As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of hands-on experience at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve worked with a wide range of pizza ovens in both professional and backyard environments. In this article, I’m comparing two standout models I’ve personally tested in my kitchen—the Ooni Koda 2 and the Blackstone Pizza Oven. I evaluated both ovens based on quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and how they performed during a real pizza cooking test. If you’re curious about how I test pizza ovens step by step, you can check out my full guide: How I Test Pizza Ovens.
The Ooni Koda 2 is Ooni’s latest gas-powered oven, featuring cutting-edge G2 Gas Technology™ for fast, even heating and a user-friendly, compact design.
The Blackstone Pizza Oven is a powerful propane-fired workhorse known for its rotating stone and restaurant-style results, designed for those who want performance over portability.
This article offers a comprehensive comparison of the Ooni Koda 2 and the Blackstone Pizza Oven, based on my own testing experience.
Just a heads-up: this article contains referral links. If you decide to buy either of these ovens and use the links below, I’ll earn a small commission at no cost to you—and it helps support the blog so I can continue testing and reviewing more gear.
Ooni Koda 2 VS Blackstone: Quality and Materials
| The Ooni Koda 2 is built with a die-cast aluminum shell and features a thicker, larger cordierite stone. It feels like a refined, premium oven that’s designed to last through years of high-heat use. |
The Blackstone Pizza Oven feels solid and heavy-duty, with a stainless steel chamber, cast iron rotating tray, and double-wall insulation. It’s made for power, but the finish feels more utilitarian than refined.
|
Ooni Koda 2 VS Blackstone: Temperature Control
| The Ooni Koda 2 uses G2 Gas Technology™ for precise and even heat across the stone, reaching 950°F in just 15 minutes. The temperature remains consistent, even for back-to-back pizzas. |
The Blackstone Pizza Oven heats up fast with its 60,000 BTU burner, but the burner placement underneath the rotating stone can create uneven top-and-bottom cooking without close monitoring.
|
Ooni Koda 2 VS Blackstone: Shape
| With a rectangular shape, the Ooni Koda 2 is compact, sleek, and optimized for airflow. Its sealed chamber design and tapered burner help retain heat and cook pizzas evenly. |
The Blackstone Pizza Oven is bulky and cart-mounted with a side burner. Its unconventional shape includes a rotating stone powered by a motor, which helps but doesn’t fully eliminate hot/cool spots in cooking.
|
Ooni Koda 2 VS Blackstone: First-Time Usage Impressions
| Out of the box, the Ooni Koda 2 takes just 10 minutes to set up. It’s plug-and-play—just connect propane and start cooking. Very beginner-friendly. |
Assembling the Blackstone Pizza Oven takes about an hour and ideally two people. Ignition can be tricky at first, and the learning curve is steeper due to its high power and rotating system.
|
Ooni Koda 2 VS Blackstone: Power Source
| The Ooni Koda 2 is exclusively propane-powered, which keeps things simple and consistent—perfect for users who want zero fuss and no ash to clean. |
The Blackstone Pizza Oven runs on propane too, but uses a high-pressure burner. It also has a battery/electric-powered motor to spin the pizza stone continuously during cooking.
|
Ooni Koda 2 VS Blackstone: Size
| At 35 lbs, the Ooni Koda 2 is heavier than older Ooni models but still easy to carry with foldable legs. It fits well on patios, balconies, or campsites. |
The Blackstone Pizza Oven is significantly bulkier and heavier, making it a better fit for permanent backyard setups. It’s mobile thanks to its wheeled cart, but not exactly “portable.”
|
Ooni Koda 2 VS Blackstone: Ease of Cleaning
| The Ooni Koda 2 has no ash or soot to clean up. Its high heat naturally burns off residue, and wiping the stone and shell is quick. |
The Blackstone Pizza Oven requires a little more cleaning effort. You’ll need to remove ash, wipe down components, and separately clean the rotating stone after each use.
|
Pizza Cooking Test
To keep things fair, I tested both ovens with the same classic Margherita recipe—fresh mozzarella, crushed San Marzano tomatoes, and a thin homemade dough.
The Ooni Koda 2 was ready for action in just 15 minutes, hitting 950°F thanks to its G2 Gas Technology™. Once heated, it cooked the Margherita pizza in exactly 60 seconds. The crust had a perfect leopard-like char with a crispy bottom and airy texture. The cheese melted evenly without burning, and the flavor was balanced—smoky, crisp, and just the right touch of chew. No turning was needed during cooking thanks to the even heat.
The Blackstone Pizza Oven preheated slightly faster—around 10 minutes to hit 900°F. Its powerful 60,000 BTU burner and rotating stone helped cook the pizza in about 70 seconds. The crust came out beautifully browned on the bottom, but the top needed some extra attention. The cheese didn’t melt as evenly without lifting the pizza closer to the top burner. While the flavor was still great, the texture felt a bit less refined due to the uneven top heat.
In short, both ovens delivered excellent results, but Ooni Koda 2 had the edge in consistency, especially when cooking multiple pizzas back to back without the need for constant adjustments.
How We Tested
As a chef with over a decade of experience at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I rely on real cooking scenarios to evaluate outdoor pizza ovens. For this comparison, I tested both the Ooni Koda 2 and the Blackstone Pizza Oven in my restaurant’s kitchen and patio setup—just as any serious pizza enthusiast or small food business might use them.
I used the same high-hydration dough, sauce, and toppings across both ovens to ensure consistency. Each oven was timed from ignition to optimal stone temperature, then used to cook several 12″–14″ Margherita pizzas back-to-back. I assessed how evenly each oven cooked the base and toppings, how quickly it recovered between pies, and how simple it was to operate during a busy flow.
In addition to taste and texture, I factored in usability: setup time, controls, safety, and how much attention each oven required. I also tracked how easy each oven was to clean after multiple bakes.
This hands-on, side-by-side testing method gave me a clear view of each oven’s strengths and limitations—not based on specs, but on actual results in a working kitchen environment.
Conclusion
Ultimately, whether you go with the Ooni Koda 2 or the Blackstone Pizza Oven comes down to your personal needs and cooking style. Both ovens deliver impressive performance, but each has its strengths. If you value smart features, precision, and fast results with minimal fuss, the Ooni Koda 2 might be your perfect match. If you prefer a more traditional setup with a rotating stone and high-output heat, the Blackstone offers serious firepower.
If you decide to buy one of these ovens, I’d truly appreciate it if you used my referral links. It won’t cost you anything extra, but it helps keep this blog running and allows me to continue testing and sharing honest reviews.
- Here’s the link for the Ooni Koda 2
- And the link for the Blackstone Pizza Oven