While I personally love the convince of a gas pizza oven, lots of people want the option to switch between gas and wood fired.

Today, we’re pitting two hybrid outdoor pizza ovens against each other to see which suits you most. Who will win in the battle of Stoke vs Ooni Karu?

Stoke Gas Pizza Oven	Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven
Pros: Easy assembly Affordable price Movability Included accessories	Pros: Multi-fuel ready Spacious interior Mounted digital thermometer Larger glass door
Cons: Longer cook time Built-in thermometer lacks accuracy	Cons: More expensive compared to other Ooni models Stone surface takes a long time to preheat
Check Latest Price at Stoke	Check Latest Price

Stoke Gas Pizza Oven

Pros:

• Easy assembly
• Affordable price
• Movability
• Included accessories

Cons:

• Longer cook time
• Built-in thermometer lacks accuracy

Check Latest Price at Stoke

Ooni Karu 16 Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven

Pros:

• Multi-fuel ready
• Spacious interior
• Mounted digital thermometer
• Larger glass door

Cons:

• More expensive compared to other Ooni models
• Stone surface takes a long time to preheat

Check Latest Price

Brand history

Ooni

The husband-and-wife team behind Ooni launched the world’s first portable wood pizza oven in 2012. It revolutionized outdoor cooking, demonstrating that you can cook a pizza in just one minute.

The multi-award-winning company hasn’t stopped stretching boundaries since, with seven pizza ovens available. For the most direct comparison, we’re focusing on the Ooni Karu 16” Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven (also available in a 12” version).

Stoke

Stoke set out to create high-quality, affordable pizza ovens that upgrade the backyard experience.

Stoke keeps things simple with two pizza ovens: the 13” Stoke Starter and the 16” Stoke Premier. You choose your oven’s fuel type: gas, wood, or hybrid. Today, we’re focusing on the Hybrid 16” Stoke Premier Pizza Oven.

First impressions of Stoke vs Ooni

We’ve cooked on all the main Ooni ovens, as well as the Stoke Pizza oven. Please note that Stoke has made a few small upgrades since the version we tested and show in the photos below.

16” Stoke Stove Premier Pizza Oven

While Ooni might monopolize the outdoor pizza oven industry, Stoke has created a fierce contender in the 16” Premier Pizza Oven. Thanks to its affordability, movability, and inclusions, it’s won over many pizza enthusiasts.

What we like:

• Easy assembly: I had the gas oven unpacked and ready to rumble in less than five minutes.
• Price: The Stoke pizza oven is very affordable compared to competitors.
• Movability: The 16-inch pizza oven weighs just shy of 47 lbs. Its folding legs and included carrying case make it easy to move around.
• Included accessories: Stoke doesn’t skimp on the extras, which include a pizza peel, cutter, and the aforementioned carry case.

What we don’t like:

• Longer cook time: It took longer to reach my desired temperature than expected.
• Built-in thermometer: It’s important to note that the built-in thermometer only measures the oven’s ambient heat, not the stone, which can vary by a couple of hundred degrees.

Ooni Karu 16” Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven

The Ooni Karu 16” is Ooni’s multi-fuel pizza oven.

What I like:

• Versatility: You can cook with lump charcoal, wood, or gas (with an extra attachment). Combining charcoal and wood makes heat management easier.
• Large glass door: The revolutionary glass door increases visibility and includes a cool-to-the-touch handle.
• Spacious interior: The rounded chamber gives you room to cook 16-inch pizzas and other products in larger pans or cast iron skillets.
• Digital thermometer: I love that the Ooni Karu includes a mounted digital thermometer.

What I don’t like:

• Stability: The Ooni only has three legs compared to Stoke’s four, and I think you can feel the difference.
• All the extras: Compared to the Stoke, you must pay for everything, including the gas attachment.

Stoke vs Ooni pizza ovens head-to-head

Assembly

The Stoke is an affordable, lightweight pizza oven that’s easy to use right out of the box. All you need to do is attach the temperature gauge and burner in the back with the three included screws. Then slide in the pizza stone, hook up the gas, and you’re ready. It took about five minutes to assemble. But note that setting up the wood oven would take longer.

Another tick in the Stoke column is their website, which has instruction manuals and step-by-step guides. From troubleshooting to how-to videos, they cover all bases.

Fortunately, the Ooni is just as easy to assemble. Unpack your oven, unfold the legs, and insert the stone. Then attach the chimney, fuel tray, and door using the included screws. Once again, the website has detailed instructions.

