What is the Best Ooni Pizza Oven?
Ooni pizza ovens have become increasingly popular due to their ability to provide restaurant-quality pizza in a convenient and accessible way. These pizza ovens are portable, affordable, and versatile, making them an attractive option for home chefs and pizza enthusiasts, as well as considered some of the best pizza ovens by critics around the world.
One of the key reasons for the popularity of Ooni pizza ovens is their fuel source flexibility, with the ability of various Ooni models to cook with wood, wood pellets, charcoal, electric, propane, and natural gas—in fact, some models can even use multiple fuel sources at once.
Another reason why Ooni pizza ovens have gained popularity is their compact size and portability. These ovens are designed to be lightweight and easy to transport, making them just as suitable for simple family dinners as they are for large gatherings or camping trips on the road. This portability also means that the ovens can be stored away when not in use, taking up minimal space in your basement or garage.
Ooni pizza ovens have also earned a reputation for being the best pizza ovens at providing consistent results. This is a big deal, as pizza ovens have traditionally only been used by trained professionals or those with a long history of baking in an open oven environment. The ovens are also easy to clean, making them low-maintenance and convenient for regular home based users.
All that said, in my opinion, the popularity of Ooni pizza ovens can be attributed mostly to their flexibility, convenience, portability, and ease of use, as well as their reasonable price points. These features make them a popular choice for anyone looking to enjoy authentic quality pizza at home or on the go.
However, with so many options, it can be challenging to determine which one is the best for you. In this post, lets discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each Ooni oven to help you decide which pizza oven is the best.
How to Choose the Best Ooni Pizza Oven
Before we dive into the specific Ooni pizza ovens, let's discuss how one would go about choosing a pizza oven in general, while referring to some specific Ooni pizza ovens as examples.
A potential pizza oven buyer interested in purchasing an Ooni pizza oven would go through the following thought process to determine which oven is best suited for their needs.
The first step is to consider the type of fuel you prefer to use. If you prefer wood-fired pizza exclusively, then the Fyra 12 Wood Pellet Pizza Oven would a great choice. However, if you prefer to use gas, then the Koda 16 or Koda 12 pizza oven are good options.
The second consideration would be the size of the pizza you want to make. If you want to make larger pizzas, up to 16 inches for example, then the Karu 16 and Koda 16 are really the only options. However, if you want to make smaller pizzas, up to 12 inches in diameter, then the Karu 12, Karu 12G, Koda 12, and Volt 12 Electric pizza ovens are all more than sufficient.
Finally, you'll want to consider if you plan on using your Ooni pizza oven mostly indoors or outdoors. If you plan on using it outdoors, any Ooni pizza oven will work for you, including the largest mutli-fuel models like the Ooni Karu 16. However, if you want to cook indoors, your only option is the Ooni Volt 12 which is safe for indoor use.
With that out of the way, lets get into some of the specifics for each Ooni pizza oven individually.
Ooni Karu 16 Pizza Oven
The
Ooni Karu 16 is an excellent option for those who prefer multiple
fuel types and a large baking surface. This pizza oven is compatible
with wood, charcoal, propane gas, and natural gas (with optional
adapters). It can make pizzas up to 16 inches in size, and the pizza
stone is made of an extra thick 0.6" cordierite stone. It heats
up in just 15 minutes and can reach a maximum temperature of 950°F.
However, it is heavy, weighing 62.6lbs, which may make it challenging
to move around. The Ooni Karu 16 is portably in the technical sense,
but probably too big and heavy to be lugging much further than your
own backyard or patio.
Price $799
Ooni Koda 16 Pizza Oven
The Ooni Koda 16 is a gas-powered pizza oven, making it an excellent option for those who prefer gas-fired pizza and a large baking surface. It can make pizzas up to 16 inches in size and heats up in just 15 minutes. Its pizza stone is also made of 0.6" cordierite stone, just like the Karu 16, and it can reach a maximum temperature of 950°F. Additionally, it is much lighter than the Ooni Karu 16, weighing only 40.1lbs, but still heavier than other smaller Ooni pizza oven models. I recommend the Ooni Koda 16 for those who prefer convenience over wood-fired “authenticity”, as well as for those who prefer New York style pizza.
