For pizza lovers, few things beat the magical taste of authentic wood-fired pizza baked in a blazing hot oven. And when it comes to backyard pizza ovens, two brands stand out as leaders in the space – Bertello and Ooni. With passionate followings and quality products, both companies have revolutionized home pizza night. But which brand truly reigns supreme?
Founded just a few years apart through successful crowdfunding campaigns, Bertello and Ooni share remarkably similar origin stories. Both companies make portable, high-heat pizza ovens perfect for cooking pizza from the comfort of your own patio. However, while the two brands have much in common, there are some key differences that impact the pizza making experience.
In this in-depth feature, we dive into a head-to-head comparison of Bertello versus Ooni pizza ovens. We’ll explore differences in design, construction quality, fuel options, ease of use, cooking performance, pricing, and more. No matter if you’re just stepping into the world of homemade pizza or are looking to upgrade your equipment, this guide will help you decide if Bertello or Ooni is the right fit for your needs. After all, your pizza oven is an investment meant to last for many cheesy, saucy weekends to come.
So without further ado, let’s fire up this pizza oven showdown! Read on as we pit Bertello against Ooni to see who makes the better backyard pizza oven.
Overview Bertello Brand
Bertello has rapidly emerged as a premier manufacturer of residential pizza ovens since their founding in 2018. Originating from a highly successful Kickstarter campaign, Bertello differentiates itself through portable, multi-fueled pizza ovens suited for cooking authentic pizza at up to 930°F.
Their thoughtfully designed ovens can run on wood, charcoal, or propane, offering versatility across fuel types. Bertello also stands out with smart features like an integrated thermometer and quality pizza stones that promote even cooking.
With two well-reviewed models including the original 12-inch oven and larger Bertello Grande, the company provides options for personal or family-sized pizzas. In just a few short years, Bertello has established itself as a leader in the backyard pizza oven space.
Overview Ooni Brand
Ooni is one of the most popular and well-known brands pizza ovens. Founded in 2012, Ooni pioneered the portable, high-performance pizza oven market with their successful Kickstarter campaign for the original Ooni oven.
Since then, Ooni has continued to innovate and expand their product line. They now offer a range of pizza ovens in different sizes and with different fuel options like wood, charcoal, gas, and wood pellets. Models like the Ooni Koda and Ooni Karu allow home chefs to make wood-fired pizza with ease right in their backyard.
Ooni ovens are expertly designed to cook authentic Neapolitan-style pizza in just 60 seconds with temperatures over 900°F. Their use of high-quality, durable materials like stainless steel and cordierite stone ensures even heat distribution. Fun colors and a modern aesthetic give Ooni ovens stylish looks in addition to performance.
With their dedication to making delicious pizza more accessible through simple, portable ovens, Ooni has become the leader in the backyard pizza oven industry. Their wide range of pizza oven models and outstanding customer support cement their reputation as a top brand for home pizza making.
Ooni Karu 16 vs Bertello Grande 16
Are you curious how the famous Ooni Karu 16 compares to the Bertello Grande 16? This article looks closely at the well-known outdoor pizza makers. We’ll check things like how they’re made, how hot they get, space size, ease of use and pizza baking.
From what they’re built from to fuel choices and handling, we’ll show the small details that are the same or different. Let’s light the fires and discover which brand makes the #1 pizza oven!
Oven Size and Capacity
The Ooni Karu 16 and Bertello Grande 16 are nearly identical in maximum pizza size at 16 inches. Both ovens can comfortably fit and cook a 16-inch pizza.
The baking surface dimensions give Bertello a very slight edge at 16.5 x 16.5 inches compared to 16 x 24 inches for Ooni. But both ovens have ample interior space for maneuvering and turning 16-inch pizzas with ease.
Winner: Draw
Temperature Output
A top-tier pizza oven needs to reach temperatures upward of 700°F to bake authentic wood-fired pizza properly.
