As a restaurant chef with over a decade of experience at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve worked with a variety of pizza ovens to create the perfect crust and flavors that keep my customers coming back. Today, I’ll compare two popular outdoor pizza ovens: the Ooni Koda 12 and the Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven. I’ve had the chance to use both extensively in my kitchen and evaluated them based on quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and a real pizza cooking test to see how long it takes.
The Ooni Koda 12 is known for its sleek, compact design and impressive ability to reach extremely high temperatures quickly, making it a favorite among pizza enthusiasts.
The Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven stands out for its larger cooking surface and the versatility it offers, mimicking a traditional brick oven in performance.
In this article, I’ve provided a detailed comparison of the Ooni Koda 12 and the Camp Chef Italia Artisan Pizza Oven based on my hands-on tests.
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Winner
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Loser
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Our Rating:
4.8
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Our Rating:
4.4
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Pros:
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Cons:
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- Good-quality materials like powder-coated carbon steel
- Extremely lightweight
- Easy to clean
- Compact design
- Strictly gas-powered
- Made with stainless steel and has a double-layer ceiling
- Can reach 750°F
- Smooth dome shape
- Thinner metal frame may impact its durability over time
- Requires careful management, especially on windy days
- Took a bit longer to set up
- Propane-only
- Portable but slightly bulkier
Disclaimer: At the end of this comparison, if you decide to purchase one of these pizza ovens, I’d highly appreciate it if you use my referral links. They help keep my blog alive at no extra cost to you. Stay tuned for the links!
Ooni Koda 12 VS Camp Chef Italia: Quality and Materials
| The Ooni Koda 12, with its powder-coated carbon steel shell and ceramic insulation, feels like a premium product built to last. Its robust construction held up well during tests, even with frequent high-heat use. |
The Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven features stainless steel construction and a double-layer ceiling. However, its thinner materials compared to the Ooni Koda 12 raised concerns about long-term durability during extended use.
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Ooni Koda 12 VS Camp Chef Italia: Temperature Control
| The Ooni Koda 12 excelled with its gas-powered system, reaching up to 950°F in under 20 minutes. This allowed precise control over cooking times, producing consistently even and crispy pizzas. |
The Camp Chef Italia reached a maximum of 750°F during testing, which is lower than the Ooni Koda 12. Temperature stability was decent but required frequent adjustments to maintain consistency, particularly in windy conditions.
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Ooni Koda 12 VS Camp Chef Italia: Shape
| The Ooni Koda 12’s compact, ergonomic design with its wide opening made rotating pizzas effortless. Its shape allowed for even heat circulation, ensuring uniformly cooked crusts and toppings. |
The Camp Chef Italia‘s dome-shaped design aided heat distribution, but the smaller cooking space made rotating larger pizzas a bit tricky, which occasionally resulted in unevenly cooked edges.
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Ooni Koda 12 VS Camp Chef Italia: First-Time Usage Impressions
| Setting up the Ooni Koda 12 was a breeze. Its intuitive controls made the first cooking experience enjoyable and stress-free, delivering great results on the very first pizza. |
The Camp Chef Italia was easy to assemble, but the learning curve with heat adjustments and rotating pizzas made the first use less seamless compared to the Ooni Koda 12.
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Ooni Koda 12 VS Camp Chef Italia: Power Source
| The Ooni Koda 12 runs on propane gas, providing consistent heat and ease of use. The ignition was simple and reliable, making it ready for cooking with minimal effort. |
The Camp Chef Italia also uses propane gas and offers flexibility with small bottles or standard tanks. However, its burner design struggled slightly in maintaining even heat in windy conditions, unlike the Ooni Koda 12.
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Ooni Koda 12 VS Camp Chef Italia: Size
| At 20.4 lbs, the Ooni Koda 12 was noticeably lighter and more portable. Its compact size made it easy to transport for outdoor events, without sacrificing cooking performance. |
Weighing 47 lbs, the Camp Chef Italia felt bulkier during our tests. While its size offered decent stability, portability was more challenging compared to the lightweight Ooni Koda 12.
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Ooni Koda 12 VS Camp Chef Italia: Ease of Cleaning
| Cleaning the Ooni Koda 12 was effortless. The baking stone cleaned up well with an Ooni Pizza Oven Brush, and the exterior required only a quick wipe with soapy water. |
Cleaning the Camp Chef Italia required a bit more effort. Burnt bits on the pizza stone needed scraping, and its thinner material cooled down faster but demanded more care to avoid scratching during cleaning.
