Head To Head - Ooni Koda 12 vs Ooni Koda 16

The Ooni Koda 12 was a huge success when launched back in February 2019, and with good reason. It has a sleek, attractive and stylish design that looks great in every setting. It is gas powered, reaches an optimal cooking temperature of 500C in as little as 15 minutes and is convenient and easy to use.

A year later, in 2020 (and to much anticipation), the Ooni Koda 16 was introduced. Although larger, it maintained the Koda 12 look and feel and all the conveniences that came with the Koda 12 noted above.

So - what are the differences between the Koda 12 and the Koda 16? And why would you choose one over the other? Let us help you answer these questions to find out which is best for you.

Size, Weight & Portability

There are physical differences in both size and weight. In terms of portability, the Ooni Koda 12 is a truly portable oven. At only 9.25kg, it is large enough to cook a 12 inch pizza, but small enough to easily store or fit into the boot of a small car. With no chimney designed into these models, the Koda 12 is the smallest of all the Ooni ovens.

At 18.2kg, the Ooni Koda 16 is double the weight of the Koda 12 and notably larger in size. The Koda 16 is large enough to cook a 16 inch pizza (hence the name) and although it can be classed as portable, it's not as easy, light or comfortable to transport as its smaller cousin.

Burner location and ignition / temperature control location

Other differences include the burner and ignition / temperature control locations. The Ooni Koda 12 has the ignition and temperature control at the back of the oven and the burners are linear along the rear, while the Ooni Koda 16 has the ignition and control to the side of the oven with the burners in an L-shape along the back and side of the oven.

Both ovens come with cordierite stones for quick and even heating from the base, but what effect does the location and shape of the burner have on the oven or the pizza?

The single line of rear burners on the Ooni Koda 12 can easily heat the stone in the smaller oven in just 15 minutes, but the larger area in the Ooni Koda 16 requires the L-shaped burners to heat this larger stone in a similar amount of time.

The location of the burners also play a part in the amount of times the pizza needs to be turned. With a single line of burners along the rear, the Ooni Koda 12 requires the pizzas to be turned every 15 - 20 seconds to avoid burning to one edge, while the Ooni Koda 16 requires less frequent turning (although, don’t be complacent! The pizzas still require turning every 30 seconds in the Ooni Koda 16.)

Pizza Quality and Size

(Ooni 12 Pictured)

Most importantly, you want to know which oven makes the best quality pizza. The answer is (understanding that there is a learning-curve on both ovens) they both cook the same quality, delicious pizza.

With regard to pizza size, while the Koda 12 is limited to a 12 inch size pizza, it is worth noting that the size of your pizza is also limited to the size of your pizza peel. If your pizza peel is 12 inches, it doesn't matter how big your oven is, you are never going to make a pizza larger than 12 inches! And a 12 inch pizza is really the perfect size most often served at restaurants.

Although you may not necessarily be looking to cook larger size pizzas, the Ooni Koda 16 does allow for more room to manoeuvre and turn your pizza within the oven, and this extra space is of great assistance to any new pizzaiolo-in-the-making. It also gives you the opportunity to play with making larger pizza’s - just remember that the size of the pizza is dependent on the pizza of your peel.

The Verdict - Koda 12 vs Koda 16

In short, both the Ooni Koda 12 and the Ooni Koda 16 models are great ovens that enjoy the simple, stylish design and the ease and convenience of no assembly and no fuss pizza-making. Both have foldable legs for storage and transport, are gas-fueled for speed and temperature control and both reach temperature quickly to cook a pizza in 90 seconds. They are perfect for any outdoor setting, including apartment living with no smoke or messy clean up.

The main differences are in size, weight, cost and burner locations.

So why choose one over the other?  Great question.

The Ooni Koda 12 is undoubtedly the best gas pizza oven in the world for under $650.  It does everything the Ooni Koda 16 does but limited to pizzas up to 12" pizzas.  The pizzas just require to be turned a bit quicker and a bit sooner.  Pretty simple eh?

The Ooni Koda 16 does the same as the Koda 12 with the advantage of more space for bigger pizzas in addition to more encompassing burner that provides more heat to the front of the oven.  This means that the pizzas need slightly less turning to get the same cook.

Technically the Ooni Koda 16 is a better oven due to the above reasons, but that comes at additional cost.  The Ooni Koda 12 is a great oven for those seeking restaurant quality pizzas at home for a lower cost.  Both Koda ovens kill it.

Feel free to contact us at The Pizza Oven Store if you have any further questions or just wish to discuss your options, choices or any recommended accessories.

For even more details on the ovens see Ooni Koda 12 and Ooni Koda 16