This Ooni Karu 2 review covers build quality, real-world performance, and whether it is worth the money.
The Ooni Karu 2 is the most versatile small pizza oven you can buy right now. It fires on wood and charcoal as standard, with an optional gas burner for weeknights when you just want dinner on the table. If you want real wood-fired flavour without committing to a pure wood oven, this is the one to look at.
This review covers what the Karu 2 actually does well, where the experience gets complicated, and whether the gas burner is worth buying as an add-on.
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Quick verdict
The Ooni Karu 2 is the best multi-fuel pizza oven for anyone who wants genuine wood-fired flavour with the option to switch to gas for convenience. The enlarged fuel tray, glass door and built-in thermometer address the main frustrations of the previous generation. Wood firing still takes practice and attention, and the gas burner is a separate purchase that pushes the total cost up. But for cooks who want the craft experience of wood fire alongside a reliable gas fallback, nothing else at this size does it as well.
Ooni Karu 2 specs
| Max pizza size | 12 inches |
| Cooking stone | 15mm cordierite |
| Max temperature | 500C (950F) |
| Preheat time | Around 15 minutes on gas; wood can take longer to stabilise |
| Fuel | Wood and charcoal standard; gas burner sold separately |
| Thermometer | Built-in analogue thermometer |
| Door | Borosilicate glass with ClearView soot-reduction coating |
| Dimensions | 765 x 414 x 720mm (including chimney) |
| Weight | 15.3kg |
| Warranty | 1 year standard, 5 years with registration |
What the Karu 2 gets right
Wood firing that actually works
The previous generation Karu had a fuel tray that made consistent wood firing difficult. The Karu 2 fixes this with a 45% larger firebox that holds enough fuel to maintain temperature through a pizza session without constant fussing. Independent testing has pushed it past 500C on wood, and reviewers who have cooked on both wood and gas consistently describe the wood-fired results as noticeably better in flavour. It is the first portable wood-fired oven that gets described as genuinely fun to use, rather than something you battle with.
Glass door and built-in thermometer
The borosilicate glass door is a significant upgrade over solid-door designs. You can watch the pizza cook without opening the oven and losing heat. The built-in thermometer tells you when the stone is ready, which removes the need for a separate infrared gun. If you have other pizza ovens without a built-in thermometer, see our guide to the best infrared thermometers for pizza ovens.
Flavour
Gas pizza ovens make excellent pizza. Wood-fired pizza ovens make better pizza. The smoke character, the slight char on the crust and the way the heat works differently with a live flame produce results that consistently win blind taste tests against gas-cooked equivalents. If flavour is your priority, this is the oven to buy. If convenience is your priority, a pure gas oven is the more sensible choice.
Weight and portability
At 15.3kg the Karu 2 is lighter than the Gozney Roccbox and manageable for one person to carry. It folds down reasonably compactly and works well as a take-to-the-garden or take-to-a-friend setup.
Where the Karu 2 gets complicated
Wood firing takes practice
The Karu 2 is better at wood firing than its predecessor, but wood firing is still wood firing. You need to manage airflow, feed the fire at the right rate and deal with temperature swings between pizzas. If you have never used a wood-fired oven before, expect a learning curve. Gas is predictable. Wood requires attention. That is not a criticism, it is just what multi-fuel cooking involves.
The gas burner costs extra
The gas burner attachment is not included. It is sold separately, and adding it pushes the total cost closer to a dedicated gas oven like the Ooni Koda 16. If you know you will mostly cook on gas, a pure gas oven is a more straightforward buy. The Karu 2 makes most sense if you genuinely want both fuel options and are willing to pay for that flexibility.
Swapping fuels is fiddly
Switching between wood and gas means physically removing and replacing the burner. It is not complicated but it is not seamless either. You cannot decide mid-session to switch from wood to gas without letting things cool down first.
Wind affects gas performance
The gas flame can blow out in gusty conditions, which is a common issue with exposed-flame gas ovens. A sheltered spot helps. The wood burner is less affected since the fire is more enclosed.
Karu 2 vs Koda 16: which is right for you?
These are very different ovens for different priorities. The Karu 2 gives you wood-fired flavour and a portable, lighter oven limited to 12 inches. The Koda 16 gives you a larger 16-inch stone, simpler gas-only operation and a more forgiving cooking experience, but no wood option and it is not genuinely portable.
Choose the Karu 2 if wood-fired flavour is important to you and you cook for two to three people. Choose the Koda 16 if you cook for a family, want a larger stone, or want gas simplicity without the extra cost of a burner attachment. We cover both in our best pizza ovens guide.
Who should buy the Ooni Karu 2
The Karu 2 is right for cooks who want real wood-fired flavour and are willing to put in the time to learn wood fire management, want a gas option for convenience without buying a second oven, cook for two to three people and do not need a 16-inch stone, and want an oven that can be moved around rather than left in a fixed spot.
It is not right for people who just want the simplest possible gas cooking experience, families who regularly cook for four or more people, or buyers on a tight budget who do not want to spend extra on the gas burner attachment.
Where to buy
The Ooni Karu 2 is available on Amazon and direct from Ooni. Buy the gas burner attachment at the same time if you plan to use it, as Ooni sometimes bundles them at a slight discount.
Check the Ooni Karu 2 price on Amazon
If you haven’t sorted out a stand for your oven yet, see our guide to the best pizza oven tables — it covers the Ooni modular table and the best budget alternatives.
