If you have been considering buying a pizza-making tool for yourself, I will tell you that it is worth it. And why not love a homemade pizza? I will give some of the reasons why I love the pizza I make most of all other. It is because you can tailor it to your liking. You get fresh ingredients, great tasting food with no preservatives or weird additives like in store-bought pies! The benefits continue when trying new recipes too – there’s nothing stopping you from trying out different combinations until you find ones both delicious AND nutritious!
I can go on with this list and still not run out of reasons. However, as I noted, you can enjoy these benefits of a homemade pizza if you use the right equipment. For example, if you choose to cook your pizza using your kitchen oven, you may have to wait for long. And still, its taste won’t be as if it was cooked in a special pizza oven. I know this because I am passionate about pizzas and I have been cooking them over an open fire since my childhood.
Since my first trip to Italy in 2014, I have been trying different pizza recipes in special ovens. This is why, based on my experience, this review will be focused on a new portable pizza oven in the market, Ooni Koda. It quickly became one of my favorite tools to make a delicious homemade pizza.
A Review of the Portable Ooni Koda Pizza Oven
Below is a comprehensive review of the Ooni Koda portable pizza oven. I will highlight the features, benefits, and limitations of the equipment.
What to Expect After Unboxing
Those of you that order the oven from Amazon will have the privilege of unboxing not one but two packets. The sellers provide an extra box to avoid damage during transportation. The second box from the manufacturer contains a picture and the name “Ooni Koda gas-powered outdoor pizza oven” on top. Also, in the box, you will find a warranty card plus a safety instructions booklet.
On opening up the carton, the first thing you find is a user’s guide booklet. The interesting thing about this guide is that it comes with bonus recipes that you can try out once you finish opening and setting up your oven. How cool is this for beginners and wannabe cooks looking out to new recipes? That said, this portable pizza oven is not only for professional cooks but for everyone who wants to enjoy a tasty homemade pizza.
Moving on, you will find two more boxes inside. In one of the boxes is the stone baking board with special instructions that you should read carefully. The stone is further insulated with some cushioning sheets of some kind, which highlights how fragile it is.
In the other box, there is the propane gas hose and regulator with one end of the hose connected to the oven itself. And finally, beneath all these is the Ooni Koda oven itself.
I want to point out that this portable pizza oven is easy to set up. Setting up the oven just requires you to unfold its legs/stands from the bottom. Once you place the oven on a table in your favorite outdoor spot, insert the stone. From there you can extend the propane hose and attach the regulator to your gas tank.
The process is similarly simple in terms of firing it up. Once you are sure that the connector is well-attached, turn the valve of the propane tank to allow the gas to flow. Then push the ignition switch that you will find at the back of the oven and gently turn the control knob in a clockwise direction until you hear a clicking sound. There you have it, the oven is all set up and starts preheating.
Ooni Koda Pizza Oven Design and Features
By looking at this oven, you can already get the feeling it was designed for outdoors. The lightness of the item proves its portability. It shows how much the company emphasizes on making this oven highly portable. Ooni Koda weighs about 24.5 pounds only, which translates to about 9.25 kilos. This effectively makes it one of the lightest portable pizza ovens available in the market.
Among the notable design features that contribute to its portability is no insulation covering. Insulating materials used in other ovens greatly contribute to their heaviness, which is among the reasons why Ooni Koda chose not to include them. Instead, the manufacturer has opted for a light carbon steel exterior that is high-heat resistant as well. Further, aluminum as the material greatly contributes to the lightweight of the oven.
As part of making it even lighter, the manufacturer has eliminated the need for a chimney. Instead, the oven has a design that enables it to minimize the amount of smoke emitted. The entry port has also been set to operate in the same way a chimney would function.
Also, the item contains heat ports located at the bottom of the oven to help in emitting any smoke. When talking about its design, it is hard to forget about the compactness of Ooni Koda. The oven just looks classy and fashionable anywhere it is placed.
Technical Specifications of the Ooni Koda Oven
| Product Dimensions | Product Dimensions | Shipping Weight | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15.7 x 11.6 x 24.8 inches | 1 pounds | 30.6 pounds | Ooni Limited |
On matters of technical aspects, the oven has a cooking space of about 13¼ by 13¼ inches. According to the manufacturer, this allows you to cook a 13-inch pizza with no fuss. The oven itself comes approximately 25 by 16 inches. This is mostly thanks to its compact design.
