This is great Tom, I followed your lead and did a cook last night with charcoal and just a little wood for the big heat. So much easier to control the heat with the lump charcoal. Great tip and video. Thanks
It’s always great to hear my videos have helped someone out so thanks very much for letting me know! Charcoal is usually my go too, for pizza cooks but I’m also going to try bread cook soon! So charcoal will be good for that too!
@@TomVoyageukhi Tom I was wondering do you know if this will accept moderately sized peices of wood such as the bags of wood from b and m? I currently have the karu 12 it's really annoying I have to cut the wood in 2 peices each time and was wondering with the karu 16 maybe they could in as one of peice? Thanks
Thanks for the comment Nick! Thats a great idea! I'll certainly do that video for you, but need to use the oven a few more times myself so i can learn some tricks and make some really useful content!
Greetings from the US, thanks for the video I’ve been wanting to get an outdoor pizza oven and I don’t want to use gas. I’ve cooked with wood many times and found spikes and lulls in temperature as you did. I have the Keter stand that you are using it was great to see the size of the Karu. Cheers!
Hi Tom. This was an excellent and very helpful video, thank you. I was wondering if you could provide a source for the cart the oven is sitting on? Carts etc are often an afterthought, but important that they are both weatherproof, heatproof, mobile with a place to hang things and store the peel etc. Thanks, even if you cannot provide the source of your cart!
I did my first test run by just bringing it up to temp with just wood. I also found that using wood alone made the heat fluctuate quickly and also created a lot of soot. I agree that its best to use a base of charcoal.
I've cooked loads of times and always find that way works the best, using wood only takes a lot of maintenance, and often requires you to be with the oven at all times to monitor it.
Love your videos on this Oven, still waiting for mine and hoping it's the ultimate tailgating/camping oven. Get yourself a banjo peel for spinning the pies, makes life 100x easier.
Thanks for the comment! Glad you like the videos! I could see these ovens being ideal for tailgating! - id love to do a tailgating event one day, as no one does that at sports games here in the UK! I actually have a turning peel somewhere but don't use it that much, i must learn to get better!
Hi Tom! Awesome video! I own a Karu 12 and been using it with wood ever since. The only downside with Karu 12 so far is that the pizza stone needs a significant amount of time to recharge after every pizza. Do you have any experience of baking pizzas back to back with Karu 16 with solid fuel? Please share yours! 😊
I just used the Karu 16 for the first time. It was 44 degrees Fahrenheit and we made 14 pies over the span of 2 hours. We did not really see a big drop in temperature right away, but we had a nice pace while making pizza. I do wish that it came with a thinker stone to hold the heat better.
In two minds as a starter to go for the ooni 16 or the woody. Prefer the ooni just for the size with more room, but price difference drawing me to woody. What do you think Tom
Generally just use charcoal and wood mix to produce less smoke and clean it off with a dry cloth once it’s cooled down. Did it once when hot and the fibres on the cloth melted to the glass so don’t do that
Hi Tom thanks for another excellent video. I have a question - I know you are a bit of an Ooni officionado but have you any experience with the Fire King large pizza oven sold by Aldi? It looks a pretty good bit of kit for the money and I know someone at work who has one and really reckons it. It would be really cool if you did a review one day as a comparison 🤔 Best regards matey Paul Abrahams
Hi Paul, thanks I really appreciate it, I'm glad you liked the video. I have seen it in Aldi a few times and I am always tempted to get one...you are right though, it would make a good comparison! Maybe one day :)
Tom - as always, I enjoy watching your videos. I will be firing up my Karu 16 very soon. Invitation is always open if you find yourself in Portland, Oregon. I can’t promise we’ll have better weather, but I can promise plenty of IPAs 😁
Why don't you use one of those smaller, round peels to rotate your pizza while it is still in the oven? It allows you rotate quickly without pulling the pizza out plus you don't burn your fingers on hot crust.
I would say yes, if you plan to cook more than just pizza in the oven. With the temp gauges and the glass door making this a little more versatile and easier to use as an actual oven rather than just a pizza oven. Thats not tot he stay the ooni pro inst a brilliant oven though!
Hi John! Thanks for the comment! Glad you enjoy my videos! If i had to pick one,,,, Well i guess i would have to go for the Karu 16, Hurley based on the fact its designed to be a more versatile oven, and i like to cook more than just pizza in there!
Thanks for the comment, The table is available on amazon - www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077LKP9R5?tag=onamztomsande-21&linkCode=ssc&creativeASIN=B077LKP9R5&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.364F3MG6E6ZK0
very insightful vid. Same with on offset smoker BBQ charcoal wood combo way to go for temp control with wood flavor. I have been on the fence with this one. still am but probably with pull the trigger
Thanks for the comment mate, glad you found the video helpful! It’s weird I used to cook loads on my bbq but since getting the Ooni’s I use them so much!
Hey Tom. Loving the videos. Ordered a Karu 16 the other day and trying to work out what surface to put it on. Where did you get your unit in the video. It’s the perfect size and height.
Hi Billy! Thats great you ordered your oven! The table can be purchased here - www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077LKP9R5?tag=onamztomsande-21&linkCode=ssc&creativeASIN=B077LKP9R5&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.364F3MG6E6ZK0
Hi thanks for your great videos. Im a subscriber. I ordered the karu 16. Don't have enough for a table yet. I'm wondering do the legs get hot ? Would it be ok to cook in the oven as it sits on top of one of those 6 foot plastic folding plastic tables from Walmart, Costco, etc. Would it melt the table or is it ok because the legs stay cool and not much heat radiates from the bottom of the oven or from anywhere which would be enough to melt the plastic table ? Thanks. Anybody knowledgeable please reply soon.
