Ooni Koda Stone Upgrade
Outside pizza ovens are coming to be rather popular and it’s not difficult to see why! They supply a fast and easy method to get that wood-fired pizza flavor right in your own backyard. They’re as convenient as a classic grill however super flexible since they can reach such a heat as well as prepare all kinds of foods.
We had actually been desiring an Ooni pizza oven forever and lastly got ours just a few months ago. I know you’ve been curious about whether I think it’s worth the hype or otherwise so I’m below to share my suggestions, techniques, and also ideas – AND whether I believe the Ooni deserves the investment!
Ooni pizza oven on a steel table outside on a deck
Complete disclosure – Ooni talented me this pizza oven. As always, all ideas and also viewpoints are my own.
THE OONI PIZZA OVEN
The Ooni is a mobile, outside pizza oven. It warms up to regarding 950 levels in 20 minutes and also can cook your pizza in 60 secs. It has a pizza stone inside that offers you that scrumptious, crispy crust of a traditional wood-fired pizza oven.
VARIOUS MODELS
Ooni has a number of versions to pick from, which indicates there’s likely one that will certainly fit your demands and budget. They supply 12″ or 16″ ovens that are either wood pellet or gas-powered or use both wood and gas. They vary in cost from $299-$ 799 depending on the dimension and specs you pick.
We went with the 16″ Koda since we suched as the simplicity of being able to use gas as well as also wanted a bigger size to ensure that we had the choice to cook bigger pizzas or various other things like fish, steak, and so on.
AN INVESTMENT
At $299 for their base design, the Ooni pizza oven is certainly an investment. However, including a pizza oven to your outdoor area might actually stimulate some happiness for you as well as make pizza night more interesting!
This is a well-crafted, high quality food preparation device that is going to last for years as long as you take care of it. So while it is a bit spendy, in my opinion – if you’re mosting likely to utilize it a minimum of a couple times a month or more – it’s completely worth it!
Overhead shot of a pepperoni jalapeno pizza on a wooden pizza peel
SETTING UP
The Ooni comes nearly completely put together out of package. All you have to do is unravel the legs and also placed the pizza rock in it!
You will certainly require to acquire a 1 extra pound or a 20 extra pound propane tank if you’re getting a gas-powered Ooni. Finding that propane container as well as having it loaded may have been the hardest part of the whole setting up for us! I’m uncertain why, but right here on the West shore, we had a hell of a time discovering a lp container, and then when we discovered one we needed to locate a area to get it filled. Luckily, our local equipment shop had one left, as well as the gas station down the street can load them so we really did not need to take a trip much, however I called a TON of places before I might also find one.
HOW TO USE THE OONI
Making use of the Ooni pizza oven is much easier than you could believe! It was absolutely easier than I expected it to be. As soon as you link the lp tank, you simply turn it approximately high and let it warm up for 20 mins. After that reduced the heat, toss your pizza in, and also let it cook for a pair mins. My partner and also I were both pleasantly amazed at just how easy the Ooni is to make use of as well as just how enjoyable it is to watch the pizza cook!
The good part is that the oven only has flames on the back and left side, so the front ideal side is the amazing area which gives you a lot more control over exactly how the pizza is cooking. The 16″ Koda gives you a lot of room to move the pizza around as well as also a great range between the flame and the pizza itself in case it starts to prepare as well promptly.
FOOD PREPARATION TIME
Ooni’s claim to fame is that it can cook a pizza in 60 secs – which it absolutely can. For amateur pizza cooks like ourselves, we discovered a couple YouTube video clips that claimed turning the warm to cooking and also low it for a little bit longer at a lower temperature might be less complicated. Keeping that said, our chosen food preparation method is to:
- Heat the oven above for about 15-20 mins.
- Minimize the heat to reduced and also add a pizza to the oven.
- Prepare the pizza, revolving it every 20-30 secs approximately for about 2-3 mins relying on the size of the pie and the amount of toppings
Goat cheese and tomato pizza going into an Ooni pizza oven
THE LEARNING CURVE
I will state I was a bit nervous about the learning curve of food preparation with the Ooni. I assumed it was mosting likely to be a little complicated to get the heat just right as well as keep it relocating. I was pleasantly stunned to find that after just a couple pizzas you actually start to get the hang of it!
Honestly, we kept our Ooni in the box for a few weeks because I just had not been fairly all set to tackle what I assumed was going to be a difficult food preparation procedure. Utilizing the pizza oven is extremely easy as well as I wish we would have opened our Ooni the day we obtained it!
COOKING TIPS
- Lightly flour the work surface area where you’re making the pizza. As well as lightly powder the pizza peel. This will make it less complicated to relocate the pizza to the pizza peel and also move it to right into the oven. I’ve heard semolina flour works best, but we utilize all-purpose with no concerns.
- Don’t roll the crust out too large unless you’re extremely comfy with the process of relocate. You’ll need to assemble the pizza, then relocate to the pizza peel, and then run it off the peel and right into the oven. The smaller sized your pizza, the much easier it is to do. The bigger the pizza, the most likely it is you’re mosting likely to wind up with a mangled mess. The 16″ Koda can handle a 16″ pie, we still maintain them around 10″ -12″. I usually divide a one extra pound sphere of dough in two, and then present 2 pizzas from that.
- The trick to getting that trademark pizza crust is touching the dough as little as feasible. I truly lucked out since my partner utilized to make pizzas for a living so he’s primarily a expert. This will certainly give you that signature wood discharged pizza oven texture you’re looking for.