The Ooni Karu 16 can blast up to 950°F at maximum heat. Meanwhile, the Bertello Grande 16 reaches a peak of 930°F.
While just 20 degrees different, that extra heat capacity allows the Ooni to cook Neapolitan pizzas a little faster and get slightly better oven spring.
Winner: Ooni Karu 16
Heating Speed
When preheating from cold, the Ooni Karu 16 can hit over 900°F in just 15 minutes. This rapid heating allows you to start cooking pizza sooner.
Bertello doesn’t provide official preheat times, but user reviews suggest closer to 20-30 minutes to reach 900°F+ temps.
The Ooni’s superior insulation helps retain heat and recover temperature faster after cooking multiple pizza in a row.
Winner: Ooni Karu 16
Fuel Options
Both the Ooni Karu 16 and Bertello Grande 16 offer dual fuel functionality using either wood/charcoal or gas.
The Bertello lets you use both fuels simultaneously for maximum control. The Ooni requires switching the gas burner for the wood burner plate.
For pure fuel flexibility, the Bertello Grande 16 gets the nod. But the Ooni Karu 16 gives a world-class experience with either gas or wood/charcoal alone.
Winner: Draw
Ease of Use
The Ooni Karu 16 features a number of design touches that improve convenience.
The foldable front door provides easy access while containing heat and flames. The chimney maintains airflow and directs smoke away from you rather than blasting from the front.
With the Bertello Grande 16, the smaller opening makes rotating and launching pizzas trickier. The lack of a chimney also means more smoke exposure.
Winner: Ooni Karu 16
Cooking Performance
Both the Ooni Karu 16 and Bertello Grande 16 can produce phenomenal 16-inch pizzas with spotty leoparding and crisp crusts in 60-90 seconds when cranked up.
However, Ooni’s higher peak temperature capacity, superior insulation, and better airflow result in a marginal bump up in overall cooking performance.
Winner: Ooni Karu 16
Quality of Materials
The Ooni Karu 16 uses a combination of durable stainless steel, powder coated carbon steel, and cordierite stone.
The Bertello Grande 16 relies on a blend of carbon steel and steel alloy for its construction. Both ovens have ample insulation to retain heat.
Ooni edges this category out thanks to more heavy duty stainless steel components capable of high heat applications.
Winner: Ooni Karu 16
Price
The Ooni Karu 16 carries an MSRP of $799 but can be found from various retailers between $599-$699.
Meanwhile, the Bertello Grande 16 comes in at a lower $699 price point direct from the manufacturer.
For shoppers focused strictly on budget, the Bertello Grande 16 is the more affordable choice. But the Ooni Karu 16 justifies its higher price through performance.
Winner: Bertello Grande 16
In a showdown between two of the top 16-inch backyard pizza ovens, the Ooni Karu 16 comes out on top against the Bertello Grande 16.
While the Bertello Grande 16 is no slouch, the Ooni Karu 16 is a more polished product with better materials, faster heating, easier use, and proven cooking excellence.
The only categories where the cheaper Bertello Grande 16 matches or edges out the Ooni Karu 16 are on fuel flexibility and cost.
So for pizza aficionados interested in the best performance and quality, the Ooni Karu 16 is worth the extra investment over the Bertello Grande 16. But the Bertello Grande 16 still represents a viable lower-budget option.
No matter which 16-inch pizza oven you choose, you’ll be crafting incredible pizza creations in your own backyard in no time!
Bertello vs Ooni pizza oven Comparision
The choice between the Ooni Karu 16 and the Bertello Grande 16 might be very difficult when choosing a pizza oven that promises a great culinary experience within your house. Due to their distinct qualities and skills, these two pizza ovens have carved out a space for themselves, making them prominent competitors in the world of pizza enthusiasts. We will examine 14 important factors in-depth in this thorough assessment that will help you make an informed choice.
1. Build Quality
The craftsmanship behind both Ooni and Bertello pizza ovens is of remarkable quality. With the exception of Ooni’s Ooni Pro 16 and Ooni Karu 12 models, which are constructed differently, the bulk of their models feature powder-coated carbon steel.
