Ooni Gas vs Wood – Which Ooni oven is best?

When it comes to buying the best Ooni pizza oven for you there are many things to consider. Purchasing a pizza oven isn’t cheap so you must consider all the facts and make the right choice.

One of the first and most important questions to answer is which pizza oven is best for me. Gas or wood? Once this hurdle has been cleared the final decision becomes a lot easier.

In this article, we’ll look at the pros and cons of Ooni gas vs wood to help you decide which Ooni pizza oven best suits your needs. These main factors we looked at include:

1. Taste
2. Temperature
3. Cooking time
4. Ease of use
5. Price

Which tastes best?

In our opinion, the first and most important factor that must be considered is the flavor. If you’re spending a lot of money on a pizza oven you want to know that it’s going to taste good.

The good news is that whether it’s a gas or a wood oven the pizza tastes GREAT. Both oven types can reach up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit which means the pizzas cook extremely quickly. This results in a crispy base and ensures you get the best rise out of the crust.

Wood-fired ovens add a smoky, wood flavour to your pizzas which helps to get that authentic Neapolitan taste. Something that simply can’t be achieved by using a gas pizza oven.

So to conclude, whether you choose gas or wood you can guarantee the flavour will be better than any pizza cooked in a regular home oven. However, if the taste is the most important thing you’re looking for then wood-fired ovens have the edge over gas.

Temperature control

All of Ooni’s ovens can reach up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit in just 15 minutes but how easy are they to control once they are lit?

The temperature on Ooni’s gas ovens are easy to control as they come with a heat control dial on the rear of the oven. If you are new to using pizza ovens, or using wood to cook in general then this is definitely something you should consider.

While gas ovens are much easier to use it will still take a bit of trial and error to find the right cooking temperature. It is highly likely you will burn a few pizzas to start with!

Wood-fired ovens are more difficult to regulate temperatures. Too little wood and it won’t get hot enough, too much wood and it’ll get too hot and take longer to get under control. Another thing to consider is the external conditions. If your oven is exposed to the open air this can cause your wood to burn faster.

Getting used to using wood-fired ovens will take longer but once you master it you will reap the rewards.

It’s also worth noting that currently only the Karu 16 model comes equipped with a temperature gauge so you will need an infrared thermometer to monitor the temperature inside your oven.

Cooking time

Both wood and gas ovens get up to temperatures of 950 degrees Fahrenheit so the pizzas will cook in around 60 seconds.

With gas ovens, there is more flexibility to reduce temperature should you wish, however, this will increase the cooking time.

If you are new to pizza cooking then starting at lower temperatures can be helpful as it gives you more time to get to grips with the oven and controlling the pizza once it is in. However, for best results in the long term, we recommend a temperature of around 850 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ease and convenience

Without doubt gas ovens are much easier to use.

All you need is a propane gas tank and you can have freshly cooked pizza within 15-20 minutes of getting it out of the box.

Also, as I previously mentioned, adjusting the temperature on gas ovens is simple. With the use of the heat control dial so they are much easier to use, especially for people new to cooking pizza.

Finally, they are also much cleaner. With there being no need to burn wood there is no ash to clean up. The only cleaning you’ll need to think about is giving the pizza stone the occasional brush down.

If ease and convivence are your preference then gas is the way to go.

Price

Last but not least, price. Below is a breakdown of prices of the different models.

Model	Price	Buy Now
Ooni Fyra 12 Wood	$349	Visit Ooni
Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel	$299	Visit Ooni
Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel	$799	Visit Ooni
Ooni Koda 12 Gas	$399	Visit Ooni
Ooni Koda 16 Gas	$599	Visit Ooni

*Prices as of November 2023

Lets take a deeper look at each model to see what that price gets you:

Ooni Fyra 12 Wood

The Fyra 12 is the successor to the Ooni 3. It is wood pellet only and can cook pizzas up to 12″. This is the cheapest oven that Ooni currently offer at $349.

For a detailed look at this oven take a look at our Ooni Fyra 12 pizza oven review.

Ooni Karu 12 Multi-Fuel

The Karu 12 is a multi-fuel oven which can cook pizzas up to 12″. This is the second cheapest oven currently at a bargain price of $299.

Note: in order for the Ooni Karu 12 to cook with gas it requires a gas burner accessory which is sold separately for $99.99.

Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel

The Karu 16 is a multi-fuel oven which can cook pizzas up to 16″. This is Ooni’s newest and most expensive model available for $799.

Take a look at our Ooni Karu 16 review for a thorough look at this oven.

Ooni Koda 12 Gas

The Koda 12 is a gas only oven which can cook pizzas up to 12″. This is the joint second cheapest oven at $399.

Ooni Koda 16 Gas

The Koda 16 is a gas only oven which can cook pizzas up to 16″. This is the second most expensive oven at $599.

To find out more about the Koda models take a look at our Koda 12 vs Koda 16 comparison guide.

Additional costs:

That’s the ovens but aside from just those you should also consider the cost of the fuel to run it.

If using gas, a 11lbs propane canister will typically last around 18 hours with prices ranging from $30-40.

If using wood pellets, a 20lbs bag from Ooni will provide around 7-10 hours of continuous cooking and cost $24.99.

Conclusion

Choosing between a gas or wood oven is a tough choice and there isn’t a straightforward answer as it depends on each person’s wants and needs.

If money is no object then the Ooni Karu 16 is the easy answer. It’s the newest release from Ooni, it cooks the biggest size pizzas (16″) and it is multi fuel so you have the best of both worlds.

If taste is what you are after they are all good but for that smoky flavour then you’ll definitely want a wood oven. So whatever your budget can afford from the Fyra or Karu’s models.

If convenience is your priority then definitely go for the Koda. Again, if money isn’t an issue I would always recommend the Koda 16, however if you are on more of a budget then the Koda 12 is a great alternative.

Ooni gas vs wood FAQs

Can’t find an answer to your question here? Take a look at our Ooni tips and FAQ guide to see our detailed list of questions relating to Ooni.