Pizza is a beloved treat that needs careful preparation and care when grilling. Nothing beats an oven made just for making this kind of food because it comes with everything you need to make the job easier. One such device is the Ooni Koda 16.
This oven produces the required mouthwatering handmade pizza better than a gas grill. It identifies a number of appealing qualities, including mobility and others that will be discussed in this article.
Specs of Ooni Koda 16
This pizza oven can run on either propane or natural gas. After extending its legs, the Koda 16 has a height of 14.5 inches. Its side-to-side measurements amount to 23 inches while the front-to-back is approximately 25 inches. It weighs about 40 pounds. The oven’s cooking space is 16.5 square inches with an entrance that’s 5 inches high. Despite its ability to accommodate a pizza whose diameter is 16 inches, the most suitable size to cook in it ranges between 12 to 14 inches. The remaining space offers a navigation room where the pizza can rotate without limitations.
Ooni Koda 16 has a temperature range that can go up to 932°F. To reheat it, you’ll need at least 20 minutes before it is ready for cooking. We prefer preheating it under high temperature and then lowering it a few minutes before placing the pizza in it.
The burner is L-shaped, running from the oven’s left side to the backside. To cook your pizza uniformly, rotation must occur after every 20 or 30 seconds. The oven is delivered inside a box, fully assembled. You’ll only need to place the pizza stone in position before giving it an initial burn-in of approximately 30 minutes.
New Things to Learn Before Using Ooni Koda 16
If you are not familiar with the act of moving pizza to a heated pizza stone from a peel, you’ll need some practice to master that. It may take at least 6 weeks of making pizza once or twice each week before you can fully get used to it. This kind of transfer can disassemble your pizza or separate the toppings from the base, explaining why you have to take your time before carrying out the process.
To be on the safe side, you can prepare extra dough to compensate for any damage that may occur to the first one. This is essential if you are a first-time user, as it may take time to perfect the art of taking the pizza from peel to the preheated pizza stone for further cooking.
It’s important to note the oven’s 60-day guarantee, which allows you to acquire another piece of equipment if you are dissatisfied with the first one within this period. On the manufacturer’s website, they give you a chance to sell back your oven if it doesn’t meet your expectations before the end of 60 days.
Other vital lessons we learned after using the Ooni Koda 16 pizza oven include:
- The first lesson our team learned at the beginning of the process is the need to use limited flour while making the bamboo pizza peel. At first, we added too much flour before placing our dough on the bamboo peel. After this, we kept rotating the stretched-out dough while decorating it, hoping that this would make it less sticky before we could launch it. We experienced issues when launching (or transferring) the raw pizza into the oven since some flour stuck on its base. It caused it to burn while in the oven, creating a crust that made the pizza lose its tastefulness.
- After learning about this, now we only add a little flour to the board before spreading the dough and adding the toppings. After that, we place the pizza peel under the assembled pizza by lifting it at the end and sliding in the peel. With practice, we mastered the transfer process, which was quite challenging at the beginning. Transferring the pizza in this manner prevents it from picking up excess flour and harboring it at the bottom, which makes the crust burn.
Related: The Best Pizza Peel in 2022
Which is the Most Suitable Type of Dough for my Pizza?
If you plan on making pizza dough on your own, there are many Ooni recipes you can follow, the most common one being the classic pizza dough recipe. Before getting down to that, here are a few details you have to bear in mind:
- A scale. While following the Ooni recipes, it’s advisable to invest in a digital scale for your kitchen. This helps in easing the confusion that may arise with the metric system, especially if you are used to the American recipe measurements that talk about a certain number of cups, teaspoons, or tablespoons.
- Type of flour. Have you ever come across a type of flour known as “00” flour? If you haven’t, it’s time to look for some. “00” flour is one of the ‘secret’ recipes for a mouth-watering Neapolitan crust on your pizza. It may be on low supply sometimes, but when you spot it in the store, don’t hesitate to grab a couple of packets.
- A tray that has dough proofing abilities. Make sure that it fits in your fridge. It comes in handy when separating the dough and preventing the balls from bumping or clinging together.
Additional Ooni Must-Have Pizza-Making Items
- Ooni 14” Bamboo Pizza Peel
- Ooni 14” Pizza Peel
- Ooni Infrared Thermometer
- Ooni Dual-Sided Grizzler Plate
- Ooni Pizza Oven Brush
- Ooni Pizza Cutter Rocker Blade
Is Ooni Koda 16 worth it?
The answer is yes! We recommend this oven which is portable and allows you to make your pizza from wherever you prefer. This, however, doesn’t guarantee the finalization of your desire to own a bigger and more equipped oven, such as a large wood-fired one that is capable of fitting in the scape of your backyard kitchen. There’s room for improvement and an upgrade but in the meantime, the Ooni Koda 16 pizza oven is the answer to your pizza preparation needs.
Final Thoughts
With the listed specs, you can enjoy all the benefits presented by portable gadgets. It can be transported to any place and will still give you a chance to create a delicious homemade pizza. By following the listed techniques and the famous pizza-making recipes, you’ll be a master of that department in no time.
Always remember to be extra keen on the type of flour you use to make your dough, as it influences the final product as well as the pizza’s texture and flavors.
If this great pizza oven looks too pricy for you, check out our guide and learn how to DIY your own pizza oven.