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, both in commercial and home settings. In this article, I’ll be comparing two popular gas-powered outdoor ovens—Ooni Koda 2 and Camp Chef Italia—both of which I’ve personally tested in my kitchen environment.
I evaluated these ovens across several key criteria: quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and of course, I conducted a real pizza cooking test to see how long it takes to make a proper Neapolitan-style pizza. If you’re curious about my full testing methodology, check out my detailed guide: “How We Test Pizza Ovens.”
The Ooni Koda 2 is Ooni’s most advanced gas-only oven to date, boasting their new G2 Gas Technology™ and a sleek die-cast aluminum body.
The Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven brings a traditional pizza oven design into the backyard, known for its double-layer ceiling and excellent heat dynamics at an affordable price point.
I’ve conducted thorough tests to compare the Ooni Koda 2 and the Camp Chef Italia, detailed in this article.
Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. If you decide to buy through my links, I’ll earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. These commissions help support this blog and keep my pizza oven tests going strong. Thanks for your support!
Ooni Koda 2 VS Camp Chef Italia: Quality and Materials
| The Ooni Koda 2 features a premium die-cast aluminum shell and a thicker, high-retention cordierite stone that feels solid and built to last. The oven’s sleek design and superior craftsmanship set it apart from other gas pizza ovens. |
The Camp Chef Italia is made of thinner stainless steel, which keeps it lightweight and portable, but may not offer the same long-term durability as the Ooni Koda 2. Still, it’s decent for casual outdoor use.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Camp Chef Italia: Temperature Control
| With its G2 Gas Technology™, the Ooni Koda 2 heats evenly and consistently. It hits 950°F in 15 minutes and pairs with the Ooni Connect™ Hub for smart temperature tracking, making precision easy even for beginners. |
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven claims high temps (up to 750°F), but in practice it required over 40 minutes to reach 700°F. It doesn’t have advanced temperature controls, so an external thermometer is recommended.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Camp Chef Italia: Shape
| The Ooni Koda 2 has a compact rectangular body that seals heat efficiently. Its flame arc design ensures even cooking across the stone — ideal for making consistent Neapolitan pizzas fast. |
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven features a domed top for circulating heat, but the low roof and tighter interior make rotating pizzas more difficult. It’s also more affected by wind outdoors.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Camp Chef Italia: First-Time Usage Impressions
| Setup of the Ooni Koda 2 was incredibly intuitive. Within 10 minutes, it was ready to go. The first Margherita pizza cooked in just 60 seconds with excellent results. |
The Camp Chef Italia took longer to assemble (about 30 minutes) and significantly more time to preheat. The first pizza took around 9 minutes to cook and required close monitoring.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Camp Chef Italia: Power Source
| The Ooni Koda 2 is exclusively propane-powered, which simplifies operation and maintenance. It’s designed for plug-and-play efficiency — no ash, no mess. |
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven also uses propane and supports both 1-lb and standard tanks. While versatile, it lacks the same level of refined fuel efficiency as the Ooni Koda 2.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Camp Chef Italia: Size
| Weighing 35 lbs, the Ooni Koda 2 strikes a great balance between stability and portability. Its foldable legs and slim form make it easy to transport and store. |
At 47 lbs, the Camp Chef Italia is heavier and bulkier. While still movable, it’s less ideal for on-the-go cooking or small patio setups.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Camp Chef Italia: Ease of Cleaning
| Thanks to its gas-only design and pyrolytic cleaning, the Ooni Koda 2 needs minimal effort to clean — just heat and wipe. The thicker stone also prevents residue buildup. |
The Camp Chef Italia requires more hands-on cleaning. You’ll need to scrape residue manually and let the stone cool down before wiping, which adds to post-cooking time.
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Pizza Cooking Test
At my restaurant kitchen, I ran a side-by-side pizza test using the same homemade Margherita recipe in both ovens to measure heat-up time, actual cook time, and taste.
The Ooni Koda 2 heated up impressively fast — just 15 minutes to reach 950°F on the stone. I slid in a 14-inch Margherita pizza, and it was done in exactly 60 seconds. The crust was puffed and lightly charred, the cheese melted evenly, and the flavor was bold and slightly smoky from the perfect stone heat. The results were restaurant-quality with minimal effort.
The Camp Chef Italia took much longer — around 40 minutes to hit 700°F, and even then, the heat wasn’t consistent across the stone. I cooked the same Margherita pizza, which took about 9 minutes to finish. While the dough was fully cooked and slightly crisped on the bottom, the center remained a bit soft. The flavor was good, but lacked the deep, caramelized char I got from the Ooni Koda 2.
Both ovens cooked decent pizzas, but the Ooni Koda 2 clearly delivered faster, hotter, and tastier results. It’s built for real Neapolitan-style pizza at speed — something the Camp Chef Italia struggled to match.
How We Tested
To properly evaluate both the Ooni Koda 2 and the Camp Chef Italia, I tested them side-by-side in my restaurant kitchen at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, where I’ve worked as a chef for over a decade. I used the same dough, same Margherita recipe, and the same prep conditions for each oven to keep the results fair and reliable.
Each oven was given a full warm-up time based on its manufacturer’s recommendations, and I measured the actual stone temperature using an infrared thermometer before launching the pizzas. I cooked multiple back-to-back pizzas to see how well each oven held heat between uses and how consistent the baking results were.
Beyond performance, I also assessed how easy each oven was to set up, clean, and operate during a busy kitchen workflow. All of this gave me a real-world understanding of what it’s like to work with the Ooni Koda 2 and the Camp Chef Italia—not just as a home user, but in a professional setting where consistency, speed, and flavor really matter.
For those who want more insight into my full testing process, including how I compare build quality, heat retention, and pizza stone performance across different ovens, I’ve written a separate in-depth article: How We Test Pizza Ovens.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, whether you choose the Ooni Koda 2 or the Camp Chef Italia depends on what matters most to you—cutting-edge gas-powered performance or a more budget-friendly and versatile outdoor setup. Both ovens delivered solid results in my kitchen tests, but I personally lean toward the Ooni Koda 2 for its superior heat control, thicker pizza stone, and modern design. If you decide to buy either oven, I’d really appreciate you using my referral links. It won’t cost you anything extra, but it helps support my blog and keeps the reviews coming. Here’s the link for the Ooni Koda 2, and here’s the one for the Camp Chef Italia. Thanks for your support!