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One of the benefits of working in a pizzeria for nearly a decade is being able to turn a simple dough ball, some tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese into everyone’s favorite party food. While at-home pizza making is accessible with a run-of-the-mill pizza stone, I personally have larger pizza aspirations. There are dozens of at-home pizza oven brands, and even more varieties of ovens to choose from. The selection alone can make the at-home pizza party seem out of reach, let alone the price tag which can be a deterrent for beginners who want to dabble without making a huge financial commitment. That’s why I think the Ooni Koda 12 gas-powered pizza oven is a perfect gateway model for those who want to make easy Neapolitan style pizza at home with minimal investment and hardly any setup.
As with all Ooni products, the first thing you’ll notice is the thoughtful and secure packaging. The oven arrives in an Ooni-branded sturdy corrugated cardboard box. Inside, you’ll find the familiar black and yellow printed Ooni box with the recognizable branding and imagery on the front. The box is easy to open and the oven’s exterior is protected by a plastic sleeve/bag. You’ll find all of the necessary connections neatly throughout the compartments in the box.
I really can’t stress enough (for this model specifically) the simplicity. The legs are attached and fold out easily, the propane gas hookup is easy to attach and hook up to a standard propane tank. The final component, of only three required/included, in the box is the cordierite stone baking board. I kid you not. I was able to get this oven out of the box, unpacked, hooked up to propane, preheated, and had a pizza in the oven and cooked in under 40 minutes.
The Ooni Koda 12 is a reasonable $399. For an entry-level model, the ease of use, and top-end temperature, you can't beat it.
The Ooni Koda 12 was designed with everyone in mind. While I prefer a larger cooking surface for a bigger final product, I find having an option like the Koda 12 makes pizza night much more enticing. The setup involved with a larger oven (especially Ooni’s wood fired counterparts) and footprint of the bigger ovens tends to yield questions like, “Do I really feel like going through all of that setup to make a couple of pizzas?”
I can’t rave enough about the size, ease of setup and breakdown, maintenance and cleaning, and portability. This oven is perfect for a spur-of-the-moment outdoor pizza night. You can even save time with store-bought dough if you don’t have the prep-time or foresight to mix and proof your own dough.
This next bit is going to seem like an oversimplification and/or exaggeration, but here goes nothing.
As I have continued to cheer about, 60 to 90 seconds to make a pizza is impressive. There is a bit of a “rebound time” after each pizza. The initial preheat is about 15 minutes to 950 degrees Fahrenheit. Between subsequent pizzas, it takes about five to 10 minutes to get the stone heated up for the next pizza. But this is a great time to open your next fresh pizza dough and top your creation with your favorite toppings.
From opening the box, unpacking the components, connecting the propane hose and regulator, positioning the stone, preheating the oven, stretching your dough onto the paddle and topping the pizza, cooking the pizza, and then plating—you can have a pizza ready in 40 minutes. Would I recommend this method for beginners? Obviously not, but the ease alone speaks volumes about the user friendliness of the Ooni Koda 12.
There are countless brands and models of consumer pizza ovens on the market—indoor, outdoor, gas, wood fired, electric, hybrid-fuel, brick oven—in a variety of sizes. The beauty of a model like the Koda 12 is the simplicity. The oven itself is only three parts: the oven, the propane hose/regulator, and the cordierite baking stone. That’s it. All you’ll want to do is wait for the stone to cool down after use (I can’t stress enough waiting until it’s cooled down). Then gently scrape any cheese/debris from the stone, and use a soft bristled brush to remove the flour and other remaining particulates. Finally, take a damp rag or paper towel to the exterior.
At 15.6 inches wide X 24.7 inches long X 11.7 inches tall (about seven inches tall with the legs folded in), and only 20.4 pounds, this is a pizza oven designed for storage. You can pack your oven along with your camping grill for a unique option on an overnight camping trip. It stores easily on a shelf in the garage or closet—please store your propane safely.
The Koda 12 checks a ton of different boxes regardless of your skill level but it’s perfect for beginners. Another cohort who will find the Koda 12 perfect are those with limited outdoor space/storage. Many outdoor pizza ovens have a massive footprint and take up a large permanent space. The Koda 12 is easy to set up, clean up, and stow away, without having to dedicate an entire area for the oven.
Another consideration is preference for pizza style. I love a New York/New Jersey style thin crust pizza with shredded mozzarella cheese, and a nice brown under-crust. The Koda 12 lacks a bottom heating element so the stone doesn’t get quite hot enough for that style pizza. But the top/rear positioned heating element cooks a perfect “leopard-spotted” outer crust (cornicione, if you’re fancy) in no more than 90 seconds.
You have a cooking surface, a source of fuel, and fire. So the obvious answer is yes, of course. But the surprise is the variety of foods you can cook. Since the temperature is fairly easy to control, you can roast fish, cook vegetables, and even broil steak or a London broil. And that’s just the short list. Just keep in mind you’ll want to place these foods in a vessel rated to cook at very high temperatures—more than just a broiler-safe tray.
Standard, quality-built, stainless steel pizza peel. 12 inches means it’s perfect for the Koda 12. I’ve always used a wood pizza peel, so I was skeptical but pleasantly surprised by the performance of a steel pizza peel.
Adding to my mounting levels of surprise, I am now a convert to the perforated pizza peel. It rarely catches or sticks on the pizza dough and slides effortlessly under the pizza for turning/rotating.
If you plan on traveling or transporting your Ooni Koda 12, this case is designed to keep your oven safe, unscathed, and easy to carry. It’s also great for stowing away and preventing clutter on your shelf or in your garage.
If you’re serious about your pizza cooking, you should own one of these. Honestly, if you’re serious about any kind of grilling, smoking, outdoor cooking, and more. This should be a no-brainer tool to have in your kit. This model in particular is precise, durable, and easy to read. It also has a temperature scan mode that lets you determine minimum, maximum, and average temperatures of your stone in one simple scan.
Dual-sided and high-temperature-rated for all of your non-pizza needs. You can fry eggs and cook sizzling fajitas on the flat side, or use the grill side for perfect grill marks on ribs, steaks, chicken, and more. Who needs a camping grill when you can bring your full Ooni setup?
Your pizza toolbelt isn’t complete without a bench scraper. This makes managing, moving, and manipulating your dough balls much easier.
If you’re going to get anything along with your Ooni Koda 12, get this. It includes the stainless steel pizza peel, the precision digital thermometer, and the Ooni Pizza Oven Brush. The peel is perfect for getting your dough in the oven and your pizzas rotated and served. The precision digital thermometer, for me, is non-negotiable. And the Ooni Pizza Oven Brush is amazing. I’ve tried a variety of oven and pizza stone brushes, and the quality of this tool cannot be overstated. The bristles are soft and the scraper is effective, leaving your stone fresh and ready for the next pizza party.
Grab your Ooni Koda 12 from the manufacturer. They have a variety of accessories, accessory bundles, and tons of videos with tips on getting started.
At the same price point, and famous Ninja Brand quality, this oven is a solid alternative to the Ooni Koda 12. Some important but notable differences:
The Bertello is a solid outdoor option that delivers a more traditional wood-fired pizza experience at around the same price range as the Koda 12. A bonus is the included pizza peel, saving on accessory costs. It bears mentioning you will need wood kindling or pellets to heat the oven, as well as charcoal. You can also attach a gas burner (sold separately) and experiment with a variety of fuel combinations.
After a full night of testing and cooking somewhere in the neighborhood of a dozen pizzas for my friends and neighbors, I have some thoughts.
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