In our suburban household, life is divided into two distinct phases: pre-pizza oven and post-pizza oven. Having spent over a decade in New York City, we found it challenging to find a slice that met our high standards once we moved north. Our DoorDash history was a jumble of local pizza joints, as we desperately tried to find a pie we loved enough to stick with. But nothing came close to the Neapolitan and New York-style pizzas we adored.

How the Ooni Koda 16 Changed Everything

It wasn't until we got the Ooni Koda 16 Pizza Oven that our pizza journey took a turn for the better. We had been hesitant to make the big investment for a while, but after countless disappointing and greasy deliveries, we finally took the plunge. Ooni makes cooking delicious pizza incredibly easy with its innovative shape and user-friendly design. In fact, we named it the best outdoor pizza oven in our tests, and it truly deserves that accolade.Since bringing our Ooni home a year ago, our quest for delicious pizza has come to an end. Instead of settling for subpar takeout, we can now fire up our Ooni Koda 16 and have a perfect slice in just 90 seconds.

Testing the Ooni Koda 16

The Ooni Koda 16 Pizza Oven has quickly become a staple in our house on Pizza Friday. We can cook a variety of Neapolitan-style pies, from a classic margarita to a meat-lovers version that my husband and son love. While it is primarily marketed for pizza making, it can handle much more. You can prepare almost anything in the oven, from roasted vegetables and meat to gooey skillet cookies.Ooni's Koda pizza oven is powered by natural gas or propane, which suits our lifestyle. There is also an alternate version, the Ooni Karu, that can use wood or charcoal. We recommend the 16-inch design over the 12-inch as it gives you more flexibility in cooking and the size of the pizza you can make. We went all out and bought the dedicated stainless steel stand and other pizza tools. The stand is durable and brings the oven to a convenient height, allowing us to easily monitor our pizza while it cooks. It also creates leverage for maneuvering the pizza peel and other tools. It looks great alongside our gas grill on the patio and has held up well to the elements.

What We Love About the Ooni Koda 16

There are many things to love about our Ooni oven, but its user-friendly functionality stands out. It makes creating a professional-quality pizza so seamless that we don't mind when our kids ask for pizza night twice a week. You simply hook the oven up to a fuel source (we connect it to our grill's propane tank), turn the front knob to preheat the oven to your desired temperature, and start cooking. With interior temperatures reaching 950°F, your pizza cooks quickly (around 90 seconds), making it easy to make pies for a crowd. We have hosted several pizza parties, and our guests are always impressed by the pizza's taste and cooking performance.Beyond that, we love how the Ooni Koda is subtle yet effective. If we were to install a true wood-burning pizza oven at home, it would require a lot of time, money, and space. But with the Ooni, we can achieve the same results with a small footprint, even when using gas. The key is in the base stone and unique L-shaped burner, which combine to crisp up our pizza quickly and evenly, giving us a pillowy crust, a sturdy bottom, and the characteristic bubbles of an Italian-style pie. We can easily move the oven around or take it on a trip. We even took it to the Jersey Shore on a family vacation because it has become so beloved.

How It Compares

When we tested the best outdoor pizza ovens, the Ooni Koda topped the list and earned the title of the best overall pizza oven. We loved how easy it is to assemble out of the box (attach the legs and connect to the propane source) and found it user-friendly. The results were impressive. During testing, we cooked professional-quality pies in under two minutes and had control over how crispy they got. While there is a learning curve with the Ooni, the results are well worth it.

The Caveats

When you first bring home your Ooni oven, expect to burn a few pizzas. Although it is straightforward and user-friendly, it takes time to perfect your pizza-making skills and get used to how the oven distributes heat (and how fast it can cook your dough). We went through our fair share of char-crusted pizzas until we mastered our cooking method, but once you get the hang of it, you're set. Another thing to consider is propane usage. You need to preheat the oven for at least 15-20 minutes before cooking to ensure the base stone is hot enough. While this is similar to preheating a grill, it's important to keep in mind that you will use a decent amount of propane.All in all, the Ooni Koda is an investment, but the brand often runs sales, especially during shopping holidays. It also makes a great gift for home cooks, whether it's for a milestone birthday, a new house, or a wedding. Our Ooni oven has held up well over the years and has more than paid for itself compared to the amount we spent on subpar takeout pizza.

Tips and Tricks

It's worth splurging on the accessories that Ooni suggests pairing with your pizza oven. We bought their dedicated stainless steel storage tower, two different types of pizza peels, and a protective cover, which have all helped us use and care for our oven better.An infrared thermometer is a must-have tool. It not only helps you determine if your pizza stone is hot enough to start cooking but also allows you to keep an eye on the oven's heat to avoid burnt spots or a fried pie.Be mindful of the thickness of your dough. Too thick can lead to an uneven cook, a raw pizza, or a pie that is too heavy to turn in the oven, causing a burned-on mess.Keep the number of ingredients to a minimum. Too many wet toppings (like a lot of sauce) can cause an uneven cook or a burned pizza. It's best to keep the layers light and avoid overdoing the cheese. The same goes for the amount of flour you use - you want enough to prevent the pizza from sticking to the peel but not so much that it gives a burnt flavor.The oven's L-shaped burner is located at the back left corner, so turning your pizza periodically is crucial for an even cook on the crust.

The Verdict

Ooni's Koda 16 Pizza Oven is a worthy investment and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade their weekly pizza takeout to something homemade. It helps you achieve restaurant-level pizza at home and provides versatility in your routine by cooking various dishes like chicken wings, whole branzino, cornbread, or caramelized fruit. Setup is easy, the footprint is small, and the learning curve is short - what more could you ask for from an outdoor pizza oven?

Our Expertise

Alyssa Longobucco is a freelance writer, editor, and stylist with a background in food, interior, and lifestyle content. She has over a decade of experience in the digital and magazine industry, creating unique and innovative content for renowned brands such as Food and Wine, House Beautiful, HGTV, The Knot, Domino, Apartment Therapy, Real Simple, Food52, Good Housekeeping, and more.