Pizza is not just pizza. That should be clear to everyone who likes to eat the classic. In most cases, homemade is actually best here. And when you do it yourself, the surface definitely also determines the quality. That means: With the right pizza oven for the home, the homemade pizza tastes particularly good. But what should you pay attention to?
We subjected the Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel to a test of its suitability for everyday use to see whether charcoal or gas provide more aroma – and which is easier to use. Because it can be operated with both. The Karu 12 is also available as a pure gas or pure wood (charcoal) variant. There is also the Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel model, which is one size larger than the 12 model.
Ooni’s pizza ovens often do well in online reviews because they are supposed to be handy and easy to use. In addition, as a buyer you can decide: Would you rather operate the pizza oven at home with wood or charcoal or gas? Or do you want to be able to choose? In the test, we deliberately opted for a model that can be operated with wood (coal) as well as with gas in order to have a direct comparison. The product data of the Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven (according to the manufacturer):
Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel
Weight
12 kg
Dimensions
80 x 40 x 77 cm
Incl. pizza stone
and
preheating time
approx. 15 minutes
Temperature
up to 500°
fuel type
Wood (charcoal) and optionally also gas
RRP
349 euros (plus 99.99 euros for the gas burner)
The first impression of the outdoor pizza oven is very good: it looks very robust, yet elegant. The legs fold out easily and assembly looks simple – and it is. There is hardly anything to go wrong. Different with the pizza production and preparation. Because that is the real challenge. My colleague Tina found that out while testing an indoor pizza oven for use at home. And I have to agree: without good preparation, a little practice and effort, even the fanciest oven will not make a delicious pizza.
So after quickly assembling the parts, it’s time to patiently make pizza dough. And you can use different recipes. Here are some tips and tricks for making your own pizza. There are also practical tips and lots of recipes on the Ooni (and many other pizza oven manufacturers) website and social media channels. I chose a classic pizza dough made from flour, yeast, salt and water. Mix it all up. Leave to ferment in a warm place. And meanwhile make a difficult decision: Do I bake the pizza with gas or wood?
In the first round, I chose wood. Wood wool or another lighter is added to the container provided for this purpose and then ignited. And that actually has a very nice event character: Watching the small fire and watching the steam from the small chimney definitely increased the anticipation of a delicious pizza. It takes a little time for the pizza stone to have the right temperature. If you want to bake a perfect pizza, it is best to get an infrared thermometer to know exactly when the pizza is ready for its short stay in the pizza oven. In addition, of course, a pizza peel is important, if it is not already included in the offer.
While the fire blazes for about a quarter of an hour, the pizza is processed again, after all the shape and toppings are missing. So the risen yeast dough is divided, covered again if necessary and placed in a warm place to rise, rolled out and then topped – never too much, otherwise the dough would be too heavy. Some tomato sauce, vegetables, other ingredients if necessary, cheese, mozzarella and preferably fresh herbs bring the taste. And then experience helps, which I can pass on to you after a few unsuccessful attempts: Flour the pizza peel a little beforehand and only then put the pizza on it so that it can slide properly into the oven. If it is too heavy or too wet, this also does not work without problems. It also helps if the slider is perforated. But with a little practice and skillful shaking, it works quite well and the pizza can make itself comfortable on the stone. close the door and wait.
But only briefly: After half a minute, turn the pizza to get an even browning and after a total of 60 seconds in the hot pizza oven, the masterpiece can be removed. Then it’s time to enjoy. Because the difference to the conventional oven can definitely be seen and tasted. The pizza is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. After the meal, however, cleaning is the order of the day. Because even if the amount of fuel is not high, there will still be some ash that should be removed. If the pizza stone is dirty, you can clean it with a metal brush (pizza stones don’t like water and washing-up liquid at all!) or remove burnt-in residue with a ceramic hob scraper. However, this is usually not necessary, as the stones clean themselves due to the intense heat and germs are also killed.
