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Bertello vs Ooni: Deciding the Winner

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Many people have anxiously asked about my opinion regarding what to choose from Ooni and Bertello.

I have used ovens of both companies and also reviewed them in detail. Therefore, keeping in mind the concern of serious buyers, I have decided to give my detailed comparison on Ooni vs Bertello. My views may differ than others (but not majorly for sure).

Ooni Pizza Ovens

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So, here’s the thing. Ooni is a brand that has multiple outdoor pizza ovens while Bertello only has two outdoor pizza ovens (Bertello orginal or Bertello one and the other Bertello Grande) . Though, it’s not fair to compare a company such smaller and new as compared to Ooni, but still, Bertello has managed to catch the attention of many people.

I have updated the article to include Bertello Grande (recently introduced by Bertello) in the comparisons too. When this article was first published, Bertello didn’t come up with the Bertello Grande. I have tested and  reviewed the Bertello Grande in detail!

Invented by Mr.Eric Bert, Bertello may introduce new ovens to their product line which is quite expected. Though I’ll be comparing them generally, I’ll also be comparing each model of Ooni with Bertello. If you want the summary of this comparison, click here to skip to the last section.

infographic of comparison between ooni and bertello

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Build Quality

Both Ooni’s pizza ovens and the Bertello oven have great build quality. Except for Ooni’s two models that are Ooni Pro 16 and Ooni Karu 12, all models are made of powder-coated carbon steel. Anyhow, Ooni Karu 16 is made by using the combination of both the materials i.e powder-coated carbon steel and stainless steel. On the other hand, Bertello’s first model i.e Bertello 1 is composed of carbon steel while Bertello Grande is composed of sem-gloss hammered finish steel.

For insulation, both companies use a separate material. One material is used for giving strength while the other one for insulation.

Though this is a close one, I would give Ooni the win in this one.

infographic depicting build material comparison between ooni and bertello

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Portability

Generally, Ooni’s ovens that are capable of cooking 12′ pizzas weigh less than the Bertello 1 oven. However, Ooni’s ovens that cook 16″ pizzas are all light in weight than Bertello Grande pizza oven. But there is one major concern. Ooni’s ovens that are lighter than the Bertello 1 oven are either gas-powered ovens or have one major issue (related to chimney). Bertello and Ooni ovens cannot be connected directly to the natural gas pipelines, except for Ooni’s two models i.e Ooni Koda 16 and Ooni karu 16. Even for these, you will have to buy a separate conversion kit or a gas burner. So, this makes Ooni koda 16 and Ooni Karu 16 the only natural gas compatible pizza ovens when talking about Ooni vs Bertello.

For other propane gas ovens, a propane gas tank is needed. This increases the weight of the overall setup you’ll have to carry and, consequently, affecting the portability.

The Bertello 1 oven weighs 15 kg. However, you get the advantage of using wood/ charcoal to run it. You can use normal wood chunks; hardwood pellets are not necessary. That way, you can also save up on the space that would’ve been otherwise occupied by the pellets.

The Bertello Grande is heaviest amongst all and weighs 29.93 kg (almost 30 kg). That is quite some weight.

The Ooni Karu 12 and the Ooni Fyra 12 are both lighter than the Bertello 1. Now, some of you may be thinking that their big chimneys are a big turn-off. However, chimney of Ooni Fyra 12 and Ooni Karu 12 can be detached. So, it does not cause much trouble when carrying. However, cover of Ooni Karu 12 is designed such that it gets on the oven with the chimney attached. Weighing least as compared to Bertello and all Ooni ovens, Ooni Fyra 12 is the most portable oven, but another thing to remember here is that Ooni Fyra 12 is only a wood pellet fired oven.

So, if we consider all the factors combined and their trade-off on portability, Bertello 1 proves to be quite impressive. The balance between portability and cooking options give the Bertello 1 an edge, though it can cook 12″ pizzas only.

infographic of portability comparison between ooni and bertello

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Cooking Efficiency

This depends more on the fuel source than it does on the oven. Using gas will cook the pizza quicker while using wood will cook it slower. Ooni has gas-powered, wood-powered and multi-fuel ovens, so you can choose from them.

Bertello ovens are themselves all-in-one. You can use gas, wood or gas and wood. So, I can’t give a final verdict in this category.

Fuel Sources

Like I mentioned before, you can use both fuel sources with Bertello (even simultaneously). This is the most coolest feature introduced in Bertello 1 and Bertello Grande ovens that makes them hybrid pizza ovens. You can use gas to initially heat up the oven and then lower the gas flame and add wood pellets to introduce the woody flavour in the pizza. With Ooni, you have the option to choose from gas-powered, multi-fuel or wood-powered ones.

The Ooni Fyra 12 is a wood-powered, the Ooni Koda 12/16 a gas-powered and the Ooni Karu 12/16 a multi-fuel oven. The Bertello pizza ovens are the best of all worlds.

