the best portable pizza oven (2021)
The super easy to use Ooni KODA
SUPER POWERFUL ( 500℃ / 932℉ )
Amaze your friends with stunning stone-baked pizza – in just 60 seconds !
SUPER PORTABLE ( 9.25Kg / 20.4 Lbs)
Just flip the legs under and off you go. Think hand baggage !
SUPER CLEAN ( standard patio gas )
Being gas powered means no mess for you, and it’s way better for the environment !
For The most in depth review and buying guide
Jump to page contents for everything you need to know.
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The Ooni Koda 12 Gas Powered Pizza Oven.
Forged by experts, designed to elevate your back-yard.
AT HOME, OR IN THE PARK…
Forget restaurant pizzas, you could be impressing ( and feeding ! ) your friends this weekend.
Be the envy of your circle with this affordable, and luxurious cooking tool – it’s not just a great talking point.
everyone loves pizza
Catering for large groups can be a bit of a nightmare, can’t it?
You’ve got your vegetarians, your vegans, your pescatarians, your carnivores; your dairy intolerances, your gluten allergies, your shellfish allergies. The list goes on.
Pizza is the ultimate crowd-pleaser. Just alter the toppings – simple.
restaurant grade pizza, without the delivery
Decent restaurant-grade pizza for a family of four is likely to cost you in excess of £50 (at around £13 per pizza).
Sure, the unit-price for the Koda is fairly hefty, but think of the savings you’ll make in 1 year, let alone over the lifetime of the oven. Pizza ovens aren’t just for the summer, especially when you have the control of a gas-flame. Regardless of the wind or the rain, the Koda will turn out truly delectable foods for family gatherings.
No fuss, no mess
It’s so easy to clean up with the Koda. To clean the inside of the oven, just run it at the top temperature for 30mins and it will burn off any excess food. When it’s nice and cool again, just use a dry paper towel to clean it. For the outside you can use a damp cloth on a cool Koda, but then dry it again immediately with paper towels. No need for any products or abrasive materials.. just don’t !
For the baking stone, no need to clean at all ! The Koda does it for you. When it’s cooled down when you’re done, just turn the stone over and next time you cook, the oven will clean the underside by burning any food off. Simple !
PAGE CONTENTS
JUMP TO THESE SECTIONS
Benefits of owning a Koda
Winning features
How the Ooni Koda works
What the users say in reviews
Why we didn’t choose the competitor !
The Ooni brand – more than machines
Why every family could have a Koda
Video: out of the box easy, fast setup
What the experts say
Save money with the Koda
Top 3 reasons to buy it
Koda specifications
Kodas user tips
Our personal pros and cons
Frequently asked questions
Our top buying recommendations
Our conclusion
what it will do for you
Koda benefits
THE GOURMET’S CHOICE FOR SUPERB, VERSATILE, OUTDOOR COOKING
The rapid developments in this industry in the last year has meant that a lot of other information online is now out of date!
You can make a pizza of sorts in your home oven set to the highest temperature, but to make the best stone baked authentic Italian style pizza with those chargrilled edges that are crispy on the outside and still chewy on the inside… you need super high heat and a rapid bake on stone.
The Koda heats up rapidly, to 500℃ / 903℉ in just 15 minutes (traditional brick pizza ovens get to about 800℉), then you only need 60seconds to bake the pizza perfectly. So you can turn round pizza after pizza for a large party of people in no time !
be the envy of the crowd
We really love the funky, space-age design of the Koda – we think it’s almost impossible to fail to impress. And, once the oven has reached cooking temperature, you can turn out your amazing home-made pizzas in 60-seconds flat, meaning that you can feed a large crowd in next to no time.
part of the family
Because the Koda is so portable, it doesn’t need to stay at home.
Eat like kings at family barbeques, in the park, at the beach. Take the Koda with you on holiday and enjoy the best home-baked pizzas and deliciously griddled meats and fish in the sun with a glass of something cold and sociable.
feel better with fresh food
Once you have mastered the art of creating the best pizza dough, there will be no stopping you. Mixing, proving, and stretching your own dough is the most hands-on way of improving your connection to the food you share with your loved ones.
Incite your creativity with your own choice of traditional and exotic pizza toppings – from the finest buffalo mozzarella, the home-made pestos and tomato sauces, globe artichokes, fresh anchovies. Pizza offers the perfect platform for experimentation, bringing out the masterchef in the simplest of cooks.
great food is love
Show your family how much you value them in the traditional Italian way. Mediterranean families bond with their stomachs; bringing family together to feast on meals prepared with love and cooked in the most impressive home gadget you’re likely to own.
Make the meal the centrepoint of your social gathering, and make the cooking part of the ritual of sharing. Everyone will want a go at using the Koda.
Why we love the Ooni Brand
cooking with fire
Ooni’s Finnish founders Kristian Tapaninaho and Darina Garland have produced a fantastic recipe book called “Cooking with Fire” which contains a fascinating introduction that details Kristian and Darina’s passion for delivering great pizza to the masses.
