Ooni Karu 12 Wood and Charcoal-Fired Portable Pizza Oven | How to Setup & Light it

*Please note that the gas burner setup steps shown in this video apply to the Ooni 3 Gas Burner only. If you have the Ooni Karu 12 Gas Burner, please watch this video: bit.ly/Karu12Setup
Ooni Karu - fueled by real wood or charcoal. Learn everything about Ooni Karu assembly, lighting it up, cooking pizza in 60 seconds and what comes in the box. This video will help you to understand how to light your Ooni Karu with solid fuels and how to maintain the fire and heat. As well we have included instructions how to use Ooni Karu our gas attachment for simple, hustle free pizza cooking experience.
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-------Video content---------
​​00:00​​ - Introducing Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven
00:18 - How To Set Up Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven
​00:42 - How To Fire It Up (Wood And Charcoal)
​03:27​​ - Flame Management & Heat Control
03:56​​ ​- How To Fire It Up (Gas)
04:51 - What's In The Box?
05:10 - Warranty
05:25 - End
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#OoniPizzaOvens #OoniKaru #Ooni

[@louisfan9067]

We love the portability the oven offers. The oven has traveled 1000 miles all over California and we have made pizzas for our friends throughout the state.

[@Oonihq]

We love to hear that!! Thank you so much for being with us and cheers to traveling pizza! 🍕

[@WorkingInahanDiaries]

i'm buying this cz i love the scottish accent of the voice over :) lol

[@mikebushfnp]

That ain’t a voice over. They a Scottish company!

[@martinweiss3046]

@@mikebushfnp "Voice over" is a technical term in video production, where you can hear a voice without seeing the corresponding face.

[@concinnityeventco2384]

What an absolute beauty!

[@regentsaquariums5692]

Love the Ooni Karu! 10 thumps up if I could give this video👍🔥

[@Gravitation3Beatles3]

Ordered mine and waiting on the back order. Can’t wait to start cooking!

[@Oonihq]

You're going to love your Ooni! 🍕

[@mrcarlo1966]

Excellent tutorial!

[@apachehelicopter9032]

Mine just arrived....great bit of kit

[@ignatiusbombatius2563]

My wife just gave me one to my Birthday. So happy 😁 Can’t wait to try it out

[@HugoCoolDude]

this is awesome, i bought one!

[@Oonihq]

Do you love it, don't you?? Let us know your experience!!

[@steveee2511]

just ordered one im exited

[@beckysnay1609]

Me, too! Picking up on Sunday! This tutorial is great.

[@cheeze_pizza]

C'mon baby light that fire! It's pizza time!

[@thorgeist666]

Try to set a pizza on fiiiiireeeee

[@giuseppegargiulo7450]

Ok.....good.....

[@oglanuts]

Just got one. Very excited to try it tomorrow. I think the hardest thing will not be having pizza every night from now on!

[@titomoura7014]

Hi!! How has been your new toy? Did you buy the charcoal one?

[@oglanuts]

@@titomoura7014 Hi, the pizza oven has been amazing! I have the dual fuel one (Karu 12) it is easy to get hot and cook with. Getting the dough right was a bit trickier, but after a few attempts I got the hang of it. I would say buy a digital thermometer as it make so much easier to know when your oven is at the right temp cook. So far I have used oak kindling, will try charcoal at some point. Mine gets to 500c in about 12 mins

[@titomoura7014]

@@oglanuts Thank you for your feedback!!!

[@patrickmcnamara3879]

i'm gettin one !!!

[@Oonihq]

🙌🙌

[@markmiela3937]

Count on 45 minutes to get the stone to 750-800.

[@stevegek]

Clear instructions, in about 30 min we'll know if it worked. :D

[@Oonihq]

Keep us posted 😉🍕 F.

[@stevegek]

@@Oonihq Yeah let me try again a couple of times, I guess the second attempt was acceptable haha.

[@420tpj4]

I want this for my birthday

[@ignatiusbombatius2563]

I just got it to my Bday😎

[@Sai-wf8pz]

So is the only difference between this and ooni pro the size?

