Ooni are everywhere at the moment and this popular brand shows no signs of slowing down. With so much marketing and press coverage you'd be forgiven for thinking that Ooni pizza ovens are little more than hype.
However, there's a reason Ooni are taking up number one and number two spot in our guide to the best pizza ovens. Unless there are some big shake ups over the summer, our tests have shown that they're quite simply the best pizza oven brand around.
We've tested plenty of pizza ovens and several Ooni ovens. With quite a few Ooni models with similar-sounding names, we've have pitched some of Ooni's top ovens against each other to reveal which Ooni oven is best.
Which Ooni should I buy?
You can trust Homes & Gardens. Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing the latest products, helping you choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Best Ooni overall
Why you should buy it
The best pizza oven you can buy
What we love
There's no hype needed. This is not only the best Ooni, but the best pizza oven in the world.
Our Managing Director Jason Orme says that there is 'nothing like the pizzas' that come out of the Karu 16. It makes perfect pizzas with charred crusts and gooey melted cheese.
It has a huge 16-inch capacity and runs off both gas and wood fuel, delivering both for the speed and convenience of gas cooking or the smoky flavors of a traditional wood-fired pizza. There's a responsive digital thermometer and a see-through door so you can check your pizza as it cooks.
Good to know
While it cooks on two different fuels, gas fuel isn't fitted as standard, so it's an extra expensive. We also aren't fans of the fact that essential accessories like pizza peels and pizza cutters aren't included.
Jason's full Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven review goes into more depth.
Best wood-fired Ooni
Why you should buy it
The best wood-fired pizza oven you can buy
Why we love it
Once again, this is not only the best wood-fired Ooni, but the Fyra 12 is the best wood fired pizza oven on the market. all the problems of wood-fired pizza ovens are overcome - this is is easy to set up and use thanks to good instructions and an app loaded with tips for your pizza dough. It's simple to add wood and control the temperature, and the fast heat up time means it's ready to go in just 15 minutes.
When it came to the test test, this delivered an unbelievable Neapolitan pizza, with classic leopard spotting and perfect smoky flavors.
Good to know
Just like the Karu 16, this oven doesn't come with the pizza peel and slicer that are included as standard in other reviews.
Our full Ooni Fyra 12 review has all the detail.
Best gas Ooni
Why you should buy it
The best gas pizza oven on the market
Why we love it
The Koda 12 is the easiest Ooni to use. You save on all the hassle of swapping fuel types or lighting charcoal and just plug in your propane. After that, it heats up in 15 minutes and can cook a pizza in a respectable two minutes.
It excelled on test, making near-perfect cheese and tomato and pepperoni pizzas, as well as an indulgent garlic bread. The worry with gas ovens is that you can't achieve a good crust, but this model achieved excellent charring.
This lightweight oven is one of Ooni's lighter ovens, so it's easy to move around the garden and store.
Good to know
The only thing preventing this oven from a perfect taste test is the problem of all gas-fuelled outdoor cooking. By comparison with charcoal, this oven tastes almost sterile. It's wonderfully charred but it's missing the je ne sais quoi of smoky flavour you get with wood pellets. This model would also hugely benefit from a door. It makes it easier to load the pizza but means that it's easy to drop heat.
Our full Ooni Koda 12 review has all the detail.
(The only) indoor Ooni
Full disclosure - our test of this one is still in the works. Ooni also only have one indoor pizza oven, so we can't compare it to another Ooni product. However, from what I've seen so far:
What we love
There was only one indoor pizza oven on the market until this launched earlier this year - the Breville Pizzaiolo. In my preview of the Volt 12, I compared the specs on both machines and found that the Volt reaches a higher temperature. It also has an innovative 'boost' function which hikes up the temperature when you open the oven door, preventing any sudden loss of heat and making it much faster to turn around lots of pizza in one go.
However, the biggest draw is that this oven works both indoors and outdoors. No other pizza oven on the market can do that. It brings an unparalleled versatility to entertaining that other ovens - even the Karu 16 - won't be able to match.
Good to know
At an eye-watering $999, this is the most expensive Ooni oven available. You'll also need a lot of counter space, because the 24.2” x ” x 20.8” x 10.9” dimensions take up plenty of room.
Ooni FAQs
Is Ooni the best pizza oven?
Our tests have shown that Ooni is the best pizza oven brand. The Karu 16 is the best pizza oven you can buy - period - followed by the Fyra 12 as the best wood-fired pizza oven and the Koda 12 as the best gas-fuelled pizza oven. If you want the very best pizza oven, Ooni is the way to go.
Can you use an Ooni indoors?
You can't use Ooni ovens indoors, with the exception of the brand new Volt 12, which is specifically designed to be used indoors. Using any other Ooni indoors risks a fire hazard, and in the case of the wood-fired models, the risk of carbon-monoxide poisoning.
Can you leave an Ooni outdoors?
Yes, but think of it like a grill. Ooni pizza ovens are designed to be used outside, and you can leave them out, but if they're exposed to rain too often they'll rust. The best move is to buy a waterproof cover from Ooni, or a cheaper cover on Amazon.
How can I stop my pizza sticking to my Ooni?
As with all pizza ovens, semolina flour is your new best friend. Dust your peel with this and it will form a layer that stops your pizza from adhering to the peel or the pizza stone.
What else can you cook in an Ooni?
There's plenty to cook in an Ooni. Flatbreads like naan and gyros are popular, as the principle is the same, but you aren't limited to dough products, either. Our expert tester Helen has also tried roast vegetables and grilled chicken, with fantastic results. It's really just a big, fast oven, so your only limit is your imagination.
We like Ooni, but there's plenty of other brands out there. We're also big fans of Gozney, which tends to be a little more design-forward than Ooni.
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