As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of experience at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve had the chance to work with a wide range of pizza ovens in both commercial and home-use environments. In this comparison, I’ll be sharing my real-world insights on the Ooni Koda 2 and the Bertello Pizza Oven—two popular models I’ve personally tested in my kitchen. I evaluated them based on quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and of course, how they performed in an actual pizza cooking test. If you’re interested in the detailed methodology behind my testing, you can always check out my full guide: How We Test Pizza Ovens.
The Ooni Koda 2 is Ooni’s latest gas-powered model, built for performance and precision with their innovative G2 Gas Technology™.
The Bertello Pizza Oven is a compact, multi-fuel option best known for its appearance on Shark Tank and its ability to run on wood, charcoal, gas, or a combination.
Here, I’ve done an in-depth comparison of the Ooni Koda 2 and the Bertello, backed by my test results.
Quick note: This article includes referral links. If you find it helpful and decide to buy one of these ovens, using my links helps keep this blog going. I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and I truly appreciate the support.
Ooni Koda 2 VS Bertello: Quality and Materials
| The Ooni Koda 2 is crafted with a durable die-cast aluminum shell and a thicker cordierite stone, giving it a premium, professional feel right out of the box. |
The Bertello Pizza Oven offers solid construction with a stainless steel exterior and refractory stone. It’s rugged and holds up well under high heat.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Bertello: Temperature Control
| Thanks to its G2 Gas Technology™, the Ooni Koda 2 delivers even, consistent heat up to 950°F in just 15 minutes, with minimal hot spots or recovery lag. |
The Bertello Pizza Oven can reach over 900°F using wood, gas, or both. However, temperature control can be trickier, especially when relying on wood alone.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Bertello: Shape
| The Ooni Koda 2 has a compact, rectangular design that seals heat efficiently. Its tapered burner ensures even cooking across the entire pizza surface. |
The Bertello features a dome-shaped design that promotes airflow and helps evenly distribute heat, but wood flame positioning can affect results.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Bertello: First-Time Usage Impressions
| Setting up the Ooni Koda 2 took just 10 minutes, and everything felt intuitive. It’s beginner-friendly and feels ready to perform right out of the box. |
The Bertello Pizza Oven was easy to assemble in under 15 minutes. While setup was smooth, using multiple fuel sources may require some experimenting for best results.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Bertello: Power Source
| The Ooni Koda 2 is propane-only, optimized for simplicity, consistency, and clean cooking. Just connect the tank and you’re ready. |
The Bertello is highly versatile—compatible with wood, charcoal, and gas. Great for flavor lovers, but wood-burning requires more active management.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Bertello: Size
| The Ooni Koda 2 weighs 35 lbs and has a 14” stone—ideal for larger pizzas, yet still portable with foldable legs for easy outdoor use. |
The Bertello Pizza Oven weighs 34.6 lbs and supports pizzas up to 12”. It’s compact and portable, but has slightly less cooking space.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Bertello: Ease of Cleaning
| The Ooni Koda 2 requires minimal cleanup—just a dry cloth for the stone and a quick wipe of the exterior thanks to its gas-only, low-mess design. |
The Bertello requires cleaning of ash and soot when using wood. Accessing the tray can be messy, and removing the pellet tray often leaves your arm covered in soot.
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Pizza Cooking Test
To evaluate both ovens under real cooking conditions, I used the same classic Margherita recipe—same dough, same sauce, same cheese—to ensure consistency.
The Ooni Koda 2 reached its target temperature of 950°F in exactly 15 minutes, as expected. The G2 Gas Technology™ delivered even heat across the entire stone, with no noticeable hot spots or drop-offs. Once preheated, I slid in a 14-inch Margherita pizza, and it was ready in 60 seconds. The crust was perfectly blistered, crisp on the outside yet airy inside. The cheese melted evenly, with no undercooked sections. It tasted like something straight out of a professional Neapolitan pizzeria.
The Bertello Pizza Oven, preheated using a combination of propane and wood, took around 10–15 minutes to reach a working temperature. I measured just over 900°F on the stone surface. I then cooked a 12-inch Margherita. It was done in about 90 seconds. The pizza had that authentic wood-fired aroma and great flavor, though I did need to manage the flame a bit during cooking to keep the top from lagging behind. The crust was golden with a smoky edge, and while the result was very good, it required more attention and manual adjustment than the Ooni Koda 2.
Both ovens can make excellent pizza, but the Ooni Koda 2 consistently delivered flawless results with less effort. The Bertello shines in its flavor potential, especially when using wood, but it comes with a steeper learning curve.
How We Tested
To fairly compare the Ooni Koda 2 and the Bertello Pizza Oven, I followed the same structured process I use in my restaurant test kitchen at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston. Each oven was evaluated using identical ingredients and setup: the same Margherita dough recipe, same sauce, same mozzarella, and same pizza size wherever possible.
I used an infrared thermometer to monitor actual stone temperatures throughout the preheating and cooking stages. Both ovens were tested multiple times over several sessions to assess consistency, heat recovery, and performance over repeated use.
I also tracked setup time, ease of ignition, temperature climb, and how evenly each oven cooked the pizza top and bottom. I noted how much user intervention was needed—whether the pizza had to be rotated manually, whether flame adjustments were required, and how well the crust and toppings finished simultaneously.
This hands-on testing method gives me a full picture—not just of how good a pizza can be in ideal conditions, but how reliably each oven performs in real-world use. If you want to dive deeper into my full process, I break it all down in detail in my article: How I Test Pizza Ovens.
Final Verdict
Whether you choose the high-performance consistency of the Ooni Koda 2 or the smoky, multi-fuel versatility of the Bertello Pizza Oven, it really comes down to how you like to cook. If you prefer a plug-and-play experience with flawless results and minimal fuss, the Ooni Koda 2 is a clear standout. It’s fast, intuitive, and consistently delivers restaurant-quality pizza with very little learning curve.
On the other hand, if you enjoy experimenting with wood, gas, or even charcoal and don’t mind spending a bit more time managing the flame for that rustic flavor, the Bertello is a strong contender—especially for those who value wood-fired taste over convenience.
Whichever oven fits your style, I truly appreciate it if you choose to use my referral links below. It helps support my blog and continued testing—at absolutely no cost to you.
Thanks for reading—and happy pizza making!