The weather's heating up, so it's finally time to get outside and fire up that pizza oven! As a huge outdoor cooking fan, I've enjoyed how convenient gas pizza ovens are — they're quick and easy to turn on and off, and they'll keep at a consistently hot temperature ready for more alfresco dining.
Thanks to pizza aficionados Ooni, who are responsible for some of the best pizza ovens on the market, there are two new models in town.
Introducing the Koda 2 range: the Ooni Koda 2 and Ooni Koda 2 Pro. Featuring 14-inch and 18-inch cooking spaces, respectively, they're what the brand calls "bigger, better, and smarter."
Right now, the Ooni Koda 2 is available for $449 / £399, directly from Ooni. But, you'll have to wait until May 1 to get your hands on the Ooni Koda 2 Pro for $749 / £599.
Plus, for the first time ever, there's a brand new colorway for both new models — Slate Blue. For classic Foundry Black fans, it's still available.
What's new
So, what makes these new Koda 2 gas-powered pizza ovens different from the rest of Ooni's range? Well, for starters, they both feature Ooni's next-gen G2 Gas Technology.
This new technology features a powerful patent-pending tapered flame design producing more than four times better heat distribution across the pizza stone. That means you'll get a more evenly-baked pizza by avoiding those sneaky hot and cold spots. Plus, Ooni has used a 50% thicker pizza stone, which reheats 20% faster than their usual pizza ovens.
Kristian Tapaninaho, Ooni's founder and co-CEO, says: "We've taken six years of learning and feedback from over one million customers who have loved the Koda 12 and Koda 16 since 2019.
"Our team has reimagined and re-engineered the new Koda 2 range to level up every single touchpoint and technology — making it better and easier than ever to enjoy incredible pizza with your friends and family."
So, what's the difference between the Koda 2 and the Koda 2 Pro? For starters, the Koda 2 is a more compact 14-inch cooking area, whilst the Pro is an expansive 18-inches.
They'll both reach up to 500°C for professional-level pizza in just 60 seconds flat. But, if you opt for the Pro, you've got a lot more space to cook up anything you want, using baking trays and griddles.
The Pro also features a built-in Ooni Connect Digital Temperature Hub that enables bluetooth connectivity, detachable food probes and broadcasts readings straight to your phone. This pairs up with the Ooni app, which will provide tips, cooking logs and recipes.
Whilst you can plug-and-play with the smaller Koda 2, you'll have to buy the Ooni Connect Digital Temperature Hub separately.
New in blue
As we briefly mentioned, the Ooni Koda 2 range will also come in a brand new colourway, Slate Blue. This is big news for Ooni who have only previously released products in their classic Foundry Black. But now, in-keeping with the trend to bring more colour to home appliances, they're releasing their first colourful pizza oven.
While we recently got hands on with the Ooni Koda 2 Max, we're looking forward to testing these two new products from Ooni and giving our verdict on the kind of quality slice it'll cook up for you.
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