[@Lou-ti2jh]

Waiting for you to make this in 16in like the Koda then I’m definitely buying

[@TheTraumaFactor]

This ^^ MAKE A 16" VERSION that can do multi fuel!

[@benjamineliasson]

What? That would be an Ooni Pro. What's the difference?

[@adrianmiller7506]

I love mine

[@Oonihq]

That's awesome to hear Adrian 😁🔥 I love mine too 😉🍕

[@dailyfluent778]

Can we use your video by removing sound for review on channel?

[@wesz5108]

I have had the Ooni 3 for years. I love it. My only struggle is that I have to replace the pellets every few minutes when cooking pizza. With the Karu wood option, how often does wood need to be added to keep the flame going?

[@Oonihq]

Hey Wes! We recommend topping up with 1-2 pieces of hardwood between pizzas, just to keep that flame rolling!

[@kataysmith9581]

It burns ALOT of wood before it gets up to temp. The video makes it sound like just a few pieces are needed. Not so.

[@thomascampbell5293]

No fire starts out at 900 degrees, be patient

[@nateconrad4461]

Wood will burn to nothing in almost no time at all. Pellets are the only way to maintain temperature

[@johnm2181]

Please update your video and instruction, with the chimney cap on, the current gas burner makes a sooty mess on the front of the oven. The manual for the burner conflicts with the Karu manual and suggests chimney on...

[@domeslacker]

So if you’re cooking with hard wood and you leave the door off, will it just not cook as efficiently or are you risking something worse?

[@Oonihq]

It's best to leave the door on for optimised airflow :)

[@edrcozonoking]

can I purchase the wood fired version and add the gas burner later if I decide to change?

[@kristiantapaninaho9776]

yes you definitely can! Wood is great but sometimes it's nice to have the ease of use you get from using a gas burner.

[@PlateletRichGel]

Top' o' the mornin' too ya' I gotcher Pizza mamma mia

[@Tatjanak1989]

Can I use gas to get it started/cleaned? I know for gas you’re supposed to remove both the chimney and the coal chamber -does that mean it won’t clean properly when using gas?

[@Oonihq]

Hey! You can absolutely use gas to fire up your oven and self-clean. The high temperatures are what burn off any excess. 😁

[@ROOLproductions]

Beautiful! Is there really kind of wooden taste there in compare to gas?

[@user-xk1kl1lq2v]

Yes you can get that beautiful wood taste. If you’re only cooking a pizza for about 60 seconds and frequently turning it, it doesn’t impart that much wood flavor, however when you cook pizza or anything for longer than that at a lower temperature you really will start to notice the wood fired flavor.

[@molee2664]

do the legs/feet get hot - looks like it's ok to stand it on wooden table?

[@user-xk1kl1lq2v]

Wood and/or metal tables are recommended. The legs don’t really get hot. No glass or plastic of course.

[@Viva_la_natura]

Great oven, but how does it differ from the pro? Besides the door

[@Viva_la_natura]

Oh I see, it's not a "16". I have the Pro, is there a Ooni Karu 16 coming out? If so.. I'm getting one

[@6806goats1]

How well does thiw work with briquettes instead of lump charcoal? I'm working overseas where there isn't much natural wood but the base carries briquettes. I haven't checked in town for lump coal but I'll see what I can find. Getting gas would probably require a conversion to a local tank. Kuwait. Thx

[@Oonihq]

Great question! We'd actually try to avoid charcoal briquettes if possible, as these can be quite crumbly and lead to poor airflow for our solid fuel-fired ovens. Our preference here at Ooni HQ is to have a light base layer of lumpwood charcoal to keep a steady, even temperature and adding wood to give a burst of heat and wood-fired flavour. As long as the chunks are the right size to fit in the fuel tray, they’ll work great! Woods like Oak, Beech, and Birch are great for the Ooni, but readily available hardwoods like Mesquite, Hickory, and Applewood will also work.