Hi, and thanks for being a subscriber! The Karu16 is a great oven! To answer your question, no the legs don't get very hot, just warm. I use mine on a plastic table sometimes with no issues what so ever (just be careful not to drop coal or lit wood on it) But other than that its fine to use. Like any fire, just don't leave un attended
Tom - how do you get the pizza to slide off the tray so easily the first time? We used our Ooni Karu 16 for the first time last night cooking 3 pizzas and the pizza would not slide off and we needed to use a spatula that first time to get it all off. We did find by using some flour on the tray for the next pizza it helped, but not much. Also, we used wood only but I do like the charcoal wood combo as the wood cooked fast and we had to use a lot of it. Thanks!
Hi Hank! Thanks for the comment! I always tend to use a mixture of charcoal and wood just to give a nice hot base temp. A few tips to help you're pizza stop sticking, is firstly use plenty of flour until you get used to it, i usually use a mixture of flour and semolina. Secondly, Don't leave the pizza on the peel too long, make the pizza on a work top and only use the peel to move it from the top to the oven. Also, make sure your pizza peel is cool, i often find they stick to the dough if they have been in the oven a while and are still hot! Hope this helps.
I did see oven temp at 450 according to Ooni built in thermostat but what was the stone temperture at with your handheld unit for the pizza to go in at
Great video, we've had the K16 two weeks. 15 pizzas later things are great!! Tonight roasted veggies. I've only used propane so far. Curious what table are you using??
Thanks so much for checking out my video! Yeah the Karu 16 Is awesome right?? I love mine, and always say it would be the one if I could only keep one! The table is a Keter Unity XL, fits the Karu 16 on there perfectly!
I had zero idea how to use wood and charcoal with this oven. But I tried it when I did the burn in because I was still waiting for the gas burner to come in the mail. I ended up leaving the fuel hatch off and it stayed around the temps I like for NY pizzas which is the style I make 99% of the time. I think it maxed out at 650f and I didn't have to fiddle with the vent or chimey opening. It could have just been dumb luck because I didn't really pay attention to how much wood chunks and charcoal I used. I might have to try again to see if I could duplicate it lol.
Thanks JR for the tip, thats a good idea to trail for a lower temp cook. When doing lower temp cooks ive used the gas attachment and just turned it off once hot, or just use charcoal with no wood too?
Cooked my first pizza on the Karu 16 tonight and this video was super helpful! But I haven't seen anyone talk about cleaning the grate. Do you have to empty and clean it after ever time? If so, just turn it upside down and dump it? As far as I could tell the top, grate part, doesn't separate from the bottom part that holds the ashes. But I didn't try and force it so I could be wrong! Thanks again!
@@rickydossantosjr5840 Thanks! I didn't want to force it until I knew it was supposed to come apart. Used a screwdriver and some pliers to get it apart the first time and now it comes apart just fine.
Yes I clean it out every time with a plastic brush once cool, the two parts come apart, just warp a bit with the heat so you need to apply a bit of pressure! Hope this helps!
Thanks for the comment Stefan! The difference isn't so much in the taste, but how the pizza is cooked. With the Kamado, all the heat comes from below, So you get a very crispy base, but the top doesn't get that charring that a rolling flame over the Ooni will give. Not to mention, to get the ooni up to temp costs one small ammount of fuel, and 20 minutes, the kamado takes lots of fuel to heat it up that hot and takes over an hour to fully saturate with heat!
Thanks for the video. I'm getting ready to use me Ooni Karu16 for the first time when my dough is ready two days from now. What was the temperature on the stone when you launched the pizza. The dough I'm using for this this first pizza has a 64% hydration, so I'm thinking I might want the stone to be in the 625F to 650F to start and adjust it as I go. I'll be using gas for the first one to make it easier for the first cook. 💕💕😊😊💕💕me
Hi, thanks for the comment! I usually go for 450c (about 850f) for high hydration dough, especially if your flour is 00 flour and designed for high temp cooks. if you're new to this though, 650f is fine to get a feel for the oven and will give more of a even bake than leopard crust, still taste good though!
@@TomVoyageuk Thanks Tom, for your reply. I'm trying to replicate a dough from the famous Di Fara restaurant in Brooklyn, N.Y. and aiming for a around a 4-5 minute bake using a 50% mix of two 00 zero flours and 50% high protein flour. I've done Neapolitan style in my other Ooni Koda 16, but I prefer an artisan style which is like a mix of New York and Neapolitan - at least that's what I'll be aiming for. My Karu is still sitting unused until I am fully over this bout of Covid. Not a good idea to be outdoors in temperatures in the 20'F right now, so I've been working of sheet pan pizza recipes for the home oven. Thank you again for the videos and your reply. 💕💕👍💕💕
Hi Tom. Thanks very much for the video. Our Karu 16 just arrived. I love the set up you have with that table. Do you feel like it’s sturdy enough? Can you possibly provide a link for that?
Hi Justin! Thanks for the kind words! The table is a great option for ooni, as it has cupboard storage underneith too. The only downside is there is no room to make the pizzas at the work station. As for as the sturdiness though, its spot on, and can even be levels on un even surfaces. The table is called the Keter Unity XL Pro - Google that and it should come up
Nope. When starting and during baking my white ceiling got black. Not a problem because it needed finishing paint. But no you can’t use this onder your porch.
Hi, thanks for the video's. very helpful. thinking of getting a wooden gazebo. have you cooked with the Karu fully under it? did it effect the wood, or does the heat dissipate enough?
thanks for the comment! IM glad you found them helpful. My gazebo has a terrocotta tile roof, but either way the heat dissipates fairly quickly so isn't really an issue. If you were worries, ive seen others use some metal pipe to extend the chimney and direct heat and fumes outside the shelter.
My only complaint with the Karu 12 is the size of the basket for the lack of charcoal/ wood it takes. I wouldn’t do bigger pizza but would love 16 for the ease of use!
My go too for the Karu 16 is the 14” peel, I dont cook a full 16” pizza that often and find the 14 is enough. I do have the 16” peel but find it’s quite heavy to use
Tom, just seen your video while contemplating upgrading to the 16. Great video, the only note I have, is that you seem to have the oven with the wind blowing towards the front of the oven rather than coming from the back. After having Oonis for several years, I know how sensitive they are to that and will really affect your temps. And can double the length of time it takes to heat up.
Hi Colm, thanks for pointing this out, and yes you are right, however I'm quite limited to where i can position the oven in the garden, whilst still having a nice frame for the video. It's quite difficult to have the shot looking nice, whilst still getting the airflow right haha
@@TomVoyageuk I understand, I can't find any position in my garden that isn't blustery and the wind seems to come from a different direction every minute. I actually have upgraded this week to the Karu 16, even though I have only had a the Koda 16 a few months just to get a door.
Thanks for the question, Personally i've never tried it but my guess would be that using the pellets on top of charcoal would burn up so fast you'd get about a minute or so of hot flame, that will quickly die down. I'd stock with wood chunks :)
Thanks for the question Brett, but i don't think you can really, when the gas attachment is in place, i doubt the airflow would be sufficient to have a decent wood fire burning also. Besides, im not really sure why you would want to do this??
Thanks for the question, I’ve never tried proper coal but I’m not sure if it would be too dirty or create some unpleasant smoke with it being a fuel source usually used for making power etc
Hi for me the door always gets sooty even tho I am using high quality wood and charcoal. I also leave enough room for airflow between the charcoal. I dont know what my issue is. The heat is also high and shoot eventually burn the soot at the door. But it does not
Since doing this video I’ve had the soot issue a number of times, it’s defiantly better than the first time though, by using a charcoal base and larger pieces of wood, that burn slower. Soot is always going to exist at some point when using real fire, in just live with it now and use a bush to dust it all off once the oven is cool
With $600 budget I’d really recommend getting an Ooni or similar style smaller pizza oven. You’ll get far better results than a cheap brick oven. To get a good results on a brick oven you need to be in excess of $3/4k and will also need lots of fuel and experience to get to a similar level that the Oonis can achieve
There are a number of coal (not charcoal) burning pizza ovens in New York and New Haven, CT (ie, Frank Pepe’s) that make the most amazing pizza. Some people feel it is the coal that makes it special - i wonder your procedure here replicates it a bit? I wonder if coal could be burned in your oven? Thanks for posting this!
Thanks for the comment! It’s an interesting concept as I’ve only ever used charcoal. From my knowledge coal as a fossil fuel is quite dirty to burn, so I’m sure of that would effect the flavour, and I was under the impression that coal burns hotter too, but I could be wrong?
@@TomVoyageuk I was thinking you could upload a video saying your gonna do it and tell everyone in the comments to comment their questions. Then you do another video actually answering them
I will do as soon as they send me one :))))) I joke, yes i would really like to purchase one of these in the new year, they a re still eally hard to get hold of though! March 2022 is the next expected shipments, so could be one for next year.
I get a lot of requests to show the underside and try hard to remember to film it, but obviously forgot this time! Apologies mate, but if you check out other cooks on the karu 16, i will show it!
Thanks for the comment Dave, well I wouldn’t consider the air temp setting useless. If you want to cook other things in your oven, such as bread, steaks, chicken or pan dishes, the air temp would be very useful! It all depends on how you will cook with this oven.
@@TomVoyageuk Have you any experience using it indoor? If yes, please make a video about it. I have adequate and very powerful air extraction, I am using a 9KW burner for brewing beer indoor :-)
Would recommend not using corn meal for the bottom. We’ve tried it before and burned and gave the pizza a poor flavor. I usually use “00” flour but would like to try semolina
@@TomVoyageuk the UK. Not sure if I managed to get through via the link as I tried about a dozen times. Eventually I got through but not sure if it was direct to the website or via your link. I ordered the Karu 16 with gas adapter and bag. I’ll order a peel and wood elsewhere as ooni is too dear for accessories even though they look good.
You mentioned at the end of your video that you'd use charcoal going forward "especially" if you were cooking something other than pizza. Does that mean you'd rather cook the pizza on wood or gas? Thanks!
Thanks for the question, I feel charcoal gives a very consistent temperature and is easier to maintain a lower heat for cooking meat, or bread for example. I’ll generally use gas if I want an easy pizza cook, when we have friends over for example, and wood when I have the time to tend to the fire and keep it hot. Gas would also be handy for cooking things other than pizza but I’m not sure what kids of temps the low flame would give, if it was an oven temp of around 200c that would be ideal!
Lol Tom please get a turning peel. I can see you’re burning your fingers when you’re trying to turn it with your hands. Also since you’re not using a turning peel you have the pizza outside for too long trying to turn it.
@@TomVoyageuk ohh gotchu. i see you got the hang of it when you were tested out the 12g haha nice. thoughts on the 12g? and also im having a lot of flour in between pizzas. is there a brush you recommend that wont ruin the stone and is high temp safe?
Yeah I love the 12G but mine hasn’t arrived yet so hopefully will get it soon to do some videos on! I would recommend getting the Ooni brush, I have one and use it a lot to clean the stone
@@TomVoyageuk thanks. also i have the rockbox. do you think the ooni brush is safe to use on the rockbox stone? its stainless steel bristles so im assuming it is
Sounds like it wasn't hot enough, but rest assured, your oven isn't destroyed, its happened to me before and a nice hot burn soon clears all the soot from inside the oven. Did you use just charcoal or wood with it too?
Greetings from Brazil... I really like this oven, but unfortunately, the dollar is too high to bring it to here. Also we are taxed at 70% (importing rate) on everything that exceeds US$500. 🙄🥴 Love the channel !!!