The very thought of cooking with fire stirs up all our basic emotions of survival, and community, and share food.
It fits so well with our own ethos (i.e. mine and Paul’s), and our own daily mantra of eating well, cooking better, and living more.
(If you’re in a hurry, JUMP down the page to our top 3 model comparisons .)
ooni ethos
One of the things we find most attractive about Ooni is their commitment to the environment and the generosity with which they share they in-depth knowledge of everything pizza.
From the instruction manual to the help section on the OONI website,
you get the impression that Ooni are passionate about their products and about sharing their love for cooking the best pizzas in your back yard.
Ooni want to help everyone become the ultimate home pizza chef and have created their range of ovens, accessories, and easy-to-follow recipes to help everyone enjoy amazing home-cooked food.
ooni community
Ooni’s website contains a forum and community space where customers and Ooni staff share their comments and tips on how to get the best out of their Ooni ovens. They encourage users to share photos of their pizza creations and to share recipes and serving ideas.
Even though the Ooni Koda can make any type of pizza brilliantly, and is by far the easiest outdoor oven to setup, transport and use, it doesn’t affect the fact that with all pizza ovens there is a distinct learning curve to making the pizza.
Using Ooni’s forum and social media community pages will also be a great resource for help… with suggestions from adjusting the dough recipe to adjusting the temperature.
why koda is our winner
koda features
We chose the Koda model after much research and deliberation after checking out the pros and cons, the reviews and tests. We imagined it in all the scenarios, costs and lifestyles we could possibly wish for, and quizzed the Ooni staff in every way they offered.
We narrowed down the choices to 3, including the Ooni 3, a basic entry level model (note: this is now being phased out and replaced with the Ooni Frya which looks more like a koda style), and an all encompassing wishlist model (Ooni Pro), but neither of these hit the ideal choice for how we want to eat, cook, and live, as much as the koda.
We believe that the Koda offers the perfect balance of unit cost, versatility, portability, and ease of use ( not to mention style !)
take it anywhere
We love the portability of the Koda, and the ultimate control and convenience of a gas-flame. While the principal purpose of the Koda is to cook the most fantastic, stone-baked pizzas, we love the versatility of this particular piece of kit.
Even though the Koda is gas-flame powered, it’s not recommended for indoor use, but think of the fabulous parties you could have with this amazing, luxurious, outdoor oven.
At just over 20lbs (9.25kg), this is your ultimate party partner!
make more than pizza
This unit cooks the most amazing steaks – succulent and deliciously pink on the inside and beautifully charred under the unique L-shaped flame on the outside.
The mouth of the oven is 52cm (20.5inches) in width and 11.5cm (4.5inches) high at its widest point in the middle. The baking stone is 13.25sq inches. This means that the Koda will comfortably accommodate a 13in pizza, or you could get a couple of baking pans in the cavity to produce fabulous steaks along with roasted veggies.
If you want to make larger pizzas, then consider the Koda 16.
You’re also going to love the Koda for flatbreads. The stone-baking surface is perfect for creating the ultimate fluffy, light-as-a-feather flatbreads with a crispy exterior and a cloud-like doughy interior. Delicious!
cordierite baking stone
The stone baking board is made from cordierite stone which has amazing heat retention at a super-high heat. This ensures that your pizza crust is crisp and light, while the L-shaped gas flame will bubble the toppings to perfection.
The Koda stone baking board also bakes fish to perfection – just like it’s come off the barbeque. So, whatever your party guests demand, the Koda is likely to be the perfect outdoor oven.
easy as 1-2-3
We love how this unit is up and running in three easy steps: the first is unboxing, the second is unfolding the legs, the third is attaching the gas-bottle. It’s that easy to get started – no construction is required at all.
easy heat control
The semi-domed shell is fully insulated; designed to hold in heat, despite the open portal at the front of the oven. The insulation helps you achieve the perfect pizza cooking temperature (around 750ºF/400ºC) but is capable of achieving a mind-blowing 932ºF/500ºC.
You control the temperature from the gas-control knob at the back of the unit. Again, this is another of the features we’re just crazy about: the ability to control the heat. With BBQs and the wood-burning models in the Ooni range, a degree of temperature control is possible, but there’s no greater control than a gas-flame.
pizza party all year
The Koda heats up to the perfect temperature for your food regardless of the ambient temperature. In fact, Ooni have produced a video showing the Ooni Pro getting to cooking temperature in the midst of a snowy winter.
So, whether it’s sunny, windy, rainy, or snowing, you can still luxuriate in alfresco dining – regardless of the season.
no fuel wastage
Another of the features we absolutely love about the Koda is that you waste no fuel.
With combustible fuels such as wood and charcoal, you have to light the fuel, let it burn and reach temperature – but you do all this for just sixty-seconds of cooking.
Gas-powered flames can be switched off straight away – there’s none of the waste or mess after wood or charcoal flames which continue to burn after your cooking.
