How Do You Pick the Best Ooni Oven For You?
When you enjoy pizza and make it at the house, I’m sure you’ve heard about the pizza ovens of Ooni that are getting the world by hurricane. The most significant expenditure you’ll spend whether you’re beginning pizzas is your pizzas oven.
Ooni’s external pizza oven has surprisingly been one of our faves, and we have never regretted acquiring it! In cooking pizza, getting a great oven is not optional, and when your crust is excellent but your oven isn’t, the odds of getting a sooked, irregularly baked, and generally unpleasant pizza are very great. Multi-fuel ovens, wood pellet ovens, and gas-powered ovens, and are just a few of the fantastic pizza models available from Ooni.
Selecting the Best Ooni Oven
All Ooni variants are excellent, but you should get the device that best suits your needs. We chose the Ooni pro because of its versatility. We prefer having a lot of fuel types to choose from, and mobility wasn’t an issue for us, so we went with the biggest model.
Novice as well as those who do not want to invest a lot of money on an oven might consider the Ooni 3. It’s a wood-fired oven that requires little upkeep. While cooking for a large group, however, I strongly advise against purchasing an Ooni 3.
You could cover the Ooni Koda when you desire the smallest unit. However, because the device is gas-powered, you ought to be conscious that refilling the gas tank may be troublesome.
Electricity vs. Gas vs. Wood – Do you need comfort? This is everything you should think about when buying a pizza oven. Or do you prefer your dish to have a real wood-fired flavor? That would be the basis for your selection, and you’ll be able to select the fuel source for your pizza oven.
Warm-up time – Stainless pizza ovens warm up significantly more quickly than masonry pizza ovens. Bigger ovens may take longer to heat up. As a result, you’ll need to do some serious study on pizza ovens with faster overheat periods.
Indoors or outside – Because of their height and the energy they utilize, several pizza ovens are meant to be used outside. The ones that require power, such as those on the tabletop or cooktop, could be used inside, but they are often considerably lighter than those used outdoors. Determine where you’ve been preparing pizzas frequently and make your decision from there.
Wood Pellets – We’ve tried a variety of fuels for our oven, including wood chips, wood pellets, and charcoal. Our Ooni can also operate on gas, but we haven’t tested it because we would not have a gasoline connection outside and don’t want to cope with a fuel tank.
Jam Funnel – This can be used to store pellets that have been deposited on the upper edge of the hopper. That implies you may keep as many pellets as you desire, saving you time by eliminating the need to replenish every now and again.
Computer Fan – This fan, often known as a pc fan or a little fan, will be located behind the Ooni, pushing extra warmth onto the pebbles and pizzas. This is especially useful in windy conditions.
Maneuverability – The Ooni pizza ovens are both of excellent workmanship and design, but the reality that you could simply load these in your cars and transport them to a mate’s place, on a family vacation sets them apart.
Size – You would not want to bake a 15-inch pizza merely to discover that your pizza oven could only handle 13-inch or shorter pizzas. While buying, you’ll like to keep the size element in mind. It’s simple to overlook the dimensions of a pizza oven, so spend time thinking about them. If you only have a tiny terrace or nothing at all, an inside pizzas oven may be the best option.
Best Ooni Oven Accessories
In this section, you’ll learn about the finest Ooni accessories for your favorite oven.
Pizza Peel – Personally, I’m loving using my stainless pizza spatula to slip my pizzas in and out of my Ooni. Hardwood peels, on the other hand, are said to be less complicated because the batter is less prone to cling to them. However, because stainless steel is simple to wash.
Gloves that are resistant to heat – Larger gloves might be more difficult to maneuver securely, so finding gloves that fit properly is preferable. You could also employ them to supplement your fuel supply.
Conclusion
When you only bake pizza at residence once every couple of months, the Ooni pizza oven isn’t worth buying: employing a particular pizza oven necessitates skill and practice spent learning how to get through it, but when you don’t practice, you’ll ever be capable to appreciate this ooni oven to its full potential.
Ooni Pizza Oven Buyers Guide
Ooni pizza ovens enable it simple to bake restaurant-quality pizzas at residence, but really how do you choose the right one for you? We shall look at Ooni pizza ovens in detail to see which one stood out the greatest and was the most deserving of your effort and cash.
Consider being able to bake your pizzas in under 1 min, right in your backyard. Now suppose those handmade pizzas are so delectable that your flavors believe you’re eating at a genuine pizzeria.