If you have a specific fuel source in mind (for example, you’re sure you’re going to use only gas), Ooni would be the better option. If you want to use multiple fuel sources (separately or at the same time), Bertello would be the better option.

infographic of fuel source comparison between ooni and bertello

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Accessories

With Bertello, you get a lot of different combinations to choose from. You can choose the combination according to your need. With Ooni, however, that is not the case. You’re limited with bundles.

However, when it comes to the number of accessories offered, Ooni leaves Bertello in the dust. Ooni has dozens of accessories that you can get (though they’re not exactly cheap). With the Ooni Pro 16, you get a bunch of accessories (like the Heat Resistant Gloves). With others, you’ll have to buy them yourself.

In terms of price and discounts (because of the bundles), Bertello wins. In terms of the number of accessories, Ooni wins by a large margin.

Pizza Sizes

With the Bertello 1 oven, you can only cook up to 12” pizzas in one go while with Bertello Grande, you can cook 16″ pizza in one go. You can cut a larger pizza into multiple pieces to cook in Bertello 1, but that isn’t exactly the best experience.

Ooni on the other hand also has few ovens that can cook 12″ pizzas and few that can cook upto 16″ pizzas.

The number at the end of Ooni oven’s model indicates the maximum pizza size that can be cooked in the oven.

infographic of pizza size comparison between ooni and bertello

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Cooking Experience

As I mentioned in the accessories part, Ooni has a lot more accessories than Bertello does. If you get even a few of them, the cooking experience is totally different; it’s a new thing. Though setting up Ooni’s oven can take up some time, the cooking experience is superior than when using the Bertello pizza oven.

Ooni is the winner here.

infographic of cooking experience of Ooni vs Bertello

Ease of Use

Once you get comfortable with the oven, using the Bertello is much easier than using any Ooni oven is. Bertello wins this one.

infographic ease of use comparison of Bertello oven vs Ooni Oven

Uniformity of Heat

With Ooni, the heat distribution is not that bad. With the Bertello, however, it is significant; it’s significant enough for one to easily notice the difference. As more and more time passes, the non-uniformity of the heat will only get worse.

Ooni’s ovens have a much better distribution of heat than Bertello’s ovens do. There’s no competition in this category. However, you might want to keep an eye out for Ooni Fyra 12 and other small hopper capacity ovens. You’ll have to replenish their fuel every now and then for consistent heat.

infographic uniformity of heat comparison of Bertello oven vs Ooni Oven

Learning Curve

Though Bertello ovens are easier to use than Ooni, it does take a lot of time getting used to. Especially for a beginner, it can take a while to get used to the Bertello ovens. For someone who’s just starting out, I would recommend you go with Ooni. Bertello has a steeper learning curve, so it’s a bit of a red flag for beginners.

Though Bertello is hard to learn, Ooni’s wood-powered ovens are no easy to manage. The gas burner for gas-powered ones make the job easier, but with the wood-powered ones, it can be quite hard to manage.

Pricing

If you compare the prices of Ooni’s models to that of the Bertello 1 oven, you’ll see a huge gap. Even if you look at accessories that are the same (like the covers), Ooni has much more expensive products (You’ll see why).

But if you compare Bertello Grande with the Ooni models, I feel like Bertello Grande is a bit over-priced. I think Ooni pro 16 will be more good option than Bertello Grande is, that too in cheap price and currently on sale (icing on the cake).

Interesting in buying Ooni pro 16? click the banner below.

Ooni Pro
infographic of price comparison between ooni and bertello

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Long-term Usage

You might be wondering, too: “How is there a huge price difference between the two?” Simple. Quality and lifespan.

Though the quality of all the ovens are comparable, the real difference is seen after around a year or so of usage. The maximum temperatures of the Bertello slowly start decreasing while the Ooni upholds its performance.

The decrease in performance can be minimized through regular maintenance. However, for the same amount of maintenance, Ooni’s ovens will last much longer than the Bertello oven will.

This is why the price of the Bertello is lower than those of Ooni’s products. If you actually calculate the long-term cost of the ovens, Ooni will turn out to be cheaper than Bertello (as Ooni lasts longer).

Ooni is the clear winner when it comes to long-term usage.

Customer Support

Though Bertello has good customer support, Ooni has better. It would be hard for me to declare one winner in this category. I’d say this one is a tie. The customer support of both companies is great and knowledgeable. You’ll get your issue resolved in a day or two max.

Price to Performance Ratio

Considering the Bertello ovens don’t last for that long, but they still are pretty cheap, I would say Ooni’s pizza ovens offer a better price to performance ratio than the Bertello does.

Here’s how to look at it. Let’s say the Bertello will last about a year while Ooni’s oven will last for 2 years. Obviously the Bertello does not cost half as much the Ooni does. Therefore, Ooni offers a much better price to performance ratio in the long run.

In the short term, you’re better off with the Bertello because of the low price tag.

