks pizzas in just 60 seconds
  • Efficient and easy to clean

Cons

  • Limited cooking space
  • Requires propane tank (not included)
  • Not suitable for indoor use

We tried out the Ooni Koda 12 Gas Pizza Oven and were impressed with its performance. The gas-powered design makes it incredibly easy to use, with no need to fuss around with wood or charcoal. Simply connect it to a propane tank and you’re ready to go.

The oven heats up quickly, reaching temperatures of up to 950 F in just 15 minutes. This means you can have your first pizza ready to eat in just a few minutes. And with the ability to cook pizzas in just 60 seconds, you can easily feed a hungry crowd in no time.

The Ooni Koda 12 is also incredibly efficient, with a powder-coated carbon steel shell that offers excellent heat retention. And when you’re finished cooking, the oven is easy to clean thanks to its removable stone baking board.

One downside to the Ooni Koda 12 is its limited cooking space. While it’s perfect for making small to medium-sized pizzas, it may not be suitable for larger gatherings. Additionally, you’ll need to buy a propane tank separately, which can be an added expense.

Overall, we highly recommend the Ooni Koda 12 Gas Pizza Oven for anyone looking for a portable, easy-to-use outdoor pizza oven that delivers delicious, authentic results every time.

Ooni Fyra Pizza Oven

If you’re looking for a portable outdoor pizza oven that can cook authentic stone-baked pizza in just 60 seconds, then the Ooni Fyra Pizza Oven is definitely worth considering.

Pros

  • The Ooni Fyra Pizza Oven heats up to 930 °F in just 15 minutes, allowing you to cook your pizza in just 60 seconds.
  • The ingenious pellet hopper automatically feeds through hardwood pellets for effortless cooking, giving you more time to sit back and relax in your garden while enjoying fantastic pizzas.
  • Weighing only 22 pounds and with foldable legs for easy storage and transport, the Ooni Fyra Pizza Oven is perfect for taking with you wherever you go.

Cons

  • The Ooni Fyra Pizza Oven can be quite expensive compared to other portable outdoor pizza ovens on the market.
  • The powder-coated carbon steel shell can get very hot, so it’s important to take care when using the oven.
  • Some users have reported issues with the pellet hopper, which can sometimes get clogged or jammed.

We tried out the Ooni Fyra Pizza Oven, and we were really impressed with its performance. The oven heats up incredibly quickly, and the automatic pellet hopper makes cooking pizza a breeze.

One thing that we really liked about the Ooni Fyra Pizza Oven is that it’s very portable. Weighing only 22 pounds and with foldable legs, the oven is easy to take with you wherever you go. This makes it perfect for outdoor parties, camping trips or just enjoying pizza in your backyard.

Another thing that we liked about the Ooni Fyra Pizza Oven is that it’s extremely efficient. The powder-coated carbon steel shell offers optimal heat retention, which, combined with the natural efficiency of wood pellets, results in an extraordinary cooking experience — maximum burn time and minimal energy waste.

Overall, we highly recommend the Ooni Fyra Pizza Oven to anyone who loves pizza—we cooked and awesome artichoke pizza in it, and a white clam pizza, too—and wants to enjoy authentic stone-baked pizza in the comfort of their own backyard. While it may be a bit expensive, we think that the performance and portability of the oven make it well worth the investment.

Ooni Koda 16 Gas Pizza Oven

We highly recommend the Ooni Koda 16 Gas Pizza Oven for anyone looking to make authentic stone-baked pizzas in their backyard or outdoor kitchen.

Pros

  • The oven heats up quickly and can cook a pizza in just 60 seconds, giving you more time to enjoy your pizza.
  • The Ooni Koda 16 is easy to use and requires minimal setup. Simply unfold the legs, insert the pizza stone baking board, connect to a propane gas tank, and you’re ready to go.
  • The oven’s powder-coated carbon steel shell offers incredible heat retention, which combined with the efficiency and simplicity of using gas, results in an extraordinary cooking experience.