Gas, therefore, uses less of the world’s precious, natural resources. Gas produces considerably less carbon dioxide than charcoal.
gas portability
The gas terminal at the back of the unit is suitable for attaching a range of propane sources, including large patio gas bottles in 5kg+ containers. But if you’re traveling light, you’ll find that a smaller 1lb (0.45kg) camping gas bottle will provide up to an hour’s heat with your Koda.
Regardless of the gas bottle you decide to use, you’ll need the appropriate patio gas/camping gas regulator to attach it to the gas terminal. Watch the next video to see how easy Koda make it with the regulator.
Most patio gas bottles also come with regulators pre-attached, although if you want to use a smaller, camping gas bottle.you’ll need to buy an adapter like this.
It’s not just us that rate it so highly
Koda buyer reviews
Ooni Koda is a game changer
It’s a great little oven… sets up quick , 20mins to heat up and clean up is simple. No more messing around trying to get my bbq up to temp!
Pizza facenj REDDIT comment
Great little oven
It’s a great little oven which we have used for both pizza and bread so far. We have certainly learnt from our first mistakes – not to put too much filling on and nothing that can easily roll off as you slide the pizza into the oven! Use plenty of flour on the peel! We will also buy a turning peel so that we can turn the pizza or bread without having to take it out of the oven to do so. The bread was easier to bake and tasted lovely.
Yvonne P. OONI buyer review
Excellent, perfection made compact
It cooks a pizza in a minute. It works as well as any full size professional oven I’ve used and you can carry it in a bag. It takes less than an hour to cool down enough to be put away safely and takes no time at all to clean. Awesome bit of kit, my new pride and joy. Practice dough stretching to get it thin enough for the stone baked style of the oven. My first efforts were too thick and doughy but perseverance brings success!
Love it. The accessories that come with the bundle are great, especially the peel which really is vital, leave the pizza on the peel while cooking so you can whip it out every 20 seconds to turn it 120 degrees and you keep the stone clean. The pizza wheel is heavy duty too, the bag is great and secure for carrying. Propane or butane, no problem I took 2 minutes to change the regulator to suit my gas bottle (butane) and I was off! I spoke to my local pizzeria a couple of days before and got a dozen dough balls for £6. If you’re a novice, practice stretching dough and don’t be surprised when your first attempt comes out triangular, persevere!
Calum R. , OONI buyer review, Nov 2019
Question: ( GodisPizza Mar 2020)
“Thinking of getting one. Is it hard work to store and maintain and get up to heat, put away etc?”
Answer: ( DrivebyJustin Mar 2020)
“Let’s see…hard work? No, I wouldn’t say so. It’s not heavy and the legs fold up. No assembly/disassembly or anything. That said, the footprint of it is kind of big I guess. Probably need like 2’x3′ of shelf space in a garage or shed or something. Maintenance is zero. I just connect propane, heat for 20 or so minutes and cook. Put away next day. Any other questions let me know.”
Ooni Koda starter bundle
Very pleased with this purchase. The pizzas are amazing and even better than I imagined. 100% recommend. The Koda is compact and doesn’t take up to much room which is an added bonus. Good for Steak too..
Lee D. OONI buyer review, Dec 2019
See how easy it is to set up the Ooni Koda oven
So expert, and simple. It comes ready built. Take out of the box and just flip open the legs. No complicated light ritual either. Just attach the gas and start cooking.
And versatile too. Capable of way more than just pizza, the Koda, and OONI’s range of outdoor pizza ovens can cater to everybody’s palate.
Perfect for flatbreads,roasted vegetables, meat and steaks too.
At just 9.25kg, it’s so light and easy to store when you’re done. Under a bed… above a wardrobe ! It even has it’s own carrying bag.
how it works
koda functions
One of the most exciting things about the Koda is that it’s ready to use in three simple steps.
What’s in the box ?
* Fully insulated KODA shell to hold in the heat, with collapsable legs, and viewing hole to check when it is lit.
* Stone baking board 100% custom-made from cordierite stone
* Gas control knob for lighting Ooni Koda and adjusting flame output.
* Gas terminal for attaching your propane source.
setting up
The Koda offers its best performance when it’s sheltered from the wind. Set your Koda up at least one metre away from buildings and sheds, etc.
It’s best to set the Koda up on a sturdy wooden, metal, or stone table; glass or plastic tables might not do so well under the heat. ( Ooni even sell a table accessory if you want it !)
The legs flip in and out for easy set-up and storage. The legs are tipped with plastic to prevent table-top scratches and heat transferral.
attach the gas bottle
Attaching the gas bottle is really simple. The Koda works with standard propane tanks. You can usually get them in hardware / outdoor shops or at petrol / gas stations. The type you get depends on your region and regulator.
If you’re using a standard patio gas bottle, you’ll need a push-on gas regulator like this – basically the kind of attachment you would require for a standard gas barbeque.