Handling gas is a bit easier in direct comparison to wood: Instead of the container for coal or pellets, you use the gas burner (which you have to buy with the Karu 12 or 16 Multi-Fuel), connect it to a filled propane gas bottle and heat it up Oven. Unlike baking with wood, the door has to stay open all the time. It doesn’t vaporize anything and doesn’t pollute anything. After about 15 minutes, the pizza can go in. There is no need to pay attention to the fire or refill anything to keep the heat. Then the same applies as above: turn the pizza after a short time and take it out after about a minute. What is particularly practical is that basically nothing has to be cleaned, apart from perhaps going over the pizza stone with a metal brush or using a scraper for burnt-in food. And: you can control the temperature with the switch, making it even easier to prepare other dishes once the oven is on.
But what tastes better now?
As soon as the fuel is lit, the grilled aroma comes out – and literally burns into the prepared food. You can tell that the type of wood used (whether beech, oak or another) exudes a very specific aroma. You can taste it in the end and the pizza gets its characteristic taste.
If you heat the pizza oven with gas, it is mainly the aromas of the ingredients themselves that speak. The food that is put in is also crispy, but the smoked aroma is not present. On the other hand, you can regulate the temperature better and ensure that the pizza does not burn.
In the end, the question arises as to which is better: gas or wood or charcoal? And you may have guessed: I was fascinated by the 2-in-1 model, because you don’t have to make a decision. The version with wood definitely provides more taste and an event character. You can let off steam when it comes to flavors (variants with beer, smoked flavor, etc.) and especially when it’s dark, the small fire in the oven is very nice to look at and creates a special atmosphere. In addition, with the right grilling accessories, you can also conjure up meat, fish and co. in the pizza oven at home. There is also an extra grill pan. Anyone who values a special taste and has no problem with the subsequent cleaning and also has some experience in firing it up, is well served with a charcoal pizza oven (or also variants for briquettes, pellets, etc.) for the home and will have a lot of fun with it. However, it is a bit more difficult to control the temperature.
The gas variant is definitely cleaner and simpler. And you can also use it to prepare a lot of food, precisely because the temperature can be specifically regulated. Pizza, casserole, vegetable pans, meat or fish are just as crispy with it. The handling is particularly easy and always succeeds. Also, when it comes to buying the types of fuel, there isn’t a particularly big difference financially, although gas is probably a bit more expensive. But if you would like to taste good home-made pizza quickly and cleanly, the best thing to do is to use the gas pizza oven at home.
At the end of the day, I think the most important thing is the possibility of being able to make a decision – depending on the mood, occasion, taste and time.
If you want to buy a pizza oven for outdoor use on the balcony or in the garden at home, you are certainly well advised to go with an Ooni model. But there are also other worthwhile models that are similar in handling and are operated with either gas or wood(coal). Since you usually cannot reach such high temperatures with a conventional oven, a special pizza oven is advisable. Otherwise you will hardly be able to create a pizza dough that is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
The gas pizza oven from Cozze also scores very well in many reviews and was also awarded the “Haus
You certainly can’t go wrong with the Burnhard outdoor pizza oven either. It is operated with wood, charcoal or wood pellets and thus ensures a special aroma and a variety of tastes. According to the manufacturer, it heats up to 500 degrees Celsius within ten minutes and makes pizza crispy in just a few minutes. Pizza stone and pizza peel are included.
If you don’t have a balcony, garden or terrace, you don’t have to do without a good pizza oven for your home. Because there are also indoor models that can bake pizza like from the restaurant and are electrically operated. They also reach higher temperatures than a conventional oven.
With the compact pizza oven from Ariete, the pizza is almost always a success. Most reviews of the Ariete 909 model are positive. And the price is also unbeatable: the oven can be bought for around 100 euros. The oven heats up to 400 degrees Celsius in a short time and, thanks to its five levels, can also prepare dishes such as toast or other things.
The Wiltec pizza oven looks completely different and is priced a little higher. It gets hot up to 350 degrees Celsius inside, the pizza (or other dishes) is baked on a firebrick and you can choose between different heat levels as well as top and bottom heat. Sort of like a mini oven for pizza.
In addition to the oven itself, in most cases you need the following things to make pizza yourself at home and to have something from your device for a long time:
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