Pizza Oven and Dough Comparisons

The short version

Which comparison should you read first?: The one that constrains the most other decisions.
What are the two model to model comparisons for?: Two pages compare specific ovens rather than categories, because those two matchups are the ones people genuinely get stuck on.
Why do these pages take a side?: Because the useful part of a comparison is the recommendation, and hedging protects the writer rather than the reader.
What changes the answer most often?: Three variables, and they are worth checking before reading any comparison, because they settle several of these arguments before they start.
Where to go next: Once a comparison has settled a decision, the gear roundups pick specific products at three tiers, the complete builds put everything together with a running total, and the calculators handle the dough arithmetic that follows.

Updated 2026-08-15 Researched, not tested in person

Quick answer

Thirty head to head comparisons covering the decisions that actually change what you buy and what you cook. The two that matter most: a quarter inch steel conducts heat into a pizza base far faster than cordierite, and 00 flour browns correctly above 750F where bread flour is the better choice below 650F.

Thirty head to head pages, each of which takes a side rather than listing considerations. A comparison that ends in "it depends on your needs" has told you nothing, so every page here names which buyer should choose which option and says what the loser is still better at.

Which comparison should you read first?

The one that constrains the most other decisions. Fuel narrows the oven catalogue more than price does, and the surface question decides whether you need an oven at all.

Order	Comparison	What it decides	Cost of getting it wrong
1	Indoor vs outdoor	Whether an outdoor oven is even an option for you	$300 to $700
2	Gas vs wood fired	How much work each session is	$100 to $400
3	Stone vs steel	Whether you need an oven at all	$40 to $140
4	Ooni vs Gozney	Range and price against mass and insulation	$200 to $600
5	00 vs bread flour	Whether your dough browns or burns	$30 per bag
6	Poolish vs biga	Flavour direction and dough strength	One batch of dough

What are the two model to model comparisons for?

Two pages compare specific ovens rather than categories, because those two matchups are the ones people genuinely get stuck on.

Koda 16 versus Karu 2 Pro. Two 16 inch Ooni ovens with the same floor size and the same claimed temperature, separated almost entirely by whether you want to burn wood. The Koda 16 is gas only and considerably cheaper; the Karu 2 Pro adds wood firing, a glass door and a stone thermometer.
Roccbox versus Arc XL. The clearest illustration on this site of what money buys in a pizza oven. Both reach roughly the same peak temperature. One weighs 44 lb and costs $399, the other weighs 71 lb and costs $999.99, and the difference shows up on the eighth pizza rather than the first.

Full specifications for every model we track live on their own pages in the oven index, including cooking surface, claimed maximum temperature, preheat time and weight, with any unverified figure omitted rather than guessed.

Why do these pages take a side?

Because the useful part of a comparison is the recommendation, and hedging protects the writer rather than the reader. Every page here names the buyer for each option in plain terms, and then states what the option it did not pick is genuinely still better at, which is usually something real.

Cordierite loses to steel on base browning and wins on price, weight and bread. Wood loses to gas on consistency and wins on being enjoyable to do. Ooni loses to Gozney on heat retention and wins on range and price. None of those are consolation prizes, they are the actual reasons somebody should choose the other thing.

What changes the answer most often?

Three variables, and they are worth checking before reading any comparison, because they settle several of these arguments before they start.

Your oven's peak floor temperature. Above 750F you want 00 flour, low hydration and a 90 second bake. Below 650F you want bread flour, a little oil and a five minute bake. Measure it with an infrared thermometer rather than trusting a gauge.
How many people you cook for. Heat retention only matters from about the fourth consecutive pizza onward. Below that, an oven half the price makes an identical pizza. The oven size calculator turns a headcount into a session length.
Whether you have compliant outdoor space. Fuel-burning ovens need three feet of clearance from anything combustible with nothing overhead, which rules out most balconies and covered patios. If that is your situation, several of these comparisons are already decided.

Where to go next

Once a comparison has settled a decision, the gear roundups pick specific products at three tiers, the complete builds put everything together with a running total, and the calculators handle the dough arithmetic that follows. The reference charts are the fastest way to look up a hydration, a bake time or a fermentation schedule mid-session.

If a comparison here leaves you leaning toward a particular oven, read its full specification page in the oven index before ordering, and check the buying guide for the decisions that come after the one you have just made.

Frequently asked questions

Should I buy a pizza stone or a pizza steel?

A steel, if the pizza is going in a domestic oven. Steel conducts far more heat per second into the base than cordierite does at the same temperature, which is why a 550F oven browns a base in six to eight minutes on steel and ten to twelve on stone. Cordierite is cheaper, lighter and better for bread, and it is the right choice if the price gap matters.

Is gas or wood better in a pizza oven?

Gas makes a more consistent pizza and wood makes the cooking more interesting, and that is the honest summary. At a 90 second bake time smoke has almost no contact with the dough, so the flavour difference is far smaller than people expect. Choose wood because you want to manage a fire, not because you expect a better tasting pizza from it.

Ooni or Gozney?

Ooni has the broader range, more fuel options and generally lower prices at each size. Gozney builds heavier, better-insulated ovens that hold their floor temperature across more consecutive pizzas. If you cook two or three pizzas at a time, Ooni gives you more choice for the money. If your complaint is that the fifth pizza is worse than the first, Gozney is the category of answer.

Poolish or biga, which should I use?

A poolish if you want extensibility and a slight tang, a biga if you want strength and a milder, sweeter flavour. A poolish is 100 percent hydration, ferments 12 to 16 hours at 68F and is easy to read because it domes and then flattens. A biga is 45 to 55 percent hydration, ferments 16 to 18 hours cooler, builds more strength and is less forgiving of being left too long.

Do I need 00 flour or will bread flour do?

Above about 750F you want 00, and below about 650F you want bread flour. A 00 flour is milled fine and formulated for long fermentation at very high heat, so it browns correctly in 90 seconds where bread flour blackens at the rim first. In a 550F home oven the relationship reverses, because bread flour has the protein to hold structure through a six to eight minute bake.

Indoor electric or outdoor gas?

Outdoor gas runs hotter and costs less for the same capability, so buy it if you have compliant outdoor space and no objection to propane. Indoor electric costs more and peaks lower, and it buys year-round use with no fuel, no weather and no clearance requirement. That is a convenience purchase rather than a quality one, and for an apartment it is the only option.

How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, verified owner reviews, and long-established baker's percentage practice. We do not test gear in person. Dough figures are guidance, not a recipe guarantee: flour, water and room conditions all vary, so read your dough as well as the numbers.

Heat safety: a pizza oven at working temperature holds a 700F to 950F floor and a shell hot enough to burn on contact. Use long-handled peels and heat-rated gloves, keep children and pets clear, burn fuel outdoors only with clearance from anything combustible, and never pour water on a hot baking stone. Water flashes to steam instantly and thermal shock cracks stone.

Keeping your own dough and bake numbers? The Dough & Oven Planner is the paid version of these pages: 8 printable worksheets you fill in with your own numbers, plus the full PDF, $29.