These little ovens are magic.

Karu 16Powered by either wood (oak), gas, or both, they take 15 mins to get to the required 400°C-500°C. At this temperature, pizzas take between 60 and 90 seconds to cook each.

As long as you keep the oven at these temperatures - easier with gas, but perfectly possible with wood - this makes it perfect for groups of people.

Gas BurnerFor Karu 12Be aware that if you purchase the Karu - the version that can use both gas and wood - the attachment that allows you to connect the gas cylinder to the oven doesn't come in the box, you need to purchase it separately.

Models + Power

While there are more models than I mention here, the choice basically boils down to two questions: size and fuel type.

Sizes : Small : 12 and Large : 16.

Kindling sized woodFor Karu 12 and 16Fuel Types : Gas or Wood. Or Both.CharcoalWorks with wood and multi-fuel Ooni ovens

The current model choice would be

Karu 12 or Karu 16 : Multi Fuel

Koda 12 or Koda 16 : Gas Only

Fyra 12 : Wood Pellets Only

FirestarterTwisted firestarterFor single fuel ovens, any relevant attachments are in the box, but if you opt for a multi-fuel variety, the gas burner, which connects the oven to the gas cylinder is an additional purchase, and they are often out of stock. See here.

5kg propane gas cylinder, clip-on attachmentWill typically last around:13-14 hoursGas cylinders and their attachment types vary between countries but the gas hose has a clip-on attachment so you'll need to make sure you pick up the correct version. You should be able to pick them up online or at petrol stations.

Dough

Ooni Premade Dough BallsAvailable in multiples of 24We found the key to the best-tasting pizzas was to master the dough. There are two routes to choose from. In limited testing, we found that the homemade dough, made with fresh yeast as per their recipe, tested better than the pre-made frozen variety, but the Ooni dough was easier to work with.

PREMADE

Ooni do pre-made pizza dough balls which come frozen so you can defrost and go, available here.

There are two ways to prepare the dough balls for use:

1. The best is to let them defrost overnight in the fridge and then let them reach room temperature over 3-4 hours.

2. A more spontaneous version is to allow them to come to room temperature from frozen for a minimum of 4 hours, so they can be used same day.

Instructions on how to prepare the pre-made dough balls for use are here.

HOMEMADE

13kg propane gas cylinder, clip-on attachmentWill typically last around 35-40 hours.

If you would rather make your own dough, the homemade recipe is here.

Tomato Sauce

Tomato SauceEasy PeasyAnother key part of the puzzle, the tomato sauce adds a lot of flavour. This part is quick and easy to make.

Recipe below, courtesy of the Ooni website.

Ingredients

Makes enough sauce for 8 x 12” pizzas

2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
800g canned whole plum tomatoes (we like San Marzano)
2 heaped tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the oil in a pan over medium heat. When warm, add the garlic and fry until softened but not brown.
Pour the can of plum tomatoes in the pan and use a masher or fork to crush them down.
Add all the remaining ingredients, then simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes, or until the flavour has deepened and the sauce has thickened slightly.
This sauce can be used straight away, or placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to a week, ready to be used as required.

Care + Maintenance

Because the Ooni ovens run at such high temperatures they are self cleaning.

Bish bash bosh.