Ooni Koda 16 vs Breville vs Carbon

[Domnul]

I was hoping to get some assistance in making a decision. I am currently torn between getting the Ooni Koda 16 and Breville, and after spending several hours looking through threads, I am also now wondering if the Carbon isn’t the better choice. I have less interest in the multi-fuel Ooni’s with chimneys, and I can’t really see ever using wood.

My current pizza equipment isn’t at all impressive, so anything would be an upgrade. I typically make pseudo-Neapolitan (limited by temperature) pies around 12 inches in diameter. Always sourdough crust, for no compelling reason. I honestly think the Koda 12 would be big enough, but I like the idea of having more room to maneuver in the larger oven, as well as the possibility of making larger pizzas. I typically make between four and eight in relatively short order to feed my family and possibly extended family or friends.

If I got the Ooni or Carbon, I would probably leave it set up outdoors year-round on a metal table with a cover. I do live somewhere where it gets moderately cold, so there is a chance of occasional baking in single digit temperatures. The Breville would clearly win there. My main concern with a Breville is that the time required between pies would be long enough that I wouldn’t be able to turn out the pizzas quite as quickly as I would like. One or two things I’ve read says that the temperature will recover while the next pie is being made, but that does not seem to be the consensus on these forums. I’m guessing I would stick with ~12 inch pizzas, but it would be nice to have extra room for working, and to make a larger pie if I needed.

The Breville would obviously be the most expensive, but by the time the table, peels, covers, etc are considered, the difference in price isn’t as stark. My preference would be to get the Breville and one outdoor oven, but my 2-3 bakes per month hardly justifies that. I can’t decide if the Breville would be so much more convenient it would be better than the other two, or if the hotter propane ovens would be enough better I should go that route and just use the home oven when the temperature or weather isn’t agreeable.

Sorry if this has been covered - I did a pretty thorough search here, I thought. I’m not overly interested in hacks, but would consider something simple if it could make one of the above the undisputed winner.

[barryvabeach]

 I have not tried the carbon, but have owned a number of ovens, including my favorite, the Blackstone and the Koda 16.   IMO, the Koda 16 is a nice choice for 12 inch pie.  I have posted here a few times that I think it is not ideal for much larger pies, the heat differential between the left rear corner and the right front is extreme, and makes it challenging to get an evenly cooked pie, since it is time to turn before the front sets.   Some posters have posted photos of some nice pies, though I think they were in the 12 to at most 13 inch range.   I saw the Breville at a demonstration, and would have bought it if it could cook a larger pie, but the upper end on that is 12 inches, and I prefer a bigger pie. 

To me, the Breville would be the clear winner of the two for 12 inch pies, because if it is raining or cold outside, it would be much more pleasant to use than an outdoor oven.  Nearly every photo I have seen of a pie coming out of that oven is perfectly cooked.  Also, it has an element under the stone, which means it should recover pretty quickly.  The Ooni does not have any under stone heat, so the only way to recharge the stone is when you have removed the first pie.  I haven't tested how quickly it will recharge, but my guess is that the Breville will be quicker. 

I have never seen the Carbon, so can't comment, but a number of people like it. 

 In some ways it is a good time to be looking for an oven, there are lots of choices.  Even more are being released, the Halo Versa 16 looks pretty interesting, its price point is very attractive, it says it has a rotating stone, and an infrared element heating from below, together with a flame from above  https://halo-pg.com/versa-16-pizza-oven/  though it is not clear whether you can adjust the lower infrared flame .  The downside is there is no way to know when it will come out.   The Ooni Karu 16 seems to have learned that the burner layout in the Koda 16 is not ideal, and the door looks pretty cool.  That may be a better challenge to the Breville if you want to go with larger than 12 inch pies, though again, it doesn't have a burner under the stone like the Carbon, and it is pretty expensive.   

[El_Travis]

After doing my research I went with the Carbon, actually bought it tonight.

I personally love the idea of getting heat under the stone as well to aid in recovery time between pies.

I am also likely to get a fiesoli stone to put in if I don’t like the firebrick it comes with but who knows.

It has zero bearing in this discussion, but I really disliked my Ooni fyra. Uneven stone temperature and a ridiculous struggle to get the oven flame to actually billow over the stone to heat it gave me way too much frustration.

I think the Koda 16 is cool, but I don’t like the idea of the unorthodox stone shape in terms of replacement cost.

[thezaman]

   The best way to use the frya is using the ooni 3 gas burner. it fits in the back opening and can be held In place by some magnets. the hack is explained on this website somewhere.
 your choice of the Carbon is a good one. it has a lot of very good features. I have both the carbon and the Breville. I rotate between them and both are great products.

[Domnul]

Thanks for the help. At this point, I’m planning on the Carbon. It’s more what I had in mind originally. Still, I can’t stop thinking about the Breville on the dark winter nights.

[El_Travis]

   The best way to use the frya is using the ooni 3 gas burner. it fits in the back opening and can be held In place by some magnets. the hack is explained on this website somewhere.
 your choice of the Carbon is a good one. it has a lot of very good features. I have both the carbon and the Breville. I rotate between them and both are great products.

Ya that’s my issue. Product was cool don’t get me wrong, but failed to work as intended which made me feel like I wasted a small chunk of cash. I got 10% good pizzas off the thing because of the fickleness of the product, so I was happy to get rid of it.

[thezaman]

Thanks for the help. At this point, I’m planning on the Carbon. It’s more what I had in mind originally. Still, I can’t stop thinking about the Breville on the dark winter nights.

  Carbon is on sale right now 20 percent off. Also, they have a new stand that looks very nice. It’s on sale as well