Updated 8 May 2026
Multi-Fuel vs Gas-Only Pizza Ovens — When Fuel Flexibility Matters
Multi-fuel pizza ovens cost roughly 10-25% more than their gas-only siblings — but they're not always worth the premium. The decision rides on one question: how often will you actually run wood or charcoal? If the honest answer is "twice a year at the family cookout," you're paying $100-300 for a feature that mostly sits unused. If the answer is "every weekend cook," multi-fuel is the obvious pick.
This guide separates the multi-fuel ovens from the gas-only ones in our database, lays out the honest cost-of-fuel-flexibility math, and tells you which class fits which buyer profile.
What "multi-fuel" actually means
In this category the term covers any oven that supports two or more primary fuel types — typically gas plus wood, sometimes gas plus charcoal, and on a few flagship units all three. The Ooni Karu line, Gozney Roccbox, Bertello SimulFIRE, and Gozney Dome (Gen 2) are the most common multi-fuel options. The Solo Stove Pi is multi-fuel-capable but ships wood-only by default; the gas burner is a separate accessory.
"Multi-fuel" is not the same as simultaneous fuel. The Bertello SimulFIRE — its name nods at this — runs gas and wood at the same time, which is unusual. Most multi-fuel ovens require swapping the burner between cooks: drain the propane line, install the wood tray, light wood, get to temp.
The multi-fuel ovens in our database
| Oven | Fuels | Max temp | Stone | Weight | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ooni Karu 2 (formerly Karu 12G) | Wood + Charcoal + Gas | 950°F | 13.3" | 33.6 lbs | $449 |
| Ooni Karu 2 Pro (formerly Karu 16) | Wood + Charcoal + Gas | 950°F | 17" | 62.6 lbs | $849 |
| Ooni Karu 12 (1st Gen) | Wood + Charcoal + Gas | 950°F | 13" | 26.5 lbs | $349 |
| Gozney Roccbox | Gas + Wood | 950°F | 13.5" | 44 lbs | $499.99 |
| Bertello SimulFIRE 12" Outdoor Pizza Oven | Wood + Charcoal + Gas | 900°F | 12.4" | 41.9 lbs | $449 |
| Bertello Grande 16" | Wood + Gas | 900°F | 16" | 66 lbs | $749 |
| Solo Stove Pi | Wood + Gas | 850°F | 13" | 30.5 lbs | $524.99 |
| Gozney Dome (Gen 2) | Wood + Charcoal + Gas | 950°F | 23.8" | 136.7 lbs | $2299.99 |
The gas-only counterparts
| Oven | Fuels | Max temp | Stone | Weight | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ooni Koda 12 (1st Gen) | Gas | 950°F | 13" | 20.2 lbs | $399 |
| Ooni Koda 16 (1st Gen) | Gas | 950°F | 16.5" | 40.1 lbs | $649 |
| Ooni Koda 2 (14") | Gas | 950°F | 14" | 35.27 lbs | $499 |
| Ooni Koda 2 Pro (18") | Gas | 950°F | 18" | 66 lbs | $799 |
| Gozney Arc | Gas | 950°F | 14" | 47.5 lbs | $799.99 |
| Gozney Arc XL | Gas | 950°F | 16" | 58.5 lbs | $999.99 |
| Gozney Tread | Gas | 950°F | 12" | 29.7 lbs | $499.99 |
| Halo Versa 16 | Gas | 950°F | 16" | 43.21 lbs | $599.99 |
The honest case for gas-only
Gas-only ovens dominate this category for one reason: they're easier to live with. Push-button ignition, dial-controlled flame, predictable preheat time, no logs to source, no ash to clean. For weeknight pizza — the kind you cook on a Tuesday after work because you've got dough in the fridge — gas-only is decisively the right pick.
Gas also runs cheaper per session. A 20-lb propane tank costs ~$20 and runs 8-12 cooking sessions, putting per-session fuel cost at $1.50-2.50. Premium hardwood logs (oak, cherry, hickory) run $5-15 per session, and you'll burn through them faster than you expect during longer entertaining cooks.
The Ooni Koda 16 (1st Gen) ($649) is the canonical "gas-only is enough" pick — 16-inch stone, 950°F, ~2-minute recovery between pies, and roughly $250 cheaper than the comparable multi-fuel Ooni Karu 2 Pro (formerly Karu 16) ($849).
