Ooni Koda 16 Pizza Oven Review – To Buy or NOT to buy? [2023]
Welcome! This article contains affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.
A hot slice of homemade artisan pizza is far superior to takeout pizza or delivery. That’s why I’m writing this
I have a ton of experience cooking homemade pizza and want to share my findings so you can choose the best homemade pizza oven possible. If you’re convinced already, you can buy the
We’ve published a few
Ooni Koda 16 Pizza Oven Review
There are three main variables you need to consider when you’re buying the perfect pizza oven. The size of the pizza oven, the fuel, and whether the pizza oven is for indoor or outdoor use are the main points.
- What size pizza oven is right for you? Do you want a tiny pizza oven that fits atop your kitchen counter? Or, do you want something capable of cooking an extra-large pizza, calzones, or fluffy loaves of homemade bread too?
- What fuel is right for you? Not all pizza ovens use the same types of fuel. Pizza ovens can use gas, charcoal, or wood. Each of these fuels can impact the flavor of your pizza. Convenience is also a consideration. Gas rocks if you want to control the heat. With coal or wood, you have less control. However, others may prefer a more smokey flavor that only a charcoal pizza oven can provide.
- Where do you want to use your pizza oven? Some pizza ovens can fit snugly in your kitchen or even on your countertop without a bother. Other pizza ovens are light and easy to carry around your RV or the back of your truck. You can also snag pizza ovens that are much larger and use propane, and are suitable for outdoor use only.
If you’re not sure whether the
Easily figure out which Ooni pizza oven is best for you, with comparisons of price, pizza size, fuel type, weight, fuel consumption, gas consumption, and much more.
The Ooni Koda 16 Oven Cooks Big Pizzas
Ooni Koda pizza ovens come in two sizes, the 12 and the 16. These numbers refer to the size of the pizza you can cook in it.
The 16 is one of
The first thing you’ll notice about the Koda 16 is that the design is quite sophisticated and elegant. It won’t look out of place on your patio! With a massive opening and a cool appearance, the Koda impresses most people that lay eyes on it.
More notable is how easily the Koda 16 accommodates even your largest of pizzas.
You can slide your favorite homemade pizza dough topped with your most excellent tomato sauce and various homegrown veggies into the oven and end up with an extravagantly cooked pizza to perfection in only 60 seconds. Yep, it’s that quick!
What Do You Get When You Buy an Ooni 16 Oven?
When you order your Koda 16 oven and open the box, you’ll find:
- Your pizza oven
- A cordierite baking stone
- A propane gas regulator
- Gas hose
- A manual with instructions of how to use your new pizza oven
- The Koda 16 oven essentials guide complete with cooking tips plus recipes so you can make the best and most flavorful foodstuffs and epic munchies as possible.
Yep! Bundles are back! Get in quick before they disappear (again). Read our review before you buy - not all bundles are worth it and some may have changed what's included.
These starter bundles make it super easy to start cooking restaurant-grade pizzas in your own backyard!
Need Some Pizza Inspiration?
Besides your regular (and always popular) Margarita pizza, there are so many other awesome pizzas you can make. Don’t just stick with the old Hawaiian – try these during your next cook-up!
- S’mores pizza – yep, it’s a thing!
- Proscuitto, Fig, and Ricotta pizza
- Roasted butternut squash, ricotta, chilli, and sage pizza
- Blackberry, ricotta, and pistachio pizza
- Focaccia pizza with cherry tomato and rosemary
You can find lots more pizza inspiration on
Here’s the difference between the Koda 12 oven and the Koda 16 oven:
Let’s Sum Up Koda 16’s Good Points
By the way, if you like those tables, you can get those from
- The Koda 16 is truly one of the best-looking pizza ovens – you’ll love how it looks in your backyard or on the patio.
- It cooks pizzas in only 60 seconds – no more waiting for savory homemade pizza.
- Plenty of cooking surface easily fits 14-inch, 15-inch, and even 16-inch pizzas.
- Also handles steaks, burgers, fish, veggies, chicken, fresh loaves of bread, calzones, and more.
- Only weighs roughly 40 pounds, so it’s easy to transport.
- The Koa 16 has foldable legs that make it even easier to take with you.
- Cordierite baking stone that won’t wither away (or crack) in high heat
- Can burn natural gas (with conversion kit) or propane
And Some Not-So-Good Points
- Not suitable for indoor use
- No charcoal or wood cooking option. If you want wood-fired, look at the
Ooni Pro pizza oven. It runs on wood, charcoal, and gas so it’s a bit more versatile. - Not as portable as the Ooni Fyra oven or the Koda 12 oven. You can, however, get a cover.
- You’ll need a conversion kit if you want to run it on natural gas
- It cooks ridiculously quick (60 seconds). That’s a good thing, but it also means you need to be on the ball and keep an eye on it! It’s very, very easy to burn.
- The heat distribution inside the oven is uneven, which means you need to turn, turn, turn! If you don’t, you’ll end up with a burned edge and uncooked dough. I’ll post a picture below of the heat distribution which will show you why you need to turn 🙂
- They’re often out of stock. You can subscribe to be notified when they’re available, or jump right in when they are in stock.
- Due to radiant heat, you’ll need a minimum 1 meter (3.3ft) spacing around your pizza oven. This is not
Ooni -specific, no doubt, but something to keep in mind.
Why Should You Buy the Koda 16 Oven vs Other Pizza Ovens?
I’ve examined and studied the
Easily figure out which Ooni pizza oven is best for you, with comparisons of price, pizza size, fuel type, weight, fuel consumption, gas consumption, and much more.