Thanks very much Sergio! Wow Brazil! I’d love to visit there one day! 🇧🇷 That’s a lot of tax to have to pay, it’s a shame you can’t get hold of one but Ooni do many ovens under $500 that still can cook great pizza!
This is great Tom, I followed your lead and did a cook last night with charcoal and just a little wood for the big heat. So much easier to control the heat with the lump charcoal. Great tip and video. Thanks
It’s always great to hear my videos have helped someone out so thanks very much for letting me know! Charcoal is usually my go too, for pizza cooks but I’m also going to try bread cook soon! So charcoal will be good for that too!
@@TomVoyageukhi Tom I was wondering do you know if this will accept moderately sized peices of wood such as the bags of wood from b and m? I currently have the karu 12 it's really annoying I have to cut the wood in 2 peices each time and was wondering with the karu 16 maybe they could in as one of peice? Thanks
Awesome. You might want to get an additional small round peel to be able to turn the pizza directly inside the oven without needing to take it out.
I do have one, I've not quite got the technique down yet, I need to practice with it ☺️
Love the reviews and demos. Would love a video covering techniques and flue setting for charcoal/wood during the heating v cooking process
Thanks for the comment Nick! Thats a great idea! I'll certainly do that video for you, but need to use the oven a few more times myself so i can learn some tricks and make some really useful content!
Greetings from the US, thanks for the video I’ve been wanting to get an outdoor pizza oven and I don’t want to use gas. I’ve cooked with wood many times and found spikes and lulls in temperature as you did. I have the Keter stand that you are using it was great to see the size of the Karu. Cheers!
Hello! Thanks for watching 👍🍕 it's a very handy table
Excelliant video learned a lot
Thanks so much!
Haha.. glad the charcoal wood combo worked for u too. I also found it was also cheaper than using wood only. Less soot in the glass so that's a win.
Yes I agree, I will definitely steely be using this method for most of my cooks going forwards
Hi Tom. This was an excellent and very helpful video, thank you. I was wondering if you could provide a source for the cart the oven is sitting on? Carts etc are often an afterthought, but important that they are both weatherproof, heatproof, mobile with a place to hang things and store the peel etc. Thanks, even if you cannot provide the source of your cart!
Bravo! Ur a true Pizzaiolo !
Thanks so much mate! 😎
Nothing beats a nice Apple or Cherry wood smoke flavor on whatever pizza you're making 🤤
Never used apple or cherry wood for pizza making, only ever for smoking pork or beef
I did my first test run by just bringing it up to temp with just wood. I also found that using wood alone made the heat fluctuate quickly and also created a lot of soot. I agree that its best to use a base of charcoal.
I've cooked loads of times and always find that way works the best, using wood only takes a lot of maintenance, and often requires you to be with the oven at all times to monitor it.
Genial! Ahora podrías hacer una comparación entre el koda 16 vs karu 16 con gas
Saludos y gracias por tus videos, nuevo suscriptor!👍👌🍕
Love your videos on this Oven, still waiting for mine and hoping it's the ultimate tailgating/camping oven.
Get yourself a banjo peel for spinning the pies, makes life 100x easier.
Thanks for the comment! Glad you like the videos! I could see these ovens being ideal for tailgating! - id love to do a tailgating event one day, as no one does that at sports games here in the UK!
I actually have a turning peel somewhere but don't use it that much, i must learn to get better!
Hi Tom! Awesome video! I own a Karu 12 and been using it with wood ever since. The only downside with Karu 12 so far is that the pizza stone needs a significant amount of time to recharge after every pizza.
Do you have any experience of baking pizzas back to back with Karu 16 with solid fuel? Please share yours! 😊
I just used the Karu 16 for the first time. It was 44 degrees Fahrenheit and we made 14 pies over the span of 2 hours. We did not really see a big drop in temperature right away, but we had a nice pace while making pizza. I do wish that it came with a thinker stone to hold the heat better.
Fantastic video! Thank you!
Glad you liked it! Thanks for watching 👍
Thanks so much!
In two minds as a starter to go for the ooni 16 or the woody. Prefer the ooni just for the size with more room, but price difference drawing me to woody. What do you think Tom
Both are good ovens, but quite different in price. If you can afford it go for the Karu 16, as I doubt you’ll regret going for the larger oven
How do you keep the glass so clean and another great video thanks
Generally just use charcoal and wood mix to produce less smoke and clean it off with a dry cloth once it’s cooled down.
Did it once when hot and the fibres on the cloth melted to the glass so don’t do that
I just bought Karu 16, I will follow your instruction to see the result
I'm sure you will see a good result from the charcoal method! Its a great way to learn and get used to the oven
Hi Tom. What is the make/model of the pizza cart you are using?
This the the Keter unity XL, if you check my videos I have review 👍🍕
Love this, waiting for mine to arrive, coming from the karu 12, looks like I'm going to need a bigger peel!! Keep the videos coming 👍
Thanks so much! Yeah i recommend the 14"perforated peel, as ooni do a 16"solid peel, but it feels heavy in comparison
Hello Where can I get a CART like yours to put the oven on please....?
I just replied to your other comment ☺️
Hi Tom thanks for another excellent video. I have a question - I know you are a bit of an Ooni officionado but have you any experience with the Fire King large pizza oven sold by Aldi? It looks a pretty good bit of kit for the money and I know someone at work who has one and really reckons it. It would be really cool if you did a review one day as a comparison 🤔
Best regards matey
Paul Abrahams
Hi Paul, thanks I really appreciate it, I'm glad you liked the video. I have seen it in Aldi a few times and I am always tempted to get one...you are right though, it would make a good comparison! Maybe one day :)
Tom - as always, I enjoy watching your videos. I will be firing up my Karu 16 very soon. Invitation is always open if you find yourself in Portland, Oregon. I can’t promise we’ll have better weather, but I can promise plenty of IPAs 😁
Thanks again Mark! I love a good IPA, especially with a pizza! hopefully will make it over to Portland one day! looks a lovely place!
