I’m a restaurant chef with over 10 years of experience working at my restaurant, Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston. In this article, I’ll compare the Ooni Fyra 12 and the Carbon pizza oven, since I’ve used both extensively in my kitchen. I looked closely at quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and I also conducted a real pizza cooking test to see exactly how long each oven takes to produce a great result. If you’d like to learn more about my testing process in detail, you can also check the separate article where I explain how I test pizza ovens step by step.
The Ooni Fyra 12 is a compact wood-pellet oven that promises authentic Neapolitan pizzas in a portable design, while the Carbon is a versatile hybrid oven capable of running on both gas and wood for maximum flexibility.
I’ve conducted thorough tests to compare the Ooni Fyra 12 and the Carbon pizza oven, detailed in this article.
Disclosure: This article contains referral links that help keep my blog alive. If you purchase through them, I’ll earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Ooni Fyra 12 VS Carbon: Quality and Materials
| The Ooni Fyra 12 feels robust thanks to its powder-coated carbon steel shell, which is lightweight, insulated, and built to last. The craftsmanship shows thoughtful engineering with corrosion resistance in mind. |
The Carbon oven is also solidly constructed with stainless steel and firebricks for heat retention. The finish and branding details look professional, although some of the seams and rivets can feel a bit industrial.
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Ooni Fyra 12 VS Carbon: Temperature Control
| The Ooni Fyra 12 excels in achieving consistent high temperatures up to 950°F using wood pellets. Once you learn the pellet feed technique, it becomes impressively stable and predictable, especially for Neapolitan-style pizzas. |
Carbon provides dual burners (upper and lower) for precise gas-powered control, quickly reaching over 950°F. The control dials offer flexibility, though they require careful adjustment to avoid burning the crust or undercooking the base.
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Ooni Fyra 12 VS Carbon: Shape
| The Ooni Fyra 12’s aerodynamic, compact dome shape optimizes airflow and ensures even heat circulation across the baking stone. This design keeps heat efficiently locked in while promoting uniform cooking. |
The Carbon oven has a more box-like shape with a wide opening and taller cavity. While the space is helpful for maneuvering pizzas, the shape doesn’t retain heat quite as evenly as the Ooni’s dome.
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Ooni Fyra 12 VS Carbon: First-Time Usage Impressions
| Unboxing the Ooni Fyra 12 feels premium and intuitive. Assembly is minimal, and most beginners find it easy to get started within 20 minutes. The learning curve mainly involves mastering pellet management. |
The Carbon oven feels serious and functional out of the box. Assembly is straightforward but involves a few more steps, and connecting the gas supply requires careful attention. The initial setup takes a little longer overall.
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Ooni Fyra 12 VS Carbon: Power Source
| The Ooni Fyra 12 uses wood pellets, giving pizzas a genuine wood-fired flavor and aroma you can’t easily replicate with gas. |
Carbon relies on propane or natural gas. It’s convenient and clean-burning, but it won’t impart the same smokiness as the Ooni Fyra 12’s wood pellets.
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Ooni Fyra 12 VS Carbon: Size
| Compact and lightweight at 22 pounds, the Ooni Fyra 12 is easy to store, carry, or fit into small patios. It can cook 12-inch pizzas comfortably. |
Carbon is heavier (60 pounds) and a bit bulkier. While still technically portable with folding legs, it’s harder to move without a cart or help. It fits pizzas up to 15 inches.
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Ooni Fyra 12 VS Carbon: Ease of Cleaning
| The Ooni Fyra 12 requires brushing out ash and wiping down soot, but the process is fairly quick due to its simple interior design. No water should be used inside, but most residue burns off naturally. |
Carbon is easier to clean in some respects because it has smooth stainless steel surfaces and removable firebricks. However, the added complexity of burners and gas fittings means more maintenance in the long run.
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Pizza Cooking Test
For this test, I prepared identical batches of fresh Margherita dough and toppings to ensure a fair comparison between the Ooni Fyra 12 and the Carbon pizza oven.
The Ooni Fyra 12 preheated in about 15 minutes, reaching around 850–900°F on the stone. Once it stabilized, I launched the pizza directly onto the cordierite baking surface. The cooking time was just under 2 minutes. The crust rose beautifully with dark leopard spotting and a subtle smokiness that you can only get from burning wood pellets. The taste was excellent—light, slightly chewy, and infused with a wood-fired aroma that added a lot of depth to a simple Margherita.
The Carbon oven heated even faster, needing only about 10–12 minutes to bring the firebrick up to a similar range of 850–900°F. Using both burners made preheating quite efficient. When I placed the pizza on the stone, it cooked in about 80–90 seconds. The crust developed a nice golden brown color and had a good balance between crispiness and tenderness. While the texture was spot on, the flavor was a little cleaner and milder because it lacked the smoky wood-fired character.
Overall, both ovens delivered excellent results, but the Ooni Fyra 12 produced a more authentic wood-fired flavor that really elevated the simplicity of the Margherita pizza.
How We Tested
To properly evaluate the Ooni Fyra 12 and the Carbon pizza ovens, I used the same batch of homemade Margherita dough and identical toppings to maintain consistency. Before testing, I measured the stone temperatures with an infrared thermometer to be sure each oven reached at least 850°F. I preheated the Ooni Fyra 12 for about 15 minutes and the Carbon oven for around 12 minutes. Once the ovens were ready, I launched one pizza in each and timed the cook from start to finish, paying attention to how evenly the crust browned and how the cheese melted. After removing the pizzas, I assessed the texture of the bottom crust, the flavor of the crumb, and the overall appearance. Finally, I repeated the process to see how both ovens handled back-to-back bakes and whether the temperature recovery time affected the results.
Conclusion
Ultimately, it’s your choice whether the Ooni Fyra 12 or the Carbon is the right fit for your outdoor cooking style. Both ovens have strengths and unique qualities worth considering. If you decide to buy one, I’d greatly appreciate it if you use my referral links below when making your purchase. I earn a small commission at no cost to you, which helps keep this blog alive and allows me to keep sharing in-depth reviews like this one.
Make it a point to see the best pizza ovens list.