[@6806goats1]

@@Oonihq Thanks for the reply. The base actually has some lump charcoal next to the briquettes so I bought a bag of each. Bought a Weber kettle to bbq a turkey and will look in town for regular wood. Has to be some around. I'll review other videos as well to learn more and if things look good I'll look into buying one of your ovens. Wanted to build a brick oven but that's for my house in the US and not overseas. This is a good option and I might consider this for home use as well. Thanks again.

[@kataysmith9581]

I used my Karu with wood all last summer and it has never gotten over the low 700 degrees. Also, it burns alot of wood before it gets up to temp

[@Oonihq]

Hi there! If you're struggling to reach higher temperatures, we like to have a light base layer of charcoal to maintain a steady, even temperature. After your oven has preheated for a few minutes, we like to add hardwood chunks to give a burst of heat and wood-fired flavour. Here at Ooni HQ we use hardwood kindling made from either oak or beech hardwood and we use high quality lumpwood charcoal. We don't recommend using charcoal briquettes are these will block the holes in the fuel tray, thereby limiting airflow. To maximise airflow, please also ensure the chimney cap has been removed and the chimney baffle is open before lighting up. Please also make sure the door and fuel hatch are kept on through your pre-heat and cook to prevent heat from escaping. Make sure to give your starter fuel a full 10-15 minutes to burn through and heat the oven. We recommend starting with 4-6 pieces of kindling. Once your oven has pre-heated and you can see the starter fuel has mostly burnt through, top up a with a couple of sticks of wood kindling to achieve a rolling flame. After a further minute, your oven should be at the perfect temperature to launch your pizza! After each pizza, top up with a couple more pieces of wood kindling and give your Ooni a couple of minutes to get back to top temperatures. Hope this helps! -Colton, OoniHQ

[@apachehelicopter9032]

Charcoal and then nice wood for rolling flame to cook 👍

[@BenoitOger]

Hi , wondering about the Wood/ gaz consuption for 1 or 2 hours ? Any ideas ?

[@Sai-wf8pz]

On the website

[@wynkindeworde6504]

Why doesn't it come with a peel and a thinner one to turn the pizza in the oven?

[@anujmarathe3667]

Do you keep the door ON only when heating up to the desired temp or also when cooking something like a pizza in 60 seconds (with vent open)? The only reason I ask is because one'll have to keep rotating the pizza which means taking the door ON and OFF multiple times.

[@Oonihq]

Hello Anuj 🍕 When cooking with Ooni Karu, the door must be off at all times. There are full instructions here: support.ooni.com/support/solutions/articles/24000050641-ooni-karu-essentials-guide-and-manual . Advice on cooking with the vents closed and pizza door on is related to cooking with Ooni Pro. 😉🍕💪

[@brimstone5931]

@@Oonihq I have a Karu 12. Your reply above has confused me... at 1:00 in the video it says keep the door on at all times. you say keep the off at all times? Also the link doesn't work!

[@hab1b1]

@@Oonihq this is very confusing, video says the opposite? For karu 16, do you have door on or off?

[@thefunkmaster96]

I’ve had my karu 12 for several months now and can say it doesn’t really matter either way. Keep the door on while cooking just keeps the heat insulated better and that’s what I’ve always done but also will leave door off if I’m cooking and the pizza is cooking too fast

[@ZenithQuinn]

@@brimstone5931 off is when you use gas.

[@coryneeley4766]

I think it's kinda negligent to say you can cook with this out of the box. If you read instructions, it says that you should season your ooni. You can smell the cooked oils from the first burn and I wouldn't want to eat that stuff. Please season your ooni for at least 30 minutes at the max temp before using.

[@meerajamali3591]

how ?

