Your info about the gas consumption is wrong, Karu 16 consumes 1.1lb/hr vs 1.3 lb/r for the Koda 16. The 4.9 lbs for 10 pizzas you mention is for the fuel consumption (wood/charcoal) not gas consumption. This was a big deterrent to me till I checked their website. Love your videos, love the way you showed that you didn't have to adjust the temperature on the Karu, that's what kept me away from the Koda. Thanks again for your excellent videos.
What makes it forgiven with the Karu is the flame in the centre going evenly on the top, the other one has left side and front burners, heat is not evenly distributed. I have the Ooni16 and i've added a front door, it helps for the heating process and recovery. For a good crust i precook the crust with the sauce, pull out and add toppings and finish the cooking, works better.
Good video with lots of info, I think he's way off on the fuel usage though. The specs are the Karu 16 burner uses 7. 4kw and the Koda 16 uses 8.5kw. The Karu should be a good bit more fuel efficent than the Koda. That point he brought up in the video might be a reason people pick the Koda over the Karu, when the Karu will actually be cheaper to run.
Just a quick correction to the koda vs Karu fuel consumption. Your number used in the video for the Karu is for solid fuel, but for gas it’s 1.1lbs per 10 pizzas and actually more efficient than the koda. Great video though and helped me make my decision 👍🏻
I showed the war department this video and she is on board with me getting the Karu without the gas connection for now. Thank you for a killer video. This really helped. I've been looking at ooni for like a year. I was almost starting to try and justify the blackstone pizza unit. Thank you again.
I went through this whole comparison when I was buying a bigger oven. I did lots of research, looked at a lot of pros and cons and ended up with the koda 16. It is a learning curve and I’ve messed up a couple of pizzas but I’m getting the hang of it. I’m happy with my choice.
Thanks for the video! Owning a Karu, I would say that you have some recovery time if using solid fuel (wood and whatnot). The rest is bang on, it is not has portable as one would think and that's the main con for me. The other con is the kind of false advertising Ooni is using when they say it's multi fuel. yes it is, but you need to pay an extra 80$+ for the gas attachment, like come on! At this price point you might as well just include it already. It's just an annoyance on a fantastic product.
Interesting you say the Karu is more forgiving than the Koda 16. I thought it would be the other way around. But now you mention the increased distance between flame and pizza it makes sense. I’m a Koda 16 devotee bit would like to try the Karu. Thanks for your excellent content as always Sir.
As someone who owns the Ooni Pro I'm going to chime in because it has a very similar burner to Karu 16. He's absolutely correct; it's totally forgiving. I watch Koda 16 Pizza videos all the time and I think why don't these guys own the Ooni Pro..? It's a non-issue with the burner in the back
@@Viva_la_natura makes sense Sir. I just bought a second Koda 16 for the place I’m staying over Christmas but now thinking I should have made it a Karu for variety.
@@Viva_la_natura Hi Paul , I am actually about to upgrade my Karu 12 and was considering the Koda 16 vs Karu 16 but following several videos (glass,weight etc..) I am considering now to compare it to the Pro 16 , what are your thoughts? for my understanding , i thought the L shape flame on the koda 16 is a big plus making less turns needed , am i right on that one ?
If you leave the Koda flame high and cook for less time, there’s no need for a pause between pizzas, Maybe don’t locate quite so close to the flames. Plus it then cooks as quickly as the Karu.
First of all, awesome video! Great review, thorough and well presented! Secondly, I think Koda with a door, aftermarket or sold separately. You would have the best of both worlds, except the wood flavour of course.
The Koda bakes perfect I don’t have experience with the Kara. I like not messing with a door as I turn my pizza’s every 20 seconds. Ooni makes fine products. I recently purchased a Pizzello Forte gas and am very surprised at the excellent results. Ooni I think is a high quality product but the Pizzello is not too bad. Both of your pizzas look fantastic👍🙏💕
Thank you very much for this comparison. I been using Koda 16 for last 2 years, but I found few things I do not like it that much. I do sometimes charity auctions and cooking outside - koda js fragile to the wind very much. Also the L-shape of gasburner which suppose to be plus in relaity is minus for me. It's much more difficult to keep baking even than with one direction of heat. I had Ooni 3 in past run by Wood pallet and it was much easier to bake proper Napoletana. I am going to switch to Karu 16 now, because I believe it is worth to, and your video makes me sure about this decision, so thank you very much :) I am wondering why you didn't change the stone to biscotto one? It will help you to have better taste of the bottom lf pizza. Try it - worth to change original stone for sure. Greetings from Poland :)
Amazing video, thank you very much for the detail comparison between the two ovens. In deed I'm still not sure which one is the best for my purposes... Keep going on.
Very informative video. Thanks. 👍 I bought a steel door with a wooden handle and an in-built thermometer for my Koda 16 recently. Now I feel like I'm in pizza heaven. 😀
No mention of the cost difference. As of 12/22: Kona 16 = $599, Karu (with the LP option) = $899 ($799 + $99). I had the smaller Fyra 12" (Wood Pellet version) and bought the Kona within 3 months. In truth, the 16" Kona or even larger 16.5" Karu are both too small. Also, that door is a PITA. The wood option is good (I liked that I didn't have to lug around propane when I had the Fyra) but up around 900F, the wood "taste" is almost negligible. Propane is also cleaner burning and if you are in a "covered" space (not indoors of course), the Koda won't smoke you out. Either of these are nice Pizza ovens. If I were to do it all over again, I'd probably opt for a Gozney Dome.
