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Which pizza oven brand is better?
There’s nothing like a piping-hot pizza with a perfectly crispy crust, fluffy dough center, sizzling toppings and stretchy cheese. The difficulty in making the perfect pie at home lies in the difference between a home oven and classic pizza oven.
Traditionally, pizzas are made in a large stone oven with a lower surface of roughly 800-900 degrees. No home oven can get that hot. Even with a pizza stone and convection cooking, the one in your kitchen won’t deliver a pizza that would make Italy proud. Instead, consider one of the wide variety of home pizza ovens now available. Ooni is a well-known maker of them, while Bertello is a newcomer with a good-looking but less popular product line.
Ooni pizza ovens
About a decade ago, Ooni released its first home pizza oven via Kickstarter crowdfunding. With a portable design that used wood pellets for heat, it quickly received high praise. The company later continued to crowdfund its pizza ovens on a number of platforms.
Since 2017, Ooni has developed a variety of dependable, high-quality pizza ovens perfect for home use. A variety of options, reliable construction, reassuring warranty and good customer service have led Ooni to the top of the field when it comes to making crispy, cheesy pies at home with minimal hassle.
Ooni pizza oven pros
- Premium construction quality: From the first time you set it up, it’s clear that an Ooni oven has been designed with durability and consistency in mind. The body is clean and well-put-together, the seams are small and well-secured, and the paint resists flaking and bubbling, despite the high heat involved.
- Variety of models to choose from: Ooni makes a couple of sizes, multiple fuel options and even a highly effective, relatively portable option. No matter what your needs, Ooni almost certainly has something to offer.
- Easy-to-manage heating: Both the gas and wood firing mechanisms on Ooni pizza ovens work efficiently, quickly and consistently.
- Most are relatively economical: While they’re not exactly cheap, the smaller Ooni ovens are well-priced considering the quality of materials and end results.
- Impressive warranty coverage: When purchased directly from the manufacturer, Ooni pizza ovens come with a respectable three-year warranty.
Ooni pizza oven cons
- The large models are pretty expensive: If you demand the biggest homemade pizzas possible, you’ll have to make a decent investment.
Best Ooni pizza ovens
Ooni’s most affordable option, the Fyra 12 works exclusively with wood pellets to deliver a smoky, flavor-packed pie. At only 22 pounds, it’s as portable as they get, and uses a tall chimney and adjustable air inlet to ensure consistent airflow and high temperatures.
While it will set you back quite a bit of cash, this 16-inch oven outperforms every other Ooni and most of the competition. It can use wood, charcoal or gas (although a separate burner is required) and gets up to 950 degrees in as little as 15 minutes. Its refined construction, digital thermometer and heat-resistant glass door leave it a step above the rest.
In addition to the lean-burning and easily managed heat of a built-in gas burner, the Koda 12 sports a premium construction that’s on another level from the sheet metal and rivets that many other brands use. It weighs only 20 pounds, heats up quickly and can finish a whole pie in just 60 seconds.
Gas- and wood-fired ovens each have their own pros and cons, and the Karu 12 lets you use both without spending a fortune. It sports a stainless steel body that’s lined with ceramic-fiber insulation and retains heat well, even in light rain.
One of Ooni’s newest releases, the Koda 16 offers a streamlined configuration and integrated gas burner that make it the most convenient choice for most people. It’s also not very expensive and, like the rest, comes with a three-year warranty when purchased directly from Ooni.
Bertello pizza ovens
Brothers Andy and Eric Bert have been working on their portable, outdoor Bertello pizza oven since 2017. The brand’s first huge share of media attention came from the “Shark Tank” TV show, which brings inventors to prospective investors in a bid to secure funding for upstart new products. While Bertello hasn’t seen the success or popularity of Ooni, it has sold a decent number of pizza ovens.
Bertello pizza oven pros
- Fast preheating: If you opt for the dual-fuel configuration, you can use both gas and wood pellets simultaneously, which lets you heat the oven considerably faster than the competition.
- The 16-inch version is well-priced for the size: If you plan on making lots of extra-large pizzas, the large model is a good deal.
Bertello pizza oven cons
- Inconsistent stone temperature: When it comes to a perfectly cooked, slightly crispy crust, the stone floor is where the magic happens. Most users find a large difference in temperature across the surface of the Bertello cooking surface.
- Heat levels are difficult to control: Possibly due to the lightning-fast preheat time, some owners report heavily cooked crusts and toppings but doughy centers.
- Below-average build quality: The body panels, rivets and even paint look and feel lower quality than those of Ooni pizza ovens.
- The smaller version is overpriced: Despite performing more poorly than Ooni’s comparable models, the 12-inch Bertello is actually priced slightly higher.
- Subpar warranty coverage: Owners who have experienced problems indicate that it’s tough to get Bertello to honor the warranty.
Best Bertello pizza ovens
Bertello Outdoor Pizza Oven Everything Bundle
Not just for pizza, you can cook fish, meat, vegetables and more in this model. It comes with everything you need to get started, such as a gas burner, pizza peel, thermometer, wood tray and cover. The cooking surface is 12.5 inches wide and 13.5 inches deep.
Sold by Amazon
Bertello Grande Outdoor Pizza Oven
If you want to make even bigger pizzas, this model features a 16-by-16-inch pizza stone. It comes with a propane gas burner, wood tray, pizza peel and weatherproof cover.
Sold by Amazon
Should you get an Ooni or Bertello pizza oven?
While Bertello pizza ovens might be an enticing prospect due to attractive (but rare) sales and marketing they got from the “Shark Tank” TV program, they don’t offer the manufacturing or design prowess of an Ooni.
On the other hand, Ooni’s wide selection of models and history of satisfied customers are clear indicators of a superior pizza oven. Whether you want something for your backyard or one you can take on a trip to the state park, an Ooni pizza oven is the way to go.
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Chris Thomas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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