The Journal

We fire the ovens so you don't have to guess.

Honest, fired-and-clocked reviews, buyer's guides, and comparisons for every kind of pizza oven — gas, wood, multi-fuel, and electric. No hype, no box-claim temperatures.

192 guides · by The Pizza Oven Review Desk

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Explainer

Ooni Karu vs. Ooni Koda (2026): Which Ooni Line Should You Get?

Both are Ooni. Both hit the same ~950°F class. Both join the 60-Second Club. So the Karu-vs-Koda decision isn't about heat at all. It's about fuel philosophy. Karu is the multi-fuel line: wood and charcoal for real live-fire flavor, with an optional gas burner when you want it. Koda is the gas-only line: push a button, no flame to tend, no ash to clean. Same brand, same temperature ceiling, two completely different relationships with fire. Here's how to know which one is you.

Read the guide →~11 min read

Comparison

Alfa Moderno 2 Pizze vs Gozney Dome (2026): Which Should You Buy?

The premium masonry-showpiece showdown, two heavy, permanent centerpieces for the serious entertainer who has the budget and the space. The Alfa Moderno 2 Pizze is the Italian-built gas showpiece that fits two pizzas at once, planted at 220 lb, for $1,799. The Gozney Dome is the multi-fuel masonry dome, wood plus optional gas, steam injection, retained heat, at 128 lb for $1,499. Both peak ~950°F, both belong to the 60-Second Club. We run both on our signature spine and tell you which showpiece is yours.

Read the guide →~10 min read

Comparison

Mimiuo vs Ooni Koda 12 (2026): Which Should You Buy?

Budget rotating gas against the proven entry-brand classic. The Mimiuo is the $259 rotating-stone gas oven that turns the pie for you and bakes evenly hands-free, at a manufacturer-stated ~860°F. The Ooni Koda 12 costs $140 more but is the featherweight (20.4 lb), runs hotter (~932°F), and brings a proven design plus a huge ecosystem behind it. We run both on our signature spine and tell you which is yours.

Read the guide →~10 min read

Comparison

Witt Etna Rotante vs Ooni Koda 16 (2026): Which Should You Buy?

Two 16-inch gas ovens that hit the same ~950°F peak, separated by everything else. The Witt Etna Rotante is the premium play, a motorized 360° rotating stone for even, hands-free bakes and a heavy 88 lb build, at $999. The Ooni Koda 16 is the popular flagship, $400 cheaper at $599, less than half the weight at 40.1 lb, with the proven L-shaped wrap-around burner and Ooni's huge ecosystem. We run both on our signature spine and tell you which 16-inch oven is yours.

Read the guide →~10 min read

Comparison

Halo Versa 16 vs Gozney Arc XL (2026): Which Should You Buy?

Two 16-inch gas ovens that bake the same pizza for $300 apart. The Halo Versa 16 ($599) is the value pick, a rotating-stone even bake, dual burners, and just 41 lb. The Gozney Arc XL ($899) is the premium 16-incher, a sculpted, heavily insulated showpiece with the fit and finish to match. Both reach ~950°F, both join the 60-Second Club, both recover instantly on gas. So this isn't a heat decision, it's build versus price. We run both on our signature spine and tell you which 16-inch gas oven is yours.

Read the guide →~10 min read

Review

Gozney Dome Review (2026): Is It Worth It? + Better Alternatives

The Gozney Dome is the brand's flagship showpiece, a 128 lb, masonry-style domed oven that burns wood for flavor and optional gas for convenience, with steam injection and deep retained heat, at $1,499. Here's the honest verdict on whether that gorgeous, do-everything centerpiece justifies the price and the near-permanent install, and the two ovens we'd compare against it first.

Read the guide →~9 min read

Review

Ooni Fyra 12 Review (2026): Is It Worth It? + Better Alternatives

The Ooni Fyra 12 is Ooni's lightest, cheapest way into real wood-fired flavor, a 22 lb, $349 oven fed by a gravity hardwood-pellet hopper that hits a manufacturer-stated ~950°F. Here's the honest verdict on whether pellet-only live fire is for you, and the two Ooni ovens we'd compare against it first.

Read the guide →~9 min read

Explainer

How Much Electricity Does a Pizza Oven Use? (2026): The Honest Running-Cost Answer

Short version: less than you fear. An electric pizza oven, an Ooni Volt 2, a Breville Pizzaiolo, a Ninja Artisan, a Cuisinart Indoor, plugs into a standard household outlet and draws on the order of a high-wattage countertop appliance, roughly in the league of a space heater or toaster oven while it's heating. The cost of a whole pizza session lands at pennies to a small fraction of a dollar of electricity, not the scary number people imagine. The biggest single draw is the preheat that pulls the stone to its floor temperature; once it's hot, the elements cycle and use less. Here's how to estimate YOUR cost with a simple method, how electric compares to gas, whether it'll trip a breaker, and the honest tricks to use less.

Read the guide →~11 min read