Simply attach the hose to the Koda’s gas terminal pipe. Then, push the regulator attachment onto the gas bottle until it clicks. Once connected, just turn on the gas.
That’s it. No special skills required.
pre-heating
Preheating is simply a case of self-igniting the flame ( using the Piezo ignition sparker ), then running the flame for fifteen minutes to allow the oven and the baking stone to reach the appropriate temperature for your pizza: a blistering 500ºC/932ºF.
The heat dial control helps you regulate the temperature if you’re preheating the oven for other dishes.
COOKING your PIZZA
The Koda flame works brilliantly to cook your pizza perfectly on top and bottom at the same time.
Unlike some other ovens that provide the heat under the baking stone ( meaning it has to cook through from the bottom like on a griddle ), the koda flame is at the back. So it heats the stone first so the bottom of your pizza is perfectly cooked, and it roars in an arc over the top of your pizza during the cook, to make the perfectly cooked top, and bubbling chargrilled crusts.
extinguishing your koda
Just switch off the gas flame when you’ve finished cooking and detach the regulator from the gas bottle.
According to the Ooni manual, you should wait for at least one hour before moving or cleaning the Koda as the insulated body holds its heat incredibly well. Make sure the unit is dry and clean before you fold up the legs and store it until your next delicious outdoor feast.
storage
The unit is just under 6 inches in height when the legs are folded underneath, 24 inches long, and 14 inches in width. Depending on the design of your bed, it could easily fit underneath it for storage. The Koda is small enough to carry onboard a flight for hand luggage.
When storing the Koda, you should remove the stone baking tray and store it in the house.
carry case
The Ooni Koda Carry Cover is the best travel companion for your Koda. Waterproof and hard-wearing, it offers protection to the exterior and padded handles for easy carrying.
Take your Koda to wherever the pizza party is happening.
The competition… and Why we didn’t choose It
the main outdoor pizza oven competitor – Gozney Roccbox
– Has a larger opening, but only makes the same size pizza as the Koda
– Excellent pizzas too, but takes longer to heat up (over 30mins )
– Much, much more expensive
– Also runs on wood but no-one recommends using that part as it doesn’t work well ( for many reasons )
– It’s heavy ( like the Ooni Pro )
+ On the plus side it is more like a commercial oven and very well made. The pizza stone is held to the floor of the oven and the outside has a silicone cover designed to make it cooler to touch.
You might also have heard about this one too…
The Sage ( breville ) Smart Pizzaiola oven
To be fair it too is a brilliant pizza maker, but it’s only for indoors, looks like a microwave, and is even more expensive !
Expert opinions
What the reviewers think
From the reviewers that matter – the magazines, the influencers, and the experts.
So, what do the experts have to say about the Ooni Koda ?
“In a word, the Koda’s design is sexy. Yes, I just called a pizza oven sexy. The black powder-coated carbon-steel shell and silver aluminium-accented front reminded me of a sports car…. My first pizza of the season was a rousing success. It tasted fantastic!.. An outstanding pizza oven.”
8/10
top 3 reasons to buy
Why the ooni koda is the best portable pizza oven.
Hotter and faster than the other… it’s capable of way more than just pizza.. this outdoor oven can cater to everybody’s palate.
a crowd pleaser
The Ooni Koda is a clean living, clean looking piece of kit that suits everyone.
It has been adopted by singletons, couples, and families all over the world – from tiny backyards in soggy autumnal Yorkshire to Brooklyn rooftops overlooking the Empire State and the Statue of Liberty.
It’s not only the owners that get a kick out of this, but also the guests that get to share your delicious home cooked food.
foodie fun
If your passion is for scrumptious, home-baked food and have an adventurous spirit, then the Koda is your ideal foodie companion.
Make Neopolitan pizzas, or, thin and crispy bases at home, on the beach, in the park, or on your balcony.
The pizzas we buy are between 30 and 33cm ( 12-13inches, so the Koda 12 is perfect size for us. And we can try lots of variations.. every 60 seconds !
Want bigger pizzas / have more space…
Simple… just choose the bigger KODA 16
free and easy
It´s so portable and so easy to store too.
If you’re a minimalist, or space-poor, or love the freedom of less clutter around, then the Koda will most likely slip underneath your bed for easy, out of the way storage.
At the same time, it’s light enough to whip back out to cook up a feast for unexpected guests, or a spontaneous day trip.
The height of the unit with the legs folded underneath is 6 inches deep, 14 inches wide, and 24 inches long.
It’s still our best choice but…!
if you Want bigger pizzas, have more space…then choose the bigger KODA 16
Who would love the Ooni Koda ?
“every family should have one”
The Ooni Koda has been adopted by singletons, couples, and families all over the world – from tiny backyards in soggy autumnal Yorkshire to Brooklyn rooftops overlooking the Empire State and the Statue of Liberty.
If your passion is for scrumptious, home-baked food and have an adventurous spirit, then the Koda is your ideal foodie companion. Make Neopolitan pizzas or thin and crispy bases at home, on the beach, in the park, or on your balcony – the Koda is so portable and so easy to store that it’s perfect for anyone who just loves great food.
