GOOD EATS - Pizza Nights Done Right with the Ooni Koda 12

Every time we set up the Ooni Koda 12 Pizza Oven on the back porch for family pizza night, it's a reminder that I've wanted to post up a quickie review in the "Good Eats" series.  We have a lot of ways to cook and grill and evenings using this pizza oven continues to be an all time family favorite.  

There are a few power options for the Ooni Pizza Ovens and we opted for gas, which matches convenience with very reliable heat.  There are several generations and four sizes of the Koda gas oven series and though ours is the smallest model at 12", I've never felt like it was too small.  In your own research, know that a larger oven is going to have more surface area of a pizza stone to bring to heat and maintain.  More heat means more propane used.  And, we like making a lot of small pizzas as opposed to a couple of larger ones.  

The Koda ovens are available in 12", 14", 16", 18", and 24".  The Pizza Oven Bundles make a lot of sense to get started with everything you need.  The slide-over carry cover works great for storage.

We've been using the Koda 12 pizza oven for a couple of years now and some first impressions that I posted on Instagram awhile back remain true along with some additional notes...

• There is a learning curve but you'll get the hang of it quickly.
• Your first pizza attempt likely won't be Instagram worthy.  If yours is like mine, it ended up being a ugly variation of a calzone.  Really, just a folded over mess.
• Be patient and always let the pizza stone reach full temperature.  This infrared thermometer is helpful in keeping track of how hot your oven is.
• I'll run full heat until I start putting pizzas in and then will usually will turn down the heat to low so that I don't char out the top, unless someone wants one a little more crisp.
• Flour is your friend from everything from preparing and rolling out your dough and even giving the peel a splash to help with the slide off transfer into the oven.
• Less is more with everything that you put on the pizza dough.  Light sauce.  Light toppings.  
• Once you get the hang of it, and it doesn't take long, you can knock out pizzas in less than two minutes.  Remember to give them a turn every 30 seconds or so. 
• Have fun and get the whole family involved in their own pizza creation.

We haven't deep dove into making our own dough or using fancy flour varieties.  Our local market has pizza dough balls that end up rolling out a half dozen or more small pizzas.  Sauces range from tomato base to olive oil to fresh pesto.  We're big fans of turkey pepperoni and spicy turkey sausage that I roll into tiny balls and smoke until done on the Traeger and then cut in half for a topping.  Our last batch of pizzas, we dripped dollops of stracciatella and laid garden fresh basil on top.  Oh, and don't forget a drizzle of hot honey.  You are only limited by your own tastes and creativity in your pizza making. 

I have dozens and dozens of pizza photos on my iPhone but here are several from our last couple pizza nights.  Yes, they are each imperfectly shaped but so damn good.

Visit the Ooni website to check out the entire family of Koda Gas Powered Pizza Ovens.  The bundles make a lot of sense and the only thing I'm still missing is the Pizza Turning Peel.

P.S.  It took me awhile to run down this article again from the internet archives but Michael Williams of A Continuous Lean has some spot on notes in Pizza Making 201.