Published on May 20, 2025
With a spacious 18-inch surface area and two burners for even heat distribution, the Ooni Koda 2 Pro is a top-notch oven. Read our full review.
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Pizza ovens have been hot on the market for years now, allowing you to skip delivery or take-out and make restaurant-quality pies at home. Ooni has become one of the most beloved pizza oven brands, with options for ovens powered by gas, wood, wood pellets and even the electric Ooni Volt oven. I’ve tested more than 11 different outdoor pizza ovens, including a model from each category of the Ooni pizza oven line-up.
I speak with many home pizza cooks, and the number one desire I hear is that they wish for more room in their oven to cook larger pizzas to share with family and friends. The new Ooni Koda 2 Pro not only delivers on more space, but its unique tapered dual flame provides better heat distribution and control. To discover more about the Ooni Koda 2 Pro, I put it to the test in my own backyard. While the Ooni Koda 16 has been my go-to for years, this oven just might replace it at the top of my list. Here’s how it performs.
MOLLY ALLEN FOR TASTE OF HOME
This gas-powered pizza oven has two interior side burners for even cooking and plenty of room to make 18-inch pies.
The Ooni Koda 2 Pro is an 18-inch pizza oven. At just over 26.9 by 25.7 by 15.5 inches, it offers plenty of space for making larger 16-inch or 18-inch pizzas. Or, you have the option to make two smaller personal pizzas at once; you could also use the spacious interior for roasting pans and cast iron. The oven is constructed from powder-coated carbon steel, making it durable for outdoor use, with a thick (0.8-inch) cordierite pizza stone inside. The stone is 21 inches at the front and tapers to 18 inches at the back.
The oven sits on three aluminum folding legs, each with rubber at the base to keep it from sliding on any heat-safe surface you choose to use it on. At the large opening, there is a glass visor that helps to keep heat in. However, it can be removed before heating up the oven in order to place larger pans inside.
The ignition and battery-powered temperature dial are located on the side of the oven. It controls interior burners on both the right and left sides of the oven, creating even heat distribution. Once the oven has preheated fully, it can reach up to 950 degrees Fahrenheit, or it can be lowered for cooking a variety of other pizza styles and foods, all the way down to 320 degrees.
I’ve been testing the Ooni Koda 2 Pro in my outdoor space since April 2025. I tested it by cooking a variety of foods, most notably, pizza, of course!
Because the Ooni Koda 2 Pro offers much more surface area for cooking pizzas, I was concerned it would be difficult to remove from the box. While the oven certainly is large, it felt more lightweight than I anticipated. I was able to remove it from the box and set it on my table by myself. Once the oven was placed on the table, I unfolded the legs and then slid the two halves of the pizza stone in.
Assembly was easy, mostly; what took the most time (and required following the most specific directions) was setting up the included digital thermometer. It requires adding the battery and affixing a metal mount to the oven. Once everything was set up, the next steps were to connect a propane tank, turn the ignition dial and allow the pizza oven to preheat. Easy as pie!
Firing up the Ooni Koda 2 Pro is simple. First, attach a propane tank via the gas hose and open the valve. Then, turn the ignition dial until it clicks and the burners ignite. Both side burners will illuminate, with the flames heating up the pizza stone within 30 minutes. The digital thermometer is battery-powered, so it can be turned on to monitor the oven’s temperature as well.
After making multiple pizzas, I found that the cook time on all of my pies was consistently between 60 seconds to 90 seconds. Of course, a thicker dough would require a longer cook time.
The most significant highlight of this pizza oven is the dual burners. They create even heat distribution, so the entire surface of the pizza stone maintains the same temperature, rather than working with hot spots in other pizza ovens. This flame design also provides better, even cooking for the top of the pizza and the browning on the crust as the heat almost rolls over the top of the pizza. It wasn’t necessary to turn the pizza as frequently throughout cooking, which I appreciated.
While cooking, I was surprised by how warm the exterior of the oven got, especially in comparison to other Ooni models. This wasn’t an issue for me, but it is certainly something to keep in mind while the oven is in use.
