Thinking about a pizza oven? Wanting to up your pizza game, impress family and friends? Then this post is for you! I will be looking into the considerations to buying a pizza oven and hopefully make you a more informed consumer. This is a rewarding but time consuming endeavor and I wish someone told me all of this before I got one. I also hope to shorten your research time to deciding if this is the right purchase for you.
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You know what you are getting into, right?
One does not simply just buy a pizza oven, push a button, and amazing pizza’s pop out. This craft takes some dedication and patience. Consequently, there is a reason why pizza places exist, where you can just buy it! If you are not familiar with working with dough, and you have never even attempted at making a pizza in the oven, I recommend you do those things first.
Lets talk logistics
I want to draw your attention to the all the pictures you see of portable pizza ovens. You probably haven’t paid any attention to the type of surface these rest on. You need a specific depth and width to host gadget. The other consideration is height. Sometimes I see some people bending over to look inside the pizza oven, and it can be uncomfortable.
An outdoor folding table will work, but you may want something more specifically designed for this purchase.
NOTE: Any improvement outside of the bottleneck is an illusion. When I was baking in the oven, it took 6-10 mins to cook each pizza. I had plenty of time to prep the next pizza. This thing cranks them out in less than 2 minutes, which means you won’t have time much time to prep the next pizza. If you are buying this to speed up the process, it may just reveal how slow your prep process is.
Should I go 16 inches?
Bigger is better right? Yes and no. The bigger the oven, the more energy it takes to heat it up. This is probably the least of your concerns. I got the 16 thinking I wanted more wiggle room and to create a larger pizza, which is nice when you have 10 eyeballs (5 people) staring at your progress, hungry! What I learned is that a larger pizza oven creates a chain reaction of considerations.
- Dough measurement – usually a single serve pizza dough is around 238-250g of dough. If you want to stretch it out and make a 16 inch, you need a larger size (of course). Hopefully you are good with the recipe’s and can adapt. Should not be a problem for experienced bakers.
- Dough container(s) – I found these sweet dough containers, perfect for single size pizza’s. It’s perfect for dough balls less than 250g. Make sure you have larger containers for larger dough balls or you have a container to let these proof in.
- Pizza peel – This was the biggest consideration for me. Try finding a 16 inch wide (not length) pizza peel to launch your pizzas in. I’ll wait… let me save you time, your options are limited and I just checked Ooni’s website and they do have an option for a 16 inch peel, but not the perforated one.
- Cost – the 12 inch gas Koda is $399 and the 16 inch gas Koda is $599. %50 cost increase for 2 inches. And not to mention all the accessories will cost more as well.
Just take into consideration the points above. I ended up buying the 16! I would have been just as happy with the 12. The pizza’s are so quick to be done, it’s not a big deal.
Do you want multifuel?
The Ooni, and many other pizza oven offers multi-fuel options. Usually for woodfire OR gas. I do not recommend wood fuel for beginners. Can you figure it out, sure. Do you want to? Here are some considerations:
- Gas only version are significantly more efficient, requiring less fuel.
- Gas versions are slightly smaller, more sleek.
- Propane tanks are pretty easy to fill up and store.
- Wood may be helpful when going portable (e.g. camping). Choose your poison: carrying wood, carrying propane.
- Wood requires more attendance, timing when you put it in and measuring heat produced.
- Pizza’s cook so quick, most people don’t notice a flavor difference.
- Multi-fuel support costs more.
Accessories? Do I need them?
You can skimp on accessories, but some of them are really nice. Here are some considerations:
MUST HAVE:
- Pizza Peel – No way you can launch a pizza into this thing without one. If someone tries, I want to see it!
- Pizza Turner – No one told you the pizza ovens don’t have an even cook? You need to turn the pizza 1-2x with each one, and you can’t use your hands! Most use a pizza peel turner. This is usually a small, flat and round pizza peel used to rotate your pizza. You can use an alternate device to turn your pizza, they look like long metal sticks with a fork at the end. It depends on how comfortable you are with the different turning styles.
- Propane tank/Fuel – This is not included, and no getting around it. You might also consider just picking this up at your nearest grocery store, or even a Walmart.
- Outdoor space – These are not designed for indoor use!
- Scale – This article doesn’t get into making pizza dough, but a future one will. Highly recommend it!
OPTIONAL:
- Something to place your pizza and serve/cut it – This is optional… You CAN use a pizza peel, but it might be busy with your next pizza. It’s optional, but I recommend it. Maybe you have a cookie sheet?
- Cutting your pizza – sure you can use a fork and knife (this is what they do in Europe), but most people have a pizza cutting wheel, or one of these awesome wide knives. I’ve also seen people use scissors.
- Mobile cart – This was mentioned in the logistics section, but having a cart designed for your pizza might be helpful. If you get the 16-inch Ooni, don’t get anything smaller than 21 inches, wide or deep. I found some cool carts that will hold your propane tank, and have hooks and shelves. But, you also need a space to prep the pizzas, and that is why I recommend a simple folding/portable table.
- Thermometer – I wouldn’t bother with this if you JUST use gas as your fuel. If you use wood, I would push this to must have.
- Cover – If you are going to leave it out, it will get dusty and dirty. This cover also allows you to move it around easier.
- Recipes – You can just wing this, but sometimes you need a little inspiration!
- Hunger – You don’t have to be hungry, but it sure is better if you are!
Conclusion
I have no regrets with my Ooni Koda 16. My family loves it, and it’s a fun way to host an event (especially if you need an excuse to stay busy). I think new devices will come out that may compete with the Ooni, but I will be very happy with this for years to come.