Price: $599
Ooni Karu 12G Pizza Oven
As the newest Ooni pizza oven model, the Ooni Karu 12G is multi-fuel capable right out of the box and is compatible with wood, charcoal, and propane gas (with an optional adaptor). This pizza oven can make pizzas up to 12 inches in size and heats up in just 15 minutes. Its pizza stone is also made of 0.6" cordierite stone, and it can reach a maximum temperature of 950°F. It is lighter than the Ooni Karu 16, weighing 34.17lbs. I recommend the Ooni Karu 12G to anyone looking for a pizza oven as capable as the Ooni Karu 16 but lighter in weight and smaller in size—it's easily one of the best pizza ovens in the entire lineup, if not the best.
Price: $429
Ooni Karu 12 Pizza Oven
The Ooni Karu 12 is the old version of the new Ooni Karu 12G. It is multi-fuel capable with the ability to cook with wood, charcoal, and propane. It features a thinner 0.4” baking stone, compared to the thicker 0.6” on the Karu 12G model. The biggest selling point of the Ooni Karu 12 right now is the price, having recently been reduced from $399 to $299, so if you want a super affordable multi-fuel pizza oven, this is a great option. Otherwise, I recommend paying a little bit more for the superior and vastly updated Ooni Karu 12G.
Price: $299
Ooni Koda 12 Pizza Oven
The Ooni Koda 12 is a smaller version of the Ooni Koda 16, making it lighter and more portable. This pizza oven is also gas-powered and can make pizzas up to 12 inches in size. It heats up in just 15 minutes and can reach a maximum temperature of 950°F. Its pizza stone is made of 0.4" cordierite stone, which is thinner than many other models and means it won't retain heat as long. But for the price and portability options, the Ooni Koda 12 is perfect for taking on camping trips or to visit friends and family.
Price: $399
Ooni Fyra 12 Pizza Oven
The Ooni Fyra 12 is a wood pellet pizza oven that is perfect for anyone who loves the taste of wood-fired pizza but wants an oven that is relatively easy to use and maintain. The oven heats up to 950°F in just 15 minutes, which is quite impressive considering that it runs on simple wood pellets.
One of the most significant benefits of the Ooni Fyra 12 is its fuel consumption, using only 2.5lbs of wood pellets to cook approximately ten pizzas. The 13 x 13" cordierite stone can accommodate pizzas up to 12 inches in size, making it ideal for small gatherings or intimate family dinners.
The Ooni Fyra 12 is compact and portable, with a powder-coated carbon steel body that weighs just 22lbs. Its small size and portability make it easy to take with you to tailgates, camping trips, or really anywhere else you want to enjoy delicious wood-fired pizza—including your own backyard.
Ooni Volt 12 Pizza Oven
The
newest and most unique pizza oven of Ooni's lineup, the Ooni Volt 12
is an all electric pizza oven that offers convenience and ease of
use. It heats up to a maximum temperature of 850°F in 20 minutes,
and its 13 x 13" cordierite stone can accommodate pizzas up to
12 inches in size—perfect for Neapolitan style.
The Ooni Volt 12 is compact, portable, and safe for indoor or outdoor cooking, making it easy to take with you wherever you go. That said, where the Ooni Volt 12 really shines is indoors, where it's easily the most feature filled and affordable indoor pizza oven that's designed to sit right on your kitchen counter. In my opinion, if you live in a small apartment or condo without any outdoor space, the Ooni Volt 12 is the perfect option with very few compromises.
One potential downside of the Ooni Volt 12 is that it doesn't offer the same smoky flavor that you get from wood-fired or gas-powered ovens, but then again neither do any of the propane models either. Additionally, the electric power consumption of 1.02kWh for 10 pizzas might be a bit high for some users.
Which Ooni Pizza Oven Is Best: Final Thoughts
To wrap up, the best Ooni pizza oven for you will depend on your individual needs and preferences. If you want an oven that offers versatility and can run on different types of fuel, the Ooni Karu 16, Ooni Karu 12G, or Ooni Karu 12 might be your best bet. On the other hand, if you want a pizza oven that doesn't produce smoke, the Ooni Volt 12, Ooni Koda 12, and Ooni Koda 16.
Regardless of which oven you choose, you can rest assured that you'll be investing in a high-quality pizza oven that will work for making homemade pizza for years to come.