The Truth About Ooni Pizza Ovens: Don't Buy Until You Watch This Review

In this review, you’ll learn the pros and cons of Ooni pizza ovens. I also show you the differences between pizza cooked in an Ooni versus a regular oven (with and without a pizza stone).
Disclosure: Ooni sent me this oven, but this is not a sponsored video, and they did not pay me to make it.
Disclaimer: We may earn a fee if you buy via the affiliate links below (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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****Navigate This Video****
0:00 Intro
0:31 Pros of Ooni Pizza Ovens
2:54 Cons of Ooni Pizza Ovens
5:09 Ooni vs. Regular Oven (With and Without a Pizza Stone)
9:00 Are Ooni Pizza Ovens Worth Buying?
****Products Featured in This Video****
Ooni Karu 16: shrsl.com/3s8c4 (Ooni.com)
Ooni Karu 16: amzn.to/3A0TvEX (Amazon)
Ooni Karu 12: shrsl.com/3s8c7 (Ooni.com)
Ooni Karu 12: amzn.to/3G6TB1w (Amazon)
Ooni Koda 16: shrsl.com/3s8c9 (Ooni.com)
Ooni Koda 16: amzn.to/3UjWxfL (Amazon)
Ooni Koda 12: shrsl.com/3s8cb (Ooni.com)
Ooni Koda 12: amzn.to/3TjVhYJ (Amazon)
Ooni Frya 12: shrsl.com/3s8cd (Ooni.com)
Ooni Frya 12: amzn.to/3zVsXos (Amazon)
Compare all Ooni models: shrsl.com/3s8c3 (Ooni.com)
****Related Videos/Articles****
Ooni Pizza Oven Full Review prudentreviews.com/ooni-pizza...
The 4 Best Ooni Pizza Oven Alternatives (With Comparison Chart) prudentreviews.com/ooni-alter...
How to Use a Pizza Stone in the Oven prudentreviews.com/how-to-use...
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[@BigBenGermany1983]

If the dough sticks, you prepared the dough incorrectly! It's not easy to make good dough and it's a science in itself! With good flour, such as Caputo Cuoco, you can easily handle a dough with 70% hydration! Is child's play! It is also important to dip the dough in flour on both sides before stretching. You also have to make an advantage! With Caputo Cuoco you should let the pre-dough rest in the fridge for 24 hours, then make the pizza dough and let it rise in the fridge for another 24 hours. After 48 hours, remove the dough and let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour. The dough pieces form approx. 280g. After 30 minutes, reball the dough pieces again, but never knead! Reball again after another 30 minutes. Then let it rest for 1 hour and you're good to go! The perfect dough for pizza Napoli style is ready! There are also doughs that don't need that long to rest, e.g. Caputo Pizzaria. Here it is enough to let the pre-dough rest in the fridge for 24 hours. And and and! A dough has to be done right! It is also important not to use too much flour, both on the peel and on the pizza base, which burns in the oven is not healthy! Not every flour can be used for every pizza and you have to know how to process a dough! If you don't know, you'll get a mess and it won't taste or look as good as it could. The texture won't be right and the mouthfeel...! As I said, this is a science in itself and requires a lot of practice and knowledge! But we in Germany say that no master has fallen from the sky! Practice makes a Master! 😊 PS: You cannot use high quality cheeses such as fresh mozzarella and many other types of cheese in the normal oven. These will burn! Fresh mozzarella can only be used in a pizza oven! You can work around this by adding the mozzarella 3-4 minutes before the pizza would be ready, but I mean that interrupts the heat the pizza actually needs and interferes with the development of the flavor.

[@matu4251]

The main issue is the lack of technique. There is a learning curve to learn to properly stretch the dough, place it on the peel, launch the pizza without sticking issues and rotate the pizza once in the oven. You get better quickly and it’s a fun process. Got mine 2 years ago and been making napolitain pizzas every weekend for the family. It’s a great investment.

[@sharpvolt2669]

sounds like skill issue lol

[@TDub_ADV]

I agree with you. I have an older gen i uuni pellet and after a few times i learned not only how to make great dough but how to stretch it as well. I rarely have them stick to the peel, i do use a wooden peel with corn meal on it but i never have issues with it. I have also found that ingredients matter like 00 flour vs all purpose from the store. After owing this little oven i cannot go back to oven cooked or pizza place pizza. One comment on the video he mentions just get a stone and put it in the oven for the same results. I don't agree with that at all, the pizza that comes out of the ooni is completely different than an oven in both taste and texture. An oven simply cannot match the heat level and since mine is pellet the wood fired flavor.

[@mlanes01]

Agree and you could see from the orange and black bottom of his ooni pizza that he had a ton of burnt flour on the bottom. Likely bc he doesn't know how to stretch the dough and didn't want it to stick so he overcompensated with flour. Also never take your pizza stone out of the oven it needs to go in at least an hour before you put the pizza in and you typically cook the pizza a bit then pull it out on a peel then add cheese and toppings so you don't get the burned cheese like in your video. Also the middle was likely raw dough. But this is all stuff you learn. Overall the msg of the video, the ooni makes better pizza than your oven . I'd agree with that

[@alejandroolivas3476]

Stucked in the stretching part, cant get it to be 3mm thick. Also I've had some pizzas stick on the stone, that's the saddest part haha

[@slipstreamvids7422]

The tiny bit of carbonized flour is something youd get at any commercial pizza place as well.

