From Backyard to Beach House, This Portable Pizza Oven Delivers Artisanal Results Anywhere – And It's $100 Off Right Now
It's the perfect tried-and-true set up for anywhere hosting
I can hardly imagine summer without a pizza party. It’s an at least once-yearly staple in my social circle, and a pizza oven has long been the missing piece in the whole affair.
That’s why I’m so excited to see that the highly regarded Ooni Karu 12 Pizza Oven is now reduced by $100, just as temperatures start to rise. It’s a perfectly portable solution for alfresco dining, whether you’re setting up in your own backyard or taking things further afield to a lake or beach for a more adventurous gathering.
This first-generation pizza oven is designed with portability in mind. At just 26.5 lbs, and with a compact footprint, the Karu 12 is at home on your balcony, in your backyard, or on a trek into the outdoors.
At Homes & Gardens, we have always loved the Ooni pizza ovens. Having compared Ooni vs Gozney, and Ooni vs Solo Stove, the Ooni models almost always came out on top for practicality and results.
While we have never tested the Karu 12, we have had our hands on almost every other model, from the upgraded Karu 2 Pro to the Karu 16, and never awarded a setup less than 4.5/5 stars, so we are confident that the first-generation oven will deliver the same artisanal results, tailored to beginners.
The multi-fuel system supports both wood and charcoal, with the option to add a gas burner attachment (available separately from Ooni), further adding to its flexibility and portability. Once lit, the oven is reportedly ready to cook in as little as 15 minutes, reaching temperatures of up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit − hot enough to cook a 12-inch pizza in under 60 seconds.
Beyond pizza, its versatility is part of its appeal. It can also be used to sear steak, roast fish, and char vegetables, or even bake simple desserts to finish the evening, making it a genuinely multifunctional centrepiece for outdoor cooking wherever you choose to set it up.
It is the perfect compact addition to any outdoor cooking setup. Summer hosting has never looked so good.
What Else to Shop
If you want to elevate your pizza game at home or away, choosing the right accessories is just as important as the oven itself. I’ve curated six essential picks to help you set up the perfect al fresco pizzeria.
All prices correct at the time of publication.
This Ooni 12″ Perforated Pizza Peel is made with anodised aluminium with a heat resistant glass reinforced nylon handle, to make handling your pizzas safe and non-toxic.
A digital thermometer allows you to keep an eye on the temperature of your pizza stone for the perfect crispy bases, with no soggy dough or burnt crusts.
The hardest part of homemade pizza is juggling sticky doughs. This tool set is optimized to make dough prep more efficient, and engineered for the ideal combination of flexibility and rigidity to help mix, prep, and handle dough.
If you are setting up your yard and don't need portability, the Arc Lite outdoor pizza oven is ideal. It features a lateral rolling flame system that replicates a traditional wood-fired oven. It delivers evenly distributed heat for a crispy, restaurant-quality 12" pizza in just 60 seconds.
Gozney's first cookbook features over 75 pizza recipes and essential how-tos, plus 20 outdoor recipes. You can learn how to make eight styles of dough, create a range of restaurant-worthy pizzas, and learn outdoor cooking methods to harness your pizza oven’s full potential.
No matter if you are a beginner looking for a good baseline or a pro home cook wanting to simplify pizza prep, the Gozney dough mixes require no measuring of multiple ingredients; simply add water to create professional-grade pizza dough at home.
To help achieve the authentic artisanal experience, we studied the essential things pizza chefs always do for perfect pizza so you can skip the mistakes and achieve perfect results every time.
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