What’s the Distinction Between the Ooni Pizza Ovens?

We final examined pizza ovens in 2017, when Kenji evaluated a dozen of them in his yard (think about the area that took up). However, since then, a complete bunch of our favorites have been discontinued. Most notably, Uuni rebranded as Ooni and phased out the Ooni 3 (which was one among our prime picks). The corporate at the moment has 5 ovens out there—all of which have their very own professionals, cons, and gas sources.

So, we determined to place the entire Ooni ovens to the check at our Lab: timing how lengthy they took to come back as much as temperature, making a number of pizzas, and evaluating their efficiency and usefulness. We additionally reached out to Andrew Janjigian, to search out out which Ooni oven he makes use of at residence and why. (Andrew’s a little bit of a pizza oven individual—he wrote this outside pizza oven how-to, our outside pizza oven dough recipe, and a number of other outside pizza oven pizza recipes.)

This is what that you must find out about every Ooni oven that can assist you determine which one’s supreme to your yard.

Ooni Koda 16 Gasoline Pizza Oven

That is our top-pick for those who’re in search of a gas-only oven. It heats up comparatively shortly, produces pies in about one to 2 minutes, and has a big (20.5-inch) opening that makes turning and retrieving pies straightforward. Its L-shaped flame (positioned on the again and on the left facet of the oven) licks up its partitions and partly up its ceiling, so extra of the pizza is uncovered to the flame. It has a single ignitor/temperature dial positioned on the proper facet of the oven and is extremely straightforward to assemble: you simply must take it out of the field and unfold its legs earlier than utilizing. Whereas it’s fairly giant, we discovered it notably straightforward sufficient to retailer because of its foldable legs. It was additionally a cinch to ignite. 

Finest For: In order for you a gas-only pizza oven that’s extremely straightforward to activate and modify the temperature. It additionally presents a really giant, 16-inch cooking floor.

Challenges or Shortcomings: For outside pizza novices, the concentrated, L-shaped flame may result in scorching spots and has extra of a studying curve. It’s additionally gas-only, which is likely to be unappealing for some. 

Key Specs

• Gas supply: gasoline (propane or pure gasoline)
• BTUs: 29,000
• Time to achieve advocate temperature: 25 minutes
• Weight: 40.1 lbs

Ooni Fyra 12 Wooden Pellet Pizza Oven

This can be a hardwood pellet-only oven. And, actually, it’s the successor of the oven we examined and advocate (the Ooni 3). The professionals (quick, quick-heating, light-weight) and cons (small hopper, airflow points) we famous then maintain true as we speak. When its fireplace is admittedly going, we discovered it preheats in about quarter-hour. To make use of it with wooden pellets, you add the pellets to the gas tray, gentle it, and slide it again into the oven. After these starter pellets have burned, you add extra pellets via the cylindrical hopper positioned in the back of the oven. As Kenji defined in our evaluation, because the wooden burns, “the flame is drawn over the stone, throughout the highest of the oven, and out a tall chimney within the entrance.” It cooks pizza in about one minute, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. 

Finest For: In order for you a wooden pellet-only pizza oven, that is the way in which to go (Ooni’s different multi-fuel ovens aren’t suitable with wooden pellets). It’s additionally the most affordable Ooni oven, at $349.

Challenges or Shortcomings: There’s extra setup concerned with this mannequin. We advocate testing this video for assist. As we famous once we reviewed the Ooni 3, the small hopper requires tending to to maintain airflow supreme and ensure the pellets are burning effectively. This may even imply repositioning the oven mid-cook. The oven’s door is supposed to be saved on always except including or eradicating your pizza. Whereas this isn’t an enormous deal, taking off and placing a door again on a bunch of occasions feels finicky. The chimney and hopper could make storage more durable, however they are often each eliminated and positioned inside the oven to make issues extra compact. It’s not a multi-fuel choice.

Key Specs

• Gas supply: wooden pellets
• Time to achieve advocate temperature: 15 to twenty minutes
• Weight: 22 lbs

Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Gas Pizza Oven

We favored that this oven has a temperature gauge (positioned on the entrance of the oven, beneath the door) that shows the Karu 16’s inner temp. It has a hatch in the back of the oven for including wooden or charcoal (we advocate carrying gloves for this activity, because the flames can lick up the hatch when the lid’s off) and a glass door that allows you to watch pizza/monitor the flame as you cook dinner. To make use of this oven, it’s important to first take away the chimney cap, modify the pin (referred to as a baffle) to open the chimney and ceiling vent. The vent might be completely opened (for gasoline) or closed partway (for wooden or charcoal) as a method of controlling inner temperature. The flame is positioned in the back of the oven and radiates outwards and upwards. It produces pies in about one minute to one-minute, 30 seconds and likewise took about 25 minute to preheat. It’s the solely pizza oven of its variety to be “Suggest for Home Use” by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN)—the authorities on Neapolitan pizza. 