However, the Ooni Karu 16 takes a step further by amalgamating powder-coated carbon steel with stainless steel. Conversely, Bertello’s flagship model, the Bertello 1, is fashioned from carbon steel, whereas the Bertello Grande boasts a sleek semi-gloss hammered finish steel. While both brands are laudable in terms of build quality, the Ooni Karu 16’s hybrid composition does lend it a slight advantage.
2. Portability
Portability is a paramount consideration for those who relish taking their culinary exploits on the road. Typically, Ooni’s ovens, tailored to accommodate 12″ pizzas, are lighter than the Bertello 1 oven. However, Ooni’s 16″ pizza ovens boast lighter weights compared to the Bertello Grande. Yet, a significant concern arises. Ooni’s lighter ovens, when compared to the Bertello 1, are either gas-powered or entail a notable issue linked to the chimney.
It’s important to know that neither Bertello nor Ooni ovens can plug right into a natural gas line, except the Ooni Koda 16 and Karu 16. But even those need extra parts like a conversion kit or gas burner. Because of this, only the Ooni Koda 16 and Karu 16 can truly use natural gas when you compare them to Bertello ovens. The other ovens all need a gas tank instead of being hooked directly to a home’s natural gas.
For propane gas-powered ovens, a propane gas tank is indispensable, adding to the overall load and consequently impacting portability. The Bertello 1 oven, weighing 15 kg, presents an advantage by permitting the use of wood or charcoal, optimizing space and bolstering portability.
One interesting thing is the Bertello Grande weighs about 30 kg, making it the heaviest oven. The Ooni Karu 12 and Ooni Fyra 12 are both lighter than the Bertello 1. But those Ooni ovens have big chimneys that come off. So it’s easier to carry them places even with the chimneys. The Grande weighs the most of all, so it could be harder to move around. But the Ooni ovens stay lighter even with their chimneys attached before removing them.
Notably, the Ooni Fyra 12 reigns supreme in portability, given its status as the lightest option, albeit it operates solely on wood pellets. When considering the amalgamation of these factors and their interplay with portability, the Bertello 1 exhibits an impressive equilibrium between portability and cooking capacity, albeit limited to 12″ pizza.
3. Cooking Efficiency
How well these ovens cook depends a lot on what fuel you use. Gas makes the cooking go faster, while wood makes it slower. Ooni has ovens that use gas only, wood only, or both gas and wood. This lets you pick the right oven for how you want to cook.
Ooni also has ovens where you can use special wood pellets, or very exact gas burners. This helps make cooking work best for what you need. Bertello only sells ovens that use gas and wood together. But their ovens let you use both at the same time, which is unique. Overall, Ooni gives you more choices for ovens and fuels. This makes it easier to customize the cooking efficiency exactly how you want.
4. Fuel Sources
Bertello ovens are marked by their versatility as they accommodate multiple fuel sources, including gas, wood, or a blend of both. This unique attribute finds its zenith in the Bertello 1 and Bertello Grande models, endowing them with hybrid capabilities. For instance, gas can be employed to initiate the oven’s heating process, followed by a reduction in the gas flame and the introduction of wood pellets to infuse a woody flavor into the pizza.
Ooni, on the other hand, offers a choice between gas-powered, multi-fuel, and wood-powered ovens. The Ooni Fyra 12 relies on wood, the Ooni Koda 12/16 thrives on gas, while the Ooni Karu 12/16 represents a multi-fuel option. The Bertello pizza ovens indeed present a harmonious fusion of fuel options.
5. Accessories
Ooni has way more accessories to customize your pizza making setup. They sell all kinds of pizza peels, brushes, thermometers, wood and gas fuels, and other handy tools. Ooni also sells branded clothes like shirts and hats that Bertello doesn’t have. But Bertello’s accessories cost less than Ooni’s expensive add-ons.
