My first out of doors pizza oven was the Ooni Koda 16. I nonetheless keep in mind my husband excitedly firing it up and the magnificent corn, scallion, and Parmesan Neapolitan-style pizzas we baked in it. The crusts had been puffy and chewy, and the bottoms had that coveted leopard recognizing. It was simple to make use of, and the 16-inch opening made it a cinch to launch, flip, and retrieve every pie.
Whereas larger isn’t at all times higher, Ooni just lately launched a behemoth model of my beloved Koda 16: the Ooni Koda 2 Max. This whopper of a pizza oven is 24 inches extensive, comes with two pizza stones, and sports activities a dual-burner fuel system. This theoretically permits for infinite prospects and mixtures, like pan pizza on one aspect at medium warmth and Neapolitan on the opposite at excessive warmth (although that sounds tense). It additionally makes it simple to launch and switch pizza or cook dinner a number of pizzas directly.
To see if this large oven is well worth the area and $1,000 value, I fired it up, burned by means of a tank of propane, and made tons of pizza, together with Neapolitan, Roman, and Detroit-style pies.
The Checks
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
- Warmth Check: I timed how lengthy the Ooni Koda took to succeed in its highest temperature with each burners on full blast. I used an infrared thermometer to gauge the temperature of the stones and in contrast it to the said temperature on the show display and the Ooni Join app.
- Neapolitan Pizza Check: With the oven at its highest warmth setting, I made Neapolitan pizzas, noting how simple it was to launch, flip, and retrieve every pie.
- Roman-Model Pizza Check: I made skinny, crispy Roman-style pizza scrocchiarella to see if I might management the oven’s temperature and never bake up blackened pies.
- Twin Pizza Check: I fired up the oven and adjusted the temperatures on either side to bake two completely different kinds of pizzas: Detroit and Neapolitan. It was a check to see if every burner could possibly be tuned in order that one aspect of the oven was considerably hotter than the opposite.
- Usability Checks: All through testing, I famous how simple the oven was to arrange, use, and clear.
What We Discovered
Extra Area Meant Much less Irritating Throwing, Turning, and Fetching
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
The spaciousness of the Ooni Koda 2 Max made it simple to launch, flip, and take away pizzas.
I’ve examined a couple of outdoor pizza ovens and probably the most tense elements of baking up a pie is the takeoff. Should you by accident hit the sting of the oven, the pizza leads to a tangled heap of sauce, dough, and toppings. I’ve had it occur, and it’s a bummer.
This was not the case with this oven. It’s a mind-boggling 24 inches extensive. Throwing a single 12-inch pizza in it virtually felt like a waste, however on the similar time, it additionally made the entire expertise a lot much less tense. I might simply throw two 10-inch pizzas, then flip and retrieve them with out the oven cramping my model (actually). It was even simple to sidle in a Detroit pizza pan with oven mitts.
It Heated Up Rapidly
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
With an enormous floor space and many area, I assumed the oven would take without end to succeed in excessive temperatures. But it surely shocked me, hitting 660°F in 11 minutes—that’s fairly quick. It saved climbing and hit 850°F, the place it stabilized, in about 38 minutes. That is spectacular contemplating different a lot smaller ovens we’ve examined take about 30 to 40 minutes to hit this temperature. The Ooni Koda 2 Max could be massive, however it’s neck and neck with smaller ovens with regards to heating occasions.
…And Cooked Pizzas Quick
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
Skinny Neapolitan pizzas cooked up in a lickety-split 22 seconds. I really ought to have turned the temperature down a bit after throwing the pies, since I ended up with a couple of ashy pepperoni. As a substitute, I attempted utilizing my turner peel to protect the highest, however the oven’s warmth retention and firepower had been so good that it didn’t do a lot to guard the skinny slices of cured meat. Don’t be like me: Flip that warmth down a bit after launching so your toppings don’t scorch. The Detroit pizza additionally cooked fairly shortly, in about 12 minutes at a decrease temperature.