Did you know that the Gozney Dome can make pizzas up to only 14 inches in circumference, not 16 inches like the Oonis? It can, however, make bread, and accommodate much lower and longer temperatures for a variety of cooking and baking applications. But $2,000 is a lot to ask, plus about $500 more for attachments.
@@alexanderkempf9828I like the fact the fire is on the side instead of the back where you cant see the pizza. Is there another oven you like where the fire can be on a side and has as much of an opening and room as the Gozney Dome as Ooni seems to small inside?
Love the hat!! In the late 80's My wife and I lived in a 9th floor apartment at the end of Brookline Ave and at the other end was the Citco sign! I also worked right next to Fenway Park, so Kenmore Square figured pretty prominently. Brings back fond memories.... I really appreciated this comparison since it's probably a choice of these two for me...or maybe the Roccbox. Great heads-up on the fuel consumption on the Karu 16!
FINALLY!! I've been waiting for someone to give a review like this. I've been on the fence between these two ovens and this comparison review helped me out A LOT!! Great video. One thing to point out as well, the price. The Koda 16 is about $200 US dollars cheaper. Again, great video, thank you.
@@richspizzaparty But Karu is the first one approved for AVPN, Doesn't match somehow! But on the other end, that doesn't matter anyway, it will not make the better pizza, only ourselves can do that, right.
Very useful review. Thank you. I think I'm going for the Moda because I value portability. The Karu looks great but you can't really take it with you comfortably. Maybe if I was just going to leave it in one place.
Thank you so much! This was super helpful! Based in your review, I think the Koda16 is te best for me. (And I have an original “Uni 3” that burns pellets if I want that smoky effect.) great video!
Lots of user reviews on the Ooni website pointing out issues with the Karu gas burner attachment not lighting or not staying lit. Enough so turned me off to getting one. Plus much more expensive than the Koda when you add the oven, gas attachment the alternate opening cover etc. Unless you plan to cook lots of pizzas in one sitting using wood sounds like a hassle, additional cost and minimal improvement in flavor over gas (even stated on the Ooni website) when cooking Neapolitan’s for only 90 seconds. I found the Koda for 30% off retail so that made it an easy decision for me. Can’t wait for it to show up. 😊
Am considering doing a pop-up pizza table at the local farmers' market, and am wondering if the Koda 16 can turn out pizzas fast enough. I was hoping the re-heat time was going to be a bit faster. Comments are appreciated.
Thank you for the comparison video. 🍕♥️ Appreciated seeing these two side by side.🥇Be interested to see how the Karu 16 cooks pizza without closing the door. Potential Karu 16 plus for me would be baking things with door closed. And tweaking gas flow slightly to see if it could be more efficient.
@@KitchenCraftFood Yeah, why not? Drop the door, attach a "pizza-slot" in the door hooks. Thanks! You had me on this idea, but it will probaly take a looong while before going that route. Have to learn using it first.
@@KitchenCraftFoodwhich oven do you suggest with a fire on the side instead of back where you cannot see directly the fire is doing to the pizzam The Gozney Dome has that and a lot of space inside unlike Ooni but it seems way overpriced.
@@KitchenCraftFoodwhich oven do you suggest with a fire on the side instead of back where you cannot see directly the fire is doing to the pizza? The Gozney Dome has that and a lot of space inside unlike Ooni but it seems way overpriced at $2500 with accessories.
in my opinion if you want wood go with the Karu, gas with the Koda... I do find the Karu a better pizza oven tbh considering they are "portable pizza oven"
Great video. I'm surprised the Karu was as hot as the Koda judging by the much larger burner on the Koda, and shocked how the Karu used way more gas being it has a much smaller burner. As to "forgiveness" when baking with the Kara maybe the smaller burner helped with that. You said it was a pain to open and close the door all the time on the Kara, did you try baking with the door open?
Super informative video Kitchen & Craft. From the sounds and appearances you were neither sponsored or given a free unit for this review. Apologies if this was already asked. Thanks for your detailed analysis.
I finally pulled the trigger, i got the Karu16. Bertello just came out with a 16 where you can cook with wood and gas at the same time. Its cheaper than the Karu as well but.... it doesn't have a door and the Karu opening is higher. I'm hoping the Karu will be more versitile for other cooking.
Great video once again. I disagree regarding the alternating the flame in the Karu16. What hydration are your pizzas? I found with 65% hydration that cooking the pizza on full flame that whilst the exterior and toppings were cooked, there still remained the thin line of undercooked dough on the base and crust to a certain degree. I'm using a biscotto stone for cooking as well. Perhaps test it out. Cooking a pizza on full flame. Then do one with the flame low for 30-45sec. Then full heat. See if you think it is improvement? Thanks the video. Too little Karu16 videos out there
That's a virginian license plate I think. lol of all things that is what jumped out at me just now. Good review so far, I'm debating getting something like this but not 100% sure. Pizza steel in oven has been okay but how fast I've seen these pizzas cook is a whole other level.
I have been looking at these for a while, price wise is something else to consider, but the question I have is Pizza all you cook with it? I would agree with you the door open and closing would be not to my liking….I caught that in your video…Thank you for doing this I know how much editing and work goes into doing this if I could it would 5 thumbs up …..