Ooni Pizza Ovens
When contrasted to certain other exterior pizza ovens, the Ooni offers a significant advantage. To begin, Ooni provides a wide range of fuels. Several other pizza oven companies only provide one fuel source for all of their variants. Wood pellets or kindling are used occasionally, although gas is used the majority of the time.
Ooni models are frequently more time and cost-effective than competing pizza oven models because they generate heat to 950 degree Fahrenheit in just 20 minutes. You’ll consume a lot greater fuel whether you have to warm your microwave for an hour, which renders heating the Ooni marginally pricier than other manufacturers.
The Ooni gas burner is an accessory that converts Ooni’s multi-fuel furnace into gas-powered furnaces. Most pizza oven brands lack components that allow the user to vary the fuel source used throughout the heating process.
However, Ooni pizza ovens typically lack a built-in thermostat, which is practically universal among pizza ovens at around this price point. The Ooni Pro and Karu pizza oven both contain a built-in thermostat, however, the other versions do not.
Factors to Consider When Buying an Oven
Design
First of all and primarily, think about how you feel about the various designs on exhibit with all of these types. The outside shells of the Koda 12, Fyra 12, and Koda 16 are powder-coated heavy-duty, while the Pro 16 and Karu 12 are made of stainless steel.
While they all have a good shine to them and are very robust, the style differences might make a major impact in deciding which one is ideal for you.
Then there’s the matter of chimneys. They are present on the Karu 12, Pro 16, and Fyra 12, but not on the Koda 12 and 16. It is indeed up to decide whether you want an oven with one or not, but keep in mind that an oven makes it considerably more difficult to carry or cover a model.
Effortless Assembly
An additional reason to think about alternatives to chimneys? They’re a lot simpler to put together. Neither of the choices is difficult, but installing a chimney adds another piece to your puzzle and a substantial one at that.
Size
We’ve discussed the sizes of these designs, so let’s take a different approach.
We frequently consider measured in terms of mobility, which is critical. Variations in size, on the other hand, can limit what you can prepare in the oven. A bigger oven will be required if you want to prepare bigger meals. The 16 Koda is a fantastic illustration of all of this in action. That is by far the largest oven on this listing, with the most internal cooking area.
That’s the pizza oven to have when you need to cook a lot of stuff each or when you require big pizzas. Few alternative ovens on the marketplace have the size, structure, and total capacity to handle larger quantities.
Aesthetics and Enclosure
The structural element of the dome is completed once it has been built and covered. To suit your environment, it now needs beauty. You might keep it basic by providing a seamless dome out of the outside and painting it with a traditional white, impermeable paint. Creating an enclosing all around domed, which may be bigger and have a roof, might be a further bespoke idea. Or something more unusual, like pebbles or crystal pieces on the outside.
What Is The Source Of Energy Of Ooni Pizza Ovens?
It is among the most crucial factors to consider since it can have a significant impact on the flavor of your pizza.
Pellets, Charcoal, and Wood
Charcoal and wood-fired pizzas are indeed known for their different flavors imparted by their respective sources of fuel. Such pizzas have a smokey richness to them that is difficult to duplicate. Nevertheless, there’s no doubting that they can make a sloppy mess, that’s not necessarily the situation with pellets.
Gas
Lastly, you should think about propane gasoline pizza ovens. Surprisingly, you might not have to decide at all. Certain pizza ovens, like the Karu 12 and Pro 16, can use different fuel sources, letting you choose if you desire to sacrifice the convenience of washing up after just a charcoal-flamed or wood-fired pizza for the smokey, toasted flavor.
We believe you find this post helpful in planning your Ooni shopping trip. Most significantly, it will assist you in determining whether the Ooni pizza oven is the greatest fit for you!
10 TIPS FOR MAKING BETTER HOMEMADE PIZZA
WHY MAKE HOMEMADE PIZZA?
The only reason we can afford to eat pizza every two weeks is that it’s homemade.
I know exactly what goes into my kids’ pizza. The pizza dough is homemade and my tomato sauce is also homemade, so, I’m in control of what ingredients and how much cheese is on that pizza.
It is fun! especially if you plan ahead and get the kids to dig in.
There really is no right and wrong with pizza! You can add almost anything you want! Make it your own!
Dough – while you can get ready-to-use pizza dough, you can just as well make your own in an hour or more.
Classic pizza dough – needs to be kneaded plus an hour or two for rising and proofing.
Overnight pizza dough – A softer dough with less yeast that needs overnight proofing. Perfect to plan ahead.
