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At the top of my list of things I’ve always wanted but never thought I could have, there’s always a pizza oven. While I don’t know much about what it takes to own one, I feel like I’ve been involved a lot. I’ve watched videos of people building them from scratch in their backyards, using the ample space they have (and I don’t) to create stone and brick ovens with intricate and even designs. Even more sophisticated techniques allow their ovens to reach the extremely high temperatures needed to cook a pizza. I never really thought that a pizza oven that existed would make that process so easy.
Reach up to 950 degrees F and cook the pizza in 15 minutes.
Use wood, coal or gas to bake pizza to perfection like a restaurant with this simple backyard oven. Karu 12 is a smaller model than Karu 16.
Then I was introduced to Ooni, a brand that’s taking the internet because they’re doing it: creating fully functional pizza ovens with little assembly and minimal effort to create a pie that can compete with the cakes they are making in Naples. When I got a chance to try out the latest model, Karu 16, I jumped on it. I was curious to know if the dream of owning my own pizza machine was really that simple and enjoyable.
Spoiler alert: Possibly 100%.
Like other oven models created by Ooni, Karu 16 aims to make the process of cooking delicious, restaurant-quality pizza incredibly easy. The model itself isn’t huge, though with a total of 16 inches of cooking space, it’s larger than some previous models and requires a good amount of outdoor space when you’re using it. (I initially thought I might try Karu 16 out on my balcony and quickly learned that wasn’t going to happen.) Another important note: Karu 16 has a chimney that drains heat from the furnace, so you It’s not really recommended to use it indoors.
Assembling the Karu 16 is very simple and quite quick. Most of the ovens were put together; All you need to do is place the door, add the fuel tray and install the chimney, which gently slides into the top of the furnace without fuss. The heaviest part, the rock, requires a bit of care and should be put in the oven before you assemble the other parts, but it’s just as difficult as the assembly process.
Once you’ve located your Ooni, the next step in your journey to pizza nirvana is choosing the fuel you want to use. Karu 16 works with wood, charcoal or a separate type Specific Karu 16 gas burner to get to maybe 950 degrees F and cook a large pie in 15 minutes. A digital thermometer underneath the oven lets you know what temperature your oven is at as the heat rises, while the transparent door lets you see how the pizza is cooking inside.
If you choose wood or charcoal, there’s a drawer in the back of the oven where you can put your materials and a cover that can hold a flame. To fight a fire, you should catch a Ooni Natural Fire Starter to make the process faster. If you choose to go the gas line, there is an area in the back to hook up your external gas burner.
From there, it’s just a waiting game. Not only are you waiting for the temperature in the oven to rise, but you’re also waiting for the ice inside to cook the pizza to warm up – if you don’t give the ice time to heat, it will affect the quality of your pizza. Fortunately, the Karu 16 is designed with optimized airflow engineering and a carbon steel housing, allowing the oven to heat up faster (see more info below).
After the oven reaches the desired temperature, you can put the pizza in the oven using the pizza crust and let it cook on its own. To ensure even cooking, use the crust to rotate your pizza periodically as you notice a more golden brown on one side.
There is no doubt that Karu 16, Like the other ovens Ooni makes, is an incredible pizza oven that will make the best home-made pizzas you’ll ever make. That being said, there’s definitely a bit of a learning curve, but that’s really part of the fun.
Aside from choosing the overlay you want to experiment with, there are a few things to learn after you get your very own Ooni. The first is how to get the oven hot, and how to make sure it stays hot to bake your pizza evenly.
During the test, we only used firewood and charcoal to heat the oven because the Ooni Karu 16 gas burner was still sold out. What we’ve noticed is that it takes longer to warm up the oven due to the unpredictability of the material being heated. With a gas burner, maintaining heat is a lot easier because it’s easier to control. After adding both coal and firewood to the fuel tank, we were only able to get to 500 degrees F, but mostly hovering around 400 because we open the oven door so often.
The biggest problem is making the stone hot. Although the oven was very hot and cooked the top of our pizza to perfection, we still struggled to get the bottom of the pizza golden brown. Basically, we’ve learned that when using gas outside heating, you need to let the ice heat up longer than you think – maybe an hour or more – before you start cooking.
The second most important thing to keep in mind before buying yourself a pizza oven: You will need a lot of accessories. Ooni suggests a list of essential add-ons, 100% essential for this process. You will need a shell, as mentioned earlier, because you won’t be able to get the pizza in and out of the oven without. (That also needs a bit of tweaking. Pizza loves to stick to the crust, so pro tip: Add a little cornstarch or semolina to help the cake slide more smoothly. Avoid oil as this can heat up and cause damage.) burns. )
You will also need to invest in wood or coal, a waste heat, one Ooni Karu gas burner 16 if you want your oven to heat up faster and more special oven gloves can handle that level of heat. To make sure you don’t expose your oven to the elements, you’ll probably want to get a spread give it too.
All that said, your tabs can add up quickly, but it’s well worth the cost if you’re ready to make the commitment to homemade pizza. Ooni Karu 16 really works and it works beautifully. Once you play with the heat and get your peeling technique right, you’ll reap plenty of rewards for the pies. The pizza came out as the perfect Neapolitan scone – crispy and burnt on the top, with a chewy dough and chewy cheese that lingers for days. When you choose firewood, having the added benefit of a firewood flavor just makes your pizza much more comparable to what you get in a restaurant. And once you get really good at using your Ooni, you can experiment with other foods like baked pasta and even steak.
Not to mention, having Ooni gives you an excuse to invite people over to help you experiment. Because pizza cooks so quickly, you can make lots of fillings quickly and serve everyone their own pie. If you want to take your pizza party to the next level, everyone can make their own pies and take turns cooking them in the oven.
Owning an Ooni Karu 16 oven is both an investment of time and money, but it’s also one of the best projects you can make if you’re a big foodie. The pizzas you’ll make once you’ve mastered your oven are truly out in the world, and everyone who’s lucky enough to try them will surely agree.
The Ooni Karu multi-function pizza oven 16 Now available for pre-order, while Gas Burner Karu 16 Pizza It is expected to be available again in October.
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