[@kaudjar]

I've had the Ooni Fyra for a year or two now and it's amazing! The woody flavour from their pellets is superb

[@jcpetrey]

This is a basic and fair comparison of different methods of cooking pizza and some good points about using an Ooni. If you want to learn to make truly great pizza you need to learn how important the dough is in achieving great pizza (hydration - I use 70%, fermentation - I use 72 hour 2-step cold fermentation, quality of flour for high temperature oven - I use 00 flour from Naples, Italy for high temp pizza ovens , etc.), how important cooking temperature is in Neapolitan pizza (850-925), how to properly make dough balls, stretch and press the dough, and the finer points of achieving a great cook with the Ooni. It’s taken me about a year to get it right. The bad part is pizza anywhere else is a big disappointment … after learning the above you’ll know why.

[@dgdigital2659]

I agree with everything you said but a year to get it right 😂 I got the Ooni 3 about 4 years ago used the Roberta's pizza recipe and my first pizza in the Ooni was perfect.

[@RuckasxDevil]

I've been making my own dough and sauce for the past 5 years and tbh it's hard for me to find better pizza when trying new places

[@gerardlunow567]

I found this with just about everything, it takes "TIME" to learn evaluate, CQI (Continuous Quality Improvement) The hardware is only 25% of the output. It is my project for 2024.

[@douggaskill553]

If you don’t trust yourself sliding the pizza off a peel onto a stone in your home oven buy a pizza screen. You can buy a 16” screen for under $10 at a restaurant supply store. Build the pizza on a screen and slide it onto the stone in your oven, after a couple minutes the pizza should be firm enough to pick up with a peel and remove the screen and slide back onto the stone. Thats how we cook extremely large pizzas in our pizzeria. Also, try using 2 stones and crank the oven up just as hot as it will get not 450 degrees. Tip, season the new screen first and don’t use soap to wash the screen after it’s seasoned or the pizza will likely stick to the screen.

[@letXeqX]

great tip, thx.

[@MarkRVillano]

A mix of cornmeal and flour sprinkled generously on the peel will help prevent sticking, and add even more crunch to the bottom of the crust.

[@irishswtpea]

If it’s sticking, it’s because you aren’t using semolina on the bottom of your pizza. That’s what we use in actual restaurants for bread and pizza. It helps the bread to slide in and out of rocket hot ovens.

[@nancyjasso8057]

Corn meal also help the pizza come off

[@rickroll9086]

@@nancyjasso8057 sure, corn meal works, but then you’ve ruined the pizza and turned it into pig food.

[@surrealartisan4625]

Doesn’t it also depend on the type of metal peel you’re using? If it’s perforated or not?

[@JWill6969]

​@@rickroll9086 Ehh the corn meal doesn't make it taste that bad. I've used it a while with my pizza steel, and it is nice.

[@Lilschlitz333]

Or just salt

[@marksabota4056]

Finally a nice full review between ooni, oven and sheet pan outcome, thanks for the work!

[@deepsea5107]

We covet the Ooni Karu 16. Eventually we will buy one! Looking forward to having one for use in the summer months. What I've done, for now, to up our pizza game is to buy a 16" X 16" square of 1/4 inch thick plate steel from a local metal shop. I season it using the method used to season a cast iron skillet. I place the top rack in the oven as high as it will go, then set the steel on it. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (at least a good half hour to ensure the steel plate is also up to temp). In about 3ish minutes we can cook a pretty righteous pizza; close to, but not exactly like, a wood fired pizza. This is a great option on cold winter days, when it is way too cold to be outside for running an Ooni (winter temps in our location can reach -20ish degrees F). Note: we've thought about using the broiler burner to cook the pizza, but we don't want a pizza supernova in our oven. Maybe if we lowered the steel plate, that might work.

[@lenovo7999]

People sandwich two pizza stones you cook on one then have one on top

[@jmcnabb75]

Use cornmeal or a mixture of cornmeal and semolina to prevent sticking on the paddle. Flour alone is not that good. I also used the Ooni dough recipe the first time and other recipes later on. Their recipe is great. Can adjust accordingly but it was pliable and thin enough to thoroughly cook. Nice and crispy on the outside. And it does cook fast. I would suggest cooking veggies first. Squeeze excess juice from them before putting them on. (used to work at pizza places for a long time, squeezing the juice out of veggies makes for a better pizza)

[@GNARLOUSE]

The goofy peel has holes in it making that technique useless.

[@yvettestar2000]

That's why i am here, lol. I thought i can set my dough on a plastic round cover and when i tried to transfer my beautiful looking pizza, it got destroyed, lol. wasn't happy. Does it have to be on a wood plate not to stick, cause i tried to slide it on a metal huge spatula and that didn't work. should i use a wood plate, spread corn meal and it should slide on the metal pizza spatula?

[@gray_gogy]

Please not cornmeal 😭. It ruins the pizza. Just semolina is fine.

[@gray_gogy]

​@@GNARLOUSEthe holes in the pizza dont actually make it harder. It allows excess flour to fall through so that you don't get burnt flour on your pizza. If you stretch the dough on semolina, you shouldn't have sticking issues

[@mr.johnozmon9592]

