My favorite pizza oven is perfect for family gatherings and is discounted during Black Friday
Ask just about any teenager anywhere what they want for dinner (or lunch, and sometimes even breakfast) and they’ll say, “Pizza sounds good.” So when I bought the Ooni Karu 12-inch pizza oven a year and a half ago, I considered it an investment for future food planning with a teenage son.
This oven has not only proven to be an efficient way to make pizza, but has also provided us with hours of fun, with pizza nights with our son and his friends. You’ll get a perfectly crispy pizza in less than three minutes – and faster once the oven has heated up.
If you’ve had your eye on a pizza from Ooni, now’s the time to take another look. Normally $300, the Karu 12-inch pizza oven costs $239.20 during Ooni’s Black Friday sale.
For more on Black Friday, don’t miss Amazon’s best deals and Walmart’s best deals.
Why I chose the Ooni Karu 12 inch over other sizes and models
I chose this pizza oven over the other Ooni ovens for three main reasons. The first was portability; I love that it doesn’t take up much space and that it can be disassembled and placed in a carrying case. I had visions of campsites and lake excursions, but mostly we just use it at home.
The second reason was price: Ooni outdoor ovens can get pricey, and since I wasn’t sure how much of it we’d use, I didn’t want to drop $500. I got mine for about $300. Even our CNET editors noted that the Ooni Karu is the best pizza oven for those on a budget.
The third selling point of this model was the fuel options. I didn’t want to get stuck in a pellet stove model where you have to buy pellets and keep them in stock. I wanted a wood fire, and I bought a box of Ooni wood the first time, but you can chop your own as long as you keep the pieces small enough to fit in your stove; 6 inches is the maximum. The other great thing about the Karu is that you can get an adapter to convert it to gas. I haven’t done this yet, but it’s nice to have options.
The Ooni works in (almost) all seasons
I live in Minnesota, so we’ve used the Ooni in all four seasons: we use it constantly in the spring, summer, and fall. When winter arrives, temperatures can usually drop below zero, but last year we had a very mild December, with temperatures in the low 40s (Fahrenheit) at the end of December. So we lit our Ooni on Christmas Day. We’ve used it in temperatures below 30 degrees, but it’s hard to keep it warm enough — it’s not as efficient in cold temperatures — and honestly, it’s just not that fun to be in 25 degree weather. while you take care of your pizza.
Ooni recommends removing the pizza stone when storing the oven in freezing temperatures to avoid potential cracks, but we found ourselves just putting it away for most of January and February. March can be fickle here, but it becomes something of a right of passage when the weather is nice to light the Ooni again. We leave ours in the rain a lot and it doesn’t affect the appearance at all.
Don’t skip these accessories
You definitely need a pizza peel so you can use your oven right away. I use the Ooni 12 inch stainless steel pizza peelbut with this smaller oven it can be difficult to flip your pizza. A smaller, wide spatula is also a useful tool, such as a classic grill spatula with a long handle. I also chose the custom cover for the Karumaking it portable. Out of season I keep it in this cover to keep it in nice shape.
Ooni also offers two separate bundles for the Karu 12 if you don’t want to buy your accessories separately. Best of all, the bundles are also on sale for Black Friday.
Ooni Karu 12 Pizza Peel Bundle for $279.20 (was $349)
Ooni Karu 12 Essentials Bundle for $390.40 (was $488)
The Essentials Bundle comes with the Pizza Peel and custom sleeve, along with the additional gas burner.
You’re in, don’t miss the best Black Friday deals you can find under $100 and our live deal track for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
