My Ooni Karu 12 Pizza Oven Review

Having pizza at home is great as you can sit back and relax while eating. With this Ooni Karu 12 Pizza oven review, you will no longer need to go through the hassle of ordering pizzas through the phone.

Cooking pizzas at home is great as you will be able to put all the ingredients you want there. You can experiment and use other ingredients that you do not usually see in a pizza.

This is also a really fun way to bond with your family and friends. However, cooking the pizza itself is not as easy as you might think since it requires a lot of practicing and a good oven.

 

Conventional ovens are not the best options for cooking pizzas. They might be able to cook a pizza but they cannot make the finish as authentic or as good as the ones from pizzerias.

That is because conventional ovens cannot get up to the heat required to cook authentic pizzas. Unlike the Ooni Karu which can get hot and cook pizzas in just a few seconds.

So if you’re looking for a pizza oven that will help you make those pizzas that taste like the ones you order from the best restaurants, then read on as we take a look at this pizza oven.

 

How Do I Set It Up?

Ooni pizza ovens are notoriously portable so you do not have to worry about putting them anywhere. You will be able to move them whenever you want and assemble them easily again.

The Ooni Karu is perhaps one of the more complicated pizza ovens from Ooni when it comes to the setup process. However, do not get overwhelmed as it is still very easy to assemble and set.

The pizza oven comes out of the box with the shell and the legs attached already. You need to put the chimney on and the firebox that goes at the back of the pizza oven.

This is pretty easy as you have the firebox that just slides inside. The chimney is pretty large, but it is made out of stainless steel, making it lightweight and installing it pretty easy.

Just place the chimney on the hole at the top of the pizza oven’s shell. From there, you will see small L-shaped dents on the chimney which you need to place on the right area to lock it in.

Just by twisting the chimney, it will stand on its own. See, there are no other complicated things when you set up the Ooni Karu, no screws, no hammering, just a simple setup process.

 

Where Can I Use It?

The Ooni Karu, just like the other pizza ovens from Ooni, is very powerful. That means that you can use it in any weather to perfect an outdoor setting such as your backyard or patio.

It is also very portable so you can even go and use it on tailgating or camping trips. You can disassemble and assemble the pizza oven easily making it very portable.

The chimney fits perfectly inside the pizza oven itself. That way, you will not have to worry about the space that the chimney takes up when you bring the pizza oven with you in a small car.

The stainless steel build of the Karu perfectly blends with almost any environment. It also heats up pretty quickly so make sure to put it far from other flammable objects to prevent accidents.

 

What Fuel Does It Use?

To heat the chamber of the pizza oven, it uses wood or charcoal. These are the perfect choices for making the best authentic pizza in just a few minutes of cooking.

The firebox of the Ooni Karu has an optimal design and capacity. That way, you can put all the wood or charcoal that you need in it and then cook without needing to refuel frequently.

The firebox’s design or burner of the Karu is made such that the air can get inside the pizza oven. That way, you will not need to blow wind or fan the fire to keep the flames going.

The Karu is not compatible with wood pellets. The burner only fits larger woods or charcoal so do not use wood pellets to only go through the small holes on the burner attachment.

You can also switch to propane gas for fueling the Karu. However, the gas burner attachment for this pizza oven is sold separately on the website. so if you want that, you will have to order it separately.

The gas burner attachment for the Karu is the same as the one used for the now discontinued Ooni 3. It is a simple box that regulates the fire and gives you an easier control of the temperature.

 

How Hot Can It Get?

The Ooni Karu might be one of the lightest and most compact pizza ovens on the market but it is also one of the most powerful. It is a portable oven that boasts the power of larger ovens.

With either the wood and charcoal fuels or the gas burner, the Karu can get up to 932 degrees Fahrenheit. Enough to burn anything if you let it stay in it for 5 minutes.

That is why this pizza oven is one of the most sought-after pizza ovens from Ooni. It gives a lot of heat which means that it has a large temperature range for cooking other recipes.

With this power, you will be able to make other recipes. Just make sure that the food fits inside the pizza oven, and from there, you will be able to cook it perfectly with this pizza oven.

 

How Does It Cook?

Ooni Karu is a pizza oven that takes advantage of the great insulation and airflow inside it. The pizza oven has its chimney which maximizes the flow of air inside to distribute the heat.

This pizza oven also has its pizza stone made out of cordierite. It is a material that is much stronger than ceramic and functions just the same to cook the pizza perfectly.

The pizza stone helps in making the heat evenly distributed inside the pizza oven. With that said, the pizza gets cooked evenly as long as you turn it regularly.

Since the burners are at the back of the pizza oven, you will need to turn the pizza every 20 seconds. That way, you will not let one sideburn from direct contact with the flames.

After a few practices, you will get familiar with this pizza oven and you will see what I am talking about. The pizza’s crust always comes crispy with the toppings beautifully and evenly cooked.

Who Is This Pizza Oven For?

I would suggest this pizza oven for beginners because it is one of the best pizza ovens that can replicate large pizza ovens’ power despite having a small stature.

The hard thing about this pizza oven for beginners is that you cannot control this pizza oven with knobs. To change the temperature, you will need to master the airflow and ventilation in it.

This will take some practice but after a few tries, I am sure that you will see how it works. The chimney is responsible for controlling the temperature inside the pizza oven.

You will also need to know when and how to properly turn the pizza to prevent it from burning. Then, you will also need your thermometer as this pizza oven does not have its own.

 

Cleaning and Maintenance

There is not much needed for cleaning as this pizza oven has features that also help in that. Like the burner that has a small platform underneath it to catch the ashes.

There, you can easily remove the ashes and excess coals. From there, you will be able to wash the insides with a simple wipe or if you want, you can scrape off the soot on the ceiling.

The pizza stone does not need any cleaning with water. Just heat the pizza oven again at maximum temperature for an hour to burn the food residuals and then brush them off.

 

Conclusion

Ooni has produced perfect pizza ovens that are great for starters and even professionals when it comes to cooking pizzas. They have portable and powerful pizza ovens to choose from.

==> Check out the  Ooni Karu Pizza Oven

The Ooni Karu is one of their earlier models but it is still relevant because of its portable design and powerful burner. You can cook authentic pizzas in this pizza oven in just 60 seconds.

So if you want to make your backyard more functional or if you want something to bring in the camping trips that will get you to cook pizzas, then the Ooni Karu is a definite must-have.

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