I'm surprised you didn't include prices when going over pros and cons. Koda 16 running gas: $600 Karu 16 running gas: $900 Besides that, another great video!
Totally agree! But one can also see that Karu is a pricier owen, else their blind or dumb. But that is also a thing to consider. But both will make great pizzas.
Great video. Thank you! 13:26 I'm planning to buy one and can't decide between the Koda and the Karu. Did you notice any flavor difference when the pizza is cooked by propane gas vs pellets or wood chips?
I have the Karu for a year now and have made a ton of pizzas. The smoky flavor is definitely noticed. It is as close to real brick oven as you can get with this type of oven. Love mine.
Agreed, my Koda 16 has given me a learning curve but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed that curve. Very satisfying when you start to get consistent results. Cheers!
Hi Tim! Thanks for the video comparison of these two ovens. I have been struggling to choose between these two but will likely go with the Karu. Do you have a pizza recipe cookbook?
Hello. Just the video I was looking for. Well done. However I still have a couple questions. Can the optional propane burner on the Karu be used to start wood? Meaning can they both be used at the same time? My second question. If you have used wood in the Karu, and if so do you prefer the wood pizza over the propane? And thirdly, does the oven heat up as fast with wood? Thank you. Hope all is well.
Thank you very much for the review. It's still hard to decide. Looks like on the Karu your pizza came out better, and the no lag time and quicker, but the gas consumption, oh man!
Just a quick question- looking on the comparison on their website it states that the Karu uses 0.5kg/hr of gas and the koda uses 0.59kg/hr of gas- so does that not mean the Karu is actually more efficient with gas?
He's way off, the Karu uses about 10% less propane. Not sure where he got his figures from, but it almost made me not want to get a Karu. Aside from that this is a solid comparson for someone looking at both ovens. IMHO he should add a note to the description stating the numbers you said. Even if people don't understand what the numbers actually mean related to # of pizzas you can cook. Everyone would know .5 is less than .59
The Karu is probaly way better isolated, so it would be about the same. Sometimes companies also starts to tweaking their numbers. But the same amount of kWh will give the exact same heat. The rest is just how good the owen keeping it, or looses it. I can not confirn any of this as I have no Koda, as my burner is backordered. But look at the isolation, you can get data of the difference. There as som many parameters that will make a difference, but 1 kWh is 1 kWh not matter what.
I’ve got a koda 16 that I’ve added the Stoovis door and shelf. Really cuts down the initial warm up time and recovery time between pizzas. Curious, about the karu 16 door. I thought when using gas you aren’t supposed to use the door? Have you considered the Gozney Dome?
Those after market doors seem to really help with heat retention on the Koda. You’re the second person who’s mention using one. The door on the Karu 16 has vents. I suppose that’s why Ooni has ok’ed baking with it closed.
Hello Tim... Great video. I'm a Koda 16 owner and I think I'll keep it for now. :D I was wondering what pizza peel are you using. I don't see a reference to it under your affiliate links.
great side by side comparison!!! only feedback is I would have liked to see for comparison something more common like a pepperoni pizza rather than an artisan fig pizza.
Great video. I received a Koda 16 for Xmas and was curious how it compared so this was very helpful. You mentioned your Karu sits wobbly on your table...did you try using the "Ooni Shoes"? I bought some out of curiosity but have not fixed them to a table yet because I don't know where I want to permanently screw them to yet, but I am curious what others may have done (I actually found your video when I did a search for Ooni shoes).
Tim, just got the Kura and haven't used yet. Did you season the stone before using? Did some searching and couldn't find a straight answer on the stone itself, just for the entire unit. Appreciate it
Thank you for your information. I really enjoyed. I have one question, If I use the oven per daily 8 to 10 hours is there any problem such as explosion or some warping?
I had the koda 12 which shot the flame on one side, the. I got the koda 16 cuz i wanted more room but because that L shape your having to mess with the flame and watch both sides so ur gonna end up With one end burnt normally. Wish there was a way to cover or stop one side of the L flame
Great job! This was exactly what I was looking for. I’ve been looking to upgrade my 12” Ooni 3 to a 16” Koda or Karu, and this sealed it for me. Koda 16 makes much more sense for me personally. Appreciate the in-depth video!
i just bought a Karu 16. Can't wait to use it with wood, close the door till it heats up. Launch the pizza and NEVER close the front door. I"m willing to bet it cooks greats. will let you know.
I would imagine the door on the Karu helps if there is a breeze outside? I've noticed on my Koda that I can't bring the flame down too low if it's windy, otherwise the flame will blow out. It can also struggle to maintain a high temp with the wind as well.
what would you recommend for use on a covered porch ~9ft ceilings if using gas? The koda vents out the front while the Karu vents out of the top of the chimney? Does it get very hot at the top of chimney?
I appreciate that! The prep board is just a veneered piece of plywood from Lowe’s. I treated it with some food-safe sealant and only use it in my videos. It wouldn’t hold up too well if I prepped a ton of food on it.
Have you ever baked on the Karu with the door open? I feel like if you wanted to smoke meats or something the door would be really good there, but with just the pizza, door being closed doesn’t feel necessary, especially if it cooks on 90 seconds like you said. Anyways, thank you for the video! Great information all around!
