Outdoor pizza ovens have become one of the most sought after garden buys for those who enjoy cooking alfresco. They heat up quickly, they’re easy to use and they produce results that are restaurant worthy. But not everyone has the space or budget for a traditional style pizza oven.
That’s where the Ooni koda 2 and Gozney arc lite come into their own. These two ovens are compact, good value for money and as they’re both gas powered that means no open flames or smoke, so they’re ideal for small patios and balconies.
Ooni is possibly one of the best known brands when it comes to at-home pizza ovens, and the Ooni koda 2 (£399, Ooni.com) is one of the brand’s best compact gas models, offering a generous cooking area in a lightweight and compact design. The Gozney arc lite (£350, Gozney.com) is slightly cheaper, with a gorgeous domed design and a lateral flame system that distributes heat more evenly, delivering that flame-finished crust you’d expect from a traditional wood-fired pizza oven.
Although they look very similar on the surface, cooking with these two pizza ovens offers very different experiences. I put the Gozney and Ooni pizza ovens head-to-head, paying attention to everything from heat-up times to crust quality to find out which one is really worth your money.
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Ooni koda 2 gas pizza oven
Why we love it
- Heats up to 500C
- Incredibly easy to set up and use
- Simple to clean
Take note
- Any pizzas above 12in may get burnt spots
- Pizza needs regular rotation while cooking
The Ooni koda 2 was easy to use from the get-go. It was super simple to set up – the legs simply extend, you slot in the pizza stone, attach the gas and you’re ready to cook. There’s nothing to assemble, which is really refreshing. It also looks the part, with a clean, minimal look and manages to stay lightweight without feeling flimsy.
Cooking performance was just as impressive, too. It reaches 500C in around 15-20 minutes, which gives enough time to stretch out your dough and get your toppings ready, but isn’t so long you’re hanging around. It has an internal temperature gauge too, so you’ll know when your pizza is ready to go.
Pizza cooked in just under two minutes and came out, time after time, absolutely perfect, with a good leopard-spot crust and hot, bubbly cheese. The base cooked all the way through, with no cold or doughy spots. Heat retention was also impressive – the oven got back up to temperature quickly in-between cooking, making it easier to cook multiple pizzas in a row without waiting ages in between.
One thing to note is that the koda 2 doesn’t have a door and the heat source sits at the back of the oven, so you’ll need to regularly rotate the pizza or you’ll risk burning just one side. The rotation needs to be done often, and I found the sweet spot was rotating it at 30-second intervals. But to be honest, you can keep an eye on it and when it’s starting to look a little crisp, just turn it around.
While the cooking area is listed at being 14in, anything above 12in gets too close to the back wall, which means burnt spots, even if you do rotate. Even so, 12in pizzas are a pretty decent size and thanks to the oven’s excellent heat retention, it’s not a big deal to just cook another if you want more.
Cleaning the oven was simple as the stone was easy to get in and out, so it was just a case of leaving it to cool down fully and then brushing off any excess burnt on flour.
The Ooni koda 2 certainly earns its place on my list of the top pizza ovens. It’s refreshingly simple to set up, easy to use and consistently turns out well-cooked pizzas with crisp bases and perfectly blistered crusts. If you want a compact gas pizza oven that delivers reliable results, then this is an excellent choice, particularly for beginner pizza makers or anyone short on outdoor space.
Key specifications
Buy now £399, Ooni.com
Gozney arc lite
Why we love it
- Lateral flame for even heat distribution
- Holds temperature well for back-to-back pizzas
- Sleek, premium design
Take note
- No built-in temperature gauge
- Difficult to remove the stone for cleaning
The Gozney arc lite is a pleasure to use. It’s compact with a sleek domed design, which makes it look so much smaller than it actually is. But don’t let the size fool you, because it comfortably cooks a 12in pizza, plus the opening is large enough to slot a roasting tin in for cooking meat or vegetable kebabs. This is ideal if you’ve got a household where you all want different dishes.
What really sets the arc lite apart from the koda 2 is the flame. Rather than a burner at the back of the oven, the arc uses a lateral flame. This means the flame runs across the top of the oven, so it distributes the heat more evenly across the stone and the top for even cooking.
I was so impressed with the results from the very first pizza. Cooking a pizza in the arc doesn’t need as much management as the koda, as you only really need to turn the pizza once or twice. Once the oven was at full temperature (500C), pizza cooked in less than two minutes and, time after time, came out of the oven with a crispy crust and properly bubbling cheese. The pizza cooked evenly each time, with no cold spots and or burnt bits.
The Gozney arc lite also held its temperature well in-between cooking. There’s no digital display, so you may want to invest in an infrared thermometer, which Gozney sells (£44.99, Amazon.co.uk). While a thermometer isn’t essential, it’s really useful knowing when your stone is ready and helps with consistent results
Clean-up was a little trickier than the koda 2. The stone is tricky to remove, so you will need to just shove your hand in to wipe it down once it’s fully cooled. It’s worth giving the outside a clean once it’s cooled too, to make sure it stays free of any dirt. One thing I love about the design is that because it’s black, it doesn’t look like it’s been burnt. This is often the case for some stainless steel pizza ovens.
The Gozney arc lite feels really premium and makes fantastic pizzas. It’s also a good option if space is tight, because the domed oven will fit neatly into most spaces. Of course, you need to make sure you have plenty of space around the outside, as you are dealing with gas, but overall, it’s one of the best practical choices for small spaces on the market.
Key specifications:
Buy now £349.99, Gozney.com
Ooni koda 2 vs Gozney arc lite – which one is best?
Both of these pizzza ovens are genuinely excellent and with just £50 between them, it’s difficult for price to be a deal breaker.
For me, the Gozney arc lite takes the edge because the lateral flame ensures even heat distribution and makes all the difference when it comes to professional pizza-restaurant-worthy results. It also has superb heat retention, so you can make pizza after pizza without having to wait.
That said, the Ooni koda 2 is also a brilliant choice, and is a good entry-level pizza oven. It’s easy to set up and operate, and it gives good results time after time. You do need to stay a little more attentive during cooking and be very mindful not to push the pizza all the way to the back, otherwise you’ll have half-charred dough for dinner.
If this is your first pizza oven and you want pure simplicity then you may find the koda 2 a good pick. However, if you want to upgrade your pizza making experience and an oven that feels premium throughout, then save the extra money and go for the arc lite.
How I tested the Ooni koda 2 vs Gozney arc lite
I made multiple pizzas in both ovens across several sessions. To make things fair, I cooked the same style pizza (a simple Margherita) using the same dough each time. I looked at everything from heat up time to cooking speed, how much rotation each pizza needed and how evenly each pizza cooked. Here’s what I assessed:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Rachael Penn is a journalist specialising in home appliances. She’s tried, tested and found everything from the best air fryers to the best frying pans, best toasters and more, so has earned a reputation in finding the kitchen gadgets that actually perform. Her experience is why you can trust her to find the top pizza ovens. Rachael hasn’t just done in-depth research, but she’s used these ovens in the same way you would, cooking with them and deciding which ones are truly worth your money.
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