Hi Andrew, I bought an Ooni Karu 16" back in August and I love it. A little background on me; I taught myself how to make pizza about thirty years ago and now I'm teaching my son because he wants to impress his girlfriend and her family. 🙂 Buying this pizza oven was the next logical step for me in my never ending quest to make the perfect pizza. The $900 price tag (w/accessories) is a little steep, but if you love to make pizza at home and you're looking to take the next step, this is the way to go. The one thing you didn't mention though (or maybe I didn't hear you), the $799 price tag doesn't include the propane attachment, that costs an extra $100. I bought the propane attachment so that the oven is more versatile because you can do more with this oven than just make pizzas. I've made calzones, Stromboli's and bread in it. You can also cook proteins in it; steak, burgers, chicken..... For pizza though (and calzones and Stromboli's), I only like to use charcoal and wood. It does take a little extra effort to get the temperature to where you want it, but the taste is well worth it. Just imagine eating a hot pizza out of an oven where every bite you take, you can smell and taste the charcoal accent. It's like eating a burger cooked on a charcoal grill compared to one that was cooked on propane. I like to cook my pizzas at around 650 degrees and it takes about 2- 21/2 minutes. The first time I used it, I was able to get it up to 850 degrees with charcoal, but I didn't like the results, too hot and the pizza cooked too fast. The lower temp allows for the pizza to absorb the charcoal flavoring better. For the record, I bought the metal pizza peel and I don't like it for all of the reasons you gave. A wooden pizza peel works much better, the dough doesn't stick as much and the pizza launches much easier into the oven.

[@PrudentReviews]

Hi John - thanks for sharing. I'm so glad you're loving the Karu 16. It takes a little practice, but the results speak for themselves.

[@jonreed6466]

Great comment! I love my Karu 16. We use it regularly for homemade pizza's that have become second nature to make. We ordered a pizza for the first time in over a year two weeks ago and remembered why we stopped ordering out. Sure a great pizza with great ingredients can be costly to make but the results are amazing. I completely agree with the lower temp cook. I found the 650-700 degree range to start, then I turn off the propane for about 2 mins to ensure the bottom cooks evenly and gets that crisp you want. When the bottom reaches our desired cook, I turn the gas back on and rotate the pizza every 10 seconds until done on top which is about 30 seconds. We live in a northern climate so in the fall/winter the propane is the way to go, in the summer we use the lump coal and hardwoods for the best flavors.

[@thedang4phim]

Our son ordered this oven for my birthday, it cost $799 before tax and a few accessories to complete a set. Only my husband and I, we're Asian eating rice twice a day rarely to eat pizza, maybe a few times a year when we go out for convenience. Our son sees I love baking and thought I needed an outdoor oven for Baguette or bread ( because I mentioned about using the oven in the kitchen in summer time it makes the house hot ( in Texas) but after we took it off from the box I realized it too small and too low it will burn the bread or baguette... And it took space if not used regularly, a little hard to set up or clean .. It's too late to return now because the return police said only 60 days and unopened. It has been used once and I put it back in the box to keep it in the garage. I don't want my son to be sad about his gift, but it is not what I can use it for. Every time I take my car in and out of the garage, the box is at my eyesight, I don't know what to do with it.

[@bridesnyc]

Sale it to someone...@@thedang4phim

[@bexxISM]

I LOVE MY KARU16. If you're going to buy an oven you first need to be a pizza maker. Master your dough(s) first on your home oven. Then when you get your outdoor oven the only learning curve is the oven operation. I got my oven in March with multi fuel and I almost always use a wood flame now. 100 pies in I think its one of the best things we've purchased. It's night and day from an oven on stone. Pro tips 1) for a standard oven: Cook your dough for 3+ min before topping and your life and taste will be closer to the real deal. 2) Get some sour dough starter from a good bakery and maintain it. Learn to make your own dough. It's incredible. 3) The OONI cheap knock off stoves are terrible. I've had friends who bought them and cooking on them sucks.

[@ShopperPlug]

4:18 - flour is not the right thing to use to slide the pizza, you need to use what the pros use which is semolina. I found using a mixture combination of mostly semolina, with some flour and Cornmeal gives the best and easy pizza slides and never gotten pizza ever stick to the metallic pizza peel when sliding. It also makes the pizza crust taste better. I also add sesame seeds with the mixture makes it slide like butter. 8:53 - Indeed the pizza from the ooni should be much better, the thermodynamics of 900F temps is what makes the pizza tastes so much better and cooks like in 1-2 mins or so. I hate pizza out from the 500F kitchen oven.

[@guyprovost]

Agree.... Pizza cooked at 500F kinda make the cheese all rubbery... Nothing tastes like a good 900+ pizza cooked in 60-90 seconds

[@kaudjar]

Sesame seeds is a genius idea! I'm stealing that 😁 Thank you

[@gerardlunow567]

Sooooooo, I bought a NexGrill Propane oven which has a manual rotating stone table. I replaced the rotating knob with an 1 RPM 12 VDC motor. The oven was $299 but it checked out for $99 at Home Depot. I thank everyone for making the video and commenting on it. We are all in it together to make things better!!

[@mwpage1981]

Awesome video mate, thank you very much.

[@alge3399]

I have one of the first (UUNI) Ooni pizza ovens I bought when they first came out years ago. I can say that you learn as you go with any oven whether it's home oven, brick fired or gas oven. Of course you have to add more yeast to a home oven bake for more rise and proof your dough correctly. I have made pizzas for years and you can make a great restaurant pizza in a home oven if you know what your doing and have the correct equipment.

[@cheftuan]

Why do you have to add more yeast at home opposed to a restaurant?

[@alge3399]

More yeast if your using the dough the same day. Less yeast if your doing a cold fermentation in your refrigerator for extended days. It has alot to do with how warm or cold your house is too. If your proofing the dough for 8 hours the same day your going to use it on the counter you want more yeast. Especially if it's cool inside.

[@cheftuan]

@@alge3399 ahh..ok.

[@birdmandc19]

Yea that thing is sub par ,like cooking cookies with a light builb even after getting hot top burns and bottom doesn’t cook

[@dohboy88]

Good and fair review. Overall your results and conclusions were about what I thought they'd be

[@susancurd4319]

Glad I watched your video. I have ordered one for my husband for Christmas. I hope he loves it!