Great video, have you tried making a few pizzas with the door open, to see how the heat is maintained during the cooking process and heat recovery time for the next pizza?
Buy Karu and the propane-burner and you can try for yourself :-) Havent tried it yet, but a smokebox (with open lid or not) and some hardwood would probably do the trick (it is not about the full burn, but from the lesser burn giving the smoke/taste). Running with gas is just so much simpler... My gasburner have been backordered, so I can't test it right now, it is just a tip (bad or good).
@@eldar19392139 Looks like an interesting gadget, but doesn’t take the fun and learning out of baking pizza in an oven like this? I guess it’s useful to folks who just want results and don’t enjoy the process.
Enjoyed the video. I make a thicker, layered pizza with multiple cheeses and meats. Would you think this denser pizza would bake well in this type of oven? Thanks for making this video.
4.9 lbs of propane?? That might be the deciding factor for me. Coming from an ooni fyra, I like the idea of burning with wood, but the fyra has made me desire the ease of the 'turn and burn' essence of propane. Regardless, i am looking for a bigger that 12 inch cooking surface so both are of these are in the running. With 3x the propane usage, no wonder recovery time is less. It would be crazy otherwise
The Karu 16 is much more difficult to use when you use wood. Temperature hard to control and, at least as a new user, I have had difficulty keeping the glass from burning and collecting soot. I have just ordered the gas attachment as it was out of stock for a long time. I hope it makes life easier.
As a person who has built a 48” wood fired pizza, using wood always takes practice. Once you nail down heat and flame, you can whip through pizzas and they do have a added flavor. The propane to me just has a gas like flavor I choose to do without.
What does the recommendation for domestic use from the AVPN mean exactly? Aren't all Ooni ovens domestic ovens, and are therefore, suitable for domestic use?
I hope this video is helpful to those who are trying to decide between purchasing the Ooni Koda 16 and Karu 16. Anything to add? Please comment below!
As a Koda 16 user I can say you covered it’s key points really well. I absolutely love mine.
Your info about the gas consumption is wrong, Karu 16 consumes 1.1lb/hr vs 1.3 lb/r for the Koda 16. The 4.9 lbs for 10 pizzas you mention is for the fuel consumption (wood/charcoal) not gas consumption. This was a big deterrent to me till I checked their website. Love your videos, love the way you showed that you didn't have to adjust the temperature on the Karu, that's what kept me away from the Koda. Thanks again for your excellent videos.
Opening the door and peering through the glass just to open and turn the pizza seems like a hassle!
@@jazzlegend sure is, but the oven bakes more evenly because of the door. Sort of a trade off.
Who cares about cm. Dude..seriously
What makes it forgiven with the Karu is the flame in the centre going evenly on the top, the other one has left side and front burners, heat is not evenly distributed. I have the Ooni16 and i've added a front door, it helps for the heating process and recovery. For a good crust i precook the crust with the sauce, pull out and add toppings and finish the cooking, works better.
Good video with lots of info, I think he's way off on the fuel usage though. The specs are the Karu 16 burner uses 7. 4kw and the Koda 16 uses 8.5kw. The Karu should be a good bit more fuel efficent than the Koda. That point he brought up in the video might be a reason people pick the Koda over the Karu, when the Karu will actually be cheaper to run.
Just a quick correction to the koda vs Karu fuel consumption. Your number used in the video for the Karu is for solid fuel, but for gas it’s 1.1lbs per 10 pizzas and actually more efficient than the koda. Great video though and helped me make my decision 👍🏻
Great video. The Karu 16 bakes a much more even pizza . Front door is the difference. Just ordered one based on your video
It was really helpful that you broke the factors down, Tim. My wife is very happy every time I make pizza for her.
Why doesnt she make her own pizza
I showed the war department this video and she is on board with me getting the Karu without the gas connection for now. Thank you for a killer video. This really helped. I've been looking at ooni for like a year. I was almost starting to try and justify the blackstone pizza unit. Thank you again.
Cool. Glad it helped. That Blackstone unit looks awfully bulky. Haven’t seen it in person but not my fav in the looks department 🤣.
I went through this whole comparison when I was buying a bigger oven. I did lots of research, looked at a lot of pros and cons and ended up with the koda 16. It is a learning curve and I’ve messed up a couple of pizzas but I’m getting the hang of it. I’m happy with my choice.
The Koda 16 is a great oven! Cheers!
Good job with the sum up!
After one summer of weekly use, I agree 100% with all your conclusions regarding the koda16 (can’t comment about the other).
Thanks for sharing!
Great video, thanks. Ordered the Karu 16 yesterday (8-10 weeks now). And also love the hat, Go Sox!!
Thanks for the video! Owning a Karu, I would say that you have some recovery time if using solid fuel (wood and whatnot). The rest is bang on, it is not has portable as one would think and that's the main con for me. The other con is the kind of false advertising Ooni is using when they say it's multi fuel. yes it is, but you need to pay an extra 80$+ for the gas attachment, like come on! At this price point you might as well just include it already. It's just an annoyance on a fantastic product.
Interesting you say the Karu is more forgiving than the Koda 16. I thought it would be the other way around. But now you mention the increased distance between flame and pizza it makes sense. I’m a Koda 16 devotee bit would like to try the Karu. Thanks for your excellent content as always Sir.
