Pizza Oven Thread

[jesusbuiltmycar]

gotoPzero said:

Anyone got any good pizza stone cleaning tips? Mine is looking pretty bad. I normally leave it on for half an hour on full blast and it looks better but its getting to the point where its making no difference. Its maybe 3 years old - perhaps replacement is better?

With my Ooni I usually just turn it over after a couple of uses - the bottom is usually spotless by then.

[Bonefish Blues]

Does it make any difference (a messy stone, that is) if it's burnt off?

[Arnold Cunningham]

I give the stone a quick wire brush sometimes. Not too hard, just enough to get the flakey bits off.

[jesusbuiltmycar]

gazapc said:

Scabutz said:

I've had a read through some pages but wanted to ask, no doubt it's been covered but I couldn't find an answer.

I was planning on making my own, but its going to turn into yet another of my unfinished projects, so I'm going to buy one.

Wife thinks it's a complete frivolity so budget isn't huge. I'm thinking of the Ooni Frya. Is it work going a step up to the Karu? I like the idea of wood, but get the convenience of gas.

Is there anything else in that price range worth considering ?

Gas is very convenient. Turn it on, leave it for 15 minutes and ready to go.

There is a good deal just posted on hot deals UK for ooni ovens (including Karu). Not sure how long it will last:

https://www.hotukdeals.com/share-deal/3929332

I have an older Ooni (about 5 years old). I used the worships originally but bought a gas attachment and haven't used wood chips since - they are a really PITA especially if there is even the slightest breeze. If I was buying a new one I would opt for the Karu - it looks like massive improvement on mine since you can see the pizza as it cooks (the old one had a door).

[Arnold Cunningham]

Biggest annoyance with my ooni fyra is the asymmetric heat - you have to turn the pizza to avoid one side burning and other not cooked enough.
Are the gas versions a bit more even?

Edited by Arnold Cunningham on Tuesday 3rd May 12:34

[kingston12]

Arnold Cunningham said:

Biggest annoyance with my ooni fyra is the asymmetric heat - you have to turn the pizza to avoid one side burning and other not cooked enough.
Are the gas versions a bit more even?

Edited by Arnold Cunningham on Tuesday 3rd May 12:34

The Karu with gas attachment isn't. I put the pizza in and then rotate by 90 degrees every 20-30 seconds. It works fine, but it would be better not to have to do it.

Someone on this thread has installed a rotating stone IIRC!

I think the 16" Koda has an L-shaped heating element which presumably reduces the need to rotate so often, but won't eliminate it completely.

[Arnold Cunningham]

My biggest issue with all this overall is:

It's incredibly satisfying when you make a pizza that comes out just perfect
But incredibly annoying when you get a "sticker" that doesn't slide on or off the peel cleanly.

[Bonefish Blues]

kingston12 said:

Arnold Cunningham said:

Biggest annoyance with my ooni fyra is the asymmetric heat - you have to turn the pizza to avoid one side burning and other not cooked enough.
Are the gas versions a bit more even?

Edited by Arnold Cunningham on Tuesday 3rd May 12:34

The Karu with gas attachment isn't. I put the pizza in and then rotate by 90 degrees every 20-30 seconds. It works fine, but it would be better not to have to do it.

Someone on this thread has installed a rotating stone IIRC!

I think the 16" Koda has an L-shaped heating element which presumably reduces the need to rotate so often, but won't eliminate it completely.

I figure I've got to watch it like a hawk anyway, so a little bit of fiddling doesn't harm

[kingston12]

Arnold Cunningham said:

My biggest issue with all this overall is:

It's incredibly satisfying when you make a pizza that comes out just perfect
But incredibly annoying when you get a "sticker" that doesn't slide on or off the peel cleanly.

Yep, and the latter is especially annoying when you are making pizzas for a few people, and you've not got enough 'spare' bases left!

[Freakuk]

kingston12 said:

Arnold Cunningham said:

My biggest issue with all this overall is:

It's incredibly satisfying when you make a pizza that comes out just perfect
But incredibly annoying when you get a "sticker" that doesn't slide on or off the peel cleanly.

Yep, and the latter is especially annoying when you are making pizzas for a few people, and you've not got enough 'spare' bases left!

The sticker makes a mess and subsequent launches are impacted until the stone is cleaned.

[kingston12]

Bonefish Blues said:

I figure I've got to watch it like a hawk anyway, so a little bit of fiddling doesn't harm

True. In fairness, even the guys cooking in a full sized oven in my local pizzeria usually turn them once or twice. It only seems to be the industrial machines that they use in the likes of Dominos (where the pizza just goes in one end and comes out the other) that no input if required at all.

[Bonefish Blues]

kingston12 said:

Bonefish Blues said:

I figure I've got to watch it like a hawk anyway, so a little bit of fiddling doesn't harm

True. In fairness, even the guys cooking in a full sized oven in my local pizzeria usually turn them once or twice. It only seems to be the industrial machines that they use in the likes of Dominos (where the pizza just goes in one end and comes out the other) that no input if required at all.

...including cooking in the case of Dominos

[JimM169]

Very tempted with the Ooni offers above..... maybe a silly question but will a 12" oven handle a 12" pizza? I suspect it will fit in but is there enough space to actually man handle the pizza?

[kingston12]

Bonefish Blues said:

...including cooking in the case of Dominos

[kingston12]

JimM169 said:

Very tempted with the Ooni offers above..... maybe a silly question but will a 12" oven handle a 12" pizza? I suspect it will fit in but is there enough space to actually man handle the pizza?

Yes it will. The stone is just over 13" square so you've got a little bit of space around the pizza. I reckon the pizzas that I make are more like 10.5-11" and they are easy to handle, but a little bigger shouldn't be a problem.

[JimM169]

Thanks, Karu now on order!

[Ben Lowden]

Apologies for asking for probably the 100th time but where's the best place to buy Caputo Blue from? Unless there's a better flour that members of the POT are recommending now?

I only ever used supermarket bread flour last year but need to up my game!

[48Valves]

Ben Lowden said:

Apologies for asking for probably the 100th time but where's the best place to buy Caputo Blue from? Unless there's a better flour that members of the POT are recommending now?

I only ever used supermarket bread flour last year but need to up my game!

I prefer Caputo Nuvola. I usually get it from Blake and Tate.

[JimM169]

I'm sure there's lots of recipes already on this thread and I promise I will read all 180 pages eventually but in the meantime can anyone point me to a fast and easy dough recipe that I can use for practicing when the Ooni arrives. Looking to use readily available supermarket ingredients initially before experimenting with speciality flours and 2 days proves etc

[LeadFarmer]

Ben Lowden said:

Apologies for asking for probably the 100th time but where's the best place to buy Caputo Blue from? Unless there's a better flour that members of the POT are recommending now?

I only ever used supermarket bread flour last year but need to up my game!

I buy it from Amazon, a box of 10 x 1kg packs of flour for about £25, that was enough to last me all last summer with a bag or two spare. Cheaper to buy a 15kg bag, but storing 1kg bags is easier as I can put them in different cupboards, plus I'd end up knocking it over if it was a 15kg bag and I'd lose loads!!! I see they do a 5kg bag for £10

Edited by LeadFarmer on Tuesday 3rd May 20:49