As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of hands-on experience at my own kitchen—Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston—I’ve worked with dozens of pizza ovens. In this article, I’m comparing two ovens I’ve personally tested in a real kitchen setting: the Ooni Koda 2 and the DeliVita.
This isn’t just a specs sheet. I’ve thoroughly evaluated each oven based on quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and, of course, a real pizza cooking test to see how long it actually takes to cook a Margherita pizza. If you’re curious about my full testing methodology, feel free to check out my separate article: “How We Test Pizza Ovens.”
The Ooni Koda 2 is Ooni’s latest gas-powered model, designed for speed, simplicity, and precision—with new G2 Gas Technology™ that seriously ups the game.
The DeliVita is a handcrafted, wood-fired oven made in the UK, known for its sleek design, clay interior, and artisan feel—it brings that traditional pizza-making charm to your backyard.
I’ve conducted thorough tests to compare the Ooni Koda 2 and the DeliVita, detailed in this article.
Disclaimer: This article contains referral links. If you decide to purchase one of the ovens through the links I provide, I’ll earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. It’s a simple way to support my blog and the hours I spend testing each oven to help fellow pizza lovers make the best choice.
Ooni Koda 2 VS DeliVita: Quality and Materials
| The Ooni Koda 2 features a durable
shell and a thick cordierite stone. Its build feels premium and modern. It’s clearly designed for longevity and outdoor use. |
The DeliVita is handmade in Yorkshire with a fiberglass outer shell and clay interior. It’s well-built, stylish, and weather-resistant, but feels more delicate than the Ooni Koda 2.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS DeliVita: Temperature Control
| Ooni Koda 2 offers excellent control with its G2 Gas Technology™, reaching 950°F (500°C) in just 15 minutes. You can fine-tune the temperature easily using the dial. |
DeliVita requires a manual approach—adding more or less wood adjusts the heat. There’s no built-in temperature gauge, so you’ll need an infrared gun to monitor it.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS DeliVita: Shape
| The Ooni Koda 2 has a rectangular, compact shape designed for efficient heat circulation and minimal heat loss. It fits easily on patios or tables. |
The DeliVita has a dome-shaped clay interior for traditional wood-fired cooking. Its aesthetic is charming but takes longer to get used to in terms of airflow and usage.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS DeliVita: First-Time Usage Impressions
| The Ooni Koda 2 was extremely easy to set up—connect to propane and you’re ready to go. Our first Margherita pizza came out perfect in under 60 seconds. |
DeliVita arrived pre-assembled, but handling wood fire took some learning. Our first pizza burned a bit on the edges, mostly due to peel technique, not the oven itself.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS DeliVita: Power Source
| Ooni Koda 2 is gas-only (propane), optimized for simplicity and consistent results. No wood or charcoal mess to deal with. |
DeliVita is wood-fired only. It delivers great flavor but requires more effort and practice to maintain a steady temperature.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS DeliVita: Size
| The Ooni Koda 2 is lightweight (35 lbs), portable, and comes with foldable legs. It fits a 14-inch pizza easily. |
DeliVita weighs 66 lbs, making it less portable. It fits a 12-inch pizza and takes up slightly more room on a tabletop.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS DeliVita: Ease of Cleaning
| Cleaning the Ooni Koda 2 is simple thanks to its gas setup—no ash or soot. Just burn off residue and wipe down the stone. |
Cleaning the DeliVita requires removing wood ash manually. It’s not difficult, but takes longer and can get a bit messy.
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Pizza Cooking Test: Ooni Koda 2 vs DeliVita
To truly compare the Ooni Koda 2 and DeliVita, I tested both ovens with the same classic Margherita pizza recipe in my restaurant kitchen at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston.
Ooni Koda 2 heated up impressively fast, reaching its maximum temperature of 950°F (500°C) in just 15 minutes. I launched the pizza onto the thick cordierite stone, and within 60 seconds it was ready. The crust was beautifully leopard-spotted, the base crispy yet airy, and the cheese melted evenly without burning. The G2 Gas Technology™ delivered consistent heat, and I didn’t need to rotate the pizza—it cooked evenly all the way through. The result? A restaurant-quality Margherita with that irresistible balance of crispness and chew, done in record time.
DeliVita, being wood-fired, took around 25 minutes to preheat to its full temperature of 550°C. The first Margherita pizza I cooked needed a little more attention. It took about 2 minutes to bake and required manual rotation halfway through to prevent burning on one side. The flavor, however, was incredible—rich, smoky, and rustic, just what you’d expect from a traditional wood-fired oven. The crust was slightly thicker and had a nice charred touch, while the cheese bubbled nicely, though not as evenly as with the Ooni Koda 2.
Overall, both ovens made delicious pizzas, but the Ooni Koda 2 stood out for its speed, consistency, and ease of use—especially when cooking multiple pizzas in a row.
How We Tested
As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of experience at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve tested dozens of pizza ovens in a professional kitchen setting. For this comparison between the Ooni Koda 2 and the DeliVita Wood-Fired Oven, I followed the same methodical approach I use for all my tests—outlined in detail in my separate article “How I Test Pizza Ovens.”
To ensure fairness, I unpacked both ovens and noted the unboxing experience, paying attention to build quality, packaging, and how easy they were to set up. I then examined each oven’s materials and craftsmanship, assessing their durability and resistance to heat. The shape of each oven was also important, especially in terms of airflow and heat distribution.
For temperature control, I used an infrared thermometer to track how quickly and evenly the ovens reached optimal pizza-baking temperatures. To keep the comparison consistent, I made the same classic Margherita pizza in both ovens using identical dough, sauce, and cheese. This allowed me to judge how each oven handled the cooking process and what kind of result it produced.
I also evaluated the practicality of each oven’s power source—gas for the Ooni Koda 2 and wood for the DeliVita—and how that influenced convenience and heat consistency during cooking. The size and weight of each oven played a role in how easy they were to move and store, particularly in a busy kitchen. After multiple bakes, I cleaned each oven to see how much effort was involved, especially with any leftover residue.
Finally, I conducted a real-time cooking test, timing how fast each oven heated up and how long it took to bake a Margherita pizza from start to finish. This head-to-head performance test gave me clear insights into how both ovens function under pressure and what kind of pizza quality you can expect.
Conclusion
In the end, whether you choose the gas-powered precision of the Ooni Koda 2 or the handcrafted wood-fired charm of the DeliVita really depends on your personal cooking style and outdoor kitchen setup. Both ovens deliver excellent results, but the Ooni Koda 2 edges slightly ahead in terms of ease, speed, and smart features—at least in my experience.
If you decide to purchase either oven, I’d really appreciate it if you use my referral links. It won’t cost you anything extra, but I’ll earn a small commission that helps keep this blog alive and supports more real-world testing like this.
Thank you for your support!