That is additionally the oven Andrew has at residence. He says,  “I’m utilizing the Karu now, and I really like a number of issues about it: 1) the door, which makes it warmth up extra shortly and effectively, 2) the thermometer, which makes heating simpler to handle, 3) the very fact you should utilize both gasoline or wooden/charcoal, and 4) the roominess, which helps you to make large-sized (12- to 14-inch) pies with out danger of them burning too simply.” 

Finest For: In order for you the flexibility to make use of a number of gas varieties and worth further options, like a built-in inner temperature gauge. For somebody who incessantly makes a number of pizzas back-to-back, the Karu 16 retrains warmth extremely nicely and requires just about zero restoration time between pies.

Challenges or Shortcomings: When you’re utilizing the oven’s gasoline burner attachment, it’s positioned on the very again of the oven, which seems like much less of an intuitive placement than to the facet. It options foldable legs, too, however at 50 kilos, it’s fairly dang heavy, making it much less moveable.

Key Specs

• Gas sort: wooden or charcoal; gasoline (gasoline burner offered individually) 
• BTUs: 25,591 (for gasoline)
• Time to achieve advocate temperature: 25 minutes
• Weight: 50 lbs

Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Gas Pizza Oven

This multi-fuel oven is suitable with wooden, charcoal, or gasoline (its gasoline burner is offered individually, as with all Ooni multi-fuel fashions). When its fireplace was actually going, we discovered it preheated in about 20 minutes. To make use of it with wooden, you add the kindling to a tray in the back of the oven (the tray has a heat-resistant deal with for simple use). It cooks pizza in about one minute, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Opening or closing the baffle means that you can management the airflow of the oven, relying on the gas supply or while you need longer, slower cooks.

Finest For: In order for you a light-weight, multi-fuel pizza oven with a barely extra compact cooking floor (13.2 inches, so greatest for smaller pies).

Challenges or Shortcomings: The gasoline burner is positioned in the back of the pizza oven (by the hopper). This can be a much less intuitive placement than having the burner on the facet of the oven, like with the Ooni Koda 16. Its chimney makes it more durable to retailer, although it may be taken off and positioned contained in the oven to make issues extra compact.

Key Specs

• Gas supply: wooden or charcoal—it’s not suitable with wooden pellets; gasoline (gasoline burner offered individually) 
• BTUs: 29,000
• Time to achieve advocate temperature: 15 to twenty minutes (for wooden)
• Weight: 26.4 lbs

Ooni Koda 12 Gasoline Pizza Oven

This oven is a smaller model of the Ooni Koda 16 and, subsequently, has a smaller cooking floor and isn’t appropriate for bigger pies. It heats in about quarter-hour (quick!) and cooks pizzas in a few minute to one-minute, 30 seconds. Its legs fold down for compact storage.

Finest For: When you’re in search of a smaller, gas-only pizza oven that’s straightforward to retailer. At $369, it’s one of many most cost-effective Ooni fashions. 

Challenges or Shortcomings: As a result of it has a smaller opening, we discovered it tougher to show and retrieve pizza, so we advocate investing in a smaller peel and/or turner to go together with it. Its ignitor/warmth management knob is positioned in the back of this oven, and we discovered this placement wasn’t as intuitive because the Koda 16’s. And, after all, it’s gas-only, so it is not supreme for individuals who need a multi-fuel choice.

Key Specs

• Gas supply: gasoline 
• BTUs: 13,648
• Time to achieve advocate temperature: quarter-hour
• Weight: 29 lbs

Different Gear We Suggest for Outside Pizza Oven Success

FAQs

How lengthy must you preheat a pizza oven?

How lengthy to preheat a pizza oven will depend on the mannequin you’re utilizing. For the Ooni ovens, we discovered anyplace from 15-25 minutes to be adequate. 

Which Ooni oven takes wooden pellets?

Just one Ooni oven (the Ooni Fyra) makes use of solely wooden pellets as gas. Utilizing wooden pellets with one among their multi-fuel ovens “will hold your oven from getting as much as temperature,” the firm says.

What’s one of the simplest ways to retailer a pizza oven?

Pizza ovens ought to be saved in a dry, lined place. We advocate getting cowl, too, to guard each the outside and inside of the oven.

Do you want a particular desk to place your oven on?

You don’t want a particular desk—any heat-safe floor (we simply wouldn’t advocate plastic or glass) will do. Nonetheless, a stainless-steel prep desk (particularly one with wheels) might be mighty useful whereas in-use and for storage/transport. Yow will discover ones off Amazon, nonetheless Ooni additionally sells their very own, which has each cabinets and hooks for putting or hanging pizza peels and turners. Simply be sure you measure your pizza oven so you may order the proper desk dimension.