With warmer months ahead, we’re dreaming of firing up the outdoor pizza oven for an al fresco dinner. Below, we share our insights into the new Ooni pizza oven.
What’s under the microscope?
The Ooni Karu 16 multi-fuel pizza oven.
What’s the elevator pitch, please?
It’s an outdoor pizza oven that cooks either wood-fired or gas-powered 16-inch pizzas in a New York minute thanks to the ultra-high heat.
And in more depth, what does Ooni pizza oven say it does?
Pretty much that it’s an outdoor pizza oven that cooks either wood-fired or gas-powered pizzas in 60 seconds. In just 20 minutes, the oven will reach 500°C, perfect for a crispy outside crust that’s chewy on the inside. You’ll be able to cook authentic, stone-baked, restaurant-quality pizzas, as well as roast meat, sear vegetables and bake fresh bread.
Where is the pizza oven from?
Scotland, of all places. Still don’t let the fact that it was created in the home of haggis worry you. It has been approved by the True Neapolitan Pizza Association, an Italian not-for-profit organisation that protects true Neapolitan pizza worldwide. It has reached cult status and is now available in New Zealand on its local website.
Is it all it’s cracked up to be and do we need it in our lives?
That’s a resounding yes. We set it up using the gas-powered option for an office lunch and fell hard for the amazing pizzas we were whipping up. Because of that high heat, the bases are exceptional – puffed up and crisp on the outside and it can melt cheese in a heartbeat. And you can watch it as it cooks so you don’t burn it thanks to the glass oven door. None of us will be trying to cook pizza from our ovens again. We’ve been ruined.
It can’t be all milk and roses. Any downside?
We found it took more than two minutes to cook ours to perfection, but waiting two minutes for each one to come out of the oven wasn’t exactly a hardship.
Is it complicated to use?
You will need to follow the instructions in the assembly manual (something I fobbed off to someone who actually reads instructions), but it was intuitive and didn’t require many steps. Then, all you do is hook up the gas and wait 20 minutes for it to reach 500°C and within minutes you’ll be serving up pizza like you were working in a joint in Naples.
What is the cost?
The Ooni pizza oven is $1595, from nz.ooni.com. The gas burner and accessories, such as the peel, cost extra. You will need the peel to not only look the part but to get the pizza in and out of the oven. There are other versions including the Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven, which at 12kg is portable and does smaller, 12-inch pizzas for $699.
Words by: Fiona Hawtin
Try your hand at preparing your own pizza dough with this super simple recipe.
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