Portable Pizza Ovens

[Chips]

I've studied the developments of small portable gas/wood pizza ovens for a few years, not willing to commit on one that lacks the features I want (dual fuel, big front opening, maybe a turntable) etc, from makers like Ooni. Their 16 Koda was pretty hard to find in stock anywhere, once it was released and all thru the pandemic, but seems to be easily sourced now for about $600. It has insulation and a nice wide open front, but doesn't do hard wood and doesn't have a turntable. Turntables aren't common features on ovens of this size, but I just noticed a new vendor ( Scorpio) on the market that makes one, going for about $760 after the "early buy-in" discount.

The upside of this new design seems to be more evenly cooked pizzas not requiring any manual turning, and that it kills two birds with one stone since you can do a big fat Neapolitan steak as well.

https://tomsfinds.getscorpiopizzaov...AW2sSeK2NznBgitGvzToMG5abwLR2gX-Gd1sCiSDlSSVM
This one looks like it caps out at about 850ºF, but that's sufficient for anything I'd throw at it. I know the Ooni's and others can go a bit hotter, but I'm not sure it's relevant. This Scorpio does look a bit more flimsy and I don't think they're even on the market yet with any real user feedback. But it's tempting to get one. I was looking at a propane powered steak salamander, finding a cheap one comparable to the Otto Grill, but I doubt it would do pizza well, or at all. So the big temptation is having a multi-tasker that takes up less space than two units.

 

[Bensbites]

I have been watching this market for several years. I may pull the trigger soon.
Ooni has a dual fuel 16 inch oven
https://ooni.com/products/ooni-karu...T9e0FSX5vwxheGK45KE-r1vInR13jOCUaAtSLEALw_wcB
Here is another self rotating smaller oven
Mimiuo Outdoor Gas Pizza Oven Portable Stainless Steel Propane Pizza Stove Backyard Family Pizza Maker with Automatic Rotating Stone & Pizza Peel - (Tisserie G-Oven Series) - Global Patent https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HCT5BR8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KMB2WFV3XHZ7FC1DWFF0

 

[Chips]

I’m pretty sure there’s a floor to the lowest cost one would want to pay to ensure it lasts more than one summer. It’s kinda hard sifting thru so many of these cheap copies, but neither of those two examples have both dual fuel and a turntable.

The trouble in my mind with the turntable option is, it’s not absolutely a necessity, but would really be nice, but also recognizing that if it’s cheaply made or underpowered, it might fail a month or two after the warranty expires.

 

[user 16756]

a powered turntable in an oven that hits 800+ degrees F seems like a point of failure to me.

plus, peel work is kind of necessary to get the top cooked sometimes, so I think I'd just want one that does hardwood, hits 900, is durable and wouldnt absolutely destroy ye olde bank account

 

[Michi]

Turntable sounds like a gimmick to me. It's not that hard to turn a pizza with a peel. Simpler is better here, I think.

 

[user 16756]

Turntable sounds like a gimmick to me. It's not that hard to turn a pizza with a peel. Simpler is better here, I think.

Im not sure I'd call it a gimmick, but I don't think it's a net positive.

Lower durability and might interfere with you having control over your pie. JMO though.

 

[MarcelNL]

I'm 'on the fence' for a proper pizza oven for years now, and am still hung between a full blown wood fired stone oven and something like the Ooni...
High even heat is IMHO far more important than having to turn the pizza around...as mentioned you'll need to work with the peel anyway.

A brick and mortar oven is not exactly portable and in your face in a garden, and since our new house will not havea large garden I'm going to give the Ooni a try this summer since my electric "ferrari 3G" is not capable of anything close to 400+ Celsius.

 

[RonB]

I just saw this today. A guy who makes turntables for several Ooni models:

OONi Pizza Oven Turn Table or Rotating Plate Fyra Koda Karu UUNi 3

 

[Rainman890]

I have a ooni Koda 16, and it's changed my life. At temperature in 25 minutes, cooks crazy fast, portable and stores well. And crazy robust.

I don't work for the company, but I'm super happy with it.

Edit: you don't need a turntable, turning the pizza is easy, and more points of failure make something less robust...

 

[MarcelNL]

@ Ooni; does anyone have the carbon steel powder coated version and if so does it keep well (I'm inclined to get the SS version even when I'm usually for Carbon steel )

 

[Bensbites]

I have a ooni Koda 16, and it's changed my life. At temperature in 25 minutes, cooks crazy fast, portable and stores well. And crazy robust.

I don't work for the company, but I'm super happy with it.

Edit: you don't need a turntable, turning the pizza is easy, and more points of failure make something less robust...

i have been eyeing this exact oven for a number of reasons, and holding off for other non pizza reasons.

I assume you would get the 16 inch over the 12 inch?

 

[Rainman890]

i have been eyeing this exact oven for a number of reasons, and holding off for other non pizza reasons.

I assume you would get the 16 inch over the 12 inch?

Stay with the 16. It can make 12 in pies, and honestly I think it's easier to use with the L-shaped burner. You can always make smaller pizza, but you can't make bigger ones if the oven isn't big enough.

Warning: tell your spouse you are ordering it. It's a big box... (Especially for small European houses)

 

[Bensbites]

Warning: tell your spouse you are ordering it. It's a big box... (Especially for small European houses)

haha. My wife is sick of hearing me talk about it or look at the oven when we happen to see it in a store.
She might be relieved

 

[hmh]

Based on the videos on the website, the part that drives the turntable seems to be set up on the table under the oven (away from any heat). Pretty well designed and sort of a cool add-on option if you can also use it without.

https://scorpiopizzaoven.com/