My husband and I bought our Ooni pizza oven almost three years ago, and we are still as obsessed with it today as the day we bought it. I liked pizza before we got the pizza oven, but I love it now. We literally have 'pizza night' every Saturday — who needs to go out when you can have restaurant-quality pizza from the comfort of your own home?
So, if you're wondering, 'Is a pizza oven worth it'? I can safely say that yes, yes, it is. Speaking of Ooni pizza ovens, that is, as that's what I have and what I can vouch for. Compact, portable, and design-forward. Not only that, my youngest two girls now refuse to eat pizza anywhere other than at home from the Ooni, and our eldest daughter is pizza-obsessed and still declares our homemade pizza unmatched.
But don't get me wrong, there's been a lot of trial and error over the years to get us to where we are today — that's why I want to share with you everything I know, whether you're thinking about investing in an Ooni (might I add Ooni's having a summer sale right now, plus I would keep your eye on the Ooni Store on Amazon next week, as I'm predicting there will be some great deals for Prime Day), or you want some advice for using the one you already have. Here are my top five Ooni pizza oven tips.
1. Find the Pizza Oven That Best Suits Your Space
The latest Koda 2 Ooni Pizza Oven in slate blue is a thing of beauty...
If you don't already have an Ooni pizza oven in your outdoor kitchen setup, then you're missing out, but finding the right pizza oven for you is the first port of call.
Our Koda 12 1st Generation pizza oven is gas-powered, but you can also choose from wood-fired and multi-fuel options, as well as electric models, depending on your preference. Think about the size of space you have and how much you're willing to give up for your pizza oven, and the style of pizza oven that best suits your aesthetic.
We went for the 12-inch option, as the other sizes looked too big (for what we wanted) — 12-inch pizzas were an ample size for us, but if you're after larger pizzas, or just having a larger cooking area, you can find models available in 14, 16, and 18 inches.
As much as I love our Koda 12, I won't lie, the latest Koda 2 range (pictured above), which is Ooni's first oven to come in a slate blue option, has most definitely caught my eye...!
- Gas-powered
- 14"
- Pyrolytic Cleaning — a self-cleaning function that uses high heat to burn away food residue, making your life far easier
- Multi-Fuel
- 16"
- Hinged oven door design with ViewFlame™ technology to boost visibility, along with a mounted digital thermometer to display internal ambient oven temperature
- Electric
- 12"
- The 'world's first' indoor/outdoor pizza oven with automatic temperature balance settings
2. Make Sure You Have the Correct Tools
There are some key tools you need to add to your arsenal of pizza-making equipment, if you don't already have them.
We possibly went a little overboard when we bought the accompanying Ooni tools for our pizza oven... but I can guarantee you that we couldn't be without the items in this list below:
- Ooni Pizza Peel — A must for prepping/launching/retrieving your pizzas, though this Chef Pomodoro Pizza Peel on Amazon would also do just the job if you're not obsessed with keeping everything the same. I will, however, also point out that I am considering a wooden pizza peel, as the dough has even less chance of sticking compared to metal when launching the pizza into the oven. There is also a Chef Pomodoro Wooden Pizza Peel available on Amazon. Sticking with metal is best for your turning peel once the pizza is in the oven.
- Ooni Pizza Turning Peel — This is probably the most important of all the tools and makes swivelling the pizza in the oven a total dream for even cooking. It is also worth noting that if you do decide to buy both the peel and the turning peel, there is a bundle offer price available on Ooni, along with some of the brands other accessory bundle options.
- Rocking Pizza Cutter — You won't get a clean cut like it! Slice your pizza in half in one singular rocking motion, rather than rolling back and forth with a standard circular pizza cutter. The Rocking cutter is no longer available on Ooni, but the Pizza Cutter is still available on Selfridges.
- A Pizza Chopping Board — Well, you need something appropriate to cut it on! This Acacia Wood Pizza Board on Amazon is exactly like the one I have, and it's so handy for getting the same-sized slices every time.
Another thing that I think we should have, that we currently don't (but it is on my list to buy), is a digital infrared thermometer. Some of the Ooni models have an in-built temperature reading, but ours doesn't, and would massively relieve a lot of unnecessary guesswork throughout the pizza cooking process. This ERICKHILL Infrared Thermometer on Amazon is currently in my basket.
3. Prepare the Production Line
Our kitchen island is our main pizza preparation station (but any dedicated surface would do, particularly if you have a large enough setup outdoors).
One of the key elements of homemade pizza-making is preparation. My husband usually prepares the doughs on our kitchen island while I get all the ingredients lined up along the kitchen counter in a seamless production line process that we have perfected over the years.