Happy to share!
As someone who owns the Ooni Pro I'm going to chime in because it has a very similar burner to Karu 16. He's absolutely correct; it's totally forgiving. I watch Koda 16 Pizza videos all the time and I think why don't these guys own the Ooni Pro..? It's a non-issue with the burner in the back
@@Viva_la_natura makes sense Sir. I just bought a second Koda 16 for the place I’m staying over Christmas but now thinking I should have made it a Karu for variety.
@@Viva_la_natura I think they’re sold out of the gas attachment for the pro and are discontinuing the pro as well.
@@Viva_la_natura Hi Paul , I am actually about to upgrade my Karu 12 and was considering the Koda 16 vs Karu 16 but following several videos (glass,weight etc..) I am considering now to compare it to the Pro 16 , what are your thoughts?
for my understanding , i thought the L shape flame on the koda 16 is a big plus making less turns needed , am i right on that one ?
If you leave the Koda flame high and cook for less time, there’s no need for a pause between pizzas, Maybe don’t locate quite so close to the flames. Plus it then cooks as quickly as the Karu.
My experience is that the Koda 16 needs recovery time even with high flame. And you cant have high flame because it burns the pizza
First of all, awesome video! Great review, thorough and well presented! Secondly, I think Koda with a door, aftermarket or sold separately. You would have the best of both worlds, except the wood flavour of course.
The Koda bakes perfect I don’t have experience with the Kara. I like not messing with a door as I turn my pizza’s every 20 seconds. Ooni makes fine products. I recently purchased a Pizzello Forte gas and am very surprised at the excellent results. Ooni I think is a high quality product but the Pizzello is not too bad. Both of your pizzas look fantastic👍🙏💕
Thank you for taking the time to use the metric system for all of us outside of America.
Thank you very much for this comparison. I been using Koda 16 for last 2 years, but I found few things I do not like it that much. I do sometimes charity auctions and cooking outside - koda js fragile to the wind very much. Also the L-shape of gasburner which suppose to be plus in relaity is minus for me. It's much more difficult to keep baking even than with one direction of heat. I had Ooni 3 in past run by Wood pallet and it was much easier to bake proper Napoletana. I am going to switch to Karu 16 now, because I believe it is worth to, and your video makes me sure about this decision, so thank you very much :) I am wondering why you didn't change the stone to biscotto one? It will help you to have better taste of the bottom lf pizza. Try it - worth to change original stone for sure. Greetings from Poland :)
Amazing video, thank you very much for the detail comparison between the two ovens. In deed I'm still not sure which one is the best for my purposes... Keep going on.
Enjoyed the comparison. I picked up the Koda 16 just now for my parents Christmas gift.
I wish Ooni comes up with the one that would take a note of all pros mentioned here.
Thanks for the great review.
Very informative video. Thanks. 👍
I bought a steel door with a wooden handle and an in-built thermometer for my Koda 16 recently.
Now I feel like I'm in pizza heaven. 😀
Have u tried door yet? How is it working and for howlong do u keep it Semi closed?k
Nice work!
No mention of the cost difference. As of 12/22: Kona 16 = $599, Karu (with the LP option) = $899 ($799 + $99). I had the smaller Fyra 12" (Wood Pellet version) and bought the Kona within 3 months. In truth, the 16" Kona or even larger 16.5" Karu are both too small. Also, that door is a PITA. The wood option is good (I liked that I didn't have to lug around propane when I had the Fyra) but up around 900F, the wood "taste" is almost negligible. Propane is also cleaner burning and if you are in a "covered" space (not indoors of course), the Koda won't smoke you out. Either of these are nice Pizza ovens. If I were to do it all over again, I'd probably opt for a Gozney Dome.
No mention of price, the Gozney Dome is $1,999! It better be the best alternative.
Did you know that the Gozney Dome can make pizzas up to only 14 inches in circumference, not 16 inches like the Oonis?
It can, however, make bread, and accommodate much lower and longer temperatures for a variety of cooking and baking applications. But $2,000 is a lot to ask, plus about $500 more for attachments.
@@alexanderkempf9828I like the fact the fire is on the side instead of the back where you cant see the pizza. Is there another oven you like where the fire can be on a side and has as much of an opening and room as the Gozney Dome as Ooni seems to small inside?
Love the hat!! In the late 80's My wife and I lived in a 9th floor apartment at the end of Brookline Ave and at the other end was the Citco sign! I also worked right next to Fenway Park, so Kenmore Square figured pretty prominently. Brings back fond memories.... I really appreciated this comparison since it's probably a choice of these two for me...or maybe the Roccbox. Great heads-up on the fuel consumption on the Karu 16!
Glad you enjoyed the video. Born and raised in the South Shore or MA. Go Sox!
Exactly how a review should be done. Great work
FINALLY!! I've been waiting for someone to give a review like this. I've been on the fence between these two ovens and this comparison review helped me out A LOT!! Great video. One thing to point out as well, the price. The Koda 16 is about $200 US dollars cheaper. Again, great video, thank you.
Glad to found it helpful. Cheers!
If you only plan on making Neapolitan pizza then get the Koda. It's best suited for that style.
@@richspizzaparty But Karu is the first one approved for AVPN, Doesn't match somehow!