With so much space in the oven, it’s possible to place a roast pan or cast-iron skillet inside, providing the ideal environment for roasting meats and vegetables as well.
While I have tested pizza ovens for years and know my dough well, mishaps are inevitable once in a while. For one pizza, I ended up with a hole in the base, which created a big burnt cheesy mess on the pizza stone. I found this issue easier to clean up in this pizza oven, with the even heat distribution making a huge difference. With burnt-on food, it’s helpful to just turn the heat up on the oven to high and let it cook off before scrubbing with a pizza oven brush. However, cleaning the steel edge at the opening of the pizza oven is a bit more challenging, and I discovered that the exterior part of the oven is prone to scratches.
I’ve tested the wood pellet-powered Ooni Fyra; the wood and gas-powered Ooni Karu 12G and the original 16-inch Ooni Koda extensively. The Ooni Koda 12 and 16 are identical, with the exception of size. Both function exceptionally well, with a 20-minute preheating time to get up to 950 degrees.
The key difference between the Ooni Koda 2 Pro and the first-generation models is all about the gas burner location. The Ooni Koda 16 has a single L-shaped rear burner. Ultimately, this created uneven heating from the back to the front of the oven, requiring more precision and keeping a close eye on your pizza for even cooking and browning.
The twin side burners in the Ooni Koda 2 Pro improve that significantly, with heat coming from both directions. This heats the stone more evenly, along with radiating heat efficiently. While the interior heating is more even, it is important to note that the exterior of the oven gets hotter while in use, compared to the Ooni Koda 16, which stays relatively cool.
For those hoping to make large pizzas and so much more at home, the Ooni Koda 2 Pro is an excellent option. The first-generation Ooni Koda 16 and Ooni Koda 12 both offer ease of use, coupled with impressively high temperatures. The Ooni Koda 2 Pro offers the same benefits with an elevated approach. The oven provides better heat distribution and a wider temperature range for an even better cook on everything from pizzas to grilled vegetables.
MOLLY ALLEN FOR TASTE OF HOME
Use this gas-powered pizza oven to make 18-inch pies, roast meat and veggies and more.
Ready to get fired up about homemade pizza? This pizza oven is available on the Ooni website for $749. The oven is also sold at Ace Hardware and Williams Sonoma. It’s a splurge, for sure, but it offers much more space and heat control for prepping excellent pizzas and other foods at home.
It’s inevitable to have burnt cheese or other toppings leftover after cooking at some point, making a big mess on your pizza stone. Ooni stones are constructed from cordierite and need to be treated with care. Allow the oven to cool and use a pizza oven brush to scrub the stone. Then, turn the oven back on high and let the rest of the residue cook off. It’s important to avoid using any soap, water or cleaners on the pizza stone to prevent damage.
Use a pizza oven brush and a dry cloth to wipe out an Ooni pizza oven. If you need to clean the outside of the oven, use a damp cloth to wipe the top and legs of the oven. It’s important to avoid using cleaners or abrasive items such as copper or steel wool.
Some Ooni pizza ovens are powered by wood pellets or wood, but most of the outdoor pizza ovens, like the Ooni Koda 2 Pro, are powered by gas. To light an Ooni pizza oven, connect the hose to a propane tank. Turn the valve to open the propane tank and turn the ignition switch on the side of the pizza oven. This will ignite the flame and allow you to adjust the dial to your desired level.
Choosing the best fuel option for a pizza oven is a personal preference. A wood-fired oven offers a unique experience and exceptional flavor. However, a gas-powered pizza oven, like the Ooni Koda 2 Pro, provides ease of use and consistency. It’s much simpler to just open the valve on the gas tank, fire up the oven and cook multiple pizzas without having to tend to a flame.
A former bakery owner, I am a writer specializing in food and beverage and outdoor cooking with a passion for pizza. I bring years of experience and industry knowledge to Taste Recipes readers. I’ve conducted extensive first-hand testing and reviews of multiple pizza oven models for Taste Recipes, including the Ooni Koda 16, Ninja Artisan, Solo Stove Pi Prime and Gozney Roccbox. I’ve also covered Ooni pizza oven accessories and the best indoor pizza ovens.