If you’re space-poor, then the Koda will most likely slip underneath your bed for easy storage. The height of the unit with the legs folded underneath is 6 inches deep, 14 inches wide, and 24 inches long.
bread makers & sourdough stars
If you love baking your own bread from scratch, then pizza dough is the natural progression. There’s nothing more relaxing than sieving and mixing high-quality 00 flour with freshly laid, organic, free-range eggs. Kneading the dough is any home-baker’s idea of a heavenly afternoon spent listening to the radio and relaxing between proves.
Sourdough produces perfect pizza bases. If you have the mother of all sourdough starters, try adding that to your dough mixture. There are plenty of online recipes to experiment with – why not set up your own development kitchen at home – finding the prime balance of ingredients for yourself.
food fanatics & italian lovers
If you live for great food, then you might spend a lot of time eating out. But you might not have bottomless pockets.
Which is where Ooni ovens come into play.
If you’re a genuine foodie, then you’re likely to accept nothing but the best. And there’s SO much bland, basic, and boring examples of Italian classics on supermarket shelves that it’s enough to break the will of anyone with high standards.
For true pizza connoisseurs now have the means to produce the most authentic stone-bakes pizzas that you’re likely to get at home.
Be in total control over every single stage of the cooking and baking process. And create pizzas that would make any Italian mama scream for more!
city dwellers & picnic lovers
The Ooni range of pizza ovens aren’t recommended for indoor cooking. However, the limited footprint of each of these ovens make them the consummate companion for baking and roasting on balconies and roof gardens.
What a way to create a memorable city-gathering with friends!
And because your Ooni is so portable, you’ll be able to store it away easily in most apartments – regardless of the limitations of your storage capacity.
Prepare your ingredients at home or on-the-fly. Enjoy the luxury of THE best picnic pizza you’re ever likely to devour. No more dried up, cardboardy pizzas wrapped up in clingfilm for you and your friends. The portability of the Koda and the ability to use small camping gas canisters makes this the ultimate gadget for aspirational living.
family gatherings & fussy eaters
There’s nothing like fabulous home-baked food to bring all sorts of families together. And the portability of the Ooni range makes them the first choice for anyone who wants an alternative to the old patio barbeque.
If you create the dough and the tomato-sauce, you can even get everyone else involved in the toppings, and make a truly bonding yet personalised experience.
Pizza is one of the most versatile of culinary delights and the ultimate choice for fussy eaters.
Once you have your dough and basic tomato sauce, the choice of toppings is almost endless – from meat and seafood to veggies and the cheese of your choice. Not everyone loves anchovies – just leave them out and replace them with something they do love.
home cooked vs. home heated pizza
Save money with a koda
Think about your standard, frozen, supermarket pizza. Even if it’s from a premium brand, the cooking time pretty much guarantees that the topping is cooked but the base is dry and unpleasant.
Your pizza sits in a moderate heat for up to 25 minutes, meaning that you end up with a relatively bland pizza that’s more redolent of a slice of cardboard than a deliciously crispy, luxurious and bouncy, pliable restaurant pizza.
There’s simply no comparison.
To get that perfect crispy base without killing the texture of the dough, cooking needs to be very fierce and incredibly brief.
Just sixty seconds under the intense heat created inside the Koda is enough to blister and raise the dough, while perfectly flame-baking the topping.
what does a pizza cost to make?
Of course, everyone has a slightly different pizza recipe, but this article from TheFrugalGirl gives a really useful run-down of the costs involved in making your own pizza dough and toppings.
Including power (she cooks in a traditional oven), she calculates that each pizza costs around $1.87 per pizza (that’s around £1.50 depending on the exchange rate).
Now, there’s no real equivalent to a home-made flame-cooked pizza in terms of frozen or supermarket pizzas, but if we were to compare:
Supermarket - fresh
A Tesco Stonebaked Pepperoni Pizza (280g) is £3.50, while a Tesco Finest Buffalo Mozzarella & Tomato pizza (420g) is £4.50. A Pizza Express Polla and Astra Pizza (280g) is £2.50.
Of course, there are others under £1 price range, but – for quality equivalence – we should probably discard those.
So, for a family of four at the highest price (of £4.50) per pizza would come in at £18 per meal (although, this is a larger pizza, so perhaps two could feed four – so let’s be generous and say £9).
At the lowest price (£2.50), four pizzas would come in at £10.
A family of four, using TheFrugalGirl’s recipe would cost around £6 (which is a saving of £12 at the most expensive end).
Takeaway / Delivery
Compare that with £6 for your home-made pizzas (according the TheFrugalGal’s recipe) and you’ve saved yourself a whopping £36.99.
We’re using Deliveroo for prices, here.
For a good quality, restaurant-grade pizza, you’re looking at:
Proove, Manchester – offering real Neopolitan wood-fired pizza, featuring the finest toppings.
