Ooni 3 (Uuni) pizza oven — the only durable and versatile pizza oven you should buy
Hello pizza lovers, my name is Edward. I’m an Ooni (formerly Uuni) pizza oven owner and fan. I’m a Neapolitan pizza purist very passionate about the Ooni brand. I belong to the community of fans who take pizza very seriously. I have been cooking over an open fire since my early teen years. I used my first grill oven when I was 21. I visited Italy in 2014, and after that amazing trip, I have tried making pizza in a special pizza oven.
I just had a great evening last week with my friends making wood-fired Neapolitan pizza with the Uuni 3 oven. We loved using it because It fires up easily, you can load it with wood and natural charcoal, and it stays hot for a long time. It lets you choose your desired temperature and have control over it. We were able to cook, stop, eat and repeat. We cooked around five pizzas in the same manner. During the evening, the oven stays hot with a minimum of fire tending, which is much better than the smaller models. In fact, this pizza oven is also perfect for non-professionals and wannabe cooks and they can use it easily.
So you already know about the Uuni portable pizza oven and how much I enjoyed making pizzas with it. Let me help you with a comprehensive and honest review so you can get the best portable oven and make great pizzas.
| Ooni Uuni 3 Cover/Bag | Traeger Grills PEL310 Oak 100% All-Natural Hardwood Pellets Grill | Ooni 3 Outdoor Pizza Oven |
|---|---|---|
| Product Dimensions: 41 x 24 x 4 inches | Product Dimensions: 24 x 3 x 16 inches | Product Dimensions: 23 x 17 x 28 inches |
| Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds | Shipping Weight: 20 pounds | Shipping Weight: 27.6 pounds |
| Item Weight: 1.19 pounds | Item Weight: 20.6 pounds | Item Weight: 27.9 pounds |
| Manufacturer: Ooni | Manufacturer: Traeger | Manufacturer: Ooni |
Review of Ooni 3 Portable Wood Pellet Pizza Oven
In Italy, I saw people using many styles for making pizza. For each of these, there are specific cooking methods. Like, you can cook a Napoletana-style pizza in under 90 seconds in a wood-fired oven. It takes 2-3 minutes in an electric oven for the classic style pizza.
There are various methods of dough mixing, and you can use various flour. So, what makes the perfect pizza? From my experience, there are many things involved. The perfect pizza is something you prepare with knowledge and respect for the ingredients. You need to utilize the right methods. Of course, it depends on you how would you like the base; Crunchy, soft, or folded, etc. and finally, you need the best pizza oven to show off your cooking skills.
I am a die-hard fan of this brand. Ooni (previously called Uuni) is on a mission to empower pizza lovers by giving them awesome tools to make great pizza. Ooni’s founder, Finnish-born Kristian Tapaninaho, wanted to transform outdoor cooking as there was no portable oven available in the market a few years back. Ooni introduced the world’s first portable wood-fired oven in 2012. And they have not stopped since then and continue to innovate and offer amazing products that unlock exceptional food experiences. Now anyone can cook a great-tasting pizza with this awesome portable wood-fired oven.
Their products have gained massive media attention and great customer reviews. People love these ovens as a sociable, affordable, and fun way to cook. Ooni’s product range and their team are growing. It’s great to see the Ooni community expanding. They have become a global brand with a presence in 80 countries. I admire their ambition to provide people with an inexpensive and portable option that costs a mere fraction of a permanent outdoor oven. It is a good reminder that every business/entrepreneurial journey is brilliantly unique; however, perseverance, creativity, execution, instinct, and passion tend to be at the heart of every one of us.
My friends, who know me very well, will confirm how much I love using different cooking gadgets and tools. I think I have found the hottest little Uuni 3 pizza oven that heats up to 900 degrees and cooks pizza in about 60 seconds. I have also used the Uuni pro pizza oven, but for non-professionals, I recommend Uuni 3. I remember when it arrived and I just could not wait to open the brown box and assemble it to see the performance this Uuni pizza oven can deliver.
- Ooni 3, our award-winning wood fired pizza oven, is one of the most innovative cooking gadgets in the pizza ovens world
- Perfect for your outdoor patio or garden, the Ooni 3 portable pizza oven cooks delicious pizzas in just 60 seconds
- Heats up to 932ºF in just 10 minutes and runs on energy-efficient, sustainably sourced wood pellets
What’s in the Kit?
First of all, let’s talk about the kit. It includes:
- Uuni 3 wood-fired pizza oven;
- Wood pellet burner;
- The stone baking board made of Cordierite;
- Manual and safety guides with tips and recipes;
- Door;
- Chimney.
