Ooni Koda 12 Gas Pizza Oven Review (Testing + Comparison)

Formerly known as Uuni, Ooni. They realized their name was pronounced differently everywhere and changed the spelling. This issue was resolved by changing it to “Ooni,” which corresponds to the phonetic spelling. Since its founding in 2012, this company has produced several high-quality goods. Among customers, the Ooni Koda 12 Pizza Oven is a favorite. Customers may select between the 12 or 16 items. What’s the distinction? This comparison review will cover this topic and others.

It should not be surprising that the Ooni Koda has a price tag commensurate with its quality, mainly because it has a fair flagship design. The BakerStone Original will be an excellent option if the price puts you off.

Despite not being as portable as the Koda, this oven is far more inexpensive and performed a little better in our tests. It is a smart option for those who wish to complete their collection of cooking utensils without spending a fortune.

Ooni Koda 12 Gas Pizza Oven

The Ooni Koda 12 is our top option for quick and enjoyable Friday night pizzas, make-your-own parties, and everything in between. It is solid and sturdy enough to use frequently in your backyard but tiny and lightweight enough to be considered portable easily.

The 12-inch size will be sufficient for most persons and families. Pizzas made from one batch of dough should serve up to 4 adults and three children. But you can always make extra cash if you’re serving more people.

You won’t get that wood-fired flavor with gas. However, with a 60-second cook time, the other Ooni models don’t produce much smoke. You’ll need to get a pizza peel to launch and remove your pizzas. Additionally, a rotating peel is strongly advised. However, that is all the equipment you need. The Ooni Koda 12 is perfect for anyone wishing to produce delicious pizza effortlessly.

Construction And Build Quality

Commercial-grade, cold-rolled, powder-coated carbon stainless steel is used to make the Ooni Koda 12. The shell is insulated to lessen heat loss and lower fuel consumption. The dough is cooked from the bottom on a 10mm cordierite pizza stone snugly tucked inside.

The Koda feels extremely high-quality right out of the package. It’s beautifully put together, and because of its sophisticated yet understated appearance, it would look just as fine on a picnic table next to your RV as in a luxurious, planted backyard. After some thought, it makes sense. The functional components are in the back. The object must, however, be seated at a table of a reasonable size.

We’ll also mention that the Ooni Koda 12 lacks a door, in contrast to the Ooni Fyra and Karu. The propane is powerful enough to keep the oven running at its extremely high temperature without worrying about heat loss through the door. You’re not replacing a door in the middle of cooking, which makes things even simpler for you. Additionally, it’s simple to observe how cooked your pizza is.

Capacity

The Koda 12 is the smallest of the two gas-powered pizza ovens offered by Ooni (the 16″ model is also available). And, as you might assume, you can use it for cooking 12-inch pizzas. I wasn’t sure if it would be big enough to feed many people, let alone my big family.

Although everyone enjoys picking their toppings, the 12-inch size does make good individual-adult-sized pizzas that fit on a large dinner dish. A pizza may be prepared in about 60–90 seconds on the Koda. Therefore, even if you make more and smaller pizzas, you won’t have to stay there all night. Ooni’s fast dough recipe, which yields 5–6 12′′ pizza doughs, is what we often use. We can feed four adults and three children with it.

Of course, appetite will determine how many people you can feed with that. If you’re preparing a small group, you can always prepare a second or third batch of dough.

Portability

The Ooni Koda 12’s ease of portability is yet another fantastic feature. Detach the gas bottle, fold the legs, and put the unit in your vehicle, RV, or car. Take it camping, to the seaside, to a friend’s house, or even to a football game.

Moving the entire device is not difficult because it is just about 24 inches long and weighs around 20 pounds. There is also no chimney to remove, unlike the Ooni Karu and Fyra. You can connect your Ooni Koda 12 to a little 1-pound propane tank.

The Koda’s exterior is robust enough to survive some wear and tear from life on the road. But you may get the carry cover if you want that added layer of security. It is watertight, features soft handles for comfort, and has a hook for your gas regulator so you may use it while moving the oven.

Editors Rating

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Testing

It can be challenging to manage the oven’s uneven heat distribution because the back of the oven becomes much hotter than the front, so you have to rotate the pizzas every 15 to 30 seconds at a high-temperature setting—or at the very least, keep an eye on them. It’s advisable to avoid going too far back because of the intense heat; the pizza will only become black in a matter of seconds!

The average internal temperature of this oven, which we recorded at 778°F, solely considers the four walls that make up the oven chamber. Our infrared thermometer has a maximum temperature of 800°F. Therefore the operating temperature of the Koda is probably more than we were able to record. You can be sure it is hot, regardless of the interior temperature. The Koda received a higher rating in this measure because of these extraordinarily high temperatures.

Should You Buy It?

The Ooni Koda 12 is the best option if you want a simple way to make excellent pizza at home. The Koda 12 checks so many boxes—incredibly, it’s easy, swift, and of the highest quality, all packaged in a stylish, portable form.

Running off a standard propane bottle, it reliably reaches its target temperature of 950°F without any effort. There is no fussing around trying to start a fire. Just be aware that the flame will blow out faster than it does on the Frya that burns wood pellets if you cook in a windy environment. But just in case, there is a safety shut-off valve that has your back.

The 12′′ size is plenty for most families while allowing everyone to select their preferred toppings. Additionally, everyone may eat simultaneously because a pizza cooks in 60 to 90 seconds. Unless they don’t mind waiting, that is. Pizzas made using the Ooni Koda 12 are extremely good! We wholeheartedly endorse everyone installing an Ooni in their backyard because it’s a reasonably priced investment. That’s good!

Comparison

Within seconds of starting the gas-powered Koda, it is clear why Ooni Koda 12 Gas Pizza Oven is a favourite among users. This rating is comparable to high-performers like the BakerStone Original or the Gozney Roccbox. The pizza stone reaches an amazing 755°F after 15 minutes of preheating, which is precisely the same as the manufacturer’s suggested “ideal” temperature of 752°F (400°C). Neapolitan-style pizzas may be pulled out of the oven at these temperatures in as little as 90 seconds with a wonderfully crisped crust that you can’t wait to cut into.

Our research, however, showed that reducing the burners’ output and lengthening your bake periods to about three minutes will consistently result in a more excellent pizza with a lot less of a possibility of the pie turning into an unpalatable charcoal brick.

Average stone temperatures are slightly lower when making rounds of pizzas in succession, hovering around 710°F. However, it’s still hot enough to turn thinly rolled dough into impressively consistent, nicely browned, puffy crusts. The secret to using the Koda is to figure out how to coordinate with the oven so that the bottom of the surface cooks through just as the top crust starts to take on a golden hue.

When you learn that all of the great heat is being produced by a single gas burner situated at the back of the oven, the efficiency and effectiveness of this oven design become apparent. Additionally, the Koda concentrates almost exclusively on radiative heat transfer, in contrast to other ovens that typically use all three types of heat transfer for cooking a pizza equally.

Conclusion

My top pick is the Ooni Koda 12 Gas Pizza Oven for several reasons. It is portable, heats up quickly, is simple to use, and is not visually lacking. For many excellent reasons, it is an award-winning outdoor pizza oven, and Ooni chose to produce the Ooni 16 for people who like a more prominent alternative. This pizza oven is a fantastic buy that will elevate your cooking, family feasts, and outdoor gatherings. The last step is to give it a shot for yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions