Ooni Koda 16 Pizza Oven Overview, Examined by Meals & Wine

At our home we divide our suburban life into two phases: pre-pizza oven and post-pizza oven. After residing in New York Metropolis for over a decade, we discovered it troublesome to discover a slice that lived as much as our requirements as soon as we moved additional north. Our historical past with DoorDash was a mix of native pizzerias in a feeble effort to discover a pie we appreciated sufficient to stay with, however nothing lived as much as the Neapolitan and New York-style pizzas we love.

That was till we obtained a Ooni Koda 16 pizza oven. We would been bouncing round shopping for one for some time (in spite of everything, it is a large funding), however we lastly purchased one after one other too many rubbery, greasy deliveries that left us disillusioned and looking forward to the actual deal. Even when you do not think about your self a very gifted residence chef, Ooni makes cooking scrumptious pizzas simple because of its progressive form and user-friendly design. We even name it the greatest out of doors pizza oven in our checks, and imagine me once I inform you that reward is effectively deserved.

Within the 12 months since we introduced our Ooni residence, our seek for scrumptious pizza has ended. As a substitute of ordering poor high quality takeout, we are able to fireplace up our Ooni Koda 16 and get the right portion in 90 seconds.

How I Examined the Ooni Koda 16 Pizza Oven

The Ooni Koda 16 Pizza Oven has rapidly develop into a pizza Friday staple in our home. We will cook dinner every kind of Neapolitan-style pies, from a standard margarita to a meat-lover model that my husband and son love. Whereas the Ooni is primarily marketed for making pizzas, that is not the one sort of cooking it may well deal with. You may put together nearly something within the oven, from roasted greens and meat to sticky cookies within the pan.

Ooni’s Koda pizza oven runs on pure gasoline or propane, which is smart for our way of life, however there may be another model (the Ooni Karu) that can be utilized with firewood or charcoal. I like to recommend choosing the 16-inch design as a substitute of the 12-inch, which provides you with extra flexibility for what you cook dinner and what dimension pizza you may make. We determined to go all out with our Ooni buy and bought the signature chrome steel stand, in addition to others pizza instruments (extra on that later). The stand is sturdy and raises the oven to peak so you’ll be able to simply monitor the cake whereas it cooks. Peak additionally creates affect to maneuver the pizza peel and different instruments. He appears at residence subsequent to us gasoline grill in our yard, and thus far it has held up very effectively to the weather.

What I like concerning the Ooni Koda 16 pizza oven

There’s not a lot I do not like about my Ooni oven, however its easy-to-use performance is on the high of my listing. It makes making a professional-worthy pie really easy that I do not even thoughts when my youngsters order pizza night time twice a weekend. Join the oven to a gas supply (we join ours to our grill’s propane tank, which is close by), flip the entrance knob to preheat the oven to the specified temperature, and begin cooking. Plus, with inside temperatures that may attain 950°F, your pizza cooks rapidly (about 90 seconds), so making pies for a crowd is straightforward. We’ve hosted a number of pizza events and friends are at all times impressed by the style of the pizza and the culinary efficiency with an Ooni – it is dinner and a present.

Past that, I like how Ooni Koda is refined however efficient. If I have been to contemplate putting in a real wood-fired pizza oven in my residence, it could take a whole lot of time, cash, and sq. footage, however Ooni makes it simple to attain the identical outcomes with a small footprint, even when utilizing gasoline. The hot button is the bottom stone and distinctive L-shaped burner, which mix to crisp my pizza rapidly and evenly, leaving me with a pillowy crust, a sturdy backside, and the telltale bubbles of an Italian-style pie. I can simply transfer the oven or take it on a visit; We’ve taken ours to the Jersey Shore for a household trip as a result of it has develop into so beloved.

The way it compares

After we lab-tested one of the best out of doors pizza ovens, the Ooni Koda got here out on high of the pack, incomes the title of greatest total pizza oven. We beloved how simple it’s to assemble out of the field (connect the legs after which hook up with your propane supply) and located it simple to make use of. The outcomes have been spectacular. Throughout testing, we cooked pro-worthy muffins in underneath two minutes, with management over how crispy they turned out. Whereas we acknowledge there’s a studying curve with Ooni, the outcomes are value it.

The warnings

If you deliver your Ooni oven residence for the primary time, anticipate to burn a couple of pies. Though it is easy and simple to make use of, it should take time to excellent your pizza-making expertise and get used to how your oven distributes warmth (and, truthfully, how rapidly it may well cook dinner dough). We went by means of a good quantity of charcoal crusted pizzas till we nailed down our cooking methodology, however when you get the cling of it, you are able to go. One other issue to contemplate is the usage of propane. You have to to preheat the oven for at the least 15 to twenty minutes earlier than cooking to make sure the bottom stone is scorching sufficient to cook dinner the cake; Whereas that is on par with preheating a grill, it is a good suggestion to understand that it should devour a good quantity of propane.

All reward apart, there is no such thing as a denying that Ooni Koda is an funding. Nonetheless, the model steadily runs gross sales, particularly these tied to purchasing holidays like Black Friday, Cyber ​​Cash, or Labor Day. The oven can also be a unbelievable present thought for residence cooksWhether or not you are trying to have a good time a milestone birthday, congratulate a buddy on a brand new home, or pamper a few newlyweds. Finally, our Ooni oven has held up extremely effectively over time and has greater than paid for itself contemplating the sum of money we spend on poor high quality takeout pizza.

Ideas and tips

• Think about splurging on the equipment Ooni suggests pairing along with your pizza oven. We’ve bought your devoted chrome steel storage towertwo several types of pizza peelsand the protecting cowlall of which helps us use (and take care of) our oven higher.
• A infrared thermometer It’s an important device to have available. Not solely will it assist you to decide in case your pizza stone It is scorching sufficient to start out cooking the cake, however it should make sure you management the warmth of the oven so you do not find yourself with burnt spots or, worse but, a fried cake.
• Watch out with the thickness of your dough. Too thick can result in uneven cooking, an undercooked pizza, or a cake so heavy it is not possible to show within the oven, leading to a burnt mess.
• The less substances, the higher. Too many moist substances (like a ton of sauce) may cause uneven cooking or burning your pizza. It is best to maintain the layers mild and keep away from going overboard with all that cheese. The identical goes for the quantity of flour you utilize: you need sufficient so your pizza does not follow the peel, however an excessive amount of and you may find yourself with a burnt style.
• The oven’s L-shaped burner is oriented on the rear left nook of the gadget, so rotating the pizza periodically is crucial for even cooking throughout the crust.

The decision

Ooni’s Koda 16 Pizza Oven is a worthwhile splurge and I’d suggest it to anybody trying to improve their weekly takeaway pizza to one thing home made. It helps you obtain restaurant-level pizza at residence and gives versatility in your cooking routine. rooster wingsentire branzino, cornbread or caramelized fruit. Setup is easy, takes up little house, and the training curve is brief – what extra may you ask for from an outside pizza oven?

Our expertise

Alyssa Longobucco is a contract author, editor and stylist with expertise in meals, interiors and way of life content material. She has over a decade of expertise within the digital and journal trade creating distinctive and progressive content material for landmark manufacturers resembling Meals and Wine, Home Lovely, HGTV, The Knot, Domino, House Remedy, Actual Easy, Food52, Good Housekeeping and extra. .