[@nadk8886]

Did he? 😂

[@rks1789]

A follow up with a pizza steel and turning your home oven up as high as it goes, 500 or 550 typically... I still believe the Ooni wins, which is why I have one out back, but if you want to compare the best you can do without one this is required.

[@jinglu2524]

The dough is the key to a delicious pizza. By just the appreciation of the crust, the one made via Onni is definitely the best!

[@waynewheaton3210]

Don't forget you have to store the pizza oven. Nice review!

[@alphawolf1256]

I have to say, it really depends what you're trying to cook. A Neapolitan pizza simply isn't going to be good in your home oven because of the lack of heat (in my honest opinion, Neapolitan needs char. Home oven just won't do it). Anyhow, you showed a good and honest review and pointed out the differences. Thank You for the great contend!

[@velianlodestone1249]

Steel works better in home ovens, stone works good but it releases the heat too slow, a cast iron pizza stone releases the heat quicker and results in better pizzas. Also, speed matters, no prepping the pizza on the pizza steel - you prep the pizza, then you use a peel to launch it into the oven on the steel. Pizza steels cool down fast, pizza stones also too fast (this guy was prepping on the stone, that's not ideal). Result is something significantly closer to ooni, duration to cook in my experience is 8 minutes with a pizza steel (vs. 12 minutes on the stone); the result is medium charring as the steel releases its heat into the pizza much faster. Still, undeniably - Ooni is better; however, a pizza steel gets way closer than demonstrated here and the demonstration is not a "peak home oven experience".

[@Sagerly]

good thorough review.

[@kenb3552]

I'm going to be critical of your oven method. I use my conventional oven with a stone and get basically the same result as my Ooni. For the oven, you need to preheat the stone as high as your oven will go - not just 450 which is WAY too low. Mine goes to 525. Others typically can go to 550. Then you need to heat the stone for 45 minutes to an hour - preferably an hour. With those parameters, my pizza cooks up in about 6 minutes - with great leopard spotting on the bottom. If I want to crisp up anything on on the top, I just do an additional minute on the broiler setting. No need to turn while cooking. The main reason I got the Ooni (which I do like) is the size. I can cook a 16+ inch pizza on the Ooni. Lastly - the dough. There is no such thing as a good store-bought pizza dough. You have to make it on your own using a combination of correct flours.

[@rogerf3622]

@Ken B you said everything I was about to comment on. I had to cringe when I saw him take the pizza stone out of the oven and then assemble the pizza on the stone. And you are absolutely correct, NO store bought dough! Homemade dough using Caputo red or even regular bread flour all properly refrigerated to ferment is fantastic. I also have the Ooni 16 and use the oven too. The only thing I would add is NEVER assemble the pizza on the peel. It will stick! Assemble it on a wood surface and use a little Semolina flour or corn meal on the surface to prevent sticking.

[@mcearl8073]

My oven only goes to 500, unless on the broiler setting which goes to 525. I’m struggling to get any color on the crust with homemade dough even though I never had that issue with store bought. I might try some malt powder until I buy an oven. That said, the store bough dough I was getting seemed pretty decent for the average person cooking in a home oven.

[@zookytar]

@@mcearl8073 I agree. I do like to make my own dough as well, but find that with proper technique (like making sure your home oven is blazing hot), a fresh dough like you can get from Trader Joe's makes a comparable pizza. On a weeknight it's so much easier.

[@zookytar]

@@mcearl8073 try getting a pizza steel of at least 1/4" thick. Let it preheat for an hour. It'll put a good color on your crust.

[@Nexus804]

@@mcearl8073 if you want to add a little colour to the dough, add 10-20g of sugar per 500g of flour. It wont make any difference to the taste but the sugars will brown the bread much faster, if thats your goal. Will also slightly increase the fermentation speed if your doing longer ferments with natural yeasts

[@dyates6380]

Excellent review!!!!!!!!!! I'm still deciding. I don't know if I want to buy something that is going to take twenty minutes to get to temperature and only need it to cook for three minutes. Thanks for the thorough review, it was fantastic.

[@shawnhampton8503]

Great review. Thank you for doing this test. OONI seems like a great product. I imagine there are great videos on the different OONI models and how they work with their various fuel sources.

[@thegreatgig8793]

Great vid man!!! It's worth my time to watch 😂

[@walter.bellini]

I think that for a comparison perspective you should have create three almost identical round pizzas, as all the pizzas were of different thickness and sizes, which can throw off your timing and a true way to visually compare them. Thank you for your efforts

[@brandtl1486]

A quality gas BBQ can comfortably get to 550F in about 15 minutes. Buy a Lodge griddle, a large hunk of cast iron. Heat your iron in your BBQ and I used 00 flour to make my pizza dough. It takes about 8 minutes in bbq and I put under my oven broiler for 2 minutes. Must admit, I get similar results to an OONI; little burned bits, good fluff on crust. If you roll your dough it will definitely make a thinner crust but hand stretching crust careful not to compress edges will result in a lovely poofy pizza! I would love to try just using a Lodge frying pan in bbq. Many people already have gas BBQs anyway and they really can make dang good pizza!

[@gerardlunow567]

Really like Lodge Cast Iron. Just got a 15 inch. I have a Gas One 200.000 BTU burner to sear steaks. Most hot cooking is done in the garage. No smells in the house.

