As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of experience at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve worked with a variety of pizza ovens in both professional and home settings. In this article, I’ll compare the Blackstone Pizza Oven and the Ooni Fyra 12 based on my firsthand experience using both in my kitchen. I evaluated them across quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and a real pizza cooking test to see how long each takes to make a great pizza. If you’re interested in the full breakdown of how I test pizza ovens, you can check out my separate article.
The Blackstone Pizza Oven is a propane-powered oven known for its high heat output and a rotating stone design that ensures even cooking. On the other hand, the Ooni Fyra 12 is a wood pellet-fueled oven designed for portability, delivering high temperatures in a compact form factor.
In this article, I’ve provided a detailed comparison of the Blackstone Pizza Oven and Ooni Fyra 12 based on my hands-on tests.
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Winner
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Loser
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Our Rating:
4.5
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Our Rating:
4.0
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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- Durable construction with a stainless-steel cooking chamber and a heavy-Duty cast iron rotating tray
- Capable of reaching 900°F
- Unique design
- Heavier and bulkier
- Powered by a single, high-pressure propane burner
- Requires more effort to clean
- Powder-coated carbon steel
- Heats up to 950°F
- Compact and lightweight
- Operates exclusively on wood pellets
- Cleaning the Fyra 12 requires a bit more effort
To keep my blog running, I use referral links in this article. If you find my insights helpful and decide to purchase through these links, it helps support my work at no extra cost to you.
Blackstone VS Ooni Fyra 12: Quality and Materials
| The Blackstone Pizza Oven is built with high-quality stainless steel and cast iron. The durable rotating tray ensures even cooking, and double-wall insulation provides excellent heat retention. |
The Ooni Fyra 12 is made of powder-coated carbon steel, which is durable but lighter. It’s designed for outdoor use but not as heavy-duty as the Blackstone Pizza Oven.
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Blackstone VS Ooni Fyra 12: Temperature Control
| The Blackstone Pizza Oven reaches 900+°F quickly with its powerful propane burner. It maintains consistent high temperatures, making it ideal for Neapolitan-style pizzas. |
The Ooni Fyra 12 heats up to 950°F, but temperature control relies on manually adding wood pellets. It requires some adjustment to maintain even heat.
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Blackstone VS Ooni Fyra 12: Shape
| The Blackstone Pizza Oven has a unique design with the burner placed away from the pizza stone. The rotating tray ensures even cooking and eliminates direct flame contact. |
The Ooni Fyra 12 is compact and efficient, designed for optimal heat retention. It features a chimney and vent control for airflow adjustments.
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Blackstone VS Ooni Fyra 12: First-Time Usage Impressions
| Setting up the Blackstone Pizza Oven takes time due to its heavy-duty construction, but the robust build quality is reassuring. The ignition process may take a few tries initially. |
The Ooni Fyra 12 is quick to assemble in about 20 minutes. However, transitioning to wood pellets requires some practice, especially for those used to gas ovens like the Blackstone Pizza Oven.
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Blackstone VS Ooni Fyra 12: Power Source
| The Blackstone Pizza Oven runs on propane with a high-pressure burner delivering 60,000 BTUs per hour. It heats up rapidly and provides strong, consistent heat. |
The Ooni Fyra 12 is powered by wood pellets, delivering an authentic wood-fired taste. However, pellet management requires more attention compared to the steady heat of the Blackstone Pizza Oven.
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Blackstone VS Ooni Fyra 12: Size
| The Blackstone Pizza Oven is large and heavy, requiring two people for setup. It’s best suited for patios or outdoor kitchens and comes with a wheeled cart for mobility. |
The Ooni Fyra 12 is lightweight (22 lbs) and highly portable, making it a great choice for small outdoor spaces or taking on trips.
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Blackstone VS Ooni Fyra 12: Ease of Cleaning
| The Blackstone Pizza Oven is easy to clean with a removable pizza stone and wipe-down components. The overall maintenance is simple. |
Cleaning the Ooni Fyra 12 requires more effort, especially for ash removal. The pizza stone needs to be brushed and rotated regularly for the best results.