I was able to put all the things together very quickly. I think it took me just 10-15 minutes which is a very short time. It is a very IKEA-like construction. If you follow the instructions guide, you can put it together very easily. You can also search Ooni’s YouTube channel where they explain each assembling step in the videos.
The oven seems very sturdy but not very heavy. Anybody can pick this as it weighs around 30 pounds. It is very light to shift around and the door comes off pretty easily. Even the chimney goes on and off with a simple strap clamp. As a regular user of the Uuni wood-fired pizza oven, I suggest keeping in mind that with this extreme heat this oven is not going to look as shiny and pretty as it does when you use it for the first time.
Uuni 3 has got a new wood pellet burner and the company claims that it controls the temperature. So, it makes cooking pizza more consistent. The stainless body helps in reaching high temperatures up to 932°F. This is an ideal oven as with this consistent heat, you can quickly cook a pizza in a minute or two. The main insulated body and wood burner means that you can heat this oven up to this temperature quickly. Within ten minutes, the oven can be heated to reach maximum temperature from cold.
The main and only source of Uuni 3 energy is wooden pallets. For beginners, I can explain them as the same pallets that we normally use in pellet smokers. This source of fuel is very reasonably priced and energy-dense. Let me guide you through how to buy them.
- Ooni 3, our award-winning wood fired pizza oven, is one of the most innovative cooking gadgets in the pizza ovens world
- Perfect for your outdoor patio or garden, the Ooni 3 portable pizza oven cooks delicious pizzas in just 60 seconds
- Heats up to 932ºF in just 10 minutes and runs on energy-efficient, sustainably sourced wood pellets
Wood pellets:
- OAK WOOD FIRED FLAVOR: Traeger Oak Hardwood Pellets are great for naturally enhancing everything from beef to fish with a mild, nutty flavor.
- NOT ALL PELLETS ARE CREATED EQUAL: The best wood-fired grill on the market demands the best wood pellets on the market. Real taste doesn’t just happen,...
- TRAEGER HAS SPENT YEARS DEVELOPING THE PERFECT PELLET: Our hardwood's unique compact cell structure results in a balanced, dependable burn. Traeger has...
You can get quality wood pellets from Amazon. I have already bought and used them. I like them because regular wood has been used to make them. First, the wood is shredded into very small pieces. Then, it is further compressed to form very dense pellets. Any glue or additives are never used to make these pallets, so you get only natural wood for environment-friendly and perfect cooking.
I would like to share important news about the company Uuni. They have introduced a sustainability project and currently, they took it one step further. They have announced that they will plant a tree in exchange for each Uuni 3 and bags of pallets sold.
I want to talk about the chimney in this Uuni 3 pizza oven review. It has a new clip and you can easily take it off. As compared to the older version, this new version has only three legs. In my view, this does not make any difference, and you can easily put the Uuni portable pizza oven on uneven surfaces. It looks better in design though. You can fold the legs and keep them for storage or transportation. The oven body including the chimney is light and compact, so you can take it literally anywhere. For easy protection and carrying, I would recommend buying Uuni 3 cover bag.
Cover:
- Users of Uuni 3 will know it truly is portable so we created this perfect 2-in-1 cover/bag to maximise it's utility!
- This waterproof cover/bag has been life tested in Scotland - arguably one of the most demanding environments known to man.
- It has also been made from a durable PVC material, making it fit for both travel and storage.
The cover is the best way to protect your oven in storage or transportation. Uuni has designed covers for every model of oven. You may call it a cover or bag, but you always need to check if you are getting the right one for your oven. Here I am specifically talking about the cover for Uuni 3.There are different covers for Uuni 3, Uuni pro, and Uuni koda. The bag for Uuni 3 is weatherproof and carry bag unlike the other two. This bag allows you to cover it and keep in storage as well as take it outside as a handled bag.
What’s good about it?
- The first thing I would like to highlight in this Uuni pizza oven review is definitely its price. I mean I literally got this oven for around a tenth of what I would have paid for a regular wood-fired oven. I think it’s the best deal and alternative I could have for my little backyard;
- My pizza tastes really great. This oven comes with a cordierite baking stone, so it delivers pizza with crispy crust and base just the way I like it;
- You can also cook other food items easily with Uuni 3. You can search Uuni’s website to find out different delicious recipes to try out;
- I cook not only for myself but for family and friends too. I can easily build it or take it apart in merely a few minutes for storage or taking it to a friend’s house. The Uuni carry bag makes the oven movement hassle-free;
- The peel included in the kit is durable and helpful. It fits perfectly, and you don’t feel the need to use any other peel for this oven.