Their pizzas range from £7.10 for a Marinara (vegan) to £13.80 for The Meat. Most of their offerings lay around £9-12.
Let’s take a mid-range at £10 per pizza. So, for a family of four, that’s £40. Deliveroo charge £2.99 for delivery, bringing the costs up to £42.99.
Compare that with £6 for your home-made pizzas (according the TheFrugalGal’s recipe) and you’ve saved yourself a whopping £36.99.
See the Ooni Koda 12 price today
( free 3 year warranty too )
using the ooni koda
warm up time
You should let the Koda run at full flame for fifteen minutes prior to cooking your very first pizza. This ensures that the stone reaches the perfect temperature to provide a superbly crispy crust.
If you’re cooking in cooler temperatures, you should add an extra 10 – 15 minutes to the warm up time. Either way, you can use the Ooni Infrared Thermometer gun or a similar product to check that the oven has reached the required temperature.
BEST ACCESSORIES
Ooni haven’t just thought of the fabulous aesthetics and practicalities, but they’ve created some premium accessories to go with the Koda.
The Ooni Infrared Thermometer gives you an instant temperature reading. Just aim the laser at the centre of the baking stone. Alternatively, the Sovarcate Infrared Thermometer will do the job perfectly. I want one of those anyway !
The Ooni peel is the tool to use to transfer the uncooked pizza from the kitchen to the baking stone. Once cooked, you use the peel to safely remove the pizza onto your plate. The Ooni Peel is designed for the Koda: the appropriate size for the oven. Look like a pro chef with your peel skills.
The Cast Iron griddle
The Koda is perfect for cooking meats, seafood, and veggies. The Ooni Cast Iron griddle is wonderful for searing meat, baking fish, and roasting juicy, perfectly charred vegetables. Designed to withstand the super-high temperatures with the Koda.
OONI RECIPES
The handbook that comes with the Koda is written in clear English and features a range of delicious and easy-to-follow recipe ideas, from a basic dough to a range of topping ideas.
Ooni’s basic pizza dough recipe creates a beautifully pliable, velvetine mix that’s ready for stretching and topping in around three hours if you’re in a hurry or in up to 72 hours if you’re prepared to wait. Of course, the 72-hour recipe is most likely to produce the best base.
The handbook includes a super-simple authentic, classic pizza sauce; rich in garlic and olive oil that would also be fabulous with gnocchi.
Once you have your prepared components, the rest is up to you, but the handbook offers a range of fantastically delectable topping ideas from Cayenne Spiced Shrimp to Pumpkin, Zucchini and Chill.
Yum!
The Ooni website has an entire section dedicated to the sharing of recipes for meat, fish, veggie, and barbeque-style pizzas. There’s also a great recipe for a gluten-free dough and some appetizing, exquisite-looking flatbreads.
Ooni Koda
our personal pros and cons
Pizza all year round
The Ooni range offers an alfresco eating experience regardless of the season.
The Koda’s open pillar-box portal makes it more susceptible to windy conditions, but if you choose a sheltered spot, it’s possible to use the Koda all year round.
The closed oven frontage of the Ooni 3 and the Pro make them more resilience to ambient winds. There’s even evidence that the Pro gets up to heat in 20 minutes even in the snow.
Faster than pizza delivery !
If you type in “what’s the average wait time for a delivery pizza?” you’ll find a range of answers, but the general consensus is 45 minutes.
The heat-up time for the Koda is around 15 minutes and the cooking time is just 60 seconds in the oven.
Of course, there’s all the prep to do first: making the dough and the sauce, chopping the toppings, etc, so maybe saying that the Koda provides a faster pizza that a delivery service isn’t entirely accurate.
Let’s face it – delivery pizza is convenient and usually quick – but there’s no comparison with a pizza prepared from first principles in your very own kitchen. Leave the deliveries for the Average Joe, the Ooni ovens are for people who like to get hands-on.
And they’d still beat the delivery person!
Simple storage
With the feet folded underneath for storage, the Koda sits at around 6 inches in height. Just as a reference guide, the standard height for a bed is around 25 inches, and most beds have enough space underneath them to store the Koda.
More than just pizza !
The Ooni range of ovens bake the best, restaurant-grade pizzas you’re likely to ever make, but – when paired with some of Ooni’s accessories such as the griddle pan – you get perfectly seared steaks and meats, as well as fantastically charred fish, seafood, and veggies. And the baking stone is perfect for flatbreads, so there’s something for most appetites.
Trial & Error
This isn’t particularly a fault of the oven, but it can take a couple of attempts to learn some of the skills required to make the perfect pizza.
The dough needs to be the right consistency – not too wet or dry. If you follow the recipe instructions bundled in with the Koda, you’ll get a beautifully silky dough every time. Alternatively, there are loads of helpful videos on the best pizza dough recipes and techniques through Ooni and it’s community once you have one.
You need to develop some peel skills to get the pizza off the peel and onto the baking stone. And you need to experiment to get the right level of cooking for your personal taste.