- Do not add a lot of garnishes to your pizza. Another way to make certain that your pizza cooks with, is to cover it really minimally. I would certainly suggest adding half of what you ‘d typically add to a pizza you’re mosting likely to bake in a regular oven. Like I pointed out, the transfer of the pizza is a little complicated, and also the even more garnishes you have, the more difficult it is. Maintain it leading as well as basic gently. This is not the moment to make your signature added additional cheese pizza!
- Do not obtain distracted. You desire your complete interest on that pizza when you’re cooking pizza in the Ooni. With the inside of the oven getting to temps over 900 levels, it’s vital to keep a close eye on the pie due to the fact that it can go from completely done, to completely melted in a matter of seconds.
Click here to have a look at the Ooni Pizza Oven
TASTE
I will certainly confess, I was confident yet doubtful that the taste would certainly be close to that of a wood-fired pizza oven. As well as holy cow – I was blown away!
The flavor is nearly identical to wood-fired pizza even though it just uses gas. You get those completely charred little bits all over, the crust hurts on the within as well as very crisp on the outside, and celebrity obtains ooey-gooey melty in simply minutes.
I could attempt to remain to define just how scrumptious the pizza is, but let me just claim, you will be astonished at the distinction in between the pizza you might in your Ooni as well as the pizza you make in your oven. They just do not contrast.
WHICH DOUGH TO USE
Honestly, we use dough from the food store 9 breaks of 10. They have a actually tasty dough that’s low-cost and chefs actually well in the Ooni. We either utilize my No-Knead Pizza Dough or my Quick Pizza Dough if I’m in the mood for homemade though.
Overhead shot of a tomato and goat cheese pizza on a wood pizza peel
OONI ACCESSORIES
- 16″ Pizza Peel – We love the 16″ pizza peel! The long manage makes it very easy to place the pizza right into the oven.
- Pizza Turning Wheel – We have actually not bought the turning peel yet but I ‘d very suggest the pizza transforming wheel to assist you turn the pizza while it’s in the oven. We presently simply use the pizza peel to do it however it’s a little bit much more difficult.
- Big Modular Table – The huge modular table is something I went and also back forth regarding. I wasn’t sure if we ought to buy it or just look for another thing similar online. But let me save you some time and also energy. There is absolutely nothing around that is comparable to this table for less costly. It’s the outright perfect size, features a rack, hanging dowels and it’s on the wheels so you can quickly move it back and forth. It also has brakes. For $250 you are truly getting your money’s worth. It was also pretty easy to put together – or at the very least I didn’t hear my partner vouch way too much while he was putting it together and I assume it was done in less than an hr, despite a 5 year old ” aiding” him.
- Wooden Pizza Peels – We got these cute little pizza peels off also. Mainly just for simplicity of having something to make the pizza on and then something to cut the pizza on after it’s baked. They’re extremely charming and also pretty budget-friendly.
- Infrared Thermometer – We have actually not yet obtained an infrared thermostat yet I’ve heard that it’s super useful in understanding if the pizza oven has actually stood up to temp and also prepares to cook!
>> Go here to check out the Ooni Pizza Oven <<
WHERE TO BUY AN OONI
You can discover the Ooni pizza ovens on their web site, Amazon, or Williams-Sonoma. The prices are rather similar, but sometimes they have sales, so inspect around to see where you can obtain the most effective offer.
CLEANSING
One thing that really enticed me concerning the Ooni was that you don’t need to clean it! The temperature level inside the oven obtains so warm that there’s really no demand to sterilize the inside or disinfect of it. Obviously, you’ll need to wipe down the outside from time to time as dirt decides on it, yet aside from that no cleaning is called for!
STORAGE
The Ooni Koda 16″ is 25 x 25 x 20 inches. If you do not have any kind of covered area to save it though, Ooni does make a weatherproof cover.
A little pizza food preparation inside an Ooni pizza oven exterior
GREAT FOR WEEKNIGHT USE
It could seem like a great deal of work to obtain the Ooni all set up just to make two pizzas (which is what we generally do as a family members of three) yet I assure you, it’s actually not. You simply connect the propane and also let it warm while you make the pizzas.
IT IS WORTH THE HYPE?
Yes, it is. I see what all the fuss was about. The Ooni deserves the rate for the experience that it supplies. Because I believe that making as well as cooking food really can be an experience, I do state experience.
My overall thoughts on that particular Ooni are that I was anticipating whatever to be a whole lot even more work. I was anticipating the configuration to be a trouble, the actual preparing as well as prepping to be a bit time-consuming, and also I wasn’t certain what the cleaning procedure required. Overall, I am absolutely elated to locate that the Ooni is actually a actually basic, straightforward, outdoor pizza oven experience. The setup is quick. Prepping, heating up the oven, and cooking the pizzas is pretty easy. And also clean-up is essentially non-existent.
When the wildfires aren’t surging, it’s also really light-weight as well as mobile so I can entirely see us taking this outdoor camping with us!
IS THE OONI RIGHT FOR YOU?
If you like pizza, have a small outdoor room, a bit of storage room to maintain it dry, and also appreciate having a beverage outside while you cook dinner, after that indeed – the Ooni is for you!
If you’re all set to check out the Ooni pizza oven and also decide which one is right for you – CLICK HERE!
It has a pizza rock inside that offers you that delicious, crispy crust of a traditional wood-fired pizza oven.
When you’re cooking pizza in the Ooni, you desire your complete interest on that pizza. If I’m in the state of mind for homemade though, we either utilize my No-Knead Pizza Dough or my Quick Pizza Dough.
Wooden Pizza Peels – We obtained these adorable little pizza peels. Mostly simply for simplicity of having something to make the pizza on and after that something to cut the pizza on after it’s baked.