Well Done! Great Video - very basic - common sense discussion and not "FAKE". - Thank You!
Thanks for the kind words my friend! I always pride my videos on speaking the truth and being honest!
Thank you Tom
You are very welcome
great vids dude. ordered a karu 16 using your link. I'm in Canada though, hopefully you get credit.
Thanks so much Paul! It should still work as it tracks the link! Let me know how you get on with your first few cooks! best of luck! Tv
Why don't you use one of those smaller, round peels to rotate your pizza while it is still in the oven? It allows you rotate quickly without pulling the pizza out plus you don't burn your fingers on hot crust.
awesome videos thanks for taking the time Tom...Question where did you get that table for the oven?
Thanks I appreciate your comment! I bought it online, it's the Keter Unity XL table - if you look through my videos i've done a review of it 👍🍕
Hi Tom great vid would you say the Karu 16 is woth the extra over the Ooni Pro oven as its a big £200 differance
I would say yes, if you plan to cook more than just pizza in the oven. With the temp gauges and the glass door making this a little more versatile and easier to use as an actual oven rather than just a pizza oven. Thats not tot he stay the ooni pro inst a brilliant oven though!
Hi! Love the videos. I am hoping to get one for my birthday! So if you absolutely had to pick just one, the 16 or the 12, which one would you get?
Hi John! Thanks for the comment! Glad you enjoy my videos!
If i had to pick one,,,, Well i guess i would have to go for the Karu 16, Hurley based on the fact its designed to be a more versatile oven, and i like to cook more than just pizza in there!
Good video, nice to see the Karu 16 being used for a 16 inch (ish) pizza not using gas.👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks for the comment! I like to use the whole oven as much as I can do! 16” is quite hard to stretch though! I used a 500g dough ball in the end!
Please advise on where you purchased the table for the oven ? - Good watching video.
Thanks for the comment, The table is available on amazon - www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077LKP9R5?tag=onamztomsande-21&linkCode=ssc&creativeASIN=B077LKP9R5&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.364F3MG6E6ZK0
very insightful vid. Same with on offset smoker BBQ charcoal wood combo way to go for temp control with wood flavor. I have been on the fence with this one. still am but probably with pull the trigger
Thanks for the comment mate, glad you found the video helpful! It’s weird I used to cook loads on my bbq but since getting the Ooni’s I use them so much!
Hey Tom. Loving the videos. Ordered a Karu 16 the other day and trying to work out what surface to put it on. Where did you get your unit in the video. It’s the perfect size and height.
Hi Billy! Thats great you ordered your oven! The table can be purchased here - www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B077LKP9R5?tag=onamztomsande-21&linkCode=ssc&creativeASIN=B077LKP9R5&asc_item-id=amzn1.ideas.364F3MG6E6ZK0
Hi thanks for your great videos.
Im a subscriber.
I ordered the karu 16.
Don't have enough for a table yet.
I'm wondering do the legs get hot ?
Would it be ok to cook in the oven as it sits on top of one of those 6 foot plastic folding plastic tables from Walmart, Costco, etc.
Would it melt the table or is it ok because the legs stay cool and not much heat radiates from the bottom of the oven or from anywhere which would be enough to melt the plastic table ?
Thanks.
Anybody knowledgeable please reply soon.
Hi, and thanks for being a subscriber! The Karu16 is a great oven!
To answer your question, no the legs don't get very hot, just warm. I use mine on a plastic table sometimes with no issues what so ever (just be careful not to drop coal or lit wood on it)
But other than that its fine to use. Like any fire, just don't leave un attended
@@TomVoyageuk thanks that's what I was hoping for.
Can you let us know if one day you notice the plastic table melting ?
Thank you.
What is the best type of wood for a pizza??
I tend to use Oak 👍
Killer cook! Bravo!
Thanks very much! Thanks for watching!
Tom - how do you get the pizza to slide off the tray so easily the first time? We used our Ooni Karu 16 for the first time last night cooking 3 pizzas and the pizza would not slide off and we needed to use a spatula that first time to get it all off. We did find by using some flour on the tray for the next pizza it helped, but not much. Also, we used wood only but I do like the charcoal wood combo as the wood cooked fast and we had to use a lot of it. Thanks!
Hi Hank! Thanks for the comment! I always tend to use a mixture of charcoal and wood just to give a nice hot base temp. A few tips to help you're pizza stop sticking, is firstly use plenty of flour until you get used to it, i usually use a mixture of flour and semolina. Secondly, Don't leave the pizza on the peel too long, make the pizza on a work top and only use the peel to move it from the top to the oven. Also, make sure your pizza peel is cool, i often find they stick to the dough if they have been in the oven a while and are still hot! Hope this helps.
I did see oven temp at 450 according to Ooni built in thermostat but what was the stone temperture at with your handheld unit for the pizza to go in at
I usually aim for a stone temp of 450c but if the ambient temp was 450, the stone is likely to be hotter probably about 475/480c
Great video, we've had the K16 two weeks. 15 pizzas later things are great!! Tonight roasted veggies. I've only used propane so far. Curious what table are you using??
Thanks so much for checking out my video! Yeah the Karu 16 Is awesome right?? I love mine, and always say it would be the one if I could only keep one!
The table is a Keter Unity XL, fits the Karu 16 on there perfectly!
@@TomVoyageuk THANKS!!
Silly question but where did you get that cart that you use under the oven?
It’s called the Unity XL from Keter! Great table and has some storage too!
