As a restaurant chef with over 10 years of hands-on experience at my own kitchen, Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, I’ve had the chance to work with a wide range of pizza ovens. In this article, I’ll compare the Ooni Koda 2 and the Carbon Pizza Oven—two models I’ve personally tested in a professional setting. I evaluated them based on build quality and materials, temperature control, shape, first-time usage impressions, power source, size, ease of cleaning, and of course, how well they cook pizza in a real-world test. (If you’re curious about my full testing process, feel free to check out my separate article where I go into all the details.)
The Ooni Koda 2 is Ooni’s latest gas-powered oven, built for serious home cooks and pros alike, with new dual-zone controls for even more precise baking.
The Carbon Pizza Oven brings a sleek design and hybrid fuel capabilities, offering flexibility and high performance in a compact footprint.
In this article, I’ve provided a detailed comparison of the Ooni Koda 2 and the Carbon Pizza Oven based on my hands-on tests.
Lastly, a quick note: this article contains referral links, which help support my blog at no extra cost to you. Every click truly helps me keep sharing in-depth reviews like this—thank you!
Ooni Koda 2 VS Carbon: Quality and Materials
| The Ooni Koda 2 features a sleek die-cast aluminum shell that’s lightweight, heat-resistant, and weatherproof. Its thick cordierite stone retains heat exceptionally well and feels premium in hand. Overall, it’s built with high-end materials that reflect Ooni’s latest design evolution. |
The Carbon Pizza Oven is made from durable carbon steel and stainless steel with a black matte finish. The use of firebricks instead of ceramic stones is a nice touch for heat distribution, but the visible rivets and seams give it a slightly more rugged, industrial look.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Carbon: Temperature Control
| Thanks to Ooni’s patent-pending G2 Gas Technology™, the Ooni Koda 2 offers 200% better heat distribution than its predecessor. It reaches 950°F in 15 minutes and maintains an even, consistent temperature across the stone. Smart connectivity via the Ooni Connect™ hub allows real-time temp tracking. |
Carbon offers dual-burner control with separate dials for upper and lower burners. It heats up fast (reaches 760°F in testing), but requires manual attention to balance heat. No smart features are available, so fine-tuning is based on experience rather than data.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Carbon: Shape
| The Ooni Koda 2’s rectangular, low-profile design is optimized for heat retention and airflow. The sealed chamber and tapered flame ensure minimal heat loss and even cooking, with a look that fits in any modern outdoor kitchen. |
Carbon’s shape is more squared and boxy. While it accommodates slightly larger pizzas, it’s bulkier and less refined in its design. It’s practical and functional, but lacks the visual polish of the Ooni Koda 2.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Carbon: First-Time Usage Impressions
| Unboxing the Ooni Koda 2 feels like opening premium kitchen gear. Setup takes less than 10 minutes—just unfold the legs, connect the gas, and go. Every component, from knobs to stone, feels thoughtfully engineered. |
The Carbon Pizza Oven has a solid unboxing experience. While setup is relatively easy, the oven’s weight (~50+ lbs) makes solo handling tougher. The stamped logo is a cool branding touch, but some parts like the piping and screws feel more DIY-style.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Carbon: Power Source
| The Ooni Koda 2 is gas-only by design, which simplifies operation. It connects to propane quickly and is ready to go with a twist of the dial. No extra burners or accessories needed—just clean, efficient power. |
Carbon is also propane-powered, eliminating the need for refueling with wood or pellets. However, it lacks the refined ignition and fuel efficiency of the Ooni Koda 2. The heat is powerful, but less controlled.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Carbon: Size
| Weighing 35 lbs (16 kg), the Ooni Koda 2 is highly portable with foldable legs and a 14-inch stone—perfect for small patios or even travel. It’s a compact powerhouse. |
The Carbon Pizza Oven is heavier and bulkier, just over 50 lbs. It fits up to a 15-inch pizza and has space for side dishes, but it’s less portable and better suited for a fixed outdoor spot or mounted on a cart.
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Ooni Koda 2 VS Carbon: Ease of Cleaning
| The Ooni Koda 2 uses pyrolytic cleaning—heat burns off residue at high temps. No ash, no mess. Just wipe down after cooling. It’s clean and hassle-free. |
Carbon includes a cleaning brush and the firebricks wipe clean, but it does require regular maintenance to keep residue from building up on the stone. No self-cleaning feature.
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Pizza Cooking Test
To fairly evaluate both ovens, I tested them under real-world kitchen conditions at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston using my go-to Margherita pizza recipe. Here’s how they performed side by side:
Ooni Koda 2 heated up to 950°F (500°C) in exactly 15 minutes, thanks to its highly efficient G2 Gas Technology™. Once the stone reached the optimal temperature, the pizza went in—and just 60 seconds later, it was done. The crust came out beautifully blistered with an even golden char, the cheese was fully melted without burning, and the bottom was crisp yet airy. It didn’t need any rotation or adjustment mid-bake. That level of consistency and heat distribution is exactly why the Koda 2 took the top spot in my 2025 pizza oven rankings.
Carbon Pizza Oven, on the other hand, heated up slightly faster—reaching around 740–760°F in about 10 minutes. However, that speed came with a learning curve. My first attempt at 670°F left the bottom crust a bit undercooked, while the top was nearly ready. On the second try, at 760°F, the pizza cooked in about 80 seconds. The results were solid: nice browning on the edge, firm texture on the underside, and excellent flavor. But it took more attention and manual adjustment to avoid uneven baking. Once dialed in, though, the Carbon delivered a satisfying result with a more rustic, firebrick-style finish.
Both ovens make excellent pizza—but the Ooni Koda 2 wins for reliability and first-try perfection, while Carbon can catch up with a little trial and error.
How We Tested
All tests were conducted in my professional kitchen at Dequte Restaurant LironBoylston, where I’ve been working as a chef for over a decade. I used both the Ooni Koda 2 and Carbon Pizza Oven side by side over multiple sessions to ensure consistent, real-world comparisons—not just first impressions.
Each oven was fueled with propane, and I used the same dough, sauce, and toppings for every test to eliminate variables. My benchmark was a classic Margherita pizza, which is ideal for spotting uneven baking, poor melt, or temperature fluctuations. I measured how long each oven took to preheat, monitored stone temperatures using an infrared thermometer, and tracked pizza cook time down to the second. I also cooked multiple pizzas back to back to see how well each oven retained heat and whether performance dropped between bakes.
Beyond just speed and heat, I paid close attention to the quality of the final product—the texture of the crust, the color of the browning, the melt of the cheese, and overall balance of the bake. This wasn’t just about performance specs—it was about how well each oven could deliver a restaurant-worthy pizza under pressure.
If you want to dive deeper into my process, you can check out my full article on “How We Test Pizza Ovens”, where I break down every step in more detail.
Final Thoughts
Both the Ooni Koda 2 and the Carbon Pizza Oven bring serious heat and solid performance to the table. If you’re looking for precision, modern design, and consistent results right out of the box, the Ooni Koda 2 stands out with its advanced G2 Gas Technology™ and smart-ready features. On the other hand, the Carbon Pizza Oven is a solid contender for those who like a more manual cooking experience and appreciate the rustic finish from firebrick baking.
Ultimately, the choice comes down to your personal cooking style and preferences.
If you decide to buy one, I’d really appreciate it if you use my referral links—it won’t cost you anything extra, but it helps support this blog and the work I do as a chef testing these ovens.
Here’s the Ooni Koda 2 referral link and the Carbon Pizza Oven referral link. Thank you!