Ooni Koda 16 review: The best outdoor pizza oven

Our Verdict

Powerful and elementary to use, the Ooni Koda sixteen is the best outdoor pizza oven.

For

• Minimal setup
• Piece of cake to utilise
• Heats up quickly
• Large cooking area
• Simple temperature controls
• L-shaped rut source cooks pizza in minutes

Against

• One of the more expensive pizza ovens
• Accessories (like a pare) sold separately
• No built-in thermometer

Tom'southward Guide Verdict

Powerful and unproblematic to use, the Ooni Koda 16 is the best outdoor pizza oven.

Pros

• +

  Minimal setup

• +

  Easy to use

• +

  Heats up quickly

• +

  Large cooking area

• +

  Simple temperature controls

• +

  L-shaped estrus source cooks pizza in minutes

Cons

• -

  Ane of the more expensive pizza ovens

• -

  Accessories (like a peel) sold separately

• -

  No born thermometer

Ooni Koda xvi: Specs

Type: Propane
Size: 25 x 23.2 x 14.vii inches
Weight: xl pounds
Cooking Surface: 16 inches
Heating Capability: Upwardly to 950 degrees F
Recipes: Booklet included
In the Box: Oven, pizza stone, gas regulator
Tools Needed: None

Ooni has seen booming business for its line of outdoor pizza ovens, some of which operate on gas, and others a combination of gas and wood. The Ooni Koda xvi is the larger of its two propane-powered Koda models — with a sixteen-inch cooking area vs. the Koda 12's 12-inch cooking surface area — and for its ease of setup, relatively lightweight construction, no-fuss functionality, large cooking space, and powerful Fifty-shaped flame, we felt it'due south the almost versatile, family-friendly model for cooks who might want to experiment with unlike pie sizes, also as cooking other non-pizza items in the oven.

Because of the L-shaped estrus source, we found during testing for this Ooni Koda 16 review that pizzas cooked near the back left corner of the oven took only a couple of minutes to come up out perfectly charred and bubbly. And unlike other ovens with a atypical flame or radiant heat, you actually merely need a turn or two of a pie to get an evenly cooked crust. It's why it's at the pinnacle of the list for the best pizza ovens.

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Ooni Koda 16 review: Cost and availability

The Ooni Koda 16 costs $599, and is bachelor at Ooni.com. Information technology first went on sale in March 2020. A smaller model, the Ooni Koda 12, costs $399. The main deviation between the two is that the Koda 16 has a larger cooking surface.

When purchasing a pizza oven, we also recommend you lot buy a pizza peel then that you lot tin can slide the pizzas in and out of the oven. Ooni sells a xvi-inch Pare for $40.

Ooni Koda 16 review: Ease of Setup

The Koda requires very niggling setup. Its three legs (2 in the front, one in the back) fold out smoothly from under the oven and have slip-resistant material on the lesser to hold the oven securely in place. The merely activity required is to slide the pizza stone into the interior of the oven, which proved to exist pretty effortless.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Once set and on a tabletop, all nosotros had to do to get the oven running was to hook the gas regulator — already attached to the unit with a hose — upward to a propane tank. Once it'southward secured and tightened, the manual recommends that the gas connection should be tested with a soapy water solution to ensure at that place are no leaks. Upon testing, nosotros plant no leaks.

The Koda'due south manual recommends lighting the oven and running information technology on its highest temperature for thirty minutes. Igniting the oven is very easy: Merely push in and turn the ignition button to the left and agree it in for a few seconds to get the oven running. It continued immediately with the gas and lit, igniting the L-shaped burners inside the oven.

(Image credit: Ooni)

Ooni promises that the Koda 16 will take about twenty minutes to heat up to between 700 and 800 degrees Fahrenheit — the platonic temperature for cooking a pizza. In our testing, we institute that to exist authentic. The Koda 16 reached 700 degrees in just under twenty minutes.

Ooni Koda 16 review: Design and functionality

Overall, the Ooni Koda 16's design is minimalist just pleasing to the eye. The shell of the Ooni Koda 16 is made from durable, insulated, powder-coated carbon steel, and only comes in black. Its roomy mouth fabricated sliding a pizza peel in and out of the oven a breeze. As its proper name implies, the Koda 16 is designed to be large enough to melt a xvi-inch pie, and nosotros found it more than roomy plenty to cook and turn the 12-inch pies we were testing. And while there aren't many bells and whistles to the blueprint, we did appreciate two mirrors placed just inside the opening of the oven, so that yous can see your pizza from different angles every bit it cooks.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The only missing feature on the Ooni Koda xvi is a built-in thermometer, which would make tracking and maintaining the oven's temperature easier. While Ooni does sell an infrared thermometer gun ($39.99) that'south both easy and fun to use (it can tell y'all the exact temp of the middle of the pizza stone, for instance), information technology would be ideal to not have to buy the additional particular to keep an eye on the temperature.

Ooni Koda 16 review: Cooking Functioning

The Koda sixteen'south L-shaped flame makes the back left corner of the oven its hottest part and being shut to it is the ideal place to cook a pizza chop-chop. In our tests, fresh dough made by hand and by a local pizzeria cooked in two to iii minutes, leaving the dough nicely puffed and with the speckles of char known every bit "leoparding" with a couple of turns. The mozzarella cheese on top also bubbled and became speckled with brown spots from the high temperature.

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

As with other ovens, shop-bought dough (both refrigerated and frozen/thawed) proved to be a challenge, as the outside of the chaff charred hands simply didn't cook all the style through, leaving a cracker-y exterior and doughy interior.

Nosotros likewise constitute that with smaller pies, if you lot're close enough to the oestrus, you tin probably get away with one plow of the pizza, just y'all may demand ii turns to get an even melt. Merely keep an centre on your pies, considering they do cook rapidly and might burn down if they're as well shut to the (powerful!) heat.

(Paradigm credit: Ooni)

Overall, because the oven is so roomy, it's particularly nice for beginners who oasis't gotten their pizza-making footing nonetheless and need some room to maneuver the peel (sold separately). Because the peel is lightweight, large, and particularly designed for the oven, it was easy to both build pizzas on and slide them off into the oven.

Ooni Koda 16 review: Verdict

The Ooni Koda 16 lives upwards to its promise of cooking pizzas in a matter of minutes. It'south a great selection for beginners and anyone looking to make restaurant-quality thin-crust pizza at dwelling house. If you're looking for something smaller or less expensive, bank check out the Ooni Koda 12, which is $200 less. Just continue in mind that whatever pizza oven yous buy, you may take to spring from some actress add-ons to complete your pizza-making arsenal.

Karen Palmer has been writing about food and dining for more than 15 years, covering everything from restaurants and chefs to recipes and, at present, outdoor pizza ovens. Her obsession with all things pizza started when the New Jersey native lived in Milan, Italia for a few years equally a child, and information technology continued well into adulthood. A cocky-described pizza connoisseur, Karen started a French bread pizza popular-up in Los Angeles called Pain Pizza. When the Boston College and culinary school grad isn't writing almost food, yous'll find her hopping a flight at LAX, taking a dance HIIT class, or enjoying a pie at one of her favorite local pizzerias.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/reviews/ooni-koda-16

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