Ooni Koda 16 Review: Convenient Gas Pizza at a Cost?

It’s the so-called star of the Ooni range, the extra-large, totally convenient, propane or natural gas-fired pizza oven, the Koda 16.

But, before you part with your hard-earned cash you’re wondering if this oven could possibly be all that it’s made out to be…

Does gas-fired pizza lack the great taste that wood-fired delivers? Is the oven hard to use? Do you really need the large 16” size? And, is the Koda 16 the best Ooni for you?

In this Ooni Koda 16 review we answer these questions plus a lot more.

We’ve used the whole range extensively. And, here, we share what we’ve learnt to help you decide if you’re going to buy one or not.

But, before we jump into it, yes, Ooni really is that good!

We absolutely, head-over-heels love them. The pizza is up there with the best we’ve ever had.

We’re not just trying to make a dollar. We’re telling it how we see it. The quality and performance is right up there and, the price tag screams unbelievable value.

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The Quick Version - Ooni Koda 16 Review

We might have made a lot of Ooni pizzas now. But, we started out with 0% experience and hands-down say that the Ooni Koda is the easiest way to make incredible pizza at home.

If you’ve tried an Ooni pizza before, you already know how good they are. And, if you haven’t had one yet, these pizzas that you can make at home (yes, you) rival some of THE best pizza we’ve ever eaten!

We’re not exaggerating. We’re not just talking it up to make a few dollars. They’re darn good. And, the gas-powered Koda is the fastest and easiest way to get you there.

Do Koda pizzas taste worse than their true wood-fired counterpart?

In our opinion, you’ll barely notice the taste difference.

A single pizza literally takes 60 seconds to cook in any Ooni oven. So, even it it’s the wood-fired Karu or the wood pellet-fired Fyra, it’s not long enough to really impart a truly smokey flavor.

So, if you want easy Friday night pizza, the Koda is where it’s at!

The Ooni Koda is as easy to operate as any gas grill. Simply turn it on, wait 20 minutes for the stone to heat up and away you go, turning out restaurant quality pizzas you, your family, and your friends will be hanging out all week for.

Do you need the large 16-inch size?

Ooni’s Koda 16 is ideal for larger families or anyone who entertains a lot. The pizzas are slightly too big to fit your regular chopping board and plates. But, if you’re making a lot, you’ll appreciate cooking less pizzas for the same amount of food.

Plus, the other thing the larger Ooni Koda 16’s got going for it compared to the Koda 12 is it’s innovative L-shaped flame.

Because the flame runs down two edges inside the Koda 16, you won’t need to turn the pizza as frequently to get those crispy edges and perfectly melted cheese.

It’s not a make or break it feature. But, does make it that much easier to turn out a great pizza while you’re standing around chatting to friends.

One thing to note about the larger 16-inch size is that this Koda is nowhere near as portable as the smaller Koda 12.

Yes, you could take it camping or to a friend’s house. But, it is big, kind of bulky, and heavy so it’s best left as a permanent feature in your own yard which will get a rep for being the best place around to get drool-worthy pizza.

A Bit About Ooni

Husband and wife team, Kristian Tapaninaho and Darina Garland started the Kickstarter funded company Ooni (originally Uuni) with a few aims in mind.

The first was to make it oh so easy for anyone to cook really great pizza at home. And, second, they wanted to make sure their ovens were both affordable and high quality.

Sounds too good to be true to me. But, affordable, high quality and easy to use is exactly how you’d describe Ooni’s incredible line-up of backyard pizza ovens.

And, it’s not just us saying it. Since Ooni’s startup, they’ve won numerous awards while innovating their way around the globe.

They’ve grown their product range, refined their existing ovens and developed an extensive range of pizza-making accessories.

The multi-fuel Ooni Karu 16 was even named as the first pizza oven that’s ever been recommended for domestic use by the very prestigious international authority on true Neapolitan pizza, the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. This oven, the Koda 16, has now taken this title as well.

Whichever oven you’re looking at, Ooni is legit.

A Bit About the Ooni Koda 16

Because it’s simply so easy to use (and there’s less mess to clean up), the propane or natural gas-powered Koda is the most popular pizza oven in Ooni’s range.

Hook this sleek looking baby up, turn the dial, give it 20 minutes to heat up and you’ll have absolutely incredible home-made pizza on your plate 60 seconds later.

It’s literally that easy to get going, and, requires even less effort than Ooni’s wood pellet-fired Fyra and their charcoal/hardwood/gas with an optional adapter, Karu.

But, easy doesn’t mean not as good as the rest. The Ooni Koda 16 cooks pizza that’s every bit as good as the rest of the Ooni range.

And, the larger 16 inch size gives good height for cooking things other than pizza like steak, fish and even dessert. The Koda 16 can be more than just a pizza oven.

Features of the Ooni Koda 16 Gas-Powered Pizza Oven

Construction

Commercial grade cold-rolled carbon steel shell with high-temperature resistant, powder-coated finish
Ceramic fiber-insulated body
0.6″ (15mm) cordierite stone baking board

Ease of Use

Instant, built-in gas ignition
Heats up to 950°F in just 20 minutes
Built-in Flame Safety Device (FSD)
Collapsible legs for easy transportation and storage

Included Extras

Available in either the propane gas tank option or the natural gas line option
60 day great pizza guarantee

Unboxing and Setting Up the Ooni Koda 16

We’ve had a lot of Ooni’s. Every single one of them has arrived in great condition because they’re simply packaged so well. And, the Ooni Koda 16 is no excemption.

Double boxed for transportation, slide off the first plain box and inside you’ll find the good stuff.

There the stone is wrapped inside that insulated plastic and cardboard spacers protect the shell.

To set up the Ooni Koda 16 is a piece of cake.

You’ll fold up the legs, carefully place the stone inside and hook the oven up to either a propane bottle or your natural gas line, depending on which model you bought.

Before you start cooking though, it’s always a good idea to season your Ooni to make sure there’s nothing nasty left over from manufacturing on your stone.

To do this, simply run the Koda at maximum temperature for 30 minutes. Then, let it cool, wipe the stone and inside with DRY paper towels (you don’t want to ever wet your stone because wet stones can crack). And, you’re good to go.

Construction and Build-Quality

The build quality of the Ooni Koda 16 is exeptional. Especially for price! They’re really well put together ovens that are designed to last.

On the outside, the black shell of the Koda 16 is commercial grade powder-coated carbon steel. The silver bits are stainless. And, inside the walls is actually ceramic fiber insulation to keep the heat in and minimize fuel consumption.

We’ve been using our Koda 16 for a long time now. We’ve had absolutely no issues with surface discoloration or flaking even when we’ve tried to run it too hot for the purpose of this review.

There’s also been a few times it’s been caught in the rain and hasn’t caused any rusting either although storage indoors or undercover is always recommended.

But, a simple wide down with a damp cloth when needed should keep your Koda 16 looking as good as new.

Inside the oven, the pizza stone is 0.6″ (15mm) thick cordiertie.

If you don’t know much about pizza stones, cordiertie is one of, if not, the best materials for this.

It heats up quickly and cooks your pizza base evenly from the bottom up. Cordiertie is also a really durable material. It can handle the metal pizza peels scraping over it and any burnt on cheese and bits that get stuck along the way.

Of course, you’ll still want to follow Ooni’s recommended care instructions (we talk more about this towards the end of this Ooni Koda 16 review). But, your Ooni stone should last years and years without any issues.

Underneath the Koda 16 you’ll find the gas inlet and controls.

The simple push and turn to ignite dial is both good quality and easy to use for temperature adjustment. And, the gas pipes are well protected by a plastic casing for if and when you’re moving your Koda around.

The only complaint we do have in terms of the build of the Ooni Koda 16 is that it would be nice if the gas regulator hose was a little bit longer.

We have struggled sometimes to sit a gas bottle close enough to the oven and would benefit from having a longer hose to give that little bit more flexibility. It’s even a little trickly to get everything positioned well on Ooni’s accessory table although once it’s in you don’t have to touch it much.

And, that’s it for the Koda 16’s build. The simple sleek design is all that you really need. Ooni have done an incredible job of building such a great quality pizza oven that’s so well priced.

Gas Options with the Ooni Koda 16

When you go to buy an Ooni Koda 16, you’ll get to choose from either the gas propane bottle setup or the natural gas option.

Depending on which option you select, you’ll either get the propane regulator and hose or the natural gas hose and regulator.

So, while the pizza oven itself is exactly the same, you can’t swap between propane bottles and a natural gas line straight out of the box.

If things do change down the line and you want to use a different form of gas, you can buy the propane and the natural gas hoses separately. You don’t need to buy a whole new oven.

Also note that the Ooni Koda 16 is NOT compatible with small 1 pound propane gas bottles (like the ones people often use when camping). The smaller Ooni Koda 12 can be used with these small bottles if you grab yourself the gas tank adapter. But, it won’t work with the Koda 16.

Is Gas the Best Ooni Fuel For Me?

Whether you go propane or natural gas, the gas-powered Ooni Koda is the easiest oven to use in Ooni’s range.

Because you simply connect the oven to gas, turn the dial and you’re good to go, it doesn’t get any faster than that. There’s no messing around with wood, charcoal, pellets or firestarters and you don’t have to worry about buying the right stuff either.

So, the Ooni Koda is best for anyone who wants that convenience and simplicity.

You also won’t need to worry about adding more fuel mid-cook or adjusting dampers to change the temperature. Just move the dial up and down as needed and your oven will adjust accordingly.

Got a lot of kids running around? Prefer to chat with the boys instead of tending to the fire? The Koda is right for you.

But, if you want the authentically wood-fired claim, check out Ooni’s multi-fuel Karu instead. With the gas adapter, this does give you propane as an option. But, you can also run the Karu on hardwood and/or charcoal as well. Check out our full review of the Ooni Karu 16 here.

We’ve also written a comparison of the Ooni Koda vs Ooni Karu. Click the link if you’re tossing up between these two ovens.

The other thing that’s great about the Ooni Koda is that it’s virtually maintenance free.

There’s no firebox to clean out, no soot to wipe out of chimney’s and no messy fuel pile sitting beside your oven.

You will need to keep your stone clean and the shell might need a wipe down every now and then. But, when it comes to clean up, the Koda will save you time here too.

Capacity

As the name says, the Ooni Koda 16 can cook pizzas up to 16 inches wide.

How big of a pizza is that?

16 inches is the equivalent of a large or extra large at Papa Johns. So, it’s a pretty decently large pizza.

We easily cut a Koda 16 pizza into 8-12 slices. And, 4 of our 16 inch pizzas feed 2 adults and 3 kids who love pizza with some leftovers for the next day.

If we’re entertaining, we’ll 1.5 or 2 x’s a batch of Ooni’s Quick Dough (our go-to) to keep the pizzas coming…

Is the Ooni Koda 16 Too Big?

If you’re thinking about going for the larger sized Ooni Koda 16, just be aware that a 16 inch pizza will probably be a bit too big to fit on your regularly sized chopping board. Or, your regularly sized dinner plates.

And, there’s two options to solve this…

You can either make do without a set of larger things. Or, grab yourself some Ooni 16 inch cutting and serving peels.

You’ll need at least a couple, more if you want to serve all your pizzas up at once. But, you can use these peels to load and cut your pizzas as well. They’re a multipurpose investment. And, they make great charcuterie boards as well.

If you’re tossing up between the Ooni Koda 12 and the Ooni Koda 16, here’s a look at the size of both ovens beside each other.

After having used both, I’d say that, one, the smaller 12 inch size is totally workable. Even for a larger family or entertaining.

The smaller size is great if everyone likes to do their own toppings, or you like serving individual pizzas. So, if the 16 inch size is out of your budget, the 12 inch is just fine!

But, although it doesn’t sound like much and it literally takes just 60 seconds to cook one pizza, the 16 inch does mean you’ve only got to make 4 instead of 6 pizzas to get the same amount of food.

Here’s a picture of the 12 vs 16 inch Ooni’s peels next to each other.

Pizza night after pizza night, it adds up and because I’m always cooking for quite a few, I do really appreciate that the first pizza I throw out of the Koda 16 is large enough to go around and isn’t going to instantly be demolished by hungry hands before I can get the second pizza on the table.

Cooking on the Ooni Koda 16

Before we get into the nitty gritty of what it’s like to cook a pizza on the Ooni Koda 16, we want to share that we had absolutely no experience making our own dough, stretching it out, or cooking it in a proper pizza oven before we got our first Ooni Koda 12 (you can read about our experience with it here).

Our pizza making experience was strictly limited to throwing some toppings on a pre-made base and cooking it in the oven, wondering why it was nowhere as good as takeout pizza.

So, if you’ve heard that Ooni’s are hard to use or the learning curve is steep, we’re here to say it’s really not that bad. You too, can be cooking way better than takeout pizza in your own backyard for way cheaper too.

It doesn’t take that long to learn the in’s and outs of using your Ooni. And, because the temperature is so easy to control, the Koda is the easiest of Ooni’s ovens to learn on.

Making and Stretching Your Pizza Dough

You can use pre-made bases inside the Ooni Koda 16. But, your pizza won’t taste anywhere near as good as if you use fresh dough.

But, don’t let that put you off!

Firstly, the easy option is to buy fresh dough from your local grocery store to simply stretch out and cook in your Ooni. Ooni even sell their own frozen that you can buy at the same time as your oven.

Or, if you want to save some money and do it yourself, Ooni’s got the best range of pizza dough recipes you can check out on their website. They’re not overly complicated and don’t take a lot of time (especially if you’ve got a stand mixer with a dough hook).

95% of the time, we follow Ooni’s Quick Dough recipe. It only takes 1 hour to make including rising time. So, if you decide late afternoon that tonight must be a pizza night and haven’t prepped the dough, it’s still doable.

Once you’ve got your dough, the first actual step in making pizza on your Ooni will be stretching out the dough to make the base.

And, again, Ooni are there will all the instructions, hints and tips from the pros.

Check out Ooni’s video on 4 easy steps to stretching pizza dough below. They make it fun and easy to remember.

Yeah, we mess it up occassionally. But, it doesn’t take that much practice to be turning out legit bases on your own kitchen bench.

Starting the Ooni Koda 16

When your dough is almost ready to use, it’s time to get your pizza oven on.

On the Koda 16, that means simply pushing and turning the dial to start the fire.

You can adjust the flame strength by moving the dial around as required. You’ll want your oven to reach a temperature of about 750°F before you start cooking your first pizza.

How do you know your oven is hot enough and ready to cook?

You can buy one of Ooni’s infrared thermometers to point at your stone for a more precise measurement. But, if you don’t want to buy one (we don’t use one), just run your oven at almost the maximum for Ooni’s recommended 20 minutes.

You can always adjust the gas dial as required if your base is burning (stone is too hot), or your pizza is taking too long to cook (stone isn’t hot enough).

Although the Ooni Koda 16 does have one-touch ignition, your oven will come with a matchstick holder so that you can light your oven manually if required.

If everything’s working correctly, you shouldn’t need to use this though.

The other thing to be aware of when it comes to lighting your Ooni Koda 16 is that it does have a Flame Safe Device (FSD) built in.

This means that if your flame blows out while the gas is still on, the FSD will automatically turn off the gas supply to your oven.

We live somewhere that gets really windy quite often. And, because of the Koda 16’s open face design without a door, the flame does blow out mid-cook.

It is an annoying problem because we do have to turn the gas off, wait until any gas dissipates, reconnect and restart. In that time our stone has lost quite a bit of heat.

Waiting for the oven to get up to temperature again really lengthens out the cook time. And, if there’s a pizza in there, it can get a bit messy.

If you live somewhere that’s windy and still want to go gas, consider getting the Ooni Karu 16 with the optional gas adapter.

Because this oven has a glass door on it, the wind can’t whip through like it does on the Koda, eliminating the problem of your flame blowing out. Check out our Ooni Karu vs Koda comparison or our full Karu 16 review if you’re interested.

Launching Your Pizza Into the Ooni Koda 16

While your oven is heating up, start making your first pizza by stretching out your dough on a floured surface (see Ooni’s stretching video above), and finishing it with your favorite toppings.

Then comes the actual cooking.

To cook a pizza in an Ooni oven, you will need a pizza peel.

This is the only absolutely essential accessory you will need to buy.

It’s basically a big metal (or bamboo) paddle with a handle that’s the right size to fit into the oven so you can launch your pizza and get it out again without burning yourself.

Grab a 16″ peel to match your Koda 16’s size.

To launch your pizza, you’re going to grab your peel and slide/thrust it under your pizza base. Remember you will have made your pizza on a floured surface to prevent sticking.

Then, take your pizza over to your oven, push the paddle into the oven and pull it back quickly to leave your pizza on the stone and your paddle empty.

It sounds a little tricky. But, with a little bit of practice you’ll have the technique down pat and be launching pizzas like a pro. It’s really not that bad.

Check out Ooni’s video on how to launch a pizza below. Or, check out their written guide here.

Turning Your Pizza

A pizza oven isn’t like a regular kitchen oven where a fan is distributing the heat evenly. So, whichever Ooni or other pizza oven you go for, you’ll need to turn your pizza to get it to cook evenly.

Now, the Ooni Koda 16 is unique in the fact that it’s got an L-shaped flame. This means that the flame runs down two sides of the oven, cooking more of the pizza at once.

You’ll still need to turn it. But, you might be able to get away with 1 turn per pizza instead of 2-3.

The picture below shows you how the heat is distributed over the Ooni Koda 16’s stone so you can really see why turning is essential.

The easiest and fastest way to turn your pizza in your oven is with an Ooni turning peel.

This accessory isn’t an essential. You can use your regular peel to pull the whole pizza out and rotate with your hands then slide it back in.

But, a turning peel makes the process faster and easier.

If you’ve got a peel, you’ll slide it under the base while it’s still on the stone then lift and pull your pizza so that the less cooked side is closer to the flame.

On the Ooni Koda 16, we usually turn the pizza 2 times, giving each side about 20 seconds to total a minute of cook time all up.

Finishing Your Ooni Koda 16 Pizza

Once your pizza is cooked evenly all over, grab your pizza peel again (the one you used for launching), slide it under, pull your pizza out and you’re ready to eat.

So, yes, Ooni’s claim to cook a pizza in 60 seconds is spot on. One minute is really all that you need for a perfectly crunchy crust topped with deliciously melted cheese…

What Does Ooni Koda 16 Pizza Taste Like?

Ooni set the expectation that you’re going to be making AMAZING pizza at home. So much so that they offer a 60 day great pizza guarantee where they’ll buy back your oven if you’re not making great pizzas within that time.

So, are they right? Are Ooni pizzas worth the hype? And, does gas-fired pizza really cut it?

Yes. Yes. Absolutely yes!

We rave about them because they are totally rave worthy.

And, when it comes to what’s good pizza, I think I personally have pretty high standards. Pro-Ooni, I rarely did takeout pizza because most of the time it’s pretty average.

Now, I’m (and my kids are) happy to say that one of my favorite foods is back on the weekly menu.

Guests have even said the Ooni pizza is far better than what you can get at the local wood-fired joint (and they’re pizza isn’t bad…).

As for if the pizzas taste authentically wood-fired on the Ooni Koda 16… Well, they’re not wood-fired so there’s no way they can taste smoky. But, the crust, the toppings, the cheese, everything else does taste like an authentic Neapolitan pizza.

And, if you’ve read any of our reviews on the hardwood-fired Ooni Karu or the pellet-fired Ooni Fyra, our experience with the wood smoke on these ovens is that the pizza isn’t in there long enough to really impart much flavor anyway.

In fact, we trialled a line-up of pizzas cooked on the Ooni Koda vs the Ooni Karu and we couldn’t tell which pizzas were done on which oven. The results are so similar, we don’t think you’re giving up better pizza just because you’re going for the convenience of gas.

So, what do Ooni Koda 16 pizzas taste like?

Light and crispy bases without being like a cracker? Tick. Well-cooked toppings? Tick. Perfectly melted cheese? Tick.

But, possibly the very best thing about having your own pizza oven is that you get to do things your way.

If you prefer Chicago deep dish style, you can do that too. Just follow the recipe you’ll find in the link. Detroit-style pizza, why not?!? Or, like making sourdough at home? You can cook a Sourdough pizza base on the Ooni Koda 16 too.

In fact, Ooni have such a good collection of different styles of pizza dough, you don’t need to look far. But, of course you can cook any bread recipe you want in your Ooni Koda 16.

And, that leads us to the next question…

What Else Can You Cook on the Ooni Koda 16?

Yes, it’s a pizza oven. But, what a lot of people don’t realise is that you can cook a lot of food besides from just pizza in the Ooni Koda 16. After all, it’s just an oven with a gas element.

At the very least, you can bake other types of bread in your Koda 16. Flat types like focaccia are the easiest due to their shape. And, because of the pizza stone cooking the bread from the bottom up as well as the top down, your bread will cook faster and turn out that much better than cooking it in your regular oven.

But, you can also sear a steak in your Koda 16, bake salmon, roast vegetables, or cook sides for pizza night. This mac n cheese recipe is a favorite of ours.

Performance-wise, the Ooni Koda 16 is great for cooking things other than pizza.

The easy to use gas dial means you can crank the heat up or down, easily and exactly as is needed.

Just be aware, to cook anything other than bread in your Ooni Koda 16, you do need a cast iron pan.

Because pizza stones are porous, they will absorb any liquid you put on the stone. Meat juice, steam or any other liquid will penetrate and cause your stone to crack over time.

By putting your steak or other food in a preheated cast iron pan, you still get the benefits of upwards and downwards heat to cook your food quickly and beautifully.

Ooni sell cast iron pans with removable longer handles, making it easier to get your pan in an out of the Koda 16. But, any cast ironware you have will do just fine.

Oh, and did we mention you can cook dessert in your Ooni Koda 16 too? Check out these jam-stuffed doughnuts. Or, browse Ooni’s YouTube channel for more great recipes.

Portability

Ooni’s are well-known as a portable pizza oven.

But, at the 16 inch size versus the smaller Koda 12, the Koda isn’t marketed as a portable oven anymore. And, instead of being able to buy a carry case like you can for the Koda 12, you can only buy a cover for the Koda 16.

So, is the Koda 16 portable?

With folding legs and no chimney, there’s nothing stopping you from packing your Koda 16 up to take it camping, tailgating or to a friends place.

But, because of it’s larger size and heavier 39.2 lbs (17.8kg) weight, I wouldn’t describe it as easily portable.

Here’s the oven’s dimensions if you want to see how much space the Koda 16 would take up getting it on the road.

Another thing to note is that when you fold the legs in on the Koda 16, the gas pipe housing that’s on the bottom of the oven sits lower than the legs. So, the oven doesn’t sit flat, it wobbles around a bit on the plastic cover.

Because the oven is built well, it shouldn’t get damaged while you’re moving it. But, it’s not super neat folded up.

Also, you can’t use the Ooni Koda 16 with the smaller 1 pound gas bottles. You will need to bring your full-sized gas bottle with you.

So, while none of these things are deal breakers for taking your Koda 16 on the road, I wouldn’t really describe this oven as portable either. It’s best left setup as a permanent thing in your backyard. Undercover is best. Or, you can grab yourself the protective cover.

If you do want a truly portable gas-powered Ooni, the smaller Koda 12 is just that. Check out our full review of the Koda 12 if you’re interested.

Optional Extras Available for the Ooni Koda 16

Good news all round when it comes to accessorizing your Koda 16.

If you don’t want to buy anything extra, grab a peel and you’ll be right. But, if you’re the kind of person who likes all the extras, Ooni offers an awesome range of accessories for their ovens.

Like the ovens themselves, Ooni’s accessories are great quality. They’re functional and actually help to make the whole pizza making experience easier and more fun, instead of being useless add-ons that you won’t really use.

The first accessory we got for the Koda 16, apart from a pizza peel and turning peel was the large modular table.

Because the Koda 16 is quite large and very deep, it doesn’t fit on a standard 23″ (60cm) deep bench. So, the large modular table is a nice place to permanently set up the oven.

You can put the gas bottle underneath, hang your peels on the hooks and even wheel your oven around which we actually do all the time.

If you want enough work space to actually make your pizzas outside, you can link Ooni’s tables together to create that. Then there’s a sweet topping station and utility box that makes pizza parties that much easier and fun.

Other accessories you might be interested in to go with your Ooni Koda 16 are the infrared thermometer to give an exact reading on the internal temperature of your oven, the pizza oven brush to make cleaning easier and the cutter rocker blade.

If you like accessories, have a look through Ooni’s full range though. Buy them with your oven or add them on as you go to build the ultimate backyard pizza setup.

Does the Natural Gas Adapter Come With the Ooni Koda 16?

When you first buy the Ooni Koda 16, you’ll choose between the propane tank model and the natural gas model. So, you’ll only get one hose and regulator attachment based on which fuel you’d like to use.

If you want to swap over to the other type of gas later, you can buy the other hose and regulator separately.

Here’s a link to the Ooni Koda 16 natural gas conversion kit and the propane tank hose and gas regulator.

Warranty

The Ooni Koda 16 comes with a 1 year warranty as standard. But, register online within 60 days of buying it and Ooni will extend that out to an impressive 5 years.

We did actually make a warranty claim on an Ooni Fyra once. It was just for a broken part on the chimney damper, nothing major. But, Ooni dealt with it really well. We sent them pictures and they sent out a new chimney very quickly which we haven’t had any further problems with it.

Since then we’ve had a lot of other Ooni ovens and haven’t had any warranty issues at all, the quality is right up there.

But, if you do have any issues, rest assured that Ooni has good a good customer service track record, not just from us, from others as well.

Cleaning the Ooni Koda 16

One of the main benefits of going the Ooni Koda over Ooni’s other ovens is that it requires the lowest amount of maintenance.

There’s no firebox to empty and no chimney to clean out.

The only regular thing you need to do is to keep the stone and interior clean.

If there’s any leftover food stuck on the stone, you’ll simply run the oven at high heat to burn off any residue. Then, you can use a spatula or Ooni’s Pizza Oven Brush to scrape off any excess.

Just remember, never try to wash your pizza stone to clean it! Pizza stones absorb water which then causes it to crack as it heats up.

You can flip your stone periodically though so that it wears evenly on both sides. It’s like you get twice the life out of it which should be many, many years anyway.

Pros and Cons of the Ooni Koda 16

What We Like About the Ooni Koda 16

You can make absolutely incredible pizza at home
Gas makes it so easy to start and adjust the temperature as needed
The L-shaped flame means less turning of your pizza to get an even cook
Great quality oven, especially for the price
Can cook things other than pizza as well
Minimal maintenance
Oven looks great in your backyard
Great range of optional accessories if you want to build a whole outdoor pizza oven kitchen

What We Don't Like About the Ooni Koda 16

Because there’s no door on the front, the flame does blow out if it’s really windy
There’s no wood-fired flavor if you’re concerned about that
Buying all the optional accessories can get quite expensive. But, all you do need is a peel and potentially a turning peel

Our Verdict on the Ooni Koda 16 Review

If you want to make restaurant quality pizza at home with the least amount of fuss possible, the Ooni Koda 16 is what you need to do it.

It doesn’t get any simpler than turning the knob, waiting for your oven to heat up and cooking what’s some of the best pizza I’ve eaten in just 60 seconds.

The large 16 inch stone size is perfect for big families and those who entertain a lot. It does mean you lose the portability of the smaller 12 inch model. On the other hand, you gain the unique L-shaped flame which means fewer turns per pizza and a better setup for cooking other foods in this oven.

Available in both a propane gas tank and natural gas model, the Ooni Koda 16 is made to suit any backyard. You can buy the alternate hose and regulator if you move house or want to swap between these two fuel setups without having to buy a whole new oven.

But, possibly the best thing about the Ooni Koda 16 is it’s incredible value for money.

This oven is built so well and works so well that we think it’s an absolute steal!

In fact, the money you will save on buying takeout pizza will pay for your Koda 16 in not much time at all. Plus you’re gaining great memories of family pizza nights, feeding the kids football team, or simply having a cold one while you whip up a legit Neopolitan-style pizza.

We rave about it because it’s rave-worthy. And now we’re out to make ourselves another round…

What Other Pizza Ovens Should I Consider?

We’ve searched the market and think that there’s nothing better out there than an Ooni. They’re top quality, look great, perform even better, and have a very reasonable price tag on them.

So, if you’re thinking the Ooni Koda 16 isn’t for you, check out the rest of Ooni’s range…

If you like the Koda 16 but want a cheaper or more portable option, there’s the smaller gas-powered Ooni Koda 12.

If you like the gas but want to be able to do proper wood-fired pizzas as well. Or, live somewhere windy and don’t want the flame blowing out, check out the multi-fuel Ooni Karu 16. It’s a beast in more ways than one!

Or, if you want an easier way to do wood-fired pizza without needing logs, we love the Ooni Fyra 12. It runs on the same hardwood pellets that a pellet smoker uses but doesn’t need electricity.

And, if you like the simplicity of gas but don’t even want to bother with bottles, there’s the 12 inch electric Ooni Volt. You can even use it inside.

Browse our Ooni reviews, read our Koda vs Karu and Koda vs Fyra comparisons. Or, take Ooni’s quick oven finder quiz.

Specs for the Ooni Koda 16 Gas Pizza Oven

Barbecue type: Propane gas or natural gas pizza oven

BTU: 29000

Barbecue material: Insulated, powder-coated carbon and stainless steel shell

Stone material: 0.6″ (15mm) cordierite

Cooking capacity: 1 x 16″ pizza

Heat Range: Up to 950°F

Fuel type: Propane or natural gas with correct attachment

Price guide: $$

Model: Koda 16

Assembled size (in): 25 D x 23.2 W x 14.7 H (63 x 58 x 37cm)

Weight: 39.2 lbs (17.8kg)

Warranty: 1 year that is extended to 5 with registration

FAQs About the Ooni Koda 16

Is the Ooni Koda 16 worth it?

Do you love really good pizza? Do you want to make yourself some really good pizza? Do you want to make really good pizza in your backyard in the easiest way possible?

Then, yes. The Ooni Koda 16 is absolutely worth the money!

The pizzas the Koda make are restaurant quality and 1000% better than you can make in your not so hot home oven.

They do really only take 60 seconds to actually cook.

The oven is so well made, the quality is unbeatable.

You’re going to save yourself a heap of money on takeout pizza. Plus, you can make your own pizzas healthier than greasy takeout options.

Is the Ooni Koda 16 better than the 12?

Taste-wise, a pizza cooked on the Ooni Koda 16 will come out exactly the same as one that’s cooked on the smaller Koda 12.

But, you’re right, there are a few differences between the 16 inch and 12 inch models.

The Koda 16 inch can hook up to natural gas as well as propane bottles while the Koda 12 just does propane.

The Koda 16’s L-shaped waterfall flame means you don’t need to turn your pizza as often while it’s cooking

And, because it’s larger and has a little more height inside, the Koda 16 is easier to use to sear a steak, grill sides or whip up a dessert in.

Check out our Ooni Koda 12 review to see how the smaller version performs.

Does Ooni Koda 16 come with a peel?

No, the Ooni Koda 16 doesn’t come with a peel in the box.

But, you can grab the Ooni Koda 16 essentials pack which includes the oven and a 16 inch peel with a discount.

What size pizza does the Ooni Koda 16 make?

The Ooni Koda 16 makes pizzas up to 16 inches.

Just because the stone is that wide, doesn’t mean you have to do such large pizzas. If you want to do individual pizzas for a party, just pop a smaller piece of dough in.

What else can you cook in an Ooni Koda 16?

The Ooni Koda 16 can be used like an outdoor gas oven or grill as well as being able to cook pizzas.

You need to use cast iron pans to protect the stone from absorbing moisture and cracking. But, you can sear a steak, whip up a salmon fillet, grill some vegetables as a side, bake some mac n cheese, do other flat breads, or cook up a dessert post-pizza too.

Can Ooni Koda 16 stay outside?

Yes. The Ooni Koda 16 is built to be kept outside all year long.

But, we do recommend leaving it somewhere out of the weather or grabbing the Koda 16 cover to protect your investment if you are leaving it permanently set up in your backyard.

Why doesn't the Ooni Koda 16 have a door?

There’s no door on the Ooni Koda 16 because it doesn’t need it.

The gas burner is powerful enough to create high-heat without needing a front on it.

Plus, because there’s no chimney on the Koda 16 model, having a door would trap harmful gasses and make the oven unsafe to use.

What is the difference between Ooni Koda 12 and 16?

Besides the obvious size difference between the 12 inch Koda 12 and the 16 inch Koda 16, there are a few other differences between these two ovens.

First, the Koda 16 has an L-shaped flame compared to the straight at the back Koda 12 gas burner. The L-shape cooks your pizza down two sides at once so won’t need to be turned as often as you’ll need to turn your pizza in the Koda 12.

The larger pizza oven also has a little extra height inside. This makes it a little easier to cook foods other than pizza there in our opinion.

The last difference between the two models is in which fuels they can use.

The Ooni Koda 16 can run on large propane gas bottles or natural gas. The Koda 12 can only use propane gas bottles. But, ou can hook up a smaller 1 pound bottle with the optional adapter if you want a more portable fuel.

Can I use natural gas with the Ooni Koda 16?

The Ooni Koda 16 is the only oven in Ooni’s range that can be used with natural gas.

When you go to buy it, just click the natural gas option and you’ll be sent the right hose and regulator to connect your oven up to your natural gas line.

If you already have a Koda 16 and only have the propane hose and regulator, you can buy the natural gas conversion kit without needing a new oven.

How long does Ooni Koda 16 take to heat up?

You should wait 20 minutes after turning your Ooni Koda 16 on so that it can heat up to the ideal temperature for cooking pizzas.

How long does Ooni Koda 16 take to cook a pizza?

It literally takes 60 seconds to cook a single pizza in the Ooni Koda 16.

Because the oven runs at really high high and cooks from the bottom up on the stone as well, 60 seconds is all you need for perfectly cooked pizza.