Build quality

The Stoke pizza oven has four stabilizing legs for maximum sturdiness and safety. Its sleek but built-to-last design features a heat-resistant smooth steel shell. Inside, you’ll find a restaurant-grade cordierite pizza stone.

The Ooni oven has a similar stone inside and a high-quality, temperature-resistant, powder-coated outside. But it only has three legs compared to Stoke’s four. Nevertheless, it features a revolutionary glass door with a handle that stays cool to the touch.

Both outdoor pizza ovens include a chimney vent, which helps with efficient airflow and heat retention. Yet the Stoke is much lighter: 46.8 lbs compared to nearly 67.6 lbs.

Temperature range

The Stoke hybrid reaches 1000 degrees, while the Ooni reaches 950 degrees. While both brands say their ovens can reach 900°F in 15 minutes, we didn’t find this accurate. Both took double the time to preheat, especially when using wood.

The built-in Stoke temperature gauge also didn’t give the most accurate readings. I recommend using an infrared thermometer to check the stone’s temperature before adding the pizza.

The Ooni’s new mounted digital thermometer was more accurate. Instead of multiple times with the Stoke, I only double-checked the cooking surface’s temperature with the infrared thermometer once before adding the pizza.

Cooking

The 16” design on both models gives you space to move and make bigger pizzas for gatherings. You can also fit larger pans and cast iron skillets inside to cook steak, fish, vegetables, bread – you name it!

Both companies say you can cook a pizza at 900 degrees in two minutes, and I found this to be true. But you’ll want to rotate the pizza a quarter turn every 20 to 30 seconds for best results.

One aspect where the Ooni pizza oven wins is heat distribution. It uses the “stack effect,” where you light your fire, and air moves across the flame, through the oven, and out the chimney. The oven’s innovative design, paired with the air movement, results in what Ooni calls a “controlled, mini hurricane of super hot air.” It simultaneously heats the stone while cooking the pizza top.

Meanwhile, the Stoke oven only has one burner at the back, with flames shooting directly upward. This results in uneven cooking unless you rotate the pizza religiously. When retrieving the pizza, be careful to ensure it doesn’t kiss the flames too much.

Another tick in the Ooni column is the larger glass door with ViewFlame™ technology to boost visibility. I recommend checking out our comprehensive Ooni Karu 16 review for more cooking tips and tricks.

But spoiler—both ovens make great pizza. You just need a bit more control when using the Stoke.

Accessories

The Stoke pizza oven offers a lot more bang for your buck. Each purchase includes $165 worth of freebies:

• Pizza peel and cutter.
• Weatherproof cover and carrying case.
• Ingredients to make your first pizza: sauce, pepperoni, pesto, and a pizza dough kit.

You can also upgrade and buy a pizza cart for your oven. In contrast, you must pay for all the extras with Ooni. But they have a cover, peel, and gas burner attachment available.

Cleaning

I recommend brushing the pizza stone after use. If there’s excess food residue, heat your oven to the maximum temperature for about an hour. Then, once the oven cools, wipe any remnants off your pizza stone with a wet, soapy rag. Give the area underneath the stone a quick brush as needed.

Trial period

One factor that makes Stoke stand out is its 365-day, risk-free trial. Stoke will give you a full refund if you’re unhappy within the first year of use. Meanwhile, Ooni offers a 60-day trial period.

Stoke also has a lifetime warranty. Ooni offers a five-year warranty if you register the product within 60 days on the official website.

Alternative brands to consider

Here are our top picks for the best outdoor pizza ovens, with the Gozney Roccbox crowned the best overall. It has a detachable burner system to switch between wood and gas. It also features a built-in thermometer and a safe-touch silicone jacket, worth its weight in gold!

Wrapping it up

You can’t go wrong with either Stoke or Ooni in the battle for the best pizza oven. It depends on your budget and brand preference.

Choose the Stoke Stove 16” Premier Pizza Oven if you want:

• An affordable pizza oven.
• A 365-day risk-free trial.
• Excellent included accessories.

Buy this bestseller today.

Pick the Ooni Karu 16” Multi-Fuel Pizza Oven if you want:

• To watch your pizza cooking through a glass door.
• A very spacious interior.
• An accurate mounted digital thermometer.

Check out if this Ooni pizza oven lives up to the hype today.