Ooni Karu 12


 
Having had the original Ooni Pro oven for many years (just sold it last summer), the pizza that comes out cooking true to Neapolitan style dough and temperatures is really next level. I got rid of it purely because of the footprint and move to our current condo unit. I miss it I will pick up another smaller footprint cooker one of these days.

If you replace "take out" pizza with home made, the cost savings is substantial. $400 burns up pretty fast with delivery pizza.
 
Very interested to see how you like the pizza oven. I have been thinking about getting a pizza oven but just not sure how often I would use it.
 
My kids said it was the best I've made. They might be right.

I used a fraction of the fuel compared to cooking pizza on the WSK. Maybe one char basket of JD lump and about half a chimney of white oak split to hot dog size mini logs.

I never saw 900F. 850F stone temp was hottest, often mid to high 700F was what I saw tonight. Measured at the center of the stone.

Pizzas were 3 minute cooks.

250g balls.

The round turner is a must have. I turned every 15 to 30 seconds.
 
100 % caputo blue bag. No oil. No sugar.

Mixed with 90F water. 90 min rest room temp. Divided in to balls then 16 hours cold proof. Then 4 hours at 70F, 90 mins at 90 F.

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DanHoo said:
My kids said it was the best I've made. They might be right.

I used a fraction of the fuel compared to cooking pizza on the WSK. Maybe one char basket of JD lump and about half a chimney of white oak split to hot dog size mini logs.

I never saw 900F. 850F stone temp was hottest, often mid to high 700F was what I saw tonight. Measured at the center of the stone.

Pizzas were 3 minute cooks.

250g balls.

The round turner is a must have. I turned every 15 to 30 seconds.
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Did you have to tend to the fire during the entire cook? Or just load and go? How does it compare to the Big Horn?
 
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Ed P said:
Did you have to tend to the fire during the entire cook?
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Sort of. I had to feed a couple of hot dog sized mini logs every few minutes. My son timed one cook at 3 mins. This was a cooler stone temp at launch and I added two pieces of wood just after the pizza went on.

I wasn't cooking all the pies back to back to back either. I stopped and enjoyed a slice or two along the way so the temps wandered up and down.

At least once, the stone temp was down around 700F so I added more wood, put the front door on and waited a couple of minutes, and then launched the za.

It was 50F with light rain and light winds, and basically 100% humidity so that might have affected the fire too.

Overall the cook exceeded my expectations. I was a bit unsure how I would manage the fire and temps, yet JD lump and dry white oak did well.
 
You definitely took a leap of faith with 6 pies on the maiden voyage!

Do you a) wish you had the bigger model? Or b) think you might go for the gas option? Our pies are 400g, start out as 14" but end up around 13" after cooking, so these look more like personal sized pizzas (which is not a bad thing at all!)

Also, did you get any smoke flavor?
 
Ed P said:
You definitely took a leap of faith with 6 pies on the maiden voyage!

Do you a) wish you had the bigger model? Or b) think you might go for the gas option? Our pies are 400g, start out as 14" but end up around 13" after cooking, so these look more like personal sized pizzas (which is not a bad thing at all!)

Also, did you get any smoke flavor?
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Six was my backup strategy just in case I messed up and burned one or two.

Not sure on the size. This is easily transportable, and I see that as a nice benefit. Showing up at a picnic or family BBQ and kicking out pizzas will be in my future.

Bigger is a slippery slope and the never ending... for a few hundred more...

I might get the gas burner. Reviews on it are good.

Smoke flavor? I cooked one margherita and it had a kiss of smoke. Hard to tell on pepperoni.

My kids did well with this gift.
 
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When I had my UUNI (Ooni) Pro, once I went gas burner I never looked back to using wood/pellets. So much easier to manage temps which results in more reliable and repeatable results. The ease of use is also worth it. When you are cooking a pizza in two minutes, I never found that there was any real change in flavor either, regardless of fuel.
 
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