[@echogod]

I appreicieate your comparison of the oven vs. stone and sheet pan. A lot of good info there. Thank you. There is another thing though that I hear all the time on youtube. "I was sent this item by the manufacturer but I wasn't paid for my opinion". Actually unless you send the item back after the review then yes you were paid for the review. Payment for service does not have to be money, it can be anything of value, and unless the item is returned after the review then it is a form of payment.

[@matthewwinchester4168]

I got mine for Christmas this year with a bunch of the equipment which is pretty cool! :D I'm excited to try it out

[@PrudentReviews]

It takes a couple attempts to get it right but you’ll love it

[@RealGrubert]

I have a Gozey Dome, and it is my favorite appliance. Takes a while to heat up compared to these smaller ones, but it is a hoot.

[@Huskerj1000]

Bought the coda-16 three years ago. I guess I'll get it out this summer and try it out.

[@rustyshackleford4117]

Would love to see a comparison with these Ooni models and the Breville Pizzaiolo. I know Ooni also makes an electric pizza oven, but the general consensus seems to be that the Breville is superior in terms of cooking and is the top electric option for consumers.

[@zsoltmajtenyi7838]

I'm just browsing through the Ooni website, and I think I would go for the gas oven. But, I do not find that nice thermometer on any of them what I see on yours, neither in the accessory list. Can you help here? Thank you

[@butters742]

Something I didn't know i wanted until i watched it lol. Thanks for the indepth review.

[@randallcooper4399]

Damn good review. I have been on the fence for Ooni for over a year and this is the only review I needed to see. I will cave in on the $399 model eventually.

[@suspicionofdeceit]

Pull the trigger, they are superior once you get the technique down.

[@asadb1990]

I recall local costcos in canada sold them for like 3-400 in the summer. It came with peel, turner main unit.

[@michaelprozonic]

A pizza steel for the oven is supposed to have better results than a stone in the oven so that is another less expensive option. You should also use a pizza peel for the oven stone rather than removing hot stone to build a pizza on it. Lea e the stone in the one an slide the pizza onto it

[@ramencurry6672]

That’s what I’ve been thinking. Plus for home oven pizza to taste like restaurant quality he would probably have to change his recipe

[@danoesq2]

I bought one of the old ones with a gas attachment. The gas was a lot easier than using pellets. They work, but I've got a Yoder pellet grill now and with their pizza oven attachment, it blows ooni away.

[@GoldenBalls44]

where did you get the stand for the pizza oven?

[@FabioulousPizza]

Loved this review, it's great to see what a home baker thinks about these things, and lack of skills shouldn't stop people from experimenting! If you don't mind the unsolicited advise, try to make your pizza on your table top and THEN drag it on the peel. This will decrease the risk of the pizza sticking to the peel itslef 😉

[@PrudentReviews]

Appreciate the tip - I also got a wood peel which helps a lot

[@bloozedaddy]

I bought a baking steel for my outdoor grill so I could get Temps up to 600-650. Works great for leoparding/pizza oven style then you just finish the top of your pie under the broiler. If you put the steel in your indoor oven and crank it the 500 max you still get a nice crispy crust but it's more overall like his crust on the stone. That extra heat you get from the higher temp grill makes all the difference. The other great bonus with the baking steel is you now have a griddle surface for making smash burgers or breakfast foods. Definitely need one of those $20 laser thermometers to dial in accuracy for consistent results.

[@jesusfuentes2912]

I absolutely love my ooni koda 16. I recommend it. Pizzas baked in it are just like italian ones.

[@adrianlouviere7650]

good job! Thanks

[@jessestevens_aka_jesus]

Getting a pizza stuck in the oven is usually the cook's fault, not the oven's. That can happen in any oven. But thanks for the review, it's made me want an Ooni

[@BostonClipper]

Use rice flour instead of wheat flour on the peel. The moisture from the raw dough combine with wheat flour makes paste. A form of glue you can make as a kid. If you have a flour mill just add rice. The rice keeps the mill clean because it does not stick. Your pizzas are not round because you shake them off the peel too hard. Most likely because you have had sticking problems. Use rice flour, shake the peel so a few inches sticks to the stone/steel, then SLOWLY pull the peel out shaking very gently. Round pizza! Preheat oven to 550F. Pizza done in 6 minutes. Do not remove the stone/steel.

[@Beeeazybones]

Pro tip: If you have a pizza stone or a baking steel, then build your pizza on a piece of parchment paper and then par bake the pizza on the pizza stone in your oven or grill (warmed up for a while to get the stone hot enough). This crisps up the bottom and allows you to control the done-ness of the top of your pizza in the Ooni much easier, also eliminating ANY sticking issues whatsoever. No burnt flour taste, no cornmeal necessary. You get a better all around cook with nice cornis in the Oooni. But I know not everyone has a pizza stone/baking steel; this is just the most perfect pizza I've figured out how to make

[@rlav2000]

Outstanding review. Helped me make up my mind on what to purchase. Thank you!

[@PrudentReviews]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@Turth]

Hi, I enjoy your videos, they are very informative. wish you well! I watched a lot of your videos, lately your reviews of pizza ovens. I would like to ask you to recommend 3 pizza ovens that you think are the best. THANKS.

[@PrudentReviews]

I’m a fan of Ooni, but these alternatives are worth checking out too prudentreviews.com/ooni-alternatives/

[@claudiosimas1020]

All 3 pizza's looked good. Thanks for the video.

[@Tacome99]

i wonder how it would turn out on the pizza stone if mimicking the ooni as close as possible. i.e. heating the stone before placing pizza on for charring, and turning the oven on very high heat. Just a thought.