But that’s what these bits of kit are for, isn’t it? Whichever of the Ooni ovens you choose, you’ll be learning a new skill; creating gourmet pizzas and dishes that can show-off your culinary talents.
You’re not after the ease of the frozen pizza if you’re interested in a pizza oven. You’re looking for an experience and a skill that you can develop and share with friends and family. You’re playing with fire and creating superb, bespoke meals that you’re going to be proud of.
Pizza size
The Koda and the Ooni 3 will cook a pizza of up to 12 inches.
That’s fine for most of us, but if you’re looking for a larger pizza, then the Koda 16 or the Pro should be your choice.
Pricey
Sure, these products are pricey, but the Ooni ovens are pretty competitive if you look for equivalent alternatives from other manufacturers.
Of course, there are cheaper pizza ovens on the market, but you do, of course, pay for quality. You’ll find that the standard of the build for the Koda is second-to-none. It just feels like a well-constructed piece of kit. So, you do get what you pay for.
Oh, and we also think it’s worth it for the versatility, the convenient, and the WOW factor that comes with the Koda and its family of ovens.
Frequently asked questions
Specific Ooni Koda FAQs
Here’s a list of frequently asked questions, and a lot of Q&A we had ourselves with the Ooni staff !
ARE ALL OVENS HOT TO THE TOUCH DURING / AFTER COOKING ?
Yes – like a traditional barbeque, all Ooni ovens get hot and should be allowed to cool down before you move them after use. Again, I had read that you can touch it, but wanted to be sure. So here’s the low down… The body contains insulation which keeps the cavity hot – it will take around an hour to cool down (depending on the ambient temperature). You shouldn’t try to move it when it’s hot – that will be dangerous.
Can you use any Ooni ovens inside?
No. All Ooni ovens are designed strictly for outdoor use only; even when gas-powered. I know you’ll see it written in other places that you can, but just to be sure of the official line we asked 3 Ooni staff Ooni… 3 times… in 3 different ways ! These guys are nice and consistent.
Which other foods can you cook in the various Ooni ovens?
All Ooni ovens are capable of cooking virtually all foods. The gas-powered ovens have the option of cooking low and slow, as the super-high temperature for baking pizza isn’t suitable for all meals. Cook delicious steaks and fish in the Ooni Grizzler Pan or grill and roast seafood and veggies on baking sheets.
What are the key differences between the Koda and the Ooni Pro?
What does the patented Flamekeeper technology do?
We’ve seen this word bandied about so it’s worth explaining. All Ooni ovens are built for optimum heat retention and efficiency. The Ooni Flamekeeper technology helps redirect the flame back towards the stone before it leaves the oven, helping the baking stone reach super-high temperatures quickly and efficiently.
Can I use charcoal with the Ooni 3?
Which fuels can I use for the Ooni Pro?
The Ooni Pro is multi-fuel compatible. You can cook with wood logs (kindling), charcoal, or gas (but you’ll need the gas burner accessory). Check out this video to see how easy it can be to light charcoal and kindling with the Pro
What type of gas can I use to power my Ooni oven?
How long does a 1lb propane camping gas bottle last?
A 1lb propane camping gas bottle provides around an hour of super-high heat. You may require an additional gas tank adaptor.
My camping gas bottle says that it’s a butane/propane mix. Is that safe to use with my Koda?
Yes. Butane/propane mix is certified for use with Ooni gas products.
product comparison
Ooni pro – Key facts
from: Ooni
Portability
This super-stylish grandaddy of the Ooni family resembles the Ooni 3 in terms of aesthetics, with a much larger cooking cavity. Of course, with greater size comes *some* drawbacks in terms of portability in comparison with its smaller models.
At 74x49x79cm, this is quite a hefty piece of kit, with an unboxed weight of 26kg. That – in itself – doesn’t make it a non-starter for those who want to show their Ooni Pro off at garden parties across the land, but it certainly is a consideration.
But, if you want the ultimate in cooking versatility and capacity, then the Ooni Pro is for you. Nonetheless, the Pro remains a great choice for impressive outdoor feasts with friends and family.
Fuel
The Ooni Pro is a triple winner in terms of fuels for flavour. Use wood (for high temperatures), charcoal (for that familiar BBQ charring, or gas (for ultimate temperature control.
The Pro is natively designed for wood or charcoal use. Because the unit is larger, it takes slightly longer to get the oven to the appropriate cooking temperature – but it’s still ready in twenty minutes, which still beats most barbeques.
The gas adapter is around £70 on top of the unit price.
Thermometer
The Pro comes with a reliable, built-in thermometer on the front door of the unit which is a feature none of the other ovens have. This makes it easy to tell when the oven has reached the appropriate cooking temperature.
Versatility
Cook a pizza of up to 16inches in just 60-seconds, or flame-cook your epic feast of meats, fish, veggies, flatbreads and practically anything else you might consider barbeque-friendly.
