Ooni Karu 2 vs Karu 2 Pro

How a Karu works

Fuel sits in a tray at the back. Air comes in below the tray, feeds the fire and pulls flame across the underside of the dome before leaving through the chimney. The stone heats from the flame above and from the hot chamber, and you bake with the door on or off depending on the model and the style of pizza. Our wood-fired oven guide explains fire management in more detail.

With the optional gas burner fitted, the fuel tray is replaced by the burner, so the oven behaves like a gas oven for that session. That makes a Karu a good pick if you want wood flavour at weekends and quick gas pizza on a weeknight.

Side by side

Relative points from Ooni's product descriptions. Confirm current sizes, weights and included parts on uk.ooni.com.

Size and portability

The Karu 2 is compact enough to take to a campsite or a friend's garden, with folding legs and a weight that one adult can carry a short distance. A 12 or 13 inch base suits one or two people per pizza.

The Pro is a patio oven. It is bigger and heavier, and the 16 inch floor gives room for larger pizzas, flatbreads or a cast iron pan. If you entertain often, the extra area means fewer launches. Our 12 inch vs 16 inch article explains how much more pizza a 16 inch base gives.

Temperature control

With live fire, the most useful thing an oven can tell you is how hot it is. The Pro's digital readout and Ooni's connected features make that easier to track while you feed the fire. On the Karu 2, a built-in dial thermometer gives a guide, and an infrared gun pointed at the stone gives the reading that matters for the base.

Either way, read the stone before each pizza. A wood oven can read 450°C at the dome and much less on the stone if you have not let it soak. See the pizza oven temperature guide and how to use an infrared thermometer.

Fuel tips for both

Use kiln-dried hardwood split small, about the size of your wrist, or good lumpwood charcoal to get a hot bed quickly and wood on top for flame. Damp or softwood smokes and leaves soot on the dome. Our guides to the best wood for pizza ovens and using charcoal in a pizza oven go into detail.

Feed little and often. A small split every few minutes keeps a rolling flame; a big log smothers it and the temperature falls.

Which to choose

Choose the Karu 2 if you want a multi-fuel oven you can move easily and you mostly make pizzas for one or two at a time. Choose the Karu 2 Pro if you want 16 inch pizzas, a digital temperature readout and an oven that lives on the patio.

For other options, compare our best multi-fuel pizza ovens and best wood-fired pizza ovens. If you are weighing a Karu against a gas Koda, read Ooni Koda vs Karu.

Note:Burn only dry, untreated wood or charcoal sold for cooking. Never use lighter fluid, and keep the oven clear of fences, sheds and branches.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Ooni Karu 2 Pro worth the extra over the Karu 2? If you want 16 inch pizzas and a digital readout, yes. For portability and smaller pizzas, the Karu 2 is the better fit.

Does the Karu 2 come with a gas burner? The gas burner is usually sold separately. Check the bundle you are buying.

Can you use pellets in a Karu? Ooni designs the Karu for wood and charcoal. For pellets, look at a pellet oven; see how to use a pellet pizza oven.

Is the Karu 12 the same as the Karu 2? No. The Karu 12 is an older model. The Karu 2 is its replacement with design updates.