The Archive
192 guides · page 5 of 16
Explainer
How Hot Does a Pizza Oven Get? (2026): The Signature Number
Most dedicated pizza ovens reach a peak floor temperature of roughly 900–950°F, hundreds of degrees hotter than a home oven, which tops out near 550°F. That gap is the entire reason the category exists: it's what makes true 60-second Neapolitan pizza possible, and nothing in your kitchen can close it. Here are the real numbers by oven type, why the floor temperature (not the dial, not the air) is the one that sets your crust, and why max heat isn't always the heat you actually want.
Read the guide →~11 min read
Explainer
What Can You Cook in a Pizza Oven? (Besides Pizza)
A pizza oven is, underneath the name, a screaming-hot live-fire convection oven that hits a floor most kitchens can only dream about. That same heat that blisters a 60-second Neapolitan also sears steak, chars vegetables, roasts a chicken, bakes bread, and finishes a skillet cookie. The trick isn't more heat, it's learning to cook DOWN from the peak, using each cooling zone for the food it suits. Here's the honest, technique-first guide to everything else a pizza oven does, and how to manage the heat to do it well.
Read the guide →~12 min read
Comparison
Ooni vs Gozney vs Solo Stove (2026): Which Brand Should You Buy?
The three biggest names in home pizza ovens, settled in one place. Ooni is the all-rounder, the broadest lineup, every fuel and size, strong value, the safe default for most buyers. Gozney is the premium, design-led house, the densest insulation, the best fit and finish, the highest prices. Solo Stove is the simple, affordable lifestyle brand, a tight 12-inch lineup, a clean circular look, and a gas entry that runs a little cooler. We put one representative oven from each, the Ooni Koda 2, the Gozney Roccbox, and the Solo Stove Pi Prime, on the same bench and tell you which brand is actually right for you.
Read the guide →~11 min read
Comparison
Ooni Karu 2 vs Ooni Karu 12 (2026): Which Should You Buy?
Ooni's two 12-inch multi-fuel ovens, settled, new versus previous generation. The Karu 2 is the $449 redesign with improved insulation, a more refined build, and a better-engineered fuel system and door; the Karu 12 is the $349 previous-gen oven that's lighter, proven, and still widely loved. Both are 12 inches, both reach ~950°F, both are 60-Second-Pizza Club members, and both burn wood, charcoal, or optional gas. So this is an upgrade decision, not a performance one. We run both on our signature spine and tell you which Karu is yours.
Read the guide →~10 min read
Comparison
Solo Stove Pi vs Solo Stove Pi Prime (2026): Which Should You Buy?
Same clean circular 12-inch Solo Stove design, two very different fuels. The Pi is the original multi-fuel oven, real wood-fired flavor and live fire, an optional gas burner for flexibility, and a hotter ~950°F bake, at $424. The Pi Prime is the gas-only simplicity play: one push-button dial, no ash, the easiest way in, but it tops out ~850°F and has no wood option, for $349. We run both on our signature spine and tell you which Solo Stove is yours.
Read the guide →~9 min read
Comparison
Ooni Volt 2 vs Ninja Artisan (2026): Which Indoor-Safe Electric Pizza Oven Should You Buy?
The two electric ovens most kitchen-bound pizza makers cross-shop, settled. Both plug into a standard outlet and are safe to run indoors, the whole reason buyers go electric. But here peak temperature is a real gap, not a tie: the Ooni Volt 2 reaches ~850°F, the hottest indoor electric we track and a genuine 60-Second-Pizza Club member, for a premium $699 and a beautiful build. The Ninja Artisan tops out ~700°F at $399, excellent value and very good pizza, but a notch cooler than true Neapolitan. We run both on our signature spine and tell you which one is yours.
Read the guide →~9 min read
Comparison
Gozney Arc vs Ooni Koda 16 (2026): Which Should You Buy?
Two gas ovens that bake identically, both reach ~950°F, both belong to the 60-Second-Pizza Club, both recover heat instantly. So this isn't a heat fight; it's a design-and-size cross-shop. The Gozney Arc is the premium, heavily-insulated 14-inch with a beautiful arched mouth and superior build, for $699. The Ooni Koda 16 is the bigger 16-inch party-pie floor, lighter at 40.1 lb, more minimalist, and $100 cheaper at $599. We run both on our signature spine and tell you which one is yours.
Read the guide →~10 min read
Comparison
Ooni Koda 2 vs Gozney Roccbox (2026): Which Should You Buy?
The two most cross-shopped premium gas ovens, settled, and they cost exactly the same $499. Both reach ~950°F, both belong to the 60-Second-Pizza Club, and both recover instantly because they're gas, so peak performance is an honest tie. The Ooni Koda 2 is the newer-design, lighter 14-inch with a bigger floor and modern conveniences; the Gozney Roccbox is the dense, heavily insulated, safe-touch 12-inch tank famous for build quality and a swappable wood burner. We run both on our signature spine and tell you which is yours.
Read the guide →~10 min read
Comparison
Gozney vs Solo Stove (2026): Premium Build vs Easy Value
Two brands, two philosophies. Gozney builds the premium, design-led, heavily-insulated oven and sells a full ladder from the tank-like Roccbox up to the masonry-style Dome, ~950°F across the board. Solo Stove keeps it small, friendly, and affordable: a tight 12-inch lineup, a clean circular look, and an easy gas entry in the Pi Prime that runs a little cooler at ~850°F. We put each brand's accessible flagship, the Gozney Roccbox and the Solo Stove Pi Prime, on the same bench and tell you which brand is actually right for you.
Read the guide →~10 min read
Comparison
Ooni Karu 2 Pro vs Gozney Arc XL (2026): Which Should You Buy?
The premium 16-inch showdown. The Karu 2 Pro is Ooni's $799 multi-fuel flagship, real wood and charcoal flavor plus gas convenience in one big oven. The Arc XL is Gozney's $899 gas centerpiece, design-forward, heavily insulated, beautifully built, but gas-only. Both hit ~950°F and both belong to the 60-Second-Pizza Club, so this is a fuel-philosophy and build decision, not a heat one. We run both on our signature spine and tell you which 16-inch oven is yours.
Read the guide →~10 min read
Comparison
Gozney Roccbox vs Ooni Koda 16 (2026): Which Should You Buy?
The two most cross-shopped headliners in the category, settled. The Gozney Roccbox is the heavily-insulated, safe-touch 12-inch built like a tank, $499, with a removable burner you can swap for wood. The Ooni Koda 16 is the bigger 16-inch party-pie floor with an L-shaped wrap-around flame, $599, lighter, more open. Both hit ~950°F and both are 60-Second-Pizza Club members, so this is not a heat decision. We run both on our signature spine and tell you which is yours.
Read the guide →~10 min read
Comparison
Ooni Karu 12 vs Ooni Koda 12 (2026): Which Should You Buy?
Same 12-inch footprint, same brand, two completely different philosophies. The Karu 12 is the cheaper ($349) multi-fuel that burns real wood or charcoal, giving you live-fire flavor (and an optional gas burner later) at the cost of more work and ash. The Koda 12 is $50 more but gas-only: push-button, instant heat, zero ash, and lighter. They're effectively tied on peak temperature, so this is flavor and flexibility versus pure convenience. We run both on our signature spine and tell you which 12-incher is yours.
Read the guide →~10 min read