I had zero idea how to use wood and charcoal with this oven. But I tried it when I did the burn in because I was still waiting for the gas burner to come in the mail. I ended up leaving the fuel hatch off and it stayed around the temps I like for NY pizzas which is the style I make 99% of the time. I think it maxed out at 650f and I didn't have to fiddle with the vent or chimey opening. It could have just been dumb luck because I didn't really pay attention to how much wood chunks and charcoal I used. I might have to try again to see if I could duplicate it lol.
Thanks JR for the tip, thats a good idea to trail for a lower temp cook. When doing lower temp cooks ive used the gas attachment and just turned it off once hot, or just use charcoal with no wood too?
why they dont add a small adjustable motor and a rotating base, such a small add on would make hoops
What’s the trolly ur using for it ?
Excellent video thank you!
Thanks! You are welcome!
Great video Sir!
Thank you kindly! 👍🍕
Cooked my first pizza on the Karu 16 tonight and this video was super helpful! But I haven't seen anyone talk about cleaning the grate. Do you have to empty and clean it after ever time? If so, just turn it upside down and dump it? As far as I could tell the top, grate part, doesn't separate from the bottom part that holds the ashes. But I didn't try and force it so I could be wrong! Thanks again!
It separates for me try again with some force
@@rickydossantosjr5840 Thanks! I didn't want to force it until I knew it was supposed to come apart. Used a screwdriver and some pliers to get it apart the first time and now it comes apart just fine.
Yes I clean it out every time with a plastic brush once cool, the two parts come apart, just warp a bit with the heat so you need to apply a bit of pressure! Hope this helps!
U need a turning peel! Game changer!
I have one actually! I love it but jut don't always use it when im filming
Hi Tom. Love the videos!
A question: is there a taste difference making pizza on the Ooni or the KamadoJoe? Or is the only difference the speed?
Thanks for the comment Stefan! The difference isn't so much in the taste, but how the pizza is cooked. With the Kamado, all the heat comes from below, So you get a very crispy base, but the top doesn't get that charring that a rolling flame over the Ooni will give. Not to mention, to get the ooni up to temp costs one small ammount of fuel, and 20 minutes, the kamado takes lots of fuel to heat it up that hot and takes over an hour to fully saturate with heat!
That said... For low and slow cooks, Its the Kamado Joe all the way 👍🏻
Have you tried adding the charcoal once it's already lit and up to temperature?
Yes, i do this everytime to top up, it works a treat
Thanks for the video. I'm getting ready to use me Ooni Karu16 for the first time when my dough is ready two days from now. What was the temperature on the stone when you launched the pizza. The dough I'm using for this this first pizza has a 64% hydration, so I'm thinking I might want the stone to be in the 625F to 650F to start and adjust it as I go. I'll be using gas for the first one to make it easier for the first cook. 💕💕😊😊💕💕me
Hi, thanks for the comment! I usually go for 450c (about 850f) for high hydration dough, especially if your flour is 00 flour and designed for high temp cooks. if you're new to this though, 650f is fine to get a feel for the oven and will give more of a even bake than leopard crust, still taste good though!
@@TomVoyageuk Thanks Tom, for your reply. I'm trying to replicate a dough from the famous Di Fara restaurant in Brooklyn, N.Y. and aiming for a around a 4-5 minute bake using a 50% mix of two 00 zero flours and 50% high protein flour. I've done Neapolitan style in my other Ooni Koda 16, but I prefer an artisan style which is like a mix of New York and Neapolitan - at least that's what I'll be aiming for. My Karu is still sitting unused until I am fully over this bout of Covid. Not a good idea to be outdoors in temperatures in the 20'F right now, so I've been working of sheet pan pizza recipes for the home oven. Thank you again for the videos and your reply. 💕💕👍💕💕
@@JunesTarotJourney You'll have to let me know how the recipe turns out. I hope you are feeling better soon!
Hi Tom. Thanks very much for the video. Our Karu 16 just arrived. I love the set up you have with that table. Do you feel like it’s sturdy enough? Can you possibly provide a link for that?
Is it the Keter Unity XL?
Hi Justin! Thanks for the kind words!
The table is a great option for ooni, as it has cupboard storage underneith too. The only downside is there is no room to make the pizzas at the work station. As for as the sturdiness though, its spot on, and can even be levels on un even surfaces.
The table is called the Keter Unity XL Pro - Google that and it should come up
Just seen this, Yes it is!
Can you use this under an outside porch? Would the heat hurt my wood ceiling
Nope. When starting and during baking my white ceiling got black. Not a problem because it needed finishing paint. But no you can’t use this onder your porch.
Thank you!
You're welcome Glenn!
Hi, thanks for the video's. very helpful. thinking of getting a wooden gazebo. have you cooked with the Karu fully under it? did it effect the wood, or does the heat dissipate enough?
thanks for the comment! IM glad you found them helpful.
My gazebo has a terrocotta tile roof, but either way the heat dissipates fairly quickly so isn't really an issue. If you were worries, ive seen others use some metal pipe to extend the chimney and direct heat and fumes outside the shelter.
@@TomVoyageuk thx. keep the videos coming. 🙂
My only complaint with the Karu 12 is the size of the basket for the lack of charcoal/ wood it takes. I wouldn’t do bigger pizza but would love 16 for the ease of use!
Thanks for the comment, it’s defiantly a treat having the extra room in the oven and fuel basket!
They actually just released a larger basket for the Karu12!
Hi there, the links for USA and EU sites are not working for me. UK links works ok. Thanks for the video!
What size pizza peel are you using on the Karu 16?
My go too for the Karu 16 is the 14” peel, I dont cook a full 16” pizza that often and find the 14 is enough. I do have the 16” peel but find it’s quite heavy to use
Tom, just seen your video while contemplating upgrading to the 16. Great video, the only note I have, is that you seem to have the oven with the wind blowing towards the front of the oven rather than coming from the back. After having Oonis for several years, I know how sensitive they are to that and will really affect your temps. And can double the length of time it takes to heat up.