But on the other end, that doesn't matter anyway, it will not make the better pizza, only ourselves can do that, right.
Very useful review. Thank you. I think I'm going for the Moda because I value portability. The Karu looks great but you can't really take it with you comfortably. Maybe if I was just going to leave it in one place.
Definitely the Koda for portability. Have fun with it!
Thank you so much! This was super helpful! Based in your review, I think the Koda16 is te best for me. (And I have an original “Uni 3” that burns pellets if I want that smoky effect.) great video!
Lots of user reviews on the Ooni website pointing out issues with the Karu gas burner attachment not lighting or not staying lit. Enough so turned me off to getting one. Plus much more expensive than the Koda when you add the oven, gas attachment the alternate opening cover etc. Unless you plan to cook lots of pizzas in one sitting using wood sounds like a hassle, additional cost and minimal improvement in flavor over gas (even stated on the Ooni website) when cooking Neapolitan’s for only 90 seconds. I found the Koda for 30% off retail so that made it an easy decision for me. Can’t wait for it to show up. 😊
Am considering doing a pop-up pizza table at the local farmers' market, and am wondering if the Koda 16 can turn out pizzas fast enough. I was hoping the re-heat time was going to be a bit faster. Comments are appreciated.
i heard it takes 5 min between each pizza
@@ItzKamo Thanks Itz
Great review. This is exactly what I was looking for. I think I’ll go with the Koda!
That’s a good choice but don’t forget that Karu is multifuel if you run out of gas.
Absolutely fantastic review of these two ovens, your insight and precision in much appreciated. Thank you!
Thank you for the comparison video. 🍕♥️ Appreciated seeing these two side by side.🥇Be interested to see how the Karu 16 cooks pizza without closing the door. Potential Karu 16 plus for me would be baking things with door closed. And tweaking gas flow slightly to see if it could be more efficient.
Maybe Ooni will come out with something like the “pizza door” on the Pro, but for the Karu 16?
@@KitchenCraftFood Yeah, why not? Drop the door, attach a "pizza-slot" in the door hooks. Thanks! You had me on this idea, but it will probaly take a looong while before going that route. Have to learn using it first.
@@KitchenCraftFoodwhich oven do you suggest with a fire on the side instead of back where you cannot see directly the fire is doing to the pizzam The Gozney Dome has that and a lot of space inside unlike Ooni but it seems way overpriced.
@@KitchenCraftFoodwhich oven do you suggest with a fire on the side instead of back where you cannot see directly the fire is doing to the pizza? The Gozney Dome has that and a lot of space inside unlike Ooni but it seems way overpriced at $2500 with accessories.
I currently have a Blackstone but I think I'd be just fine with the OONI KODA 16 if I were looking for an oven.
IMO, you can't go wrong with either oven. They both perform great. I have a Blackstone griddle that we use when camping. Absolutely love it.
Really liked this review. Subscribed. Only wish there was a taste test review as well given you provided a slight aesthetic comparison
Great video... I was thinking of getting a pro. Now I have to try and find videos comparing the pro and the karu 16
in my opinion if you want wood go with the Karu, gas with the Koda... I do find the Karu a better pizza oven tbh considering they are "portable pizza oven"
Can you try to cook pizza with wood and charcoal and let us know your thoughts? I am eager to know about temp and taste and how it looks
Great video.
I'm surprised the Karu was as hot as the Koda judging by the much larger burner on the Koda, and shocked how the Karu used way more gas being it has a much smaller burner.
As to "forgiveness" when baking with the Kara maybe the smaller burner helped with that.
You said it was a pain to open and close the door all the time on the Kara, did you try baking with the door open?
false information here the karu doesnt need this much gas
Super informative video Kitchen & Craft. From the sounds and appearances you were neither sponsored or given a free unit for this review. Apologies if this was already asked. Thanks for your detailed analysis.
Thanks for the comparison- my Karu 16 just showed up today but may hold off until it gets warmer up her in Mass before firing it up.
I finally pulled the trigger, i got the Karu16. Bertello just came out with a 16 where you can cook with wood and gas at the same time. Its cheaper than the Karu as well but.... it doesn't have a door and the Karu opening is higher. I'm hoping the Karu will be more versitile for other cooking.
Great video once again. I disagree regarding the alternating the flame in the Karu16. What hydration are your pizzas? I found with 65% hydration that cooking the pizza on full flame that whilst the exterior and toppings were cooked, there still remained the thin line of undercooked dough on the base and crust to a certain degree. I'm using a biscotto stone for cooking as well. Perhaps test it out. Cooking a pizza on full flame. Then do one with the flame low for 30-45sec. Then full heat. See if you think it is improvement? Thanks the video. Too little Karu16 videos out there
That's a virginian license plate I think. lol of all things that is what jumped out at me just now. Good review so far, I'm debating getting something like this but not 100% sure. Pizza steel in oven has been okay but how fast I've seen these pizzas cook is a whole other level.
They’re a ton of fun to cook with. Worth it for sure!
Thanks thanks for the review… and the recipe! ;) (I’ll try adding the prosciutto afterwards, though)
I have been looking at these for a while, price wise is something else to consider, but the question I have is Pizza all you cook with it? I would agree with you the door open and closing would be not to my liking….I caught that in your video…Thank you for doing this I know how much editing and work goes into doing this if I could it would 5 thumbs up …..