[@JayWilson3DAnimation]

@@meerajamali3591 1 tsp of salt and pepper and 1 tsp of your favourtie herbs and spices should do, double up if using gas

[@nateconrad4461]

@@meerajamali3591how what? Use pellets and wood pieces to light it. Once it catches you have to constantly check the temp. You can’t cook an edible pizza in 90 seconds at 900°. The pizza turns black in less than 60 seconds at that temperature

[@AlexMoophty]

Cant decide whether I go with Karu or Fyra. Both have their pros. Any experience? Thanks in advance😊

[@Oonihq]

It's entirely based on personal preference. Fyra only uses pellets so if you enjoy cooking with pellets then Fyra is the one for you! If you want the flexibility to use wood pieces/charcoal/gas, then Karu is the best bet! Both will give you great results!

[@CW-ho4wy]

What about the adjustable smoke slider inside the ooni? Open, semi open, closed positions?

[@Oonihq]

This depends on your model and fuel source. If you have questions about the correct way to set up your oven, please send us a message at support.ooni.com so we can help. 🔥

[@Ryezn5057]

Please make a Karu 16

[@benjamineliasson]

You mean an Ooni Pro?

[@AnotherOverTaxedTaxPayer]

Will it work with wood pellets?

[@Oonihq]

Hi there! Our Karu 12 is intended for use exclusively with larger hardwood chunks and lumpwood charcoal. Unlike our Ooni Fyra, which was designed for pellet use, our Karu 12's internal components were not designed in the same manner to burn pellets. We've found that using pellets in our Karu models generally blocks airflow and consequently affects the overall performance of this unit. Therefore, we'd recommend sticking to charcoal and larger wood kindling for the best results.

[@49mellen]

You can use gas in this oven does it come with the gas burner a

[@Oonihq]

Hello Daniel 🍕 the gas burner does not come with the oven. You can find more info about Ooni Karu here ooni.com/collections/shop-all/products/ooni-karu and about the gas burner here ooni.com/products/ooni-gas-burner (these are link to our US site but if you live in UK or EU you can switch the website to those versions too). Hope this helps 😉

[@rayhuang0814]

My oven has smoke all the time when using gas burner. Chamber is coating a layer of carbon after cooking. Any suggestions?

[@Oonihq]

Hi, Ray! If you reach out to our Support Team at support.ooni.com and include some footage of your gas burner, we'll be more than happy to assess the issue and provide some additional troubleshooting tips and tricks if necessary.

[@bigwillie1384]

Can you use gas and wood at the same time

[@Oonihq]

No, we recommend using wood/charcoal and gas separately.

[@AronBlumkin]

Is it possible to cook a 60 second pizza without adding more wood after you initially light it the first time? My father expects a fire to last the whole time during cooking without having to constantly add more wood

[@Oonihq]

In order to keep the oven and stone up to temperature you will need to add more wood during the heat up process.750ºF / 400ºC is the ideal temperature your oven should be at during launch.

[@nateconrad4461]

The wood will burn to nothing in almost no time. The pellets are key to maintaining temperature

[@nateconrad4461]

I won’t even think about putting my pizza in with a temp over 400°but the stone itself should be 375°before you start

[@Joe-pt5lz]

Do you have to turn the pizza round whilst it is cooking?

[@Oonihq]

Yes! We suggest turning the pizza about every 20-30 seconds!

[@guidog3068]

Don’t recommend ordering your Karu from Lakeland at the mo’ they say the Karu is in stock but I ordered a week ago now and no sign of the oven turning up despite Hermes receiving it on Wednesday. Lakeland through Hermes did however manage to courier deliver a £5 ‘money off’ voucher when I spend £30 on Friday instead of the oven...thanks 🙄 Ordered the gas burner attachment from ooni on Wednesday and here on Monday. All other accessories/fuel from other companies took 24 to 48 hrs. Recommend ordering from ooni direct or somewhere like John Lewis as it’s not like Lakeland are any bit cheaper!

[@ay-lw6yj]

Can i use anytype of wood or mesquite

[@Oonihq]

Hey Alejandro. We recommend high quality hardwood such as oak or birch. Hope this helps!