Hi Colm, thanks for pointing this out, and yes you are right, however I'm quite limited to where i can position the oven in the garden, whilst still having a nice frame for the video. It's quite difficult to have the shot looking nice, whilst still getting the airflow right haha
@@TomVoyageuk I understand, I can't find any position in my garden that isn't blustery and the wind seems to come from a different direction every minute. I actually have upgraded this week to the Karu 16, even though I have only had a the Koda 16 a few months just to get a door.
@@columbo9336 And people argue about some $/£200 extra... Go for the best directly, it is cheaper in the long run. Isn´t it.
I would have loved to see that pizza get cut and see that slice in hand. Nice video
Next time! 🍕👍
I accidentally bought the ooni wood pellets. Would I be able use them on top of charcoal in the Karu 16 or is that a bad idea?
Thanks for the question, Personally i've never tried it but my guess would be that using the pellets on top of charcoal would burn up so fast you'd get about a minute or so of hot flame, that will quickly die down. I'd stock with wood chunks :)
@@TomVoyageuk thanks. One more question, how long does the oven need to cook for before puttting cover on?
Bei mir wird das Fenster leider immer schwarz, was kann ich hier tun?
This normally happens when the wood you are using hasn't full dried out enough. Thanks for watching 👍🍕
can you cook with the gas and wood?
Thanks for the question Brett, but i don't think you can really, when the gas attachment is in place, i doubt the airflow would be sufficient to have a decent wood fire burning also. Besides, im not really sure why you would want to do this??
Like the gloves. Where did you get them from?
They’re just cheap welding gauntlets from Amazon, they were only £5 I think!
Tom can I use actual coal in the Ooni Karu 16?
Thanks for the question, I’ve never tried proper coal but I’m not sure if it would be too dirty or create some unpleasant smoke with it being a fuel source usually used for making power etc
@@TomVoyageuk Old school pizzerias in NY use coal fired ovens to cook the pizzas. You have to be grandfathered in to be allowed though.
What flavored wood does everyone uses??
I tend to use Oak 👍
Hi for me the door always gets sooty even tho I am using high quality wood and charcoal. I also leave enough room for airflow between the charcoal. I dont know what my issue is. The heat is also high and shoot eventually burn the soot at the door. But it does not
Since doing this video I’ve had the soot issue a number of times, it’s defiantly better than the first time though, by using a charcoal base and larger pieces of wood, that burn slower. Soot is always going to exist at some point when using real fire, in just live with it now and use a bush to dust it all off once the oven is cool
I have 600 usd budget for my first brick oven. Please help me. Afraid of choosing a bad one.
With $600 budget I’d really recommend getting an Ooni or similar style smaller pizza oven. You’ll get far better results than a cheap brick oven. To get a good results on a brick oven you need to be in excess of $3/4k and will also need lots of fuel and experience to get to a similar level that the Oonis can achieve
There are a number of coal (not charcoal) burning pizza ovens in New York and New Haven, CT (ie, Frank Pepe’s) that make the most amazing pizza. Some people feel it is the coal that makes it special - i wonder your procedure here replicates it a bit? I wonder if coal could be burned in your oven? Thanks for posting this!
Thanks for the comment! It’s an interesting concept as I’ve only ever used charcoal. From my knowledge coal as a fossil fuel is quite dirty to burn, so I’m sure of that would effect the flavour, and I was under the impression that coal burns hotter too, but I could be wrong?
What make model is that torch you used to light the fire?
Thanks for watching its called a Master Class chefs torch
Suggestion: can you do a q&a ???
Thats a great idea! How do you do that though? You mean like a live video?
@@TomVoyageuk I was thinking you could upload a video saying your gonna do it and tell everyone in the comments to comment their questions. Then you do another video actually answering them
That’s how most people do it
Hey Tom are you doing a review on the Gozney Dome?
I will do as soon as they send me one :)))))
I joke, yes i would really like to purchase one of these in the new year, they a re still eally hard to get hold of though! March 2022 is the next expected shipments, so could be one for next year.
What type of wood did you use ?
Hi Jeff, I bought this from www.love-logs.com
really nice👍🏼
Thank you! 😊
Can you really taste the difference between cooking a pizza with wood and gas?
I think so but I want to do a real life test of this to see if you can tell blindfolded
Yes, the delicious smoky flavor is why people go to great lengths for a wood-fired pizza.
How wide is the wood burn box tray? Can I use standard length hard fire wood from home depot?
About 40cm wide (at the widest point)
Just cut them in half if too long...
What is it like if you cook pizza at a lower temp?
Great! I often cook at a lower temp if i'm doing a bar pizza, or NY style, than needs a longer bake. About 250c for 6 mins.
Where did you get your wood store bud?
Hey, this was just something that I made
@@TomVoyageuk awesome, I must try, I’m no good at joinery tho 😂
@@EatandTweet Me either, I watched a RUclips video on how to do it 🤣👍
Sorry Tom you didn’t show the char Of the pizza underneath I need to see that before thinking of buying it
I get a lot of requests to show the underside and try hard to remember to film it, but obviously forgot this time! Apologies mate, but if you check out other cooks on the karu 16, i will show it!
@@TomVoyageuk I will Tom thank you for putting out your content
@@MikeTerran1976ova you’re welcome and thanks for checking out my channel!
So basically the thermometer attached to the ooni is useless if you still have to use a stone thermometer....thanks, thats good info
Thanks for the comment Dave, well I wouldn’t consider the air temp setting useless. If you want to cook other things in your oven, such as bread, steaks, chicken or pan dishes, the air temp would be very useful! It all depends on how you will cook with this oven.