Most of Ooni’s important accessories you have to buy separately, unlike Bertello which includes them. So Ooni gives you more choices for accessories, though Bertello is better if you just want the basics like a peel and cover. In the end, Ooni is better for people who want the full experience of backyard pizza making.
6. Pizza Sizes
The Bertello 1 oven is limited to 12″ pizza sizes, while the Bertello Grande accommodates 16″ pizzas in their entirety. In contrast, Ooni offers a spectrum of options, encompassing both 12″ and 16″ pizza capacities. The numerical indicator in Ooni oven models reflects the maximum pizza size they can accommodate.
7. Cooking Experience
Ooni’s extensive accessory selection greatly enhances the cooking experience. The incorporation of even a few of these accessories can revolutionize your culinary endeavors. Although the setup process of Ooni ovens might demand some time, the cooking experience they facilitate surpasses that of the Bertello pizza oven.
8. Ease of Use
Once acclimated to their operation, Bertello ovens tend to be more user-friendly than their Ooni counterparts. This ease of use sets Bertello apart in this category.
9. Uniformity of Heat
Ooni’s heat distribution is commendable, whereas Bertello exhibits a noticeable non-uniformity in this regard. As time progresses, Bertello’s uneven heat distribution tends to amplify. Ooni’s ovens unequivocally outshine Bertello’s in terms of heat distribution, albeit it’s worth considering the need for more frequent fuel replenishment in smaller Ooni models for sustained heat consistency.
10. Learning Curve
Bertello ovens, despite being more straightforward than Ooni, do present a learning curve, particularly for newcomers. Individuals venturing into pizza oven territory for the first time might find Ooni’s wood-powered ovens more approachable. The presence of gas burners in Ooni’s gas-powered ovens simplifies the cooking process, although managing wood-powered ovens within the Ooni range can prove to be more challenging.
11. Pricing
A direct comparison of Ooni model prices with that of the Bertello 1 oven highlights a substantial price discrepancy. This price distinction extends to accessories, with Ooni’s offerings generally commanding higher prices. However, juxtaposing the Bertello Grande with Ooni’s models reveals that the former might carry a somewhat inflated price tag. In this regard, the Ooni Pro 16, currently available at a discounted rate, could emerge as a more viable alternative to the Bertello Grande.
12. Long-term Usage
The cost differential between the two brands can be attributed to the disparities in quality and longevity. While the quality of both brands’ ovens is comparable, variations in long-term performance become evident after approximately a year of use.
Over time, the Bertello’s maximum temperature capacity tends to decline, whereas Ooni ovens uphold their performance standards. Regular maintenance can mitigate the decline in performance, yet for equivalent maintenance efforts, Ooni ovens boast a longer lifespan than their Bertello counterparts. Thus, when viewed through the lens of long-term cost, Ooni ovens might prove to be more cost-effective due to their extended durability.
13. Customer Support
Both Ooni and Bertello offer excellent customer service to back their products. Bertello gets praise for providing fast, personal attention from their smaller operation if any problems arise. Meanwhile, Ooni leans on a wider knowledge base and library of video tutorials to smoothly troubleshoot issues.
Although Ooni’s team may be more extensive since the company has been around longer, Bertello’s support still shines as caring and responsive. The two brands have proven they stand behind their pizza ovens with knowledgeable, prompt support. So whether you choose the new kid Bertello or the seasoned experts at Ooni, you can buy confidently knowing your customer service needs will be handled.
14. Price to Performance Ratio
Considering the relatively shorter lifespan of Bertello ovens despite their lower price point, Ooni ovens offer a superior price-to-performance ratio. Over the long term, Ooni’s extended durability offsets the initial cost disparity, rendering it a more prudent investment.