Excellent Design and Appearance
If you appreciate having fancy toys on your backyard patio, then the
Warranty and Buy-It-Back Guarantee
Ooni guarantees you’ll love your pizza or they’ll buy the oven back. That’s pretty cool!
Built-In Gas Ignition
I love the gas ignition that lets you start and crank the temperature of the Koda 16 to a blazing hot 932 degrees Fahrenheit in just 20 minutes. After that, your pizzas cook in 60 seconds.
Whether you’re cooking a delicious pepper and feta cheese pizza for yourself, or if you want to invite your friends over for a slice, the Koda 16 won’t keep you waiting for long.
More Than Just Pizzas
The Ooni Koda 16 oven also cooks more than just pizza – you can make short work of your favorite fish, steaks, burgers, or roasted veggies. You can also use the Koda 16 for baking a fresh batch of zesty garlic bread or a savory calzone.
Read more:
- Ooni Koda 16 pizza oven now runs on natural gas
- Ooni Karu oven vs Ooni Pro oven
- Ooni Fyra pizza oven vs Ooni Karu oven
L-Shaped Flame and Varying Stone Temperatures
One of the worst sins when cooking a pizza is if your pizza gets only partially cooked! That’s why I admire the L-shaped flame and varying stone temperatures of the Koda 16.
The way it works is simple. The closer the stone is to the L-shape, the hotter the temperature. This system makes it so you can move foods closer to the L-shape if you want them to cook faster. Or, you can pull them further away and maneuver from the flame if you need less heat.
Because you have control over your flame, you can easily adjust the temperature depending on what you’re cooking. Need more or less temperature? No problem.
Just preheat the Koda 16 while your dinner guests are on the way, and when they arrive, they’ll have hot, fresh, delicious homemade pizza that will probably impress them far more than pizza delivery or pickup.
Wide Oven Opening and Large Baking Floor
One of my favorite features of the Koda 16 is the massive opening that lets you slip in a 16-inch pizza without cramming or jamming the edge of your pie. Consider that Pizza Hut’s extra-large pizza is roughly 14-inches. So, a 16-inch pizza is pretty big – even if you eat more pizza than I do!
The wide opening also makes it smooth for you to accommodate fish, loaves of bread, steaks, veggies, or anything else that you can imagine.
Temperature Resistant Cordierite Baking Stone
One thing that can ruin your culinary exploration rather quickly is if your baking stone cracks. That’s why I salute
Ooni also offers a generous 3-year warranty when you register your Koda 16 oven on their website, which I still recommend to be safe!
No Assembly Required
Once you get your Koda 16, the only thing you need to do is attach propane. After that, you can flip the built-in ignition and begin cooking your first pizza without any fuss, fanfare, ballyhoo, installation, or confusing instructions.
Delicious pizza awaits!
Lots of Accessories
Whether you want to flame-cook porterhouse steaks or serve your chicken and broccoli pizza in style, the following accessories can help take your
Grizzler Plate
I love the dual-sided grizzler plate that’s ideal if you want to fry eggs, sear ribs, or sizzle your favorite vegetable stir fry. Try serving your family a mound of sizzling hot chicken fajitas right from the grizzler and watch their eyes light in enthusiasm and excitement.
Pizza Peel
If you want to get in the pizza cooking mood, then I also recommend snagging an Ooni oven pizza peel.
The pizza peel helps you insert and remove your pizza from your
What Do Ooni ‘s Customers Think?
I scoured every corner of the internet and raided every top e-retailer to figure out what other customers thought about the
Overall, the reviews for the
Alternatives for the Ooni Koda 16 Oven
If you don’t have the resources for the
Camp Chef Italia Artisan – the Best Affordable Pizza Oven Alternative
The Italia Artisan is easily one of the more affordable outdoor pizza oven cookers that I would recommend if you don’t have the budget to spring for the Koda 16.
Not only is this pizza oven capable of cooking your pizza quickly with 17,000 BTUs and 700 degrees Fahrenheit max temperature, but the pizza oven looks great and has an old-fashioned Neapolitan style that you might fancy.
KettlePizza Basic – an Innovative Wood-Fired Pizza Oven Alternative
Do you want to cook your pizza with a wood-fired savory smokey flavor?
Then look no further than this nifty pizza cooker kit from Kettle Pizza. This kit instantly transforms your 18.5-inch or 22.5-inch kettle grill into an incredible outdoor pizza cooker.
The Kettle Pizza cooker reaches temperatures as high as 900 degrees Fahrenheit and also lets you cook burgers, steaks, chicken, fish, and more. I love this pizza cooker, and the price is right!
Presto 03430 – the Best Budget Indoor Pizza Oven Alternative
If you’re looking for the best budget opportunity to make homemade pizza (and other delicious goodies) indoors, then look no further than the Presto 03430. This is the pizza cooker I recommend if you want an affordable pizza cooking option that fits tidily atop your counter without ado.
I admire the rotating design of the Presto that helps to cook your pizza evenly. The Presto also has independent heating elements on the top and bottom, so you can make a surprisingly delightful pizza indoors without breaking the bank.
What Do We Say – Buy or NOT Buy?
Buy, buy, buy! You won’t regret it. And if you do, you can get
Few things in the world get your mouth watering as much as the scent of freshly cooked pizza right from your backyard oven. That’s why I’m a huge fan of the Ooni Koda 16 to anyone who wants to enjoy tasty homecooked pizza from the comfort of their backyard.
The
If you don’t have the budget for the
What about you? Do you like the Koda 16 as much as I do? Or do you prefer one of the pizza cooker alternatives? Please let me know in the comments below!
