If you’re looking for a gas-powered, compact, portable pizza oven that’s easy to set up, yet still offers generous cooking space, the Ooni Koda 2 may be the pick for you.
The second generation of the company’s award-winning Koda 12 oven has space for a 14in pizza compared with the original’s 12in one. There is also more room to manoeuvre inside, a wider temperature range (so you can cook seafood and steaks, too), and a flame designed for better heat distribution. Unlike the Koda 12, the Ooni Koda 2 is available with optional accessories, including the rotating stone bundle tested here (a pricey upgrade of £229) and a smart temperature hub (the Connect, £89), which means you don’t have to constantly reach for an infrared (IR) thermometer.
Essentially, the Ooni Koda 2 is a great all-round pizza oven, and my favourite gas-powered model. Folding legs and a weight of 16kg make it just light enough to transport; it’s relatively affordable at less than £400; and it’s pretty much plug-and-play, so you can be up and running in minutes.
How I tested
I tested the Ooni Koda 2 using the same methods as the other pizza ovens I’ve reviewed for the Filter. As well as assessing the quality of the cook by making differently topped pizzas – cheese and tomato at about 430C; a veggie pizza with onion, pepper and tomato at a lower 350C to caramelise and soften the ingredients; and a salami-topped pizza at about 400C – I rated it for ease of assembly, overall use, lighting, temperature control and storage.
I tested it with the static stone that comes as standard and the optional extra rotating stone to see if this made any difference to the cooking performance.
What you need to know
My favourite aspect of the Koda 2 is that it’s more customisable than most pizza ovens. You can pay a reasonable price and quite happily cook in it just as it is, without feeling like you’re missing out.
Or, you can add a range of accessories to make it suit the way you want to cook. The rotating stone, for example, helps to reduce burnt crusts and does away with the need to manually shuffle your pizza around. Instead, a wave of the hand in front of an infrared sensor under the front of the oven starts and stops the rotation. Far more convenient when you’re holding a pizza peel. However, it’s a pricey addition, and it reduces the Koda 2’s cooking capacity from 14 inches to 12. I also found the rotating stone less effective with the rectangular premade dough I was using, as the corners still tended to burn. If you use rounds, though, you’ll be fine.
Similarly, the Connect digital temperature hub reduces the need to slavishly monitor the oven’s temperature with an IR thermometer. Instead, you can monitor it at a distance, or via your smartphone as you prepare food elsewhere. Note that it relies on Bluetooth, so connectivity can be spotty.
Ooni Koda 2 specifications
Dimensions: 47.2 x 54.5 x 33.3cm (WDH), mouth 39.3 x 11cm (WH)
Maximum capacity: 35 x 39cm pizza stone (working capacity 14in, or 12in with the rotating stone)
Features: folding legs, matchstick holder, optional rotating stone, optional digital temperature hub
Fuel: gas
Spare parts: available from Ooni support direct (see below)
Weight: 16kg
What we love
One of my biggest gripes about pizza ovens is poorly placed battery-powered ignition. Too often, the battery compartment is hard to reach or in a visually obtrusive spot. Ooni handles this well: the Koda 2’s batteries are neatly concealed inside one of the legs, making them easy to reach without being on display.
The controls are similarly well thought out, positioned on the side of the oven. This makes them easier to adjust than rear-mounted controls and keeps them clean – which can be an issue with controls at the front.
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The Koda 2 always lit first time, and thanks to its tapered back burner, heated up in less than half an hour. Different spots on the stone often showed very different temperatures, but with either the rotating or static stone, cooking performance was excellent. Any scorches were largely down to me either not turning the pizza fast enough or not getting it out on time.
I was especially impressed when cooking the veggie pizza on the rotating stone – the vegetables received equal heat, so they were soft and gently charred. All the pizzas I made rose well and browned evenly. A 2in stainless-steel ledge at the mouth is handy for resting the pizza and checking on progress, too.
Storage is another strong point. Three folding legs make the Koda 2 easy to tuck away, even if you have limited room outdoors. This caused some issues when setting up the oven, though, as they tended to fold back in before all three were fully extended. Some kind of locking mechanism would be useful.
What we don’t love
While I enjoyed the consistent cooking on the rotating stone, fitting it proved fiddly – it’s not a quick lift-in, lift-out fixture. Note, too, that once fitted, it prevents the legs from folding in unless you detach the stone’s motor. It’s also pricey, at £229.
Once the oven reaches the highest temperatures, it can take a while for it to drop again for lower-heat cooking. With the static stone in place, I found it took almost as long for it to heat up as it did to drop back down to cook pizzas with veggies and meat.
The Ooni Koda 2’s mouth is also more awkward than some models to get pizza in and out. It’s not as beginner-friendly as larger ovens or those designed with a slightly taller or wider mouth.
Warranty, repairability and longevity
Ooni offers a five-year extended warranty for the Koda 2 if you register it, or one year as standard. The rotating stone is guaranteed for two years if you register, as is the Connect digital temperature hub (or one year if you haven’t). You can contact the company for spare parts, including the pizza stone, folding legs, leg fixing spares (foot and leg release button), propane regulator, Torx key, matchstick holder, battery cover set, FSD/sparker/thermocouple module and flamekeeper.
Ooni Koda 2: should I buy it?
This well-designed pizza oven will tick most boxes for most people, and it’s ideal for families. It’s easier to store than its bigger brethren (such as the Koda 2 Pro, which fits an 18in pizza, or the Koda 2 Max, which accommodates a 24in pizza), compact enough to take with you to a campsite, and reliable in terms of lighting and results.
The capacity might be an issue if you’re throwing a big event. While the Koda 2 can churn out pizza after pizza in a matter of minutes, it doesn’t have the cooking area of larger ovens, especially with the rotating stone in place. For smaller alfresco get-togethers, though, the Ooni Koda 2 is a welcome party guest.
For more, read the best pizza ovens in the UK, the best BBQs and grills and the best (and worst) chefs’ knives
Rachel Ogden has worked as a consumer journalist for decades, becoming an expert unboxer before it was a thing, although she is less successful at assembling and repacking. Her home has hosted hundreds of appliances while her garden has seen a succession of pizza ovens, barbecues and heaters put through their paces. It takes a lot to impress her – many appliances have tried and failed