Thanks! I request burger making from scratch videos, lots of them. Making buns, sauce, some secrets, etc.
Thanks for the suggestions. Much appreciated!
I'm surprised you didn't include prices when going over pros and cons.
Koda 16 running gas: $600
Karu 16 running gas: $900
Besides that, another great video!
Totally agree! But one can also see that Karu is a pricier owen, else their blind or dumb. But that is also a thing to consider. But both will make great pizzas.
Great video. Thank you! 13:26 I'm planning to buy one and can't decide between the Koda and the Karu. Did you notice any flavor difference when the pizza is cooked by propane gas vs pellets or wood chips?
I have the Karu for a year now and have made a ton of pizzas. The smoky flavor is definitely noticed. It is as close to real brick oven as you can get with this type of oven. Love mine.
Love my Koda 16. Yes, learning curve; but worth the time and effort. Great vlog!
Thanks, and yes, it’s definitely worth the time to learn how to use these ovens!
Agreed, my Koda 16 has given me a learning curve but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed that curve. Very satisfying when you start to get consistent results. Cheers!
With Karu, do u bake on full flame? Or what your fav setting?
Do you have any experience running the Karu 16 at temps in the 500F range? Is it able to run that low for styles of pizza that aren't Neapolitan?
Hi Tim! Thanks for the video comparison of these two ovens. I have been struggling to choose between these two but will likely go with the Karu. Do you have a pizza recipe cookbook?
Hello. Just the video I was looking for. Well done. However I still have a couple questions. Can the optional propane burner on the Karu be used to start wood? Meaning can they both be used at the same time? My second question. If you have used wood in the Karu, and if so do you prefer the wood pizza over the propane? And thirdly, does the oven heat up as fast with wood? Thank you. Hope all is well.
Thank you very much for the review. It's still hard to decide. Looks like on the Karu your pizza came out better, and the no lag time and quicker, but the gas consumption, oh man!
They're both great ovens. Can't go wrong with either of them!
@@KitchenCraftFood Thank you!
@@makingcookingfixing check the comment above - 7.5 vs 8.2 I think,,,,,
The Koda is less expensive. Probably what I'll get. Nice pizzas!
just unpacking my Karu 16. Can I place this on a folding lifetime type plastic table while camping or does it get to hot?
Question do you taste a difference in your Pizza when cooking with wood do you taste the flavors….and what type of wood would you use?
Just a quick question- looking on the comparison on their website it states that the Karu uses 0.5kg/hr of gas and the koda uses 0.59kg/hr of gas- so does that not mean the Karu is actually more efficient with gas?
He's way off, the Karu uses about 10% less propane. Not sure where he got his figures from, but it almost made me not want to get a Karu. Aside from that this is a solid comparson for someone looking at both ovens. IMHO he should add a note to the description stating the numbers you said. Even if people don't understand what the numbers actually mean related to # of pizzas you can cook. Everyone would know .5 is less than .59
The Karu is probaly way better isolated, so it would be about the same. Sometimes companies also starts to tweaking their numbers. But the same amount of kWh will give the exact same heat. The rest is just how good the owen keeping it, or looses it.
I can not confirn any of this as I have no Koda, as my burner is backordered.
But look at the isolation, you can get data of the difference. There as som many parameters that will make a difference, but 1 kWh is 1 kWh not matter what.
Koda 16 can burn natural gas with $50 conversion kit, Great review.
Both can burn natural gas with a conversion kit.
Great videos! Keep em’ coming….Question for you. Do you think you’ll ever do a review of the new Gozney Dome oven? Thanks!
I’ve got a koda 16 that I’ve added the Stoovis door and shelf. Really cuts down the initial warm up time and recovery time between pizzas. Curious, about the karu 16 door. I thought when using gas you aren’t supposed to use the door? Have you considered the Gozney Dome?
Those after market doors seem to really help with heat retention on the Koda. You’re the second person who’s mention using one.
The door on the Karu 16 has vents. I suppose that’s why Ooni has ok’ed baking with it closed.
You got a link for that door for the Koda?
I am also interested in that aftermarket door
Hello Tim... Great video. I'm a Koda 16 owner and I think I'll keep it for now. :D I was wondering what pizza peel are you using. I don't see a reference to it under your affiliate links.
Fantastic insight into which one I lol be purchasing so thank you
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for watching!
thanks for the metric measurements, helps us a lot
great side by side comparison!!! only feedback is I would have liked to see for comparison something more common like a pepperoni pizza rather than an artisan fig pizza.
I hear you. I get a lot of people asking for something different instead of the usual suspects. Just trying to balance that out a bit.
nice video ! will you try the half glass / door option soon ?
Great video. I received a Koda 16 for Xmas and was curious how it compared so this was very helpful. You mentioned your Karu sits wobbly on your table...did you try using the "Ooni Shoes"? I bought some out of curiosity but have not fixed them to a table yet because I don't know where I want to permanently screw them to yet, but I am curious what others may have done (I actually found your video when I did a search for Ooni shoes).
Do you loose the smoke flavor using gas over wood in Ponitac?
Is there a big difference in taste when cooking with wood/charcoal on the Karu vs. gas with the Koda?
Use an after market SS door on my Ooni 16 and heat up and recovery times are noticeably faster than without.