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Pizza Cooking Test
The Blackstone Pizza Oven heated up impressively fast, reaching over 900°F in just 10 minutes, thanks to its powerful 60,000 BTU propane burner. The Ooni Fyra 12, on the other hand, needed about 15 minutes to get to its 950°F maximum temperature, requiring more hands-on attention to maintain a steady flame with wood pellets.
When it came to cooking speed, the Blackstone Pizza Oven delivered a perfectly cooked Margherita pizza in just 70 seconds. The rotating stone ensured even heat distribution, resulting in a crispy crust, beautifully melted cheese, and slightly charred tomato sauce. The Ooni Fyra 12 took about 2 minutes to cook the same pizza. The wood-fired heat gave the crust a delicious smoky flavor, but the longer cooking time resulted in a slightly chewier texture compared to the Blackstone Pizza Oven’s crisp finish.
Both ovens produced exceptional, restaurant-quality pizzas, but the Blackstone Pizza Oven stood out for its speed, heat consistency, and ability to deliver a perfectly crisp crust every time. Meanwhile, the Ooni Fyra 12 offered a more traditional wood-fired taste, but required more effort to maintain an even flame throughout the cooking process.
How We Tested
To fairly compare the Blackstone Pizza Oven and the Ooni Fyra 12, I conducted a side-by-side cooking test using the same ingredients, dough, and cooking conditions. I prepared a classic Margherita pizza, using fresh dough, San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella, and fresh basil to assess how each oven handled heat distribution, cooking time, and overall pizza quality.
Before cooking, I preheated both ovens to their optimal temperatures. The Blackstone Pizza Oven was fired up with propane, while the Ooni Fyra 12 was fueled with hardwood pellets. I carefully timed how long each oven took to reach its maximum temperature and how consistently they maintained heat. Once preheated, I launched identical pizzas into each oven and tracked the total cooking time, monitoring how evenly the crust baked, how well the cheese melted, and whether any hot spots affected the results.
For consistency, I tested multiple pizzas in each oven to account for any variability in heating performance. I also observed how easy it was to rotate and manage the pizza during cooking, as well as how the ovens handled different crust thicknesses. After cooking, I evaluated the final results by inspecting the crispiness of the crust, the char level on the bottom, the texture of the toppings, and the overall taste.
This test allowed me to directly compare the speed, efficiency, and cooking quality of both the Blackstone Pizza Oven and the Ooni Fyra 12, helping to determine which oven delivers the best overall pizza experience.
Final Thoughts
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Winner
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Loser
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Our Rating:
4.5
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Our Rating:
4.0
|
|
Pros:
|
Pros:
|
|
Cons:
|
Cons:
|
- Durable construction with a stainless-steel cooking chamber and a heavy-Duty cast iron rotating tray
- Capable of reaching 900°F
- Unique design
- Heavier and bulkier
- Powered by a single, high-pressure propane burner
- Requires more effort to clean
- Powder-coated carbon steel
- Heats up to 950°F
- Compact and lightweight
- Operates exclusively on wood pellets
- Cleaning the Fyra 12 requires a bit more effort
Both the Blackstone Pizza Oven and the Ooni Fyra 12 offer incredible pizza-making experiences, each with its own strengths. The Blackstone Pizza Oven stands out for its powerful propane burner, fast cooking times, and even heat distribution, making it an excellent choice for those who want quick, consistent, and high-quality pizzas with minimal effort. On the other hand, the Ooni Fyra 12 is lightweight, portable, and delivers an authentic wood-fired flavor, ideal for pizza enthusiasts who enjoy the hands-on process of managing wood pellets and crafting artisanal pizzas.
Ultimately, the choice comes down to your personal preference—whether you prioritize speed and convenience with the Blackstone Pizza Oven or traditional wood-fired cooking with the Ooni Fyra 12. If you decide to buy one, I’d highly appreciate it if you use my referral links for your purchase. I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, which helps support my blog.
Whichever oven you choose, you’re in for some incredible homemade pizzas!