What’s not so good?
I would like to highlight a few things.
- I read few Uuni 3 pizza oven customer reviews online mentioning they were happily using it for a long time. However, the inside of the oven has got a bit sooty, and it might affect the pizza during cooking. Well, from my experience, this can only happen if you are using lots of pallets for burning and the oven has been in use for a long period of time;
- This oven can heat up to approximately 900°F. Many people told me that this is the strongest selling point of Uuni 3. However, a few friends mentioned it as a negative aspect, saying that it is a bit too hot for them. It would be difficult to regulate the heat of this oven, and you can only manage it through the amount of fuel it consumes. To resolve this issue, I suggest using a laser thermometer to check the temperature of the stone. If the oven’s temperature is very high, you need to be very careful. Don’t leave the pizza for a longer time as it will easily burn. You can also wait and check the temperature again. It is at a controllable level, then lift the pizza peel inside;
- The company should include pellets with the kit. This is just a suggestion as it would make a proper kit. You can easily buy them from Amazon (I have provided the link in this article).
Some tips and instructions
I am sure anyone can follow the Uuni 3 pizza oven instructions and light the oven. It would take very little time to light it up because it uses wood pellets. I would suggest using a blow torch to quickly get the oven started. You might be concerned about the fire. Don’t worry as it is the simplest wood-fired oven you can find, and its firebox and pallets control the fire really well. As you practice making pizza in this oven, you will learn about the hot and cold spots and how to rotate it to have the perfect crust every time.
A tip for beginners: you need to be careful as this oven has a rather uneven cooking surface. t is not very bad if I compare it with other cheaper ovens in the market. But few of my friends, who tried making pizza for the first time in their lives, have pointed out that the oven backside gets pretty hotter than its front. And it seems that the sides of the crust cook faster than the rest. Still, I think, with a little practice and experience, beginners won’t find it as an issue.
There is a pizza peel precisely built for this version. So use it to put the pizza inside, rotate and take it out. It would be better that you don’t try to go very near to avoid burning your bans and eyebrows, just use the peel for this oven to put the pizza inside. You don’t need to push the peel inside, just give it a slight shake and the pizza will be transferred to the oven floor.
Another thing to keep in mind is the temperature which can reach up to 932°F. Therefore, the pizza will cook quickly as compared to other ovens. You might need to slip the peel inside and rotate the pizza yourself to make sure all sides are cooked evenly. Use the peel again to lift and take the cooked pizza out of the oven.
How good is the price?
If I compare Uuni 3 version with others of the same brand, this is the least you can buy. This does not mean that it lacks something. Let me get straightforward here. Uuni 3 is a well-rounded oven. But if you are comparing it with Uuni Pro and Koda, you need to consider my suggestion. If you are looking to buy a portable oven that could take care of your oven need, you should buy Uuni 3. If you would like to buy a small and portable oven, then Uuni Koda is the best option. Lastly, if you want to buy a “complete” oven, then Uuni Pro is the answer. Out of all these three, Uuni 3 is the least expensive portable oven. As most Uuni pizza oven reviews may not specifically mention, Uuni 3 allows you to cook pizza at 13” in length which is good for small family gatherings.
If I compare Uuni3 with other brands in the market, I am sure you won’t be able to find an oven that can match its features and price. Uuni 3 was designed with portability kept in mind. You can easily separate the parts for transportation or storage.
Conclusion
I definitely recommend the Uuni wood pellet pizza oven as the best, durable, and versatile pizza portable oven you can buy. I have suggested this version to almost all my friends and family members. I really liked the fact that this is a complete combo: it is inexpensive, portable, and cooks tasty pizza in a wood oven style in just a few minutes. There were few things which were very important to discuss and I am sure I was able to solve your confusion.
Beginners might have some problems, but they can be fixed. By practicing and following Uuni 3 pizza oven instructions, everyone can cook and share happiness in the form of pizza. I am sure you will love the fact this portable oven has made cooking pizza in outdoor locations accessible and fun.
I am pretty excited to share my experience and will be waiting for your reviews. Let me know how you cook your pizza! Do you keep the base thin or not? And how are you making the most of your Uuni 3 oven? I will be happy to answer any questions you might have regarding cooking devices. I will be happy to share my knowledge (and recipes) with you.