Tim, just got the Kura and haven't used yet. Did you season the stone before using? Did some searching and couldn't find a straight answer on the stone itself, just for the entire unit. Appreciate it
Thank you for your information. I really enjoyed. I have one question, If I use the oven per daily 8 to 10 hours is there any problem such as explosion or some warping?
I had the koda 12 which shot the flame on one side, the. I got the koda 16 cuz i wanted more room but because that L shape your having to mess with the flame and watch both sides so ur gonna end up
With one end burnt normally. Wish there was a way to cover or stop one side of the L flame
Nice video. I’m in the market for a pizza oven, your video helped tremendously. Thanks!👌
I will stick with the koda 16
It’s a great oven!
I would want the versatility of using wood. Also, I like the door on the Kara.
Great job! This was exactly what I was looking for.
I’ve been looking to upgrade my 12” Ooni 3 to a 16” Koda or Karu, and this sealed it for me. Koda 16 makes much more sense for me personally.
Appreciate the in-depth video!
i just bought a Karu 16. Can't wait to use it with wood, close the door till it heats up. Launch the pizza and NEVER close the front door. I"m willing to bet it cooks greats. will let you know.
Great Comparison! Thank You! You remind of actor John Cusack!
I would imagine the door on the Karu helps if there is a breeze outside? I've noticed on my Koda that I can't bring the flame down too low if it's windy, otherwise the flame will blow out. It can also struggle to maintain a high temp with the wind as well.
The door definitely helps in that scenario.
what would you recommend for use on a covered porch ~9ft ceilings if using gas? The koda vents out the front while the Karu vents out of the top of the chimney? Does it get very hot at the top of chimney?
What is the board you use on your outdoor prep table? Thanks for the great channel!
I appreciate that! The prep board is just a veneered piece of plywood from Lowe’s. I treated it with some food-safe sealant and only use it in my videos. It wouldn’t hold up too well if I prepped a ton of food on it.
Have you ever baked on the Karu with the door open? I feel like if you wanted to smoke meats or something the door would be really good there, but with just the pizza, door being closed doesn’t feel necessary, especially if it cooks on 90 seconds like you said. Anyways, thank you for the video! Great information all around!
Great video, have you tried making a few pizzas with the door open, to see how the heat is maintained during the cooking process and heat recovery time for the next pizza?
the temperature goes lower and faster
I’d like to see a taste test between the two - the Koda 16 vs the Other with wood as fuel.
Buy Karu and the propane-burner and you can try for yourself :-)
Havent tried it yet, but a smokebox (with open lid or not) and some hardwood would probably do the trick (it is not about the full burn, but from the lesser burn giving the smoke/taste). Running with gas is just so much simpler... My gasburner have been backordered, so I can't test it right now, it is just a tip (bad or good).
Is the Karu 16 worth the extra money? I’m not sure if I will ever use the wood/charcoal option
Dude, fantastic review. Thank you
You're very welcome. Cheers!
Does the Karu door look a little flimsy? Great review! 👍🏻
This looks sick K&C PLEASE review it for us: Ooni Hack Motorized Turntable on an Ooni Koda 16
on second thought, it's not worth destroying an ooni for this contraption
@@eldar19392139 Looks like an interesting gadget, but doesn’t take the fun and learning out of baking pizza in an oven like this? I guess it’s useful to folks who just want results and don’t enjoy the process.
Very interesting. Thanks for the comparison!
You bet!
Enjoyed the video. I make a thicker, layered pizza with multiple cheeses and meats. Would you think this denser pizza would bake well in this type of oven? Thanks for making this video.
you dont need a pizza oven for pizzas like this
Are these ovens useful for small commercial pizza stall at a market?
Clear, concise, informative and entertaining l. Great job.
4.9 lbs of propane?? That might be the deciding factor for me. Coming from an ooni fyra, I like the idea of burning with wood, but the fyra has made me desire the ease of the 'turn and burn' essence of propane. Regardless, i am looking for a bigger that 12 inch cooking surface so both are of these are in the running. With 3x the propane usage, no wonder recovery time is less. It would be crazy otherwise
Not sure why the damper and vent need to be full open for gas- perhaps you can optimize gas consumption by balancing the airflow and burner better?
The Karu 16 is much more difficult to use when you use wood. Temperature hard to control and, at least as a new user, I have had difficulty keeping the glass from burning and collecting soot. I have just ordered the gas attachment as it was out of stock for a long time. I hope it makes life easier.
It really will.
As a person who has built a 48” wood fired pizza, using wood always takes practice. Once you nail down heat and flame, you can whip through pizzas and they do have a added flavor. The propane to me just has a gas like flavor I choose to do without.
Hello, Is it necessary to play with the heat and reduce it on the Karu like you did with the Koda?
Personally, I do not have to adjust the heat at all on Karu16.
Thank you for replying!
@@HawaiianGovernment2 Sure thing!
What does the recommendation for domestic use from the AVPN mean exactly? Aren't all Ooni ovens domestic ovens, and are therefore, suitable for domestic use?
Thanks for this video and Happy Holidays ! Don't understand why it takes three times the amount of gaz using the Karu ? anyone knows why ?
I don’t think it does, he messed up the numbers. The Karu uses a little less than Koda
@@charleselbert5610 Thanks for chiming in , hope he will chime in too !
Could you put a Dutch oven Pot in these two?