Cons

  • The oven may be too large for those with limited outdoor space.
  • The pizza stone baking board requires careful handling to avoid cracking.
  • The oven’s high temperature can be intimidating for beginners.

The Ooni Koda 16 Gas Pizza Oven is a game-changer for pizza lovers. The oven heats up in 20 minutes, and the pizza stone baking board ensures a crispy crust every time. We love how easy it is to use and how little setup it requires. Plus, the oven’s ultra-efficient design means you’ll be cooking pizzas in no time.

One thing to keep in mind is that the oven is quite large, so it may not be the best option for those with limited outdoor space. Additionally, the pizza stone baking board requires careful handling to avoid cracking. Finally, the oven’s high temperature can be intimidating for beginners, but with a little practice, we mastered the veggie pizza, and are sure you’ll be a pro in no time.

Overall, we highly recommend the Ooni Koda 16 Gas Pizza Oven for anyone looking to make delicious, authentic stone-baked pizzas at home.

Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven

In our experience, the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven is a great investment if you want to recreate the real deal Italian pizza in your backyard and it is our top Ooni pizza oven recommendation.

Pros

  • The Karu 16 reaches 950 F / 500 C in just 15 minutes, making it possible to cook fresh, flame-cooked pizza in just 60 seconds. This high heat is essential for creating authentic Neapolitan-style pizza.
  • The oven features innovative technology, including optimized airflow engineering for temperature control and fuel efficiency, a fully insulated oven body and a mounted digital thermometer displaying the oven’s internal temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius.
  • The oven’s multi-fuel capabilities allow you to fire it up with wood or charcoal right out of the box for a subtle wood-fired taste. You can also use gas with the Ooni Gas Burner (sold separately) for maximum flexibility in cooking experiences.

Cons

  • The oven is relatively heavy at 62.5 pounds, which may make it difficult to move around for some users.
  • The oven requires some assembly, which may be challenging for those who are not mechanically inclined.

In our testing, we found that the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven is a joy to use. The oven heats up quickly and cooks pizzas to perfection in just 60 seconds. The innovative technology and multi-fuel capabilities make it a versatile and efficient tool for outdoor cooking.

The oven’s fully insulated body and mounted digital thermometer allow you to control the cook with increased precision, while the newly designed glass oven door design lets you keep a watchful eye on your creations with ViewFlame technology and maintains oven temperatures thanks to improved insulation.

Overall, we highly recommend the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Outdoor Pizza Oven to anyone who loves pizza and wants to enjoy authentic, restaurant-quality pizza at home. With its advanced technology and multi-fuel capabilities, this oven is a must-have for any serious pizza lover.

Breakfast pizza with arugula and egg.
Breakfast Pizza. Photo credit: Pass the Sushi.

Buying guide

When it comes to buying an Ooni pizza oven, there are a few things to consider before buying. We want to make sure you get the best product for your needs, so here are some features to look for:

Size

The size of the pizza oven is important, as it will determine how many pizzas you can cook at once. Consider how many people you will be cooking for and whether you plan on using the oven for other types of food, as well.

Fuel source

There are different types of fuel sources for pizza ovens, including wood, charcoal, gas and pellets. Each has advantages and disadvantages, so consider what works best for you in terms of convenience, taste and cost.

Temperature range

The temperature range of the oven is important for achieving the perfect pizza crust. Look for an oven that can reach high temperatures quickly and maintain them consistently. The high temperature can be intimidating for beginners who are not used to cooking with such high heat, but you will get used to it.

Material

The material of the oven can affect its durability, heat retention and overall performance. Look for an oven made of high-quality materials that can withstand high temperatures and frequent use.

Accessories

Accessories can enhance the performance and versatility of your pizza oven. Look for accessories such as pizza peels, baking stones and covers to make your cooking experience easier and more enjoyable.

In summary, when choosing an Ooni pizza oven, consider the size, fuel source, temperature range, material, and accessories to find the best product for your needs.

This article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.

By on July 7th, 2023

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