Our girls take it in turns to help with adding the sauce and ingredients to the doughs, and we work swiftly so that the doughs are never left sitting for too long — the longer the doughs are left, the wetter they become, meaning they are far more likely to stick = pizza problems.
Have your Ooni pizza oven heating up while you start to prepare your pizzas, so that when it reaches the desired temperature, you're ready to go.
4. Tips for Making the Actual Pizza
Granted, this picture of one of our most recent pizzas is probably more of a guide on how not to cook yours — inevitably, the one time we try and take a picture of one of our pizzas, it doesn't go to plan. I got distracted and over-zealous with sauce distribution, which meant the edges weren't quite the way we like them (we're not keen on big crusts anyway, though, and tend to go for thinner and crispy), plus the supermarket ran out of the cheese we usually use. Sod's law, as they say. Still tasted epic, though.
As you can see by this picture, it doesn't always go according to plan! However, we usually always know and foresee why this is the case so that it can always be better next time. These are my top tips for the actual pizza, many lessons that I have no shame in saying I learned the hard way!
- Find the perfect dough recipe — Ooni's Classic Pizza Dough Recipe is a good place to start; however, it's always good to try a few different recipes to find the one that works best for you. It is also worth pointing out that we don't always have time to make dough from scratch — plus, when catering for larger numbers, it can get pretty tricky, which is why frozen dough balls are an absolute game-changer. We swear by the Northern Dough Co.'s Pizza Dough Balls, which you can buy on Amazon or at your local supermarket. You can also buy Frozen Dough Balls directly from Ooni as well, who also offer a subscribe and save option.
- Semolina — The single most important part of the pizza-making process (outside of the dough and oven). This stops the dough from sticking to the peel, allowing easy launching into the oven — miss this step at your peril; peeling crumpled up dough off the bottom of the oven with a stick is a low point (I know, I've been there). You can use cornmeal or regular flour, too, but I personally have found semolina to work the best. You can buy it at your local supermarket, or you can find great options on Amazon, such as this Natco Fine Semolina, which comes highly rated..
- Go easy on the sauce and cheese — Another sure-fire way to land yourself in a sticky mess is by going too gung-ho with the sauce and cheese; it will instantly make the dough heavier and more sticky, making it far more difficult to launch into the oven, so make sure you handle this stage with care.
- Watch the temperature — Let your stone go back up to temperature in between pizzas, otherwise it won't cook the same, and you miss out on achieving that perfect high-heat base (this is where the ERICKHILL Infrared Thermometer on Amazon will come into its own).
- Don't forget side snacks — We normally throw on a load of chips to have with it, too, but of course you can be healthier and have a salad bowl...
5. Set the Scene
Prepare your finest outdoor dinnerware, or your best dinnerware set, if you're dining inside — just because you have an outdoor pizza oven doesn't mean you have to eat outdoors (though it is more fun).
After all the hard work of making your homemade pizzas (fine, it's not hard work, but the people you're serving the pizzas to don't need to know that), you need to ensure you have a worthy outdoor table setting for their presentation.
I love to forage foliage from the garden, which I display in mini vases along the table to add color and joy. I've also become particularly fond of a tablecloth of late — my latest favorite is the floral-patterned tablecloth from H&M featured in my pizza picture (further above).
Keep everything fun and relaxed for a pizza party of dreams.
I own this colorful glass vase, and I'm obsessed. It's perfect for a single statement stem or a small collection of foraged finds and will instantly jazz up any table display.
These are currently in my basket — I absolutely love the embroidery, colors and details, all of which come together to make a stylish set of napkins to elevate any tablescape.
The handmade 'Bump Jug' by Tom Dixon is part of a 'minimalist borosilicate vessel family', composed of subtle gray- and green-hued glass in an effortlessly cool style.
FAQs
How Fast Does an Ooni Oven Cook Pizza?
In 60 seconds. It's so amazingly quick — you just need to allow around 15-20 minutes (or less, depending on the model) for the pizza oven to heat up, during which time you can prepare your production line and first dough. Then, 60 seconds of cooking, and done.
The only Ooni pizza oven that takes slightly longer, at 90 seconds, is the indoor/outdoor electric-powered Ooni Volt, but that's still incredibly fast.
What Do I Put Under Pizza so It Doesn't Stick?
Semolina — this is what we use and it works a treat! You can also use cornmeal or flour but we personally found these weren't as effective as semolina.
If at first you don't succeed, try, and try again — we have had plenty of failed pizzas over the years from over-excitedly trying new things that haven't worked out, but we have also had countless unreal pizzas that you literally can't beat.
My parting advice, however, is not to attempt to try something new when you have guests over — there is a time and a place for experimentation, and that is not when you're hosting!
Speaking of, here are some other outdoor hosting mistakes to avoid, to ensure you don't fall foul of any at your pizza party.