The Verdict: Ooni Is the Superior Pizza Oven Brand
In this head-to-head comparison, Ooni emerges as the overall winner against Bertello:
- Ooni has a slight edge in build quality and durability
- Bertello ovens are marginally more portable
- Ooni cooks faster and hotter for better performance
- Bertello allows more fuel source flexibility
- Ooni offers far more accessories for your setup
- Ooni has larger models to cook bigger pizza
- Ooni provides a better overall cooking experience
- Ooni ovens are easier and more beginner-friendly
- Ooni distributes heat more evenly
- Ooni has a gentler learning curve for new users
- Bertello is much more affordable, especially short-term
- Ooni is built to handle heavy long-term use
- Both brands offer excellent customer service
- Ooni delivers better value and price/performance ratio over time
The verdict: While Bertello makes a very viable pizza oven, especially on a tight budget, Ooni claims victory in this showdown. From innovative features to durable construction to a lineup of ovens tailored for every need, Ooni simply makes the superior backyard pizza ovens.
So for hardcore pizza lovers willing to invest in the best cooking experience and oven built to last, Ooni is the clear choice. But even beginners just looking for convenient wood-fired pizza should strongly consider Ooni over the Bertello.
Table comparision
| Oven Model | Portability | Weight | Fuel Source | Cooking Experience | Ease of Use | Uniformity of Heat | Long-Term Usage | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bertello 1 | Fairly Portable | 34.6 lb, 15.6 kg | Propane gas, wood or both | Decent | Hard for beginners | Not great especially after some time | Okay if cared | Starting at $344.99 |
| Bertello Grande | Not very Portable | 66 lb, 29.93 kg | Propane gas, wood or both | Good | Hard for beginners | Almost okay | Great | $699.99 |
| Ooni Karu 12 | Light, fairly portable | 26.5 lb, 12.02 kg | Propane gas or wood | Great | Slightly hard for newbies | Okay | Excellent | $399 |
| Ooni Koda 12 | Light but propane tank | 20.4 lb, 9.25 kg | Propane gas | Great | A bit hard for newbies | Okay | Excellent | $399 |
| Ooni Fyra 12 | Most Portable<br>(detachable chimney) | 22 lb, 9.97 kg | Wood | Great | A bit hard for newbies | Not great | Excellent | $349 |
| Ooni Karu 16 | Heavy | 62.6 lb, 28.39 kg | Propane gas, natural gas or wood | Great | A bit hard for newbies | Okay | Excellent | $799 |
| Ooni Koda 16 | Heavy | 40.1 lb, 18.18kg | Propane gas or natural gas | Great | A bit hard for newbies | Okay | Excellent | $599 |
| Ooni Pro 16 | Light for a 16” pizza oven | 48.5 lb, 21.99 kg | Propane gas or wood | Great | A bit hard for newbies | Okay | Excellent | $599 |
Is Ooni or Bertello better?
Ooni pizza ovens are generally considered superior to Bertello, with higher build quality, better performance, and a wider range of oven models and accessories. However, Bertello offers greater affordability.
What is the difference between Ooni and Bertello?
Ooni has more oven sizes and fuel options while Bertello focuses on combined gas/wood models. Ooni reaches higher temperatures and cooks faster but Bertello offers comparable cooking at a lower price point.
Is Bertello pizza oven successful?
Yes, Bertello has found success with over 50,000 pizza ovens sold globally. Their affordable price and dual fuel functionality make them a popular backyard pizza oven choice.
Is Bertello pizza oven still in business?
Bertello is still actively in business, selling their signature pizza ovens through their website and various retailers. The company continues to grow since being founded in 2018.
Who owns Bertello pizza oven?
Bertello pizza ovens were invented and are owned by entrepreneur Eric Bert. He successfully launched the company via Kickstarter and has since expanded the Bertello brand globally.
Since a young age, my love for pizza has only grown stronger. As a writer, I am dedicated my career to exploring the art behind a perfect pie. From the crisp crunch of the crust to the perfect blend of savory sauce and gooey cheese, I dedicated to captures the essence of what makes pizza so beloved. With each article, I hopes to inspire others to share in my passion for this timeless dish.