[@UnspokenCurse]

R.I.P the lil bug at 3:31

[@MarioSilva-jg5nh]

If the pizza starts to stick to the peel lift up a side and blow some air underneath and move it around then slide it in quick. Also don’t over load it with topping just brush on the sauce and cook 5 min then add the rest and finish it.

[@indyvin]

Very nice review and comparison. Please note that you can improve the results from the Ooni type oven with your choice of flour. You used the same flour, which is fair, but for even better results from the Ooni, use something like Caputo OO pizza flour which is imported from Italy. It is designed for high temperature, and reduces char, while improving rise and spring.

[@FabioulousPizza]

That's some common misconception about 00 flour! It has nothing to do with temperatures, rise, char, anything. It's just one of the names we Italians give to flours and the main element that differentiates them is the amount of ashes 😄 Besides, some 00s are good for pizza, others are pretty bad...there are various features to consider, not just the name 😅

[@chuckurso593]

Caputo 00 is the best flour on earth! On a stone in the oven set at 550 degrees with a warmup of 45 min of preheat, use your peel and put the pizza directly on the stone. This guy took the damn stone out and cooled it down. On top of that, he had temp at 450. Not a fair comparison and a way to make the Ooni look like an easy winner. I blow up my crust in the oven without a drawback.

[@tsocanuck]

the ooni koda 16 was the best investment i have ever made ...the neapolitan pizza is just amazing.

[@Keith80027]

What I have found is high temp is what makes the difference in a pizza.. I have a Green Egg that I fire up to 650 degrees with a pizza stone in it from the start. I put a Papa Murphy's on the stone and close the lid for 3 to 4 mins. Great pizza - yes. Can I make it better, sure with an open fire pizza oven.

[@j.j.4228]

Silly question but....can you use it inside a tent as a pizzaoven/tent heater?

[@crw31399]

Best oven pizza stone is the baking steel..makes the bottom nice and crispy.

[@LitchKB]

If you don't return the product to them, that product IS the payment, therefore this IS sponsored.

[@user-ml8of2gd1q]

i use a wood peel with flour to launch and a metal peel to turn and take out.

[@bridesnyc]

Thank you!

[@dgreenapple]

So the negatives you listed are almost all irrelevant except for the wind issue and the door-sticking issue (which is eliminated when you do what would be expected -- tightening the screws). If you want a Pizza Oven, it sounds like a FANTASTIC product.

[@waynejohnstone3685]

Just bought the wood version of this with the cart. Oddly the wood version is considerably more expensive, oddly because there’s no burner. I guess the chimney is expensive lol. Looking forward to using it today, pizza on my egg wasn’t that great.

[@LastNameTom]

My neighbor had a graduation party where they made a bunch of pizzas using one of these and HOLY GOD was it good! If you like going to Fired Pie or Mod pizza (if you have those around you) then you'll definitely want one of these. They take SO MUCH better than those places because you can add however much you want on it. Seriously, they were the best pizzas I've ever had.

[@bindayirwin1523]

We have the Karu 16 here in Sydney, no change from $1000 Au. Its not cheap, and I have fu(#ed up a lot of pizza doughs and made some disastrous pizzas. After a lot of trial and error, after a few months , we now churn out pizzas that are the real deal.Aswell as basic bread recipes and chicken wings, steak and curries.You have to learn from your mistakes, all while you you are playing with fire, and having a cold beer.I don't regret buying it, keep it clean and out of the weather it should last for a long time.

[@kevingebert4316]

I would say the cons for me with the Karu 16 was black soot no matter how nice the wood was I used: small dry cutoffs from boards of Oak or Cherry. But it did clear up after burning down more but then the flames would be shorter. I'm thinking it needed more air flow as I opened the door it cleared up. Its still easy to clean off the glass and interior with a paper towel or I even used an Air compressor and nozzle to blast that thin layer of black soot out (after it was cooled down of course) I'm switching to gas anyhow to see what difference it'll make. I'm not tasting any wood flavorings at all most likely due to the fact its burning at nearly 900F and the pizza is in and out in 90secs. Even a tad quicker than my GMG grill with pizza insert. I'm thinking LP will be the way to go and not worry about black smoke every time its fired up and more wood is added. I hear Lump charcoal is a better option too and will try that also. But here in Wisconsin, I think LP will be quicker in winter and a bit safer since I cook under an overhang near my garage and when I last fired up nice with cherry wood cutoffs from woodworking, the flames were coming out the intake and exhaust chimney so I'm glad I had it on a SS table. But I mainly worry about sootin' up my ceiling like a pellet stove would do in a home and then spending a Spring day cleaning it up. Otherwise the only other cons could be spending more money since its a very nice oven and it should have a nicer mobile table to set on with a cover seeing its too heavy to constantly move in and outdoors. My first day using it I cranked out 10 med sized pizzas and love it. I even tossed in a new york strip steak in the ooni cast iron pan after it cooled to about 550F or so and the flames were still going and it finished the steak in like 3mins. I took that inside and cut in half leaving it on the cast iron. It was Rare at first. But being soo hot I left it on there a few minutes and it eventually got to be medium which was perfect for sharing with the wife. Can't wait to try more on it. If you can afford it, definitely get the 16 vs the 12. There's more room and you get a window that helps you view whats going on real time. If cooking with wood, quickly wipe the glass with dry paper towel.

[@billsmith147]

If you are concerned about the soot on the stones, after you cook, and the stones have cooled turn them over and of course the bottom of the stone is clean. Repeat the process every time you cook, and you will always have a clean stone to cook on.