No-knead pizza dough – For those times when you don’t have time to knead. The long rising is what gives this dough its structure.
Sauce – you can use ready-to-use pizza sauce but you can also make your own and it does not take long.
5-minutes pizza sauce – this one is quick and easy mostly using ingredients you already have in your pantry.
Marinara sauce – a thick marinara sauce is perfect over homemade pizza. Definitely better than one from the jar.
Fresh tomato sauce – made with fresh tomatoes and one you can use for pizza or pasta.
Cheese – For my pizzas, I like to use a combination of three kinds of cheese. The classic Parmesan and mozzarella, pus one other such as cheddar, feta, gouda, etc.
Toppings – The options for this are endless from everything to nothing!
Classic Margherita pizza – just tomato sauce, cheese, and a few basil leaves – pizza at its best!
Mushroom pizza – a sprinkle of a combination of mushrooms is perfect if you love mushrooms.
3 cheese pizza – a cheese lover’s dream. Add any cheese you like!
White pizza – instead of tomato sauce use a classic bechamel white sauce to give this one a new twist.
Olives and red onions – a Mediterranean flair with salty olives and onions caramelized on top
Hawaiian pizza – made with ham and pineapples – kids favorite!
Pepperoni pizza – nothing says pizza with slices of pepperoni, does it?
Pesto pizza – topped with red pesto instead of tomato sauce.
Now that we covered the four components, let me share my 10 tips for making amazing homemade pizzas.
TIPS
1. PIZZA STONE
You will see a huge difference in your pizza baked on a pizza stone as compared to the baking tray. The pizza stone has the ability to draw out moisture from the dough, which means you get a nice crisp bottom pizza and crusty bread.
Buy a good quality pizza stone that will last you a lifetime. I’ve been using mine for over 10 years. My oven has changed but not my pizza stone. It looks really shabby because it has baked me many pizzas and bread over the years.
2. PIZZA TRAY OR PEEL
If possible, invest in a pizza tray or a pizza peel. That will help you transfer your pizza to and out of the oven. I have both and I can’t think of making pizza without them.
These let you keep the dough soft, so you don’t have to struggle with transferring the pizza from one place to the other. Soft dough means a thin and crispy pizza crust.
3. USE PARCHMENT PAPER INSTEAD OF CORNMEAL
I know it’s very professional to use cornmeal, but I hate the mess it leaves behind. So, I use a parchment paper. I place the parchment paper on my pizza peel and then just slide the parchment onto my pizza stone. After 8 to 10 minutes, I pull the parchment out. This helps crisp the base much better.
4. SOFT ROOM TEMPERATURE DOUGH
Keep the dough soft and elastic and make sure it’s room temperature. If the dough is cold, the gluten is much stiffer, which means you won’t be able to stretch the dough as easily as the room-temperature dough.
5. PREHEAT THE OVEN
Preheat the oven for a good 30 minutes before you bake your first pizza. The pizza stone takes longer to heat, so while your preheat indicator may show that your oven has preheated – the stone takes longer to reach that temperature.
The reason you want your pizza stone hot is so that you get that nice bottom crust while still maintaining the softness of the dough on the inside.
6. TOO MUCH SAUCE AND TOPPINGS
The pizza base is as important as the sauce and toppings. So, don’t drown it with too much sauce, toppings or cheese. Good homemade pizza dough is delicious so enjoy it.
7. CHOOSE THE RIGHT TOPPINGS
Pizza toppings are great but avoid those that will make the base soggy or get burnt. Leaves, such as spinach, are better cooked first then added to the pizza. Similarly, veggies such as mushrooms give out moisture. So, while a few slices are ok, too many mushrooms will give you a very wet pizza.
8. BRUSH THE EDGES WITH OIL
Often, the pizza edges tend to stay pale even though the bottom is crisp. Brushing the edges will give a nice crisp edge, which is delicious but also looks wonderful. And if you want a crisp pizza crust, then also brush the pizza tray with oil.
9. LET THE PIZZA BASE REST
After you roll the base, let the dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes. This proves the dough a little giving it that little lift. The edges get puffy and when baked it gets a nice beautiful crust. See that curst?
10. HOLD ON TO THE CHEESE
Do you ever find that often the cheese tends to get dark while we wait for the bottom to get crisper? This happens when you want the bottom crust to be crisper.
I don’t usually do this, because I’m happy with just crisp edges and a nice soft base. However, here’s a solution for you. Next time, pre-bake your pizza for 7 minutes before you add the cheese. That way you will have a crispy base and your cheese won’t get brown.