Ooni Pizza Ovens

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Bottom Line

Here is a comprehensive overview of everything:

 

  Bertello Ooni
  Bertello 1 Pizza Oventransparent image of Napoli Bertello Bertello Grande Pizza OvenBertello Grande pizza oven with burning flames Ooni Karu 12transparent image of Ooni Karu 12 Ooni Koda 12transparent image of Ooni koda 12 Ooni Fyra 12Transparent image of Ooni Fyra 12 Ooni Karu 16Transparent image of Ooni karu 16 Ooni Koda 16transparent image of ooni koda 16 front side view Ooni Pro 16transparent image of Ooni pro 16
Portability Fairly Portable Heavy, not much Portable Light, fairly portable Light but propane tank Most Portable

(detachable chimney)

Heavy Heavy Light for a 16” pizza
weight 34.6 lb, 15.6 kg 66 lb, 29.93 kg 26.5 lb, 12.02 kg 20.4 lb, 9.25 kg 22 lb, 9.97 kg 62.6 lb, 28.39 kg 40.1 lb, 18.18kg 48.5 lb, 21.99 kg
Cooking Efficiency Dependent on fuel Dependent on fuel Dependent on fuel Dependent on fuel Dependent on fuel Dependent on fuel Dependent on fuel Dependent on fuel
Fuel Source Propane gas, wood or both Propane gas, wood or both Propane gas or wood Propane gas Wood Propane gas, natural gas or wood Propane gas or natural gas Propane gas or wood
Cooking Experience Decent Good Great Great Great Great Great Great
Ease of Use Hard for beginners Hard for beginners slightly hard on newbies A bit hard on newbies A bit hard on newbies A bit hard on newbies A bit hard on newbies A bit hard on newbies
Uniformity of Heat

 

 

Not great especially after some time almost okay Okay Okay Not great Okay Okay Okay
Long-term Usage Okay if cared Great Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent
Pricing Different combos. Most affordable starting at $344.99 $699.99 $399 $399 $349 $799 $599 $599

If you want to read the detailed review of any of the model mentioned above, click on the name of the respective model name and Bingo! Happy reading.

If you want to buy any oven, click on the respective image in the above comparison table to proceed buying.

I hope, this review is detailed enough to give you a better insight when choosing between two companies. For compiling this comparison, I also looked for multiple genuine user reviews by other people for these products.

So, considering and respecting every person’s opinion with my own experience, this review was compiled to help the ones that are looking to buy outdoor pizza ovens. Do comment below for your experiences.

Ooni Pizza Ovens

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K16 - US

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Comments (9)
  1. Shelley 3 years ago

    Great detailed review. Will you be updating to include the Bertello Grande 16”?

    Reply
    • Sherrer 3 years ago

      Thanks for the feedback. Means a lot. Yes, I will be reviewing Bertello Grande 16 soon!

      Reply
    • Sherrer 3 years ago

      Post has now been updated incorporating detailed comparison of Ooni and Bertllo pizza ovens including Bertello Grande 16.

      Reply
  2. Max 3 years ago

    Great review but honestly in my experience it’s not even close… the Ooni products are far superior.

    Reply
    • Sherrer 3 years ago

      Definitely max, Ooni is an old player in the game of outdoor pizza ovens and knows how and what to deliver at their best.

      Reply
  3. Indie 2 years ago

    Why is the Bertello Grande price so far off? They are listed on the website with a normal price of $549.99 and a current sale price of $494.99. Which puts them under any of the Ooni 16″ options even at regular price.

    Reply
    • Sherrer 2 years ago

      Hello Indie! Bertello is currently running August 2022 sale and is offering 10% off for all their products. Firstly, this is the reason that you have seen reduced prices on their site. Secondly, Ooni is a big player when it comes to outdoor pizza ovens and they spend a good time and resources in research and development to come out with a product that is cherished by pizza lovers and keeping the quality their top priority. So, a brand name plays a significant role here and also, you get to pay extra for the quality of the product.

      Reply
  4. Mel 2 years ago

    Curious about the difference in flavor between wood and gas (natural or propane). With either gas fuel, you won’t get the wood fired smoke in the pizza. If someone is looking for flavor and ease, would Bertello win (once you master the learning curve) due to the duel option??? Heat fast, add wood, reduce gas flame… I havent’ pulled the trigger yet. I do want the wood flavor, but not sure if it’s worth it. Do I start with Ooni propane and lose flavor or work on my skills with Bertello Grande? Thoughts?? Thank you

    Reply
    • Sherrer 2 years ago

      Yes, there is surely a difference in the flavor if we compare the two sources. But, this difference in flavor is more noticed by those who are extreme food critics. pizza cooked from gas as a source is also good and most people don’t feel any difference. So, if you want to get that extra bit of flavor that counts for you and as you mentioned that you are looking for flavor and ease, i would definitely say that go for Bertello. Exploit that simultaneous dual fuel option and get the best of the both worlds.

      Reply

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