[@kevingebert4316]

@@billsmith147 The stones are staying clean for the most part other than semolina, the soot is primarily coating the top half of the unit. I did compare wood with gas recently and its definitely way hotter with wood. I just have to let it breathe more to flush the black clouds out. The soot I'm seeing is like a thin sheet that blows or wipes away fairly easily but some becomes airborne during the burn.

[@dvdgzmn0505]

If you burn wood you will get soot, no matter what wood you use. Once a year (or every other year) I remove the stone and hose down the interior and the chimney. It's all stainless steel, so no worries about rust. If you are seeing soot/ash coming out of the chimney during a burn you are overdue for a cleaning.

[@webdesignerandrew6957]

I've had my Karu 16 for 7 months and I use it a lot to cook pizza and naan. The inside behind the chimney is now very rusty and starting to break down. Disappointing considering how much I spent on the oven, gas attachment, peel, table and the rest. The stainless steel is no longer stainless at the high temperatures so the oven will always rust after time. I spray it with cooking oil after cooking but I know it will be rusting from the other side too. I live in Brisbane which is quite humid, so that doesn't help. For the money I would have been better off building a cast oven from a kit set.

[@barbaraforks1906]

i live in brisbane too and i do not have this issue. i believe the ovens have 3 years warranty so you should get in touch with ooni

[@DosMasTequila]

Andrew I was wondering where you got the cart from that the ooni sits on top of.

[@PrudentReviews]

Here it is: Profeeshaw Stainless Steel Table with Wheels 24x30 Inch, NSF Commercial Kitchen Prep & Work Table with Undershelf and Galvanized Legs for Restaurant, Bar, Utility Room and Garage Heavy Duty Table a.co/d/dxf9nwW

[@organect]

The dough is the secret. 450 is not hot enough in a regular oven. Also, you have to slide your dough onto the stone as well; putting the dough on a hot stone before toppings makes the cook time unbalanced. I have a crap oven from like 1983 with a stone. I pump it to 550 and never gets there, but probably close. Preheat time is 1 hour minimum. It's not Sally's but it's better than the stuff the guy in town is making with a $3000 oven and charging $30 a pie for.

[@PrudentReviews]

If you’re referring to Sally’s in New Haven, nothing is as good :)

[@Alphasig336]

I keep the pizza at the front edge of the peel. This allows me to touch the pizza to stone and provide friction to help slide pizza off the peel

[@nojo99]

I want one!!

[@Rich4098]

I had a real problem with my koda 16 lighting my pizza on fire in the back while the front was still soft dough. I think after preheating, you have to turn it way down.

[@starpartyguy5605]

I’ve made pizza in the oven that looks like the Ooni. First, pull one rack out of the oven. Put the remaining rack on the bottom. Put in the stone and turn the heat as high as it will go. Try to get it over 500 F. 550 would be better. Expect the oven to take at least 30-40 minutes. I also do something unorthodox. I use bread flour. The dough is tough to stretch but the flavor is incredible. Mix dough until oven exceeds 500F. Recipe: 1 cup warm water, 1 packet active dry yeast, 3-3.5 cups of flour. Let rise until oven reaches temperature. I use cornmeal as a release medium.

[@dvdgzmn0505]

Using bread flour is not unorthodox. You are making New York style pizza instead of Napolitana. And you are right about getting at least 500 F. In fact, if one can't get 550 F one might as well order out. But even at 550 F the result will not be remotely like what any Ooni oven will produce at 750 F or higher. And timing the dough rise based on how long the oven takes to heat up is not just unorthodox, it's totally nuts.

[@bobk4438]

I'm thinking of getting an Ooni. Big plus is not heating my oven in the summer time.

[@slofty]

Great stuff. What prep table cart is shown in use here? Thanks!

[@schnoah]

I liked that stand... did you happen to have a link for it?

[@PrudentReviews]

Here it is: Profeeshaw Stainless Steel Table with Wheels 24x30 Inch, NSF Commercial Kitchen Prep & Work Table with Undershelf and Galvanized Legs for Restaurant, Bar, Utility Room and Garage Heavy Duty Table a.co/d/dxf9nwW

[@dalev7391]

When you used the pizza stone in the oven, why didn't you use a peel to launch the pizza on the stone?

[@davidalvarez1560]

Your pizza on stone would be improved by not removing the stone from the oven... leave it in the oven, pull the grate out with stone on it, and launch your pizza just like in the pizza oven. You did not get good browning because the pizza stone cools while you built the pizza. For reference I have a fyra 12 and a lynx napoli and I also use straight on the grill and stone in the oven (depending on the application, how many pizzas I'm making, time of year, etc.

[@NoelKerns]

This is interesting. I like crisp, thin crust pizza, and I had been considering the purchase of an Ooni. I definitely DON'T like bloated, over-airy/doughy pizza like this video shows coming from the Ooni. So on the one hand, this video has talked me out of buying one, but I'm also left to wonder, can a different dough formula produce a thinner result from the Ooni that might be more to my preference?

[@Nexus804]

his comparisons were weird cause it looked like he used the same amount of dough on three completely different surface areas, so he got doughts of completely different base thicknesses. Said the sheet pan pizza was the thinest, but that has nothing to do with the cooking method, simply how good your dough is and how strong the gluten chains are. If you work up to a relatively high hydration witha slow ferment you can make pizza bases that are almost translucent (not always the best, there is such a thing as too thin)

[@xtraflyer]

Store bought dough isn't meant for high temp pizza ovens.

[@bexxISM]

So true, if you're going to buy a pizza oven you've got to be ready to be a pizza chef.

[@u235u235u235]

i make pizza about once a week in 450F home oven using an aluminum round pizza pan. for me it's more than enough. Ooni and pizza stone in an oven take like 30 min to get hot. pan in the oven takes like 10 min lol! huge time difference.

