Serious Eats / Stacy K. Allen

For many, Memorial Day is the kick-off of the outdoor cooking season. And, if you fancy yourself a bonafide pizzaiolo, we have some good news: one of our favorite purveyors of pizza ovens, Ooni, is having a limited-time sale. In our tests (in which we made A LOT of ‘za), Ooni’s pizza ovens were quick to heat, easy to use, and made pillowy, nicely charred crusts. They were also simple to ignite and featured handy design details, like folding legs and detachable (read: storable) chimneys. 

We’re fans of all four of the on-sale Ooni ovens featured below (which include pellet, wood-fired and dual-fuel models).

Ooni Fyra 12 Wood Pellet Pizza Oven

Serious Eats / Stacy K. Allen

To buy: Ooni Fyra 12 Wood Pellet Pizza Oven was $350, now $244 at ooni.com

Why we love it: The Fyra is Ooni’s only wood-pellet option (a previous version was one of our top picks when Kenji tested pizza ovens). It’s also their least-expensive model. While working with wood pellets (and the Fyra’s small hopper) takes some extra setup time and more attention to keep the flame burning high, this oven can build some serious heat; it can cook a pizza in just 90 seconds! And with the chimney drawing the flame up and over the pizzas, each pie we made was evenly cooked on the top and bottom. We think it’s great if you’re looking for a lightweight, quick-to-heat, and relatively inexpensive option to make pizza in your backyard.

Good to Know 

Fuel source: Wood pelletsMax temperature: 950ºFTime to reach recommend temperature: 15 to 20 minutesWeight: 22 lbsStone diameter: 12 inchesWarranty: 5-year warranty if registered with Ooni

Ooni Koda 12 Gas-Powered Pizza Oven

Serious Eats / Stacey K. Allen

To buy: Ooni Koda 12 Gas Powered Pizza Oven was $399 now $320 at ooni.com

Why we love it: Pizza ovens with gas burners take the guesswork out of flame management, and the Koda 12 is no exception—it hit 950ºF in just 15 minutes, and it cooked pies in a mere 90 seconds. It’s also on the smaller side if you’re short on space, and there’s an optional carry cover, too (so you can lug it to the park or a campsite if you so choose). A quibble we had was with the gas knob; while it was easy to adjust, it’s located on the back of the oven, making on-the-fly tweaks slightly more difficult.

Good to Know

Fuel source: Gas BTUs: 13,648Max temperature: 950ºFTime to reach recommend temperature: 15 minutesWeight: 29 lbsPrice at time of publish: $399Warranty: 5-year warranty if registered with Ooni

Ooni Koda 16 Gas-Powered Pizza Oven

Serious Eats / Grace Kelly

To buy: Ooni Koda 16 Gas Powered Pizza Oven was $600, now $480 at ooni.com

Why we love it: If you’re cooking for a crowd (or just prefer bigger pies), the Koda 16’s L-shaped burner makes sure your pizzas are heated evenly—just be careful, since this shape can create hotspots. It has a 20-inch wide opening, making it easy to launch and rotate pies without needing a specialized turner. We also really loved the gas adjustment knob (located on the right side of the oven), which allowed us to tweak the flame height and dial-in temperatures. Since this oven can cook pies in one to two minutes, this extra control helped us ensure char and not full-blown burn. 

Good to Know 

Fuel source: Gas (propane or natural gas)BTUs: 29,000Max temperature: 950ºFTime to reach recommend temperature: 25 minutesWeight: 40.1 lbsStone diameter: 16 inchesWarranty: 5-year warranty if registered with Ooni

Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven

Serious Eats / Stacy K. Allen

To buy: Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven was $800, now $640 at ooni.com

Why we love it: This multi-fuel oven (it runs on wood or charcoal) had a built-in temperature gauge that provided clear and accurate readings. We also loved the glass door on the opening; it retained heat (ensuring a shorter preheating time) and let us keep an eye on our pies as they cooked. The glass door and thicker walls also meant there was almost zero recovery time—you could sling pizzas back to back. To cap it off, this is also the first pizza oven that was  “Recommended for Domestic Use” by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (AVPN) in case you wanted to cook pies like a pro. All that said, this is a big oven; at 50 pounds, it’s the least portable Ooni model. 

Good to Know 

Fuel type: Wood or charcoal; gas (gas burner sold separatelyBTUs: 25,591 (for gas)Max temperature: 950ºFTime to reach recommend temperature: 25 minutesWeight: 50 lbsStone diameter: 16 inchesWarranty: 5-year warranty if registered with Ooni

FAQs

How long is the Ooni sale happening?

Ooni’s Memorial Day sale ends on the 29th, giving you about a week to shop their deals. 

Are Ooni pizza ovens worth it?

With a variety of pizza oven styles at a number of different price points, we think that Ooni offers great options for all kinds of at-home pizza fans. Their gas-powered ovens offer excellent control and convenience, and their multi-fuel ovens are versatile for budding pizzaiolos who want to try their hand at live-fire cooking. All of their models can char a crust in under two minutes and are easy to set up, too.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *