Ooni is known for its range of top-of-the-line pizza ovens and cooking accessories. Its Koda lineup, comprising the Ooni Koda 12 and Koda 16, are great choices for budding pizzaiolos. These sturdily designed outdoor ovens can bake anything from a Neapolitan to a New York-style pizza. In fact, the Koda 16 is one of the best outdoor pizza ovens to buy. But apart from their sizes, what sets the Koda 12 and Koda 16 apart? We compare the two models below to find out.
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Ooni Koda 12 vs 16 Comparison Chart
Design
Ooni’s Koda pizza ovens boast a minimalist design and robust construction.
Based in Scotland, Ooni has built a reputation for designing sturdy and minimalist pizza ovens. The Koda 12 and 16 are no different. Both are crafted from durable powder-coated carbon steel, a modern twist to traditional brick ovens. Carbon steel isn’t just robust but also safe as it doesn’t leak harmful chemicals into food. Moreover, the material is sustainable and easy to recycle.
But what distinguishes Ooni’s ovens is the form. Most pizza ovens are dome-shaped; others look like oversized microwave ovens. With Ooni’s Koda units, you have an angular oven with a low-profile chamber and sparse exterior detail. There are no built-in thermometers either.
At the top of ovens, you’ll find a classy etching of the brand name. Their roomy mouths, on the other hand, makes sliding in and out a pizza peel easy. You also get robust cordierite pizza stones for the cooking chamber. Below the units, foldable legs lend the ovens welcome portability, more so for the compact Koda 12.
Speaking of size, the Koda ovens are named for the dimensions of their cooking chamber. The Koda 16’s interior is 16 inches wide, while the Koda 12 is actually 13.5 inches in width. Other than that, you’ll be hard-pressed to pick out which one is the 16-inch model from the 12-inch unit.
Cooking Performance
The Ooni Koda 12 uses a single burner that runs on gas, while the Ooni Koda 16 comes with an L-shaped burner that can rely on propane and natural gas.
It’s easy to say the Ooni Koda 16 is just a larger model of the Koda 12, but there’s more than meets the eye. For instance, the Koda 12’s temperature control is at the back of the oven. On the Koda 16, the dial is placed on the right side, making it easier to reach.
Both ovens have a max temperature of 950ºF, easily handled by the cordierite pizza stones. But inside, the Ooni Koda 12 relies on a linear gas burner at the back of the oven. With the Koda 16, you get an L-shaped burner that disperses flame from the rear and on one side. This difference in burners is owed to the size of the Koda 16.
The smaller Koda takes about 15 minutes to reach between 700ºF to 800ºF, well within the range of the ideal temperature for cooking pizza. Since it has a larger 16-inch cooking surface, the Koda 16 needs the extra side burner to reach similar temperatures in under 20 minutes.
But the L-shaped burner of the Koda 16 also means less frequent turning of pizzas. Meanwhile, the linear burner of the Koda 12 requires more careful monitoring of your pies. Since these ovens run on gas, however, managing temperatures doesn’t take a steep learning curve. And in the case of the Koda 16, you can get a conversion kit to make the oven compatible with natural gas lines.
Accessories and Pricing
The Ooni Koda 12 and Ooni Koda 16 accessories are expansive, but the staples typically included in other pizza oven brands are sold separately from them.
Pizza cooks better in high heat. In the case of the Ooni Koda 12 and 16, temperature ranges are higher than that of a standard oven. However, as mentioned in the design section, neither units have a built-in thermometer. If you want to track and maintain temperature, Ooni does sell an infrared thermometer with a laser pointer.
The company also carries other accessories. Customers can get their hands on different types of pizza peels as well as tools like cutter wheels and bench scrapers. To protect your Koda 12 and 16, oven covers are available, too. While it’s nice to have these accessories, it would have been better if some, like the pizza peel, were included with the standard purchase of the Koda 12 or 16.
After all, you are paying a hefty sum for these ovens. The Ooni Koda 12 sells for $399, while the larger Ooni Koda 16 is priced at $599. Outside of the pizza stone, the only other inclusion would be the gas regulators and hose. Otherwise, you’ll have to shell out extra for an Ooni Koda 12 or Ooni Kuda 16 bundle that comes with the thermometer, pizza peel, and oven cover.
Verdict
The Ooni Koda 16 is a more capable pizza oven, but first-time buyers will not be disappointed with the smaller Ooni Koda 12.
Ooni’s Koda lineup offers well-designed and powerful units for making your favorite pizza. But between the Ooni Koda 12 and Ooni Koda 16 pizza ovens, the latter is more capable. While you’re not always bound to cook large pizzas on the Koda 16, its bigger cooking surface allows more room to maneuver a pie or slide in and out a peel. The oven’s L-shaped burner also means you don’t have to turn your pizza frequently. But if its price tag seems prohibitive, the Koda 12 is still a solid purchase, especially for buyers looking for their first pizza oven.
FAQs
The Ooni Koda 16 pizza oven is larger than Ooni Koda 12. It also comes with an L-shaped burner as opposed to the single burner of the Koda 12. Lastly, the Ooni Koda 16 is compatible with propane tanks and/or a natural gas line.
Ooni’s Koda 16 bundle typically retails for over $700. The package includes the Koda 16 oven, oven cover, 14-inch pizza peel, and Ooni infrared thermometer.
All Ooni products come with a one-year warranty. However, if you register the pizza oven with Ooni, you get an extended three-year warranty for free.
Ooni shares that the Koda 12 can bake a 12-inch pizza in just 60 seconds.