The cooking cavity is even large enough for roasting joints of meat. Imagine scrumptious, unctuously charred roast beef, pork, chicken or lamb, to share at the outdoor table for an alfresco meal that everyone is going to remember.
let’s summarise
WHICH Ooni SHOULD YOU BUY
There’s an Ooni oven for everyone, it seems. ( Check out Ooni´s own home page if you like ). All Ooni ovens reach 932°F (500°C) and cook the pizza in 60seconds. They all cook the same food, the main differences are the fuel types, the look or style, the size & weight, the time to heat up, and the size of the opening.
If you’re the type who finds lighting combustible fuel a pain, then the gas-powered flame is ideal for you. Gas-flame cooking creates considerably fewer emissions than wood- or charcoal burning, so the Koda is ideal for anyone aiming to reduce their carbon footprint.
The Koda (and the Koda 16) are the only gas-only ovens in the range, so if you just want the ability to light up and get cooking at the drop of a hat, these are the items for you. The Pro and the Ooni 3 are both capable of gas-flame cooking but they need an additional adaptor to make this possible. The Karu is the same stylish design as the Koda, but is designed for real wood and charcoal primarily ( and not wood pellets) but you can buy a gas attachment for it.
If you’re looking for that authentic wood-flame smokiness, then the Ooni 3 is probably your best choice. If you have deeper pockets, the Pro gives you the most choice in terms of fuel.
For us …
The Ooni Koda hits the spot. We love it so much, and we hope that you’ll love it too.
The Ooni range caters to every pocket and those who wish to try different fuel types.
our Top 3 recommendations
entry level choice
OONI Frya
The Ooni Frya is all about portability and affordability. For those who prefer wood pellet cooking.
The Frya is the new successor to the Ooni 3 ( the first entry-level unit which is now no longer being made.) It comes with the new look ( like the Koda ), and lots more improvements like a taller hopper for more fuel, and lighter at 10kg (22lbs), and is perfect for baking yoru first 12 inch pizza. Click straight through to this new and improved model in the button below.
ideal choice
Ooni Koda
The Koda is gas-powered, comes ready constructed, and is built from an insulated steel shell. The stone baking board offers optimal heat retention: ready to cook in 10-15 minutes. Perfect for pizzas of up to 13 inches in diameter (12 ” is best). At just 9.25kg, the Koda is the ultimate in portability – just imagine rocking up at a garden party with this little beauty under your arm !
oONI KODA 16
Upgrade if you want bigger pizzas, and have deeper pockets and a bigger storage area.
It includes all of the great features of the Koda, but is larger: capable of baking an epic 16 inch pizza. The larger cooking cavity is perfect for scrumptious steaks, fantastic fish, and super-succelent roasted veggies. The baking board is built from cordierite stone for optimal heat retention, and the large baking cavity produces an innovative L-shaped flame – designed to flame-cook without singeing. The Koda 16 is ready to cook it’s 60 second in 20 minutes.
wish list choice
ooni Pro
The Ooni Pro is the Ferrari of the Ooni range, with a larger cooking cavity and the ability to choose wood, charcoal, or gas fuel.
The Ooni Pro is designed for gourmets who want the convenience of a gas-flame, but the option of wood (real wood !), and charcoal heat whenever they want it.
Wood-burning is considered by some to be THE way to create an authentic restaurant pizza, so the Ooni Pro has been developed for wood, pellets, charcoal or gas.
The Pro can accommodate a pizza of up to 16 inches, with a 20-minute heat-up time. At 26kg, it’s heavier than the Koda and the Koda 16, but is still portable enough to take out on trips with friends.
Outdoor cooking on the beach, in the park, or in the intimacy of your own garden: powered by a range of fuels for ultimate control and maximum fun. (NOTE that the gas burner is sold separately).
Buy the best portable pizza oven today
We also love the fact that the Koda is more than just a pizza oven. It cooks meats to perfection, and produces deliciously barbeque-like fish and seafood. The roasted vegetables come out delectably caramelised, with all the sweetness that comes from roasting under a high heat.
The portability of the Koda is one of our favourite features, making it the ideal model if you’re looking to take it out on the road with you. If you use a patio gas bottle, that’s quite a drag and can be heavy to transport. But (with an adaptor) it’s possible to use camping gas (propane, not natural gas) which is a really unique feature.
The Koda is the perfect combination of convenience and hand-ons appeal. It gives you a unique opportunity to demonstrate your love and culinary skills to friends and family; offering home-made gourmet food that they’re going to remember (and keep coming back for).
The Koda helps you create unique pizzas and meals that everyone will love, allowing you to cater for larger groups once the oven has reached temperature. You could have a pizza party, allowing everyone to choose their own toppings; the pizza takes just 60 seconds to cook, so no-one will be left waiting for long.
The Koda is perfect for the back yard, the garden party, the park, the beach, the caravan; basically wherever you feel the need to spark up a flame and get creative while showing off your culinary talents.
Paul and Aoibheann
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