[@daviddroi7735]

Amazed Ooni would look at this channel for a review. Obviously not a pizza person. Previous comments have made great points about inconsistent methods, store bought dough (really?),etc. In the end the main factor with the Oomi and all the other portable pizza ovens is heat. If you're willing to invest the time to learn the proper techniques and dough prep (hydration, fermentation, forming) you can make pizza that will rival anything you can buy.

[@rkwjunior2298]

Corn meal is much better for slipping a pizza off the peal into the oven. Also, a wood peel my work better then a metal peel. Not sure why there are slots cut in the metal peel.? That could be another issue.

[@lukemelo]

I found that the commitment you need to make is to perfecting the dough. The oven comes second.

[@patrickcanary2805]

That spider at 3:33 is not having a good day.

[@evh347]

Your problem is your technique. Use Semolina flour, not corn meal to help the transfer to the oven. Also, you can pre-bake the dough to set the crust for about 1-2 minutes, then load your toppings. If you load the toppings onto raw daw, loading it into the oven will always be a challenge. Also, use a wooden pizza peal instead of the metal peal. Raw dough slides more easily off wooden peals. Baking Steel > Pizza Stone

[@MrDaeltaja]

Sticking isn't a problem with Ooni, it's a problem with your dough and/or technique. Your pizza shapes indicate the latter.

[@chrisjohnstone1109]

I didn’t come here for the recipe, but I’m digging your crust! What was the recipe you used for the ooni pie?

[@PrudentReviews]

Store bought at my local grocery store (much to the dismay of the pizza experts here in the comments)

[@D4narchy]

Burnt pizza bottom is burnt pizza. The ooni pizza is burnt and requires much better technique to get perfect. I've found only preheating mine for half the recommended time will get me a pizza without a burnt bottom. Subsequent pizza's are always burnt though, without the toppings cooked well. I suspect that it is an issue with just having a small oven, you cannot regulate the bottom stone temperature at all, which is where full sized ovens have a huge advantage.

[@BigBenGermany1983]

If the dough sticks, you prepared the dough incorrectly! It's not easy to make good dough and it's a science in itself! With good flour, such as Caputo Cuoco, you can easily handle a dough with 70% hydration! Is child's play! It is also important to dip the dough in flour on both sides before stretching. You also have to make an advantage! With Caputo Cuoco you should let the pre-dough rest in the fridge for 24 hours, then make the pizza dough and let it rise in the fridge for another 24 hours. After 48 hours, remove the dough and let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour. The dough pieces form approx. 280g. After 30 minutes, reball the dough pieces again, but never knead! Reball again after another 30 minutes. Then let it rest for 1 hour and you're good to go! The perfect dough for pizza Napoli style is ready! There are also doughs that don't need that long to rest, e.g. Caputo Pizzaria. Here it is enough to let the pre-dough rest in the fridge for 24 hours. And and and! A dough has to be done right! It is also important not to use too much flour, both on the peel and on the pizza base, which burns in the oven is not healthy! Not every flour can be used for every pizza and you have to know how to process a dough! If you don't know, you'll get a mess and it won't taste or look as good as it could. The texture won't be right and the mouthfeel...! As I said, this is a science in itself and requires a lot of practice and knowledge! But we in Germany say that no master has fallen from the sky! Practice makes a Master! 😊 PS: You cannot use high quality cheeses such as fresh mozzarella and many other types of cheese in the normal oven. These will burn! Fresh mozzarella can only be used in a pizza oven! You can work around this by adding the mozzarella 3-4 minutes before the pizza would be ready, but I mean that interrupts the heat the pizza actually needs and interferes with the development of the flavor.

[@misterx5814]

30 min to preheat in a Ooni? How long does a 20 lb propane tank last?

[@living4adrenaline]

I've heard they're great for backyard ovens, but not at all consistent for production/business purposes. The top gets overcooked and the bottom stays doughey.

[@bobcat409]

If your oven goes to 500 degrees, you should have used that temperature. Also, taking the stone out of the oven to make your pizza changes the experiment. 500 degrees in the oven on a hot stone should make the test more equitable.

[@roadrunner1095]

I bought before i watched this review and i am just fine :)

[@tonyjames2144]

What state/city was this filmed...the fall looks so nice

[@onetime3137]

Compton, California

[@tonyjames2144]

@@onetime3137 lOLOL

[@RayfordHumphrey]

Why did you only set the oven to 450°F when most modern home ovens will go to 550°F? I make pizza almost weekly, setting the oven to 550°F and my pizza is done in 5-7 minutes. Also, a pizza steel (cast iron) is much better than a stone, IMO.

[@barbaraforks1906]

Ooni claims the ovens can cook a neapolitan puzza( the real pizza ) in 60 seconds and it does. Neapolitan pizza us quite light but yours seem to be more of a panettone so it obviously it is too thick to be cooked in 60 seconds. As matter of facts it burns underneath but it does not cook properly on the top and a crispy bottom is not a good pizza but a overcooked pizza. As for the prices yes you are right

[@michaelolson571]

How long does the propane last in a standard tank?

[@PrudentReviews]

I haven’t measured this but Ooni says the Karu 12 burns .74 pounds of fuel per hour and the Karu 16 burns a little over 1 pound per hour. support.ooni.com/en_us/search?q=Fuel

[@camaperture8116]

I appreciate the review and comparison but you can’t compare the same dough in an 800 degree small pizza oven to a larger 450 degree home oven. The slow and low home oven is going to extract more water so you need dough with higher hydration.