Black Friday’s still a few days out, but somebody forgot to tell Ooni. The cult-favorite pizza oven brand just slashed prices by 20% across basically their entire lineup, and people are already swarming the site like it’s the last slice at a party.

Here’s the thing about Ooni ovens – they’ve become this weird status symbol in backyard cooking circles. You know the type: the neighbor who suddenly becomes very passionate about properly charred leopard-spotted crusts and won’t shut up about hydration percentages. (Full disclosure: I might be that neighbor.)

But the hype isn’t totally unfounded. These portable pizza ovens actually deliver restaurant-quality results, hitting temps of 900°F and cooking pizzas in about 60 seconds. Which is either incredibly impressive or mildly terrifying, depending on how you feel about open flames in your backyard.

What’s Actually On Sale (And What You Should Know)

The discount applies to pretty much everything Ooni makes – from their entry-level gas models to the fancy wood-fired versions that make you feel like you’re running a tiny Neapolitan pizzeria. We’re talking the Koda, the Fyra, the Karu, and all their various iterations and accessories.

The Koda 12 is probably the sweet spot for most people. It runs on propane, heats up in about 15 minutes, and doesn’t require you to become an expert in fire management. At 20% off, it drops to around $320 (give or take, depending on when you’re reading this and whether retailers are playing games with the base price).

Gas vs. Wood vs. Multi-Fuel – Because It Actually Matters

This is where people get weirdly tribal. The wood-fired purists will tell you that you’re not making “real” pizza unless you’re feeding hardwood into the Fyra 12. The gas crowd – and I’m kind of in this camp – will tell you that convenience matters and propane gives you better temperature control anyway.

Then there’s the Karu, which basically says “why choose?” and lets you burn wood, charcoal, or gas depending on your mood. It’s more expensive, even with the discount, but it’s also kind of brilliant if you can’t decide what kind of pizza person you want to be.

• Koda (gas): Fastest heat-up time, most consistent results, zero romance but maximum practicality
• Fyra (wood pellets): Actual wood-fired flavor, requires more attention, makes you feel accomplished
• Karu (multi-fuel): Best of everything, costs more even on sale, probably worth it if you’re serious

The Real Cost Nobody Talks About

So yeah, the oven itself is 20% off. Great. But here’s where it gets interesting – and slightly expensive.

You’re gonna want a peel (the big paddle thing). Actually, you’ll probably want two – one for launching the pizza, one for turning it. Because trying to do both with one peel is how you end up with a folded disaster stuck to your oven floor. Ask me how I know.

The Accessory Spiral Is Real

Then there’s the turning peel, the infrared thermometer (because guessing at 900°F is a bad idea), maybe the carry bag if you’re planning to take this thing camping or to friends’ houses. Oh, and proper pizza-making ingredients – the good flour, the right mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes because apparently regular canned tomatoes are for peasants now.

Before you know it, you’ve spent another $200-300 on top of the oven. Which sounds insane until you remember that you were probably going to spend that on mediocre takeout pizza over the next few months anyway. The math sort of works out if you squint.

“The difference between a good homemade pizza and a great one often comes down to heat – and these ovens deliver heat that your kitchen oven literally cannot match.”

Is This Actually The Best Deal You’ll Find?

Probably? Ooni doesn’t discount their stuff that often. They’ll throw in free accessories sometimes or bundle deals during holidays, but a straight 20% off is pretty unusual. I checked last year’s Black Friday pricing (because I’m that person), and it was roughly the same – sometimes 15%, occasionally 25% on specific models.

The catch – and there’s always a catch – is that the sale’s happening now, before actual Black Friday. Which means you’ve got to decide whether to jump on this deal or gamble that something better appears next week. Personally, I think this is it. Ooni’s popular enough that they don’t need to race to the bottom on pricing, and 20% off their premium products is about as good as it gets.

The Timing Thing

Here’s something worth considering: if you order now, you’ll actually have the thing in time to practice before holiday gatherings. Getting it on Black Friday means it shows up mid-December, and your first attempt at making pizza for your in-laws becomes a high-pressure disaster. Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything.

Also – and this matters more than it should – having a pizza oven gives you an excuse to host things. “Hey, wanna come over for pizza?” is a much better invitation than “want to hang out and eat whatever’s in my fridge?” People show up for fresh pizza. It’s just science.

Who Should Actually Buy This Thing

Look, I’m not gonna tell you that everyone needs a $300-500 pizza oven in their life. That would be ridiculous. But if you’re already the kind of person who enjoys cooking, who gets weirdly excited about kitchen equipment, or who’s been threatening to “really get into” homemade pizza – this might be your moment.

The learning curve isn’t terrible. Your first few pizzas will probably be mediocre – maybe one side’s burnt while the other’s raw, maybe the dough sticks to the peel, maybe you open the bag of flour too aggressively and coat your entire kitchen in a fine white powder. (Hypothetically.) But by pizza number five or six, you’ll start getting it. And by pizza ten, you’ll be insufferable at parties, explaining to anyone who’ll listen why their oven can’t possibly make real pizza.

The sale runs through Cyber Monday, apparently, though I’d bet the most popular models sell out before then. They usually do. There’s something about a good deal on a pizza oven that brings out the impulse buyer in people – myself included, obviously, since I’m sitting here trying to justify why I need to upgrade the oven I already have.

Is it essential? No. Will it change your life? Probably not. But will it make you really happy on random Tuesday nights when you fire it up and make better pizza than anything you can order? Yeah, actually. It kind of will.