Ooni Pro 16 Pizza Oven Review: Outdoor Multi-Fuel Pizza Ovens

The Ooni Pro Pizza Oven is a multifuel outdoor pizza oven that can cook up to 16″ pizzas.

The fuels that is it designed for include wood pellets, propane gas, and charcoal.

It’s one of the large Ooni Pizza Ovens, so it’s not as portable as the Koda 12 and 16, the other multifuel option, but it has its own features that make it great for certain buyers.

Here’s what you need to know about it.

Ooni Pro Pizza Oven

The Ooni Pro 16 pizza oven is a multi-fuel outdoor pizza oven made for the pizza lover in all of us.

As a multi-fuel oven, you can use either charcoal, wood kindling, or a mixture of both to achieve your perfect pizza.

You can also purchase a propane hook-up, but it isn’t included in the box with the Pro 16, and must be bought separately.

The Ooni Pro 16 is a beast of an oven.

It weighs almost 49 pounds and has a height, including the chimney, of 30 inches.

With a weight this high, the Pro 16 isn’t as portable as other Ooni models, but you could still pack it up to go to a friend’s place or to go camping.

The charcoal or wood kindling most people use as fuel imbues your pizza or other dishes with a woody flavor you can’t get with any other cooking method.

As with their other models, the Pro 16 can reach temperatures of 950ºF in less than 20 minutes.

Once heated, the oven cooks pizza in as little as one minute.

One issue I’ve seen with the Pro 16 pizza oven is its use of two pizza stones instead of one solid piece.

I’ve found that when there are two stones constituting the cooking surface, there’s a higher chance of an uneven cooking surface.

An uneven cooking surface can cause uneven internal heating or tearing when you rotate your pizza.

Ooni Pro Specs And Features

Pro 16 Specs:

• Dimensions: 19” width x 28.7” length x 30.7” height (including chimney)
• Cooking Surface: 17.7” x 17.7”
• Materials: Brushed stainless steel shell, chimney, oven doors, fuel hatch, burner tray, and cordierite stones
• Fuel Type: Wood kindling and/or charcoal (gas attachment sold separately)
• Weight: 48.5 pounds

The Ooni Pro 16 comes with two different doors.

The door I use most is the door with the built-in thermometer and viewing window.

You can only use this door when you use either charcoal or kindling as fuel, but not propane.

You need to use the door with the gap at the bottom when using gas so that the fumes can escape.

The door with the thermometer and viewing glass allows you to more accurately heat the oven, while also watching the flames.

That way, you can add more fuel when you need to without having to open the hatch, which allows some heat to escape the oven.

At the rear of the oven is one part of the dual airflow control system.

The rear vent is adjustable, which helps you control the internal temperature.

The other part of the dual airflow control system is the chimney.

You can open the baffle all the way, meaning the air will:

• Come in through the rear vent
• Give fresh oxygen to the flames
• Then escape through the chimney

Controlling the smoke is great way to experiment with the flavors of your pizza as well.

Ooni Pro Review

The Ooni Pro 16 is a stellar pizza oven, but it does have one small downside.

When you’re using either wood kindling or charcoal, there can be a large build-up of creosote, the sticky substance that sticks to the chimney when burning organic matter.

Not only is creosote hard to clean, but it can cause a lack of adequate airflow in the chimney.

Without adequate airflow, the oven can’t get up to 950ºF.

This just means the chimney needs to be cleaned from time to time, as with all wood fire chimneys – nothing too serious!

Overall, the Ooni Pro is a great pizza oven for those wanting to try cooking with different fuels or even mixing two different fuels (wood and charcoal) for use at the same time.

Pros:

• Versatile number of fuel types
• Wood-fire flavors
• Door with glass viewing window and built-in thermometer
• Dual airflow control system
• Sturdy leg construction
• Comes with protective cooking gloves
• Insulated brushed stainless steel body

Cons:

• Wood or charcoal can cause creosote build-up
• A two-piece pizza stone is less effective than a single piece
• Not portable compared to other models
• Wood or charcoal can have a large learning curve
• Gas hook-up not included

Who Should Buy The Ooni Pro 16

The Ooni Pro 16 pizza oven is best for those who have experience cooking pizzas or know their way around a charcoal grill.

It can be difficult to know the cook times and the best way to keep a wood or charcoal fire gong.

Since that’s often the case with beginners, I recommend this oven for more experienced pizza makers.

However, if you’re starting to get passionate about pizza, there’s no reason not to get this oven.

As long as you’re willing to learn, test, and experiment – plus eat lots of pizza – you’ll become good at using it quickly.

Ooni Pro 16 Multi Fuel Pizza Oven

The Ooni Pro gives users the chance to experiment with a range of different types of pizza styles, sizes, and cooking methods.

It’s a bit heavier and clunkier than the likes of the Ooni Fyra Pizza Oven, but it has an important place in the range.

I expect an updated version to be released in the near future that has the powder-coated casing similar to the other options.

If, after reading these details and watching the videos, you think this is the one for you, I wouldn’t hesistate to get an Ooni Pro Pizza Oven today.