Dave, yes you're spot on ! IT'S USELESS.
@@TomVoyageuk First and foremost it's supposed to be a PIZZA OVEN! so that thermostat is USELESS.
Alright calm down lad, some will use it for more than pizza, some won’t. However you want to use it. 🤗
But how did it taste?
It tasted awesome! I really like using charcoal for this reason! Gives a nice subtle char taste!
Hi I am close to buy one. So I looked at your links, but when I kick I get this message "There is an error in your link code."
Oh no?! Thanks for letting me know, I’ll check the links and post a new one
Hi, Just to let you know ive updated the links and now they should be working ok! :)
@@TomVoyageuk Hi Tom, I just bought the Ooni Karu 16 offer using your link. I'm so excited :-)
Ah that’s great! Thanks so much! You won’t be disappointed!
@@TomVoyageuk Have you any experience using it indoor? If yes, please make a video about it. I have adequate and very powerful air extraction, I am using a 9KW burner for brewing beer indoor :-)
Wish they had one that rotates the pizza
you can buy an additional 3rd party accessory, but i think learning to use a turning peel is the best way to go
Would recommend not using corn meal for the bottom. We’ve tried it before and burned and gave the pizza a poor flavor. I usually use “00” flour but would like to try semolina
You need a turning wheel mate
What’s a turning wheel? Like a rotating stone you mean?
tried using your link to buy the Karu 16 but nothing happens I just get a blank screen
Thanks for letting me know Hugh! Did you use the UK, US or EU link please?
@@TomVoyageuk the UK. Not sure if I managed to get through via the link as I tried about a dozen times. Eventually I got through but not sure if it was direct to the website or via your link. I ordered the Karu 16 with gas adapter and bag. I’ll order a peel and wood elsewhere as ooni is too dear for accessories even though they look good.
@@medads1 thanks for letting me know mate I’ll test my links and get them alters
Why not preheat it with gas, then add the wood?
It would be a pain to remove the gas attachment from a hot oven to then add the basket full of wood, far less hassle to just use wood or gas alone
@@TomVoyageuk I saw a video where they did just that.
You mentioned at the end of your video that you'd use charcoal going forward "especially" if you were cooking something other than pizza. Does that mean you'd rather cook the pizza on wood or gas? Thanks!
Thanks for the question, I feel charcoal gives a very consistent temperature and is easier to maintain a lower heat for cooking meat, or bread for example.
I’ll generally use gas if I want an easy pizza cook, when we have friends over for example, and wood when I have the time to tend to the fire and keep it hot.
Gas would also be handy for cooking things other than pizza but I’m not sure what kids of temps the low flame would give, if it was an oven temp of around 200c that would be ideal!
This looks like charcoal only almost. Most of what I have seen is some charcoal but mainly wood.
A mixture of both charcoal and wood is best for me. Charcoal to keep a base temperature and wood to create a rolling flame
Lol Tom please get a turning peel. I can see you’re burning your fingers when you’re trying to turn it with your hands. Also since you’re not using a turning peel you have the pizza outside for too long trying to turn it.
Hi Gregory! I do have one and i'm really trying to use it more and get the technique right 👍
@@TomVoyageuk ohh gotchu. i see you got the hang of it when you were tested out the 12g haha nice. thoughts on the 12g? and also im having a lot of flour in between pizzas. is there a brush you recommend that wont ruin the stone and is high temp safe?
Yeah I love the 12G but mine hasn’t arrived yet so hopefully will get it soon to do some videos on! I would recommend getting the Ooni brush, I have one and use it a lot to clean the stone
@@TomVoyageuk thanks. also i have the rockbox. do you think the ooni brush is safe to use on the rockbox stone? its stainless steel bristles so im assuming it is
you should have shown us the bottom of the pie buddy
Yes I know I usually try to in future videos
Heyl
Ho!..... Lets go!
i tried this with charcoal and destroyed the oven with black smoke and the inside was blackened and glass black
Sounds like it wasn't hot enough, but rest assured, your oven isn't destroyed, its happened to me before and a nice hot burn soon clears all the soot from inside the oven. Did you use just charcoal or wood with it too?
@@TomVoyageuk just charcoal, maybe its best to get it hot then transfer the charcoal to the pizza oven
😀
This made me smile :)
@@TomVoyageuk Was just the video I wanted to see.
450 isn’t gonna cut it pal gotta get that oven to 700 degrees at least
Sorry for the confusion - it's 450 Celsius so this would be about 850 Fahrenheit 👍🍕
I like this thing but they're pricey - $1000+.
Yes it definitely is an investment!
$650 now!
Nope $650
2k tomorrow's meeting for ingredients
Thanks for watching!
You need to use your fingers to turn the bake? Seriously?
No you don't have too, you would normally use a turning peel but I'm not 100% confident using it, I need more practise!
Greetings from Brazil... I really like this oven, but unfortunately, the dollar is too high to bring it to here. Also we are taxed at 70% (importing rate) on everything that exceeds US$500. 🙄🥴 Love the channel !!!
Thanks very much Sergio! Wow Brazil! I’d love to visit there one day! 🇧🇷
That’s a lot of tax to have to pay, it’s a shame you can’t get hold of one but Ooni do many ovens under $500 that still can cook great pizza!
Get a Pit Barrel Cooker from USA instead. It is very good smoker.
@@Anteater23 you know, if money was no object, I’d 100% have a Lang smoker, fully built from steel
In the USA! 🇺🇸 🔥
First
Sorry no prizes for being first 😖
Sinful not to show the undercarriage of the pizza
Haha, people always say that, i've learned now and do it more in the recent videos! PS - I've never heard it celled an "undercarriage" before?!?
@@TomVoyageuk I think Dave portnoy from one bite pizza reviews might have come up with that one