Ooni Karu 12: wood, charcoal, gas and dimensions

Choose it for the fire, not the specification sheet

Choose the Karu 12 if you genuinely want to learn how to feed a fire. That is what makes it interesting. It takes wood and charcoal, while a separately sold burner lets you switch to propane. This fallback is practical, but it does not turn the oven into an effortless appliance.

If you mainly want to ignite the oven, turn a dial and bake, a model designed for gas will be more coherent. Our guide to gas, electric or multi-fuel ovens will help you settle that point before comparing individual models.

Compact on paper, less so once installed

The Karu 12 is designed for 30 cm pizzas. It weighs 12 kg, has a 15 mm stone and measures 80 × 40 × 77 cm according to the published specifications. That format remains reasonable on a terrace.

You still need to account for the flue, the fuel and the room required to work around the oven. One line of dimensions does not show all that working space.

Ooni states a maximum temperature of 500°C, 450°C in 15 minutes and a pizza in 60 seconds. These are manufacturer reference points, not a guaranteed result at home. They specify neither the amount of wood, the weather, the measurement point on the stone nor the dough used. An infrared thermometer at least lets you return to the same point at home before every launch.

Three fuels, but one main use

Wood and charcoal require preparing the fire, monitoring its strength and managing the residue. Propane removes part of that ritual but adds a burner and its connection. You will probably use the same fuel most of the time even if the oven accepts several.

Our advice is clear. Do not buy the Karu 12 simply for the satisfaction of ticking three fuels. Buy it if cooking over a fire genuinely appeals to you. Versatility then becomes a useful safety net. Otherwise, it risks remaining a feature you paid for and rarely use.

Who it suits

The Karu 12 makes sense for someone looking for a compact format, with suitable outdoor space and a willingness to experiment while learning to manage the fire. It can also suit you if you are still undecided about fuel and keep the gas burner as an option for later.

Rule it out for an indoor kitchen, a very tight terrace or service where pizzas need to follow one another without watching the flame. Also look at the Karu 2 before deciding.

Five checks before paying

• Where will the wood or charcoal be stored, dry and away from heat?
• Does the table leave enough room for the flue and your serving movements?
• Are the propane burner, regulator and cover included in your budget?
• How many pizzas do you want to bake in succession?
• Are you prepared to clean out the ash after the evening?

What is still missing

No usable third-party measurement lets us establish a heating time, consumption figure or the speed at which the stone regains heat between two pizzas. We therefore cannot present the Karu 12 as the champion of wood-fired cooking or as a particularly fast oven.

The useful conclusion fits in one sentence. Its format and constraints are known; its performance remains to be documented. First decide whether you genuinely want to cook over a fire.