The oven can achieve a maximum temperature of about 500°C or about 932°F. Amazingly, it only takes about 15 minutes to heat up to these temperatures. This is thanks to the mineral fiber insulation in the carbon steel exterior that aids in optimum heat retention. However, according to the user manual, 752°F is the most suitable temperature for cooking your pizza.
Ooni Koda manufacturer cares about the environment. The oven only makes use of clean fuel source in the name of propane gas. You can connect it to large propane gas tanks that you normally use for your barbecues. It can also be used with the one-pound tanks as long as you have the right regulator in place. However, this oven works the way it can’t use wood nor natural gas for cooking.
If talking about portability, this oven is even lighter than a portable freezer. For that ultimate picnic experience, the oven is designed in such a manner that you can interchange the valves and use the smaller and lighter propane gas cylinder when needed.
In terms of set up, all you need is a flat and preferably elevated surface. No nuts or screws to tighten, hence no need for a toolbox as part of your outdoor luggage. The amount of time the oven needs to preheat is also very minimal. In 15 minutes, you will probably have not finished scrolling your feed, and the oven will be fired up and ready to go. And in a couple of minutes, you will have a slice of your delicious homemade pizza in your hands.
Ooni Koda Performance Aspects
Ooni Koda is very easy to use and you can find the best Ooni oven here. The process of lighting it up is pretty straightforward. The first thing to do is to ensure that your regulator is well attached to the propane gas tank. After that, facilitate the gas flow to the oven by turning on the valve on your tank. Proceed to light up your oven by pressing in and turning the ignition knob at the back of your oven in a clockwise direction. This is the same knob you will use to regulate your oven’s temperature. After igniting the knob, give the oven about 15 minutes to preheat before you can begin using it.
You can spend this time reading the user manual or looking for additional recipes on the web. You can also use this time to familiarize yourself with the do’s and don’ts for using this oven. Once the item has reached the optimum temperature, put your pizza in, and enjoy how it gets cooked in a minute or less. That is just how efficient Ooni Koda is.
There are a few important tips you should note when it comes to using this oven. One is that the flame emerges from the back. An internally built flame mechanism helps in directing it towards the food placed in the oven.
Ooni Koda has also gone the extra mile to ensure your safety when using the oven. This is why their design includes an internal flame safety device (FSD). This tool stops the flow of gas in the event a flame goes out while the gas is still on.
For better usability, ensure that the oven is placed on an elevated surface such as a table. Also, for prolonged usage, avoid leaving it outdoors for too long.
Now that we have learned a bit about Ooni Koda oven functionality, it is time to review some of its major strengths. This is, of course, compared to other competing products available in the market. Some of the notable pros of Ooni Koda pizza oven include:
- Portability: The oven only weighs about 24.5 pounds, which makes it the lightest oven you will find in the market.
- Sleek design: The oven’s compactness, coupled with its shiny aluminum material, makes it both appealing and classy.
- Simplicity: The oven is not only simple to set up but also easy to use. The user manual provided makes things easy, even for beginners.
- Affordable pricing: For an oven with such great features, the price comes quite affordable, and it is a catch.
- Fast cooking: The oven only takes about 15 minutes to preheat. After this, you will have your pizza ready in less than 90 seconds.
The following are some of the weaknesses I noted about the oven:
- It cannot be used with natural gas
- It lacks insulation. Hence, it can’t be used outdoors for long without a shade.
- It does not come with a pizza peel. You have to buy one separately.
Get Ooni Koda and Start Making Chewy and Crispy Pizzas!
Even after such a long Ooni Koda review, I still have much to say about this oven. However, I might just have to summarize my thoughts. Thus, I can tell you for sure that you haven’t tasted the best pizza yet unless you have tried a homemade one. There is no limit on the number of recipes you can try out. It tastes even better when you have the right equipment for pizza making.
If you have been thinking about purchasing a pizza oven, this is the sign. Because if you want to make a real homemade pizza, you got to have the right tool for your outdoor adventure. This is why I would recommend putting Ooni Koda oven on your shopping list. Do not forget that with all its great features, Ooni Koda remains the most affordable portable pizza oven in the market.
If you are out of ideas on what recipe to try, just pull out the user manual. In a matter of minutes, you will have several recipes to choose from. What is your favorite recipe for a homemade pizza? Have you tried a pizza made in Ooni Koda oven? Or maybe you have already used this oven by yourself? Let me know in the comments!