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Pizza Cooking Test
The Ooni Koda 12 proved its efficiency during the pizza cooking test. It heated up to a scorching 950°F in just 15-20 minutes, making it one of the fastest ovens to reach optimal pizza-baking temperatures. When we placed a classic Margherita pizza inside, it cooked to perfection in just 2-3 minutes. The result was outstanding—a beautifully crispy crust with evenly melted mozzarella and basil that retained its fresh, vibrant flavor. The high heat ensured that the pizza’s center was cooked thoroughly without overdoing the edges, delivering an authentic Neapolitan-style experience.
The Camp Chef Italia, while capable, showed a slower performance. It reached its maximum temperature of 750°F in approximately 20 minutes. The Margherita pizza took 7-9 minutes to cook, significantly longer than the Ooni Koda 12. The crust was softer and less crispy, although it still carried a pleasant chewiness. The toppings were cooked well, but the lower heat meant the cheese didn’t achieve the same level of bubbling and caramelization that the Ooni delivered.
Both ovens performed well, but the Ooni Koda 12 excelled in creating that perfect balance of crispy crust, melted cheese, and evenly cooked toppings in a fraction of the time. The Camp Chef Italia, while slower, still produced enjoyable pizzas but lacked the same level of crispness and speed.
How We Tested
To evaluate the performance of the Ooni Koda 12 and the Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven, we conducted a side-by-side comparison in a real-world setting at my restaurant, Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston. This allowed us to test these ovens under consistent conditions, ensuring accurate results.
We began by unboxing and assembling each oven, noting the ease of setup and build quality. Both ovens were tested with the same recipe for a classic Margherita pizza—using homemade dough, fresh tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil. This choice was deliberate, as a simple Margherita pizza highlights the oven’s ability to handle key pizza-making elements like crust crispness, cheese melt, and topping evenness.
For each test, we preheated the ovens to their maximum recommended temperatures. Using an infrared thermometer, we ensured the baking stones were at optimal cooking conditions before launching the pizza. Throughout the process, we monitored cooking times, turning the pizzas as necessary to achieve even results.
The Ooni Koda 12 demonstrated its speed, reaching cooking temperatures in under 20 minutes and producing a perfectly cooked pizza in just 2-3 minutes. Its consistent heat and flame distribution created an ideal balance of crispy crust and bubbling cheese.
The Camp Chef Italia, while slower to preheat (20 minutes to reach 750°F), delivered decent results. However, its lower maximum temperature meant longer cooking times, with pizzas taking 7-9 minutes. While the toppings were well-cooked, the crust lacked the same crispness as the Ooni Koda 12.
By conducting multiple rounds of pizza baking, we assessed each oven’s consistency, ease of use, and overall performance. These tests highlighted the differences between the two ovens, with the Ooni Koda 12 emerging as the faster and more consistent performer.
Conclusion
|
Winner
|
Loser
|
|
Our Rating:
4.8
|
Our Rating:
4.4
|
|
Pros:
|
Pros:
|
|
Cons:
|
Cons:
|
- Good-quality materials like powder-coated carbon steel
- Extremely lightweight
- Easy to clean
- Compact design
- Strictly gas-powered
- Made with stainless steel and has a double-layer ceiling
- Can reach 750°F
- Smooth dome shape
- Thinner metal frame may impact its durability over time
- Requires careful management, especially on windy days
- Took a bit longer to set up
- Propane-only
- Portable but slightly bulkier
In conclusion, whether you choose the Ooni Koda 12 or the Camp Chef Italia Pizza Oven ultimately depends on your preferences and needs. The Ooni Koda 12 shines with its speed, portability, and consistent high-temperature performance, making it an excellent choice for those who value efficiency and crispy, restaurant-quality pizzas. On the other hand, the Camp Chef Italia offers versatility and a more spacious design, ideal for experimenting with various dishes beyond pizza, though it may require more patience and practice to master.
If you decide to invest in one of these fantastic pizza ovens, I would greatly appreciate it if you use my referral links for purchasing. It helps support my blog at no additional cost to you. Here’s the link for the Ooni Koda 12 and the Camp Chef Italia. Happy pizza-making!