[@benjaminkepinger7368]

Ooni: You sharing some contradictory information about usage with gas. Here you say "Keep door off at all times when cooking with gas.", somewhere else you state "For optimum performance, we close the vents and use the pizza door when cooking with gas!". I never reach even 400 degree on the stone with my Karu when operating with propane gas and everything set up appropriatly. I never closed the door, but is it safe to do so in order to reach the 500 degree?

[@Oonihq]

Hello Benjamin 👋 When cooking with Ooni Karu, the door must be off at all times. There are full instructions here: support.ooni.com/support/solutions/articles/24000050641-ooni-karu-essentials-guide-and-manual . Advice on cooking with the vents closed and pizza door on is related to cooking with Ooni Pro.🍕

[@brimstone5931]

@@Oonihq I've commented in another post here. Let me guess, you've copied and pasted that reply... and got it wrong. KEEP THE DOOR OFF AT ALL TIMES!!!! Thanks for your sincere support and concern 😖😖

[@rwin1]

No matter what i do, I can't get it hotter than 350 C in the back. It is not even 300 C close to the door. This is after more than an hour. Rolling flames and all. It does not matter. Yes, door is closed, chimney open and lid off. Can this be the charcoal / wood type? I really dont see why this would make any difference.

[@Oonihq]

Hey there, we do recommend high-quality solid fuels as this can affect your overall cooking experience! Here in Ooni HQ, we like to use a base layer of charcoal for the heat and add small pieces (about 5" - 13 cm) of wood for the rolling flames. We'd recommend lump wood charcoal, and these kiln-dried hardwoods: beech, birch, oak, hickory, mesquite, apple, or cherry. We have an article that should help you with this: support.ooni.com/en_us/my-ooni-karu-12-isn't-getting-hot-enough-or-has-an-underpowered-flame.-what-should-i-do-S1OVjROfs - but feel free to get in touch with us at [e-mail] if you need any further support! 🍕🔥

[@simondrury4291]

Can you use pellets on the Karu 12?

[@Oonihq]

Hey, Simon! Our Karu 12 isn't optimized to burn pellets in the same efficient way that our pellet-fed ovens are. These pellets are smaller than recommended solid fuels (lump charcoal and hardwood kindling), which tend to clog our fuel grate and affect overall performance. Therefore, it's best to stick with the appropriate-sized kindling and charcoal if you'd like to cook with solid fuels.

[@maykunka5705]

If we're not able to find Beech, Birch, and/or Oak, can we use other types of bbq friendly untreated wood?

[@Oonihq]

Hello May 🍕Any hardwood works. If you are in the UK or EU, you can buy our oak that is specifically sized for the Karu.😉

[@warriorworkout7217]

How do you not include a peel with a handle? It’s not an accessory. You can’t cook without it! Way to price gouge

[@Oonihq]

Hello 🍕None of our ovens are currently sold with a pizza peel as standard. We have a variety of options on our website when it comes to pizza peel depending on the customer’s preference! 😉

[@travisstephens79]

Because a true artist chooses their own tools. They're not even using a pizza turner in this, but I definitely would.

[@DavidTheNickjrFan2003]

Will any kind of charcoal work?

[@Oonihq]

For optimal results, we recommend sourcing lumpwood charcoal. We suggest avoiding charcoal briquettes, as these tend to be quite brittle and break easily. This may lead to issues with airflow and affect the overall performance of our multi-fuel ovens.

[@DavidTheNickjrFan2003]

@@Oonihq ok. Thanks

[@greyhound-t3k]

Where is this made?

[@hyxl3r254]

Designed in scottland made in china

[@txketokevin3398]

Will wood pellets work

[@Oonihq]

Hello Kevin 😉🍕 Kindling works!

[@Simonhdude1]

i had the problem that the bottom of the pizza got burned but not the top, what did i do wrong?

[@Oonihq]

The ideal temperature for cooking pizza in an Ooni is between 400ºC and 450ºC (753ºF to 852ºF) in the middle of the stone baking board. We recommend using an Infrared Thermometer to measure the temperature as it takes out all of the guesswork! If you're struggling to reach this temperature you can simply increase the pre-heat time to allow the stone baking board more time to heat up.

