Ooni pizza ovens?

[HuskerMan]

Who has one and how do you like it? Do you have the 12” or 16” size? Originally I was going to build myself a pizza oven but started looking at the ooni pizza ovens. I was looking at the multi fuel ovens. The price seems decent on them and probably not much more building your own once you figure in materials and labor. Plus the small and portable footprint vs a built pizza oven is attractive for a patio my size.

[Mishka212]

Funny, the 12” Koda arrived in our house on Friday - we unboxed it and decided that the opening was really narrow - there is no room for error in moving the pizza around, so we are returning to get the 16”, which will allow for more wiggle room. I hear there’s a bit of a learning curve, regardless.

[halfcocked]

Don't have one but I've been researching the matter (Ooni included) over the past year or so. I would not get the 12" because of its size. From what I read, it is difficult to get your pie/peel in and out even for a 12" pie. With Ooni I prefer the pro model because it has capabilities for wood and gas. The drawback is that you have to buy the gas attachment separately and that takes to unit to $700. More than I want to spend on a single purpose cooker. For gas, you might look at Carbon Kitchen pizza oven. Here, again, you are into 700 and no alternative for wood but it has a bottom burner for the stone as well as the top flame. The reports on the Carbon are very positive. Finally, on all of the three above, you have a waiting period. None of them are currently available. Good luck and let us know what you decide. (BTW, I have heard that it takes an inordenatly long time to get the Oooni Pro up to desired temperature.) My two cents.

[bowhnter]

I have the pro, and agree that the larger 16 is the way to go.
I also bought the gas attachment, but I can keep the temp lower when I want with wood.
Mine seems to get to the temp I cook at (about 5-600 on the stone) in about 20-30 minutes.
It’s faster with gas at getting to temp than wood.

[Whisky]

I have no Ooni experience, but I do with Roccbox, Pizza Party Ardore, and the Blackstone. If I had to replace my Ardore today the only oven from Ooni I would consider is the Pro. I require gas, and the bigger door/dome of the Pro is more appealing to me.

Those Carbon Kitchens also look interesting, just not a lot of different user experiences out there on them yet. But what I've seen so far is all positive. Definitely worth a consideration.

[HuskerMan]

Is there a big difference between gas and wood fired? Does the wood fired add any extra flavor? Seems like those who have commented so far prefer the gas. If I was going to go gas I would probably look into the camp chef pizza oven attachment for my burner setup I already have.

[robertm]

I got a Koda 16” for Christmas. Installed the natural gas conversion kit before first cook. Also bought a lazy suzan rotating tray for $7 and a 16” pizza stone for about $30. I removed the zinc plating from the tray and used some high temp grease on the bearings. With these few mods I’ve been really happy with the results. It gets to about 850 or so on the stone in around 15 minutes. I rotate the stone every 5 minutes or so preheating to get even temps all around.
I am by no means an expert and haven’t posted anything on here yet because I’m still learning the craft. It is fun and a bit nerve racking but I’m getting better ea time. Pizzas cook in like 2 minutes or less and seconds matter. The pizzas coming are awesome though and the family really enjoys.

I could write paragraphs more about technique, failures, successes, tip etc. Let me know if you have other questions. Recommend these two links and the forum in general for tips/ideas etc:

https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/in...?topic=61419.0

https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/in...?topic=66117.0

Here’s a few shots:

[Whisky]

Originally Posted by HuskerMan

Is there a big difference between gas and wood fired? Does the wood fired add any extra flavor? Seems like those who have commented so far prefer the gas. If I was going to go gas I would probably look into the camp chef pizza oven attachment for my burner setup I already have.

Gas is convenient. I prefer the convenience of gas over any perceived differences in flavor from wood. Personally, I have had many WFO pizzas, from a few different establishments, and I don't ever taste any "wood flavor". If you are running a clean wood fire you should be cooking hot enough where there isn't much, if any, flavor imparted on your pizzas.

[robertm]

Originally Posted by HuskerMan

Is there a big difference between gas and wood fired? Does the wood fired add any extra flavor? Seems like those who have commented so far prefer the gas. If I was going to go gas I would probably look into the camp chef pizza oven attachment for my burner setup I already have.

From what I've seen people write on the forums it doesn't really impart addl flavor because the pizzas cook in less than 2 minutes.

[halfcocked]

Originally Posted by HuskerMan

Is there a big difference between gas and wood fired? Does the wood fired add any extra flavor? Seems like those who have commented so far prefer the gas. If I was going to go gas I would probably look into the camp chef pizza oven attachment for my burner setup I already have.

By all accounts known to me (and I've done a lot of research) there is no smoke flavor imparted to the pie with wood fire. The cook is way too fast for that to happen. The reason I would insist on the gas option, there are times (probably more often than not) I want to get the job done quickly. Wood fire is romantic but not practical for just a few pies. I make two at a time.

[irishboy209]

Just my two cents because I've been doing this for a good four or five years, they are a good entry level pizza oven for the price The quality is not up there with a lot of the other ones especially the stone thickness which holds a lot more energy when they're thicker to binge out more pizzas

For the price and if you just wanted basic entry level I would recommend them then if you wanted to step it up a little further I would look at rock box
The quality is far superior but be aware that the footprint is smaller on the rock box so really depends what kind of style you want

Right now I use a pizzaparty Adore And that one's pretty high quality and good build quality but it's up there in price because it's from Italy

Hope this helps

[Simply Smoked]

I have had an Uuni 3 for about 3 years now and it is a great oven for the price. I have the gas & pellet burners and there is a definite difference in taste between gas and pellets. I would not hesitate to buy another Ooni product. Fit and finish of the newer ovens has defiantly improved.

[mjpmap]

I have the pro with gas/wood options. I used the gas twice, but prefer using lump and hardwood splits. There is no traditional “smoke” flavor, but I truly believe there is a bit of a texture difference with food kissed by the flame. I’m a big fan of cast iron in all of my cookers & the Ooni is no exception. One example is when I cooked brown trout in it. I put the cast iron in as I built the fire & let it get screaming hot. When it was hot enough, I put a little oil in the pan and dropped the trout with a whiskey/brown sugar glaze. It was cooked through in about 4 minutes. The skin was like a potato chip & the glaze was like candy. Certainly you can cook it in an oven or broiler, but I swear the flame touching it does make a difference. The same principle for steaks & veggies. Broccoli cooked with the flame gets a really deep green color and a slight char without the smoke flavor. I probably should mention that it makes killer pies in real short order too!

[JJJBBQ]

I’ve got one of the older Ooni ovens that runs on pellets. It’s a pain in the arse (at least for me) to get them to light consistently. And you have to refill the hopper regularly to keep it hot enough to cook multiple pies. Would definitely get the gas attachment for those reasons alone. I don’t have problems cooking with the smaller size, but you do need more pies to feed a family.

[BBQchef33]

My son bought me an ooni pro 16 for christmas... have to wait until april for delivery.. theres a big back order.



BGE has been my goto pizza cooker. As soon as ooni arrives, you'll all know it. :)