Ooni Volt 12
Introductory price €899
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Ooni was born in 2013 with the desire to share his taste for well-cooked pizza. A first domestic oven was then launched on Kickstarter. 10 years later, the Scottish firm (and not Italian, as one might expect) has come a long way, so much so that it has decided to do without a fundraising campaign to launch its latest models. A new stage in the company’s development since, of the two models concerned, the Volt 12 is the first to run on electricity. It can thus be used without fear indoors, unlike the second. The Karu 12G is a multi-fuel model (gas, wood or pellets) which is not completely new, but an improved version of the Karu 12 (with a door in particular).
1600 W to heat up to 450°C
A well-done pizza is a pizza that has not been cooked for a long time, but at a very high temperature. The Volt 12 thus promises to raise it to 450°C. This is barely less than the 500°C promised by gas and wood ovens of the same brand, and a little more than the 400°C of its main competitor in the electric segment: the Smart Oven Pizzaiolo from Wise. In addition, Ooni’s new oven promises to consume less energy than the latter. If it also relies on two resistors, base and vault, the total power is announced at 1600 W, against 1890 to 2250 W at Sage.
The Volt is also presented as the most energy-efficient oven from Ooni, which has gone so far as to calculate the electricity needed to cook a pizza in it: 0.095 to 0.160 kWh. However, this estimate should be taken with a grain of salt, as it includes 20 minutes of preheating and depends on the number of pizzas to which it is reported. We note in any case that it takes a little longer for the Volt to preheat than for the wood and gas models of the brand (15 min), as for cooking pizzas. Count 90 s against 60 s, again according to Ooni’s estimates. This remains much faster than in a conventional domestic oven, often limited to 300 or even 250°C.
In addition, the Volt 12 incorporates a cordierite cooking stone which stores heat to cook the dough well, but also to limit the drop in temperature when the door is opened. It does not offer a large volume. Its cavity is not very high and designed, as the name suggests, to cook pizzas with a maximum diameter of 12 inches, or about 30 cm. It is therefore barely wider (33 cm). Perhaps we can wait for a 16-inch version later, as found in the Karu and Koda ranges, although this seems unlikely given the size.
Safer and easier to use
The Volt 12 is indeed much larger than the other 12-inch models from the manufacturer, who no doubt preferred to see large to properly insulate the cooking chamber and secure its indoor use. Ooni also offers an automatic shutdown after 45 minutes of use, and we will add that the Volt is also distinguished by its ease of use. To turn it on, simply plug it into a power outlet, press a button and turn others. Ooni has provided a knob for the timer, another for the temperature and a final one to distribute the heat between the top and the bottom. Presets are offered for different types of pizza, as well as a Boost mode to allow a quick return to 450 ° C after taking out one.
At the launch event, we got to see the Volt 12 in action with this Boost mode, which we felt was almost too effective since a large portion of the pizzas came out burnt on the underside. It must be recognized that the dough had risen very well on the edges. We can therefore hope for beautiful pizzas with this new oven and better control of the settings, but it is certainly not within reach of all budgets.
The Volt 12 was launched at a price of €899 and no accessories are included. It is the most expensive of the Ooni ovens and is positioned above the Sage electric oven.