[@benjamineliasson]

As the bottom got burned, I'm guessing the stone was hot enough, but you probably didn't have a rolling flame going on. There needs to be an active rolling flame when cooking the pizza, to get enough heat from above, to cook the top at the same time as the bottom.

[@Raziel6523]

how come you don't use the door or chimney when cooking w/ gas?

[@Oonihq]

Great question! Cooking with a door could cause a build-up of gas in the Ooni Karu 12 and our Ooni Koda range. The chimney, in this case, is removed for the best performance of our original Ooni Gas Burner - we do recommend that the chimney is attached with its newer version, the Ooni Karu 12 Gas Burner 🍕🔥

[@133TeeTee]

Can pellets be used

[@Oonihq]

Our only pellet oven is the Fyra 12! The Karu will work best with wood chunks. 🔥

[@robmarq1]

Can I use wood pellets on the Karu? Can I combine charcoal and pellets?

[@HaggisboyUk]

I was wondering this too, can you use wood pellets??

[@emilytinykitty93]

Absolutely, any wood will work so long as it isn't treated wood, otherwise it poses a health hazard.

[@emilytinykitty93]

@@HaggisboyUk Yessir! Wood pellets and even pellets with a mix of charcoal produces a good effect.

[@Sai-wf8pz]

No pellets in karu

[@DavidTheNickjrFan2003]

Will red oak work

[@Oonihq]

Yes! Any good quality hardwood will do the trick. We recommend wood pieces approximately 15cm in length to achieve the optimal burn. 🔥

[@DavidTheNickjrFan2003]

@@Oonihq OK. Thanks

[@benjamineliasson]

I don't get why people are talking about making a Karu 16. Wouldn't that just be a Ooni Pro? I don't see any difference. The stone in the Pro is even a bit larger than in the Koda 16.

[@mechmat12345]

Yes, functionally, the Ooni Pro is just a big Koda. I have a feeling they're going to re-design the Pro to match the design style of the other models in the next year or so though. No inside info, just a hunch.

[@brittanymckinney8579]

There is an Ooni Pro? I’m on the website and I see nothing called that. I’m looking for gas and wood ooni that 16 instead of the 12 lol. A Karu 16 would be heaven sent for me :)

[@benjamineliasson]

@@brittanymckinney8579 Yeah, they make an Ooni Pro. You just have to search to find it in stock somewhere. :) It works with gas, wood, charcoal and wooden pellets I think.

[@nateconrad4461]

Don’t even think about bringing it to 900°. Your pizza will be torched. Bring the stone to about 450° and put your pizza in. It will be done in 2 minutes or less. Any longer and it burns

[@Oonihq]

We usually suggest launching when your stone's temperature is somewhere between 750-850°F or 400-450°C! 🔥😎

[@markmiela3937]

It doesn’t work like this video states. Raw dough will not slide off the rack like that.

[@allandocater6296]

I'm sure you can do it too. Just look for Stodoys plans.

[@martylynchian8628]

can I get a 1% discount and screw the planting of the trees?

[@mikeries8549]

How donations work: In my country the corporate beggar gets to keep 80% for administrative expenses. That corporation donates it to the next corporate beggar in the chain who keeps 80% and so on. At some point the person whose name is being used in the begging campaign gets a pittance . So next time you see them sad ads remember...

[@HeavyMetalTots]

It’s been 15 minutes and my Ooni is at 350F. This happens literally every time. 1 out of 5 stars.

[@Oonihq]

This certainly doesn't sound right! If you reach out to our Support Team by creating a new ticket (support.ooni.com/en/support/tickets/new) we'll be happy to troubleshoot this with you and ensure your oven is reaching top temperatures. 🔥

[@apachehelicopter9032]

Ballocks 😂

[@nicolasmatherne8574]

Wood fired pizza? How is pizza supposed to get a job now?

[@Oonihq]

The nerve of that Wood guy. 🙄🍕