The honest case for multi-fuel
Wood-fired pizza is genuinely different. The aromatics from oak, cherry, or apple wood permeate the cornicione in a way a gas flame can't replicate. For pizza enthusiasts running long entertaining cooks on weekends — or for anyone who treats outdoor cooking as a hobby rather than a meal-delivery system — the smoke contribution is the whole point.
Multi-fuel ovens also future-proof the purchase. A buyer who starts with gas-only convenience and later wants to try wood-fired has to buy a second oven; a multi-fuel buyer just changes the burner. The Ooni Karu line and Gozney Roccbox are the canonical multi-fuel picks because they let buyers shift their fuel preference over time without re-spending.
The Ooni Karu 2 (formerly Karu 12G) ($449) is the price-leader in the multi-fuel segment — gas, wood, and charcoal all supported in a 27-lb portable form factor.
The simultaneous-fuel oddity
The Bertello SimulFIRE 12" is the only oven in the database that runs gas and wood at the same time during a single cook. The use case: gas for steady base heat, wood for top-down smoke aromatics. It's a niche feature that splits the difference between "pure gas convenience" and "pure wood authenticity" — useful if you genuinely want both during one session, irrelevant if you don't.
Cost math: is the multi-fuel premium worth it?
The cleanest comparison is within the Ooni line. The Koda 12 (gas-only, $399) and the Karu 12 (multi-fuel, $349-449 depending on accessories) sit at almost identical price points on the same chassis class. The Karu 16 / Karu 2 Pro multi-fuel sits at $849; the Koda 16 gas-only sits at $649 — a $200 multi-fuel premium for the larger format.
Decision rule: if you'll cook with wood or charcoal more than 20% of the time over a 3-year ownership window, the $200 premium pays back in fuel-flexibility value. If wood is a "maybe someday" feature, save the $200 and put it toward a better stand, oven cover, or pizza peel.
Decision matrix
| If you... | Pick |
|---|---|
| Want pizza on Tuesday night with no setup | Gas-only — Ooni Koda or Gozney Arc |
| Cook outdoors as a weekend hobby | Multi-fuel — Ooni Karu line or Gozney Roccbox |
| Host 8-15 people regularly | Either — Koda 16 (gas) or Karu 16/Karu 2 Pro (multi-fuel) |
| Want to change fuel preference later | Multi-fuel — preserves optionality |
| Live in an apartment / HOA-restricted | Electric (Volt 2) — gas/wood ruled out |
| Want simultaneous gas + wood | Bertello SimulFIRE 12" |
| Just want to make great pizza fast | Gas-only — the convenience case is real |
FAQ
Can I convert a gas-only oven to multi-fuel later?
Generally no. The chimney design, burner placement, and fuel-tray geometry are different on multi-fuel chassis. The exceptions are a handful of accessory kits — Ooni's optional gas burner for the Karu 12 (now Karu 2), and Solo Stove's gas accessory for the Pi. These are designed-in conversion paths, not retrofits.
Does wood actually taste different than gas?
Yes — but the difference is more pronounced on lower-temperature, longer cooks (NY-style at 700°F for 4 minutes) than on Neapolitan-style cooks (90 seconds at 950°F). At Neapolitan speeds the smoke barely has time to penetrate the crust.
Is charcoal a meaningful third fuel?
Charcoal sits between gas and wood in convenience and flavour. Lump hardwood charcoal (not briquettes) gives smoke aromatics close to wood with simpler tending — once it's lit, it stays at temperature without the constant log-feeding wood demands. The Karu line and Bertello SimulFIRE both support charcoal officially.
Why isn't pellet considered "multi-fuel"?
Pellets are a wood-derivative in this context — the Ooni Fyra 12 is wood-only, fed via pellets for auto-feed convenience. Pellets aren't a separate fuel class; they're a delivery mechanism for wood combustion.
Use the tools
- Pizza Throughput Calculator — match ovens to your party size
- Neapolitan Fit Checker — confirm stone size for your target dough
Related reading
- Best Portable Pizza Ovens — 2026 Spec-Tier List
- Ooni vs Gozney — Spec Comparison Across 5 Pairings
- What Makes a Pizza Oven "Neapolitan"?
- Browse all oven spec profiles
Sources: Manufacturer spec sheets cited in /data/ovens.json.