Let’s Discuss About Its Twin Burner System
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
A giant a part of what makes the Ooni Koda 2 Max distinctive is its twin burner system. Once I was doing background analysis, I saved studying about the way it helps you to cook dinner wildly various things directly. And should you’re searing a steak on one aspect and need to char some veg on the opposite, I get it. However I used to be skeptical within the case of pizzas: Who’s going to sling Neapolitan pizzas similtaneously a pan pizza? However, for science, I gave it a go and cooked a Detroit pizza on one aspect and threw a couple of Neapolitan pies on the opposite. The outcomes had been incredible: The Neapolitan pizzas had been properly charred and the Detroit pie had the requisite crispy edges and backside and chewy, tender crumb. That mentioned, adjusting the twin burners to wildly completely different temperatures—aiming for 550°F for the Detroit pizza and 850°F for the Neapolitan—proved inconceivable. I wound up throwing the Neapolitan at round 740°F on the precise aspect, whereas the left aspect hovered at 700°F for the Detroit. Whereas it’s a giant oven, it’s tough to get one aspect tremendous sizzling and the opposite a extra middling temperature.
The Thermometer Was Pretty Correct
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
Most built-in thermometers—be they on a grill, pellet smoker, or on this case, pizza oven—are inaccurate. That’s why I used to be shocked that the one on the Ooni was fairly on level throughout my warmth check. 9 minutes in, the onboard show mentioned the temperature was 525°F. My infrared thermometer readings had been 530°F on the left, 545°F within the middle, and 526°F on the precise, for a median of 534°F, which was solely 9 levels off. Whereas this was spectacular, I’d nonetheless put money into an infrared thermometer for utmost accuracy when baking pizzas.
The App Has Potential
Critical Eats / Grace Kelly
The pizza oven connects to the Ooni app, which shows real-time temperatures for all sides of the oven. This theoretically helps you to set the oven up and go inside to prep, whereas nonetheless with the ability to monitor temps. It might be a incredible function if it didn’t disconnect instantly after I stepped foot inside. Whereas it’s good should you’re puttering across the yard close to the oven, I want I might see the oven temps from a larger distance.
The Verdict
Should you LOVE making out of doors pizzas and have the cash and area to permit for it, the Ooni Koda 2 Max is a good oven. It heated up shortly contemplating its huge dimension, and the spacious opening and cooking space made throwing pizzas stress-free. The proof was within the pudding too: It baked up incredible Neapolitan, Roman, and Detroit-style pizzas.
That mentioned, should you solely see your self making pizzas outdoors on occasion, I like to recommend a smaller, much less expensive Ooni oven. Additionally, whereas the dual-zone temperature management was good in principle, I don’t know the way helpful it’s in apply until you need to take care of the drama of throwing two pizzas directly.
However, general, it’s a incredible out of doors pizza oven that heats up shortly, bakes killer pizzas, and feels roomy doing it.
The Professionals
The Ooni Koda 2 Max was simple to arrange, ignited shortly, and climbed to 860°F in 38 minutes, which is kind of spectacular contemplating it’s so massive. Its extensive cooking floor and gaping opening additionally made it simple to throw and retrieve pizzas. It cooked thin-crust pizzas blisteringly quick, in about 22 seconds, and gave them beautiful leopard-spotted undercarriages. It additionally baked up a superbly cooked, crispy-edged Detroit pan pizza, showcasing its versatility. Total, it’s a incredible pizza oven that does its job properly.
The Cons
Make no bones about it, it’s costly. It’s additionally large, and I’d suggest having a big, heatproof outdoor table to set it on. It burned by means of propane shortly, and having a spare tank readily available was helpful. The twin burners had been a pleasant function, however I did discover it tough to residence in on wildly completely different temperatures. Lastly, I might have beloved it if the app and oven had higher long-range connectivity—because it was, it dropped the sign each time I went inside.
Key Specs
- Inner width: 24 inches
- Exterior dimensions: 29 x 16.5 x 25.5 inches
- Most temperature: 950°F
- Gas kind: Propane
- Guarantee: 5 years
- Options: App connectivity, digital temperature hub, twin burner setup
- Comes with: Two stones, two burners, two probe thermometers
FAQs
What’s the distinction between the Ooni Koda and the Ooni Koda 2 Max?
The Ooni Koda is available in two sizes: 12 and 16 inches. Each of those ovens have a single stone and a single burner. The Ooni Koda 2 Max is 24 inches and sports activities two burners and two pizza stones.
Can the Ooni Koda 2 Max be used indoors?
No, the Ooni Koda 2 Max runs on propane or pure fuel, and will solely be used outdoors or in a well-ventilated space.
Why We’re the Consultants
- Grace Kelly is a commerce editor at Critical Eats and has been testing kitchen tools for nearly three years.
- She examined the Ooni Koda 2 Max over the course of a month, utilizing it to make Neapolitan, Roman, and Detroit-style pizzas.
Editor’s notice: We acquired a press pattern of the Ooni Koda 2 Max, however all of our opinions are our personal.
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