Need help choosing ovens for Pop-Up Business (going crazy).

Hey All,

I am in the process of starting up a pizza pop-up business, and I am losing my mind trying to decide which ovens to get.

I currently have a Koda 16 and an unboxed Koda 2 Pro (w rotating stone) that I am considering returning. I read that all Oonis have trouble retaining heat (definitely experienced this with my old Koda 16). I don't want to limit myself with crappy rebound times. For reference, I am wanting to do 3-4 minute bakes with 13-14 inch sourdough pizzas, but am considering moving that down to 12 inches.

My problem is that I am super limited on funds, and here are some options I am considering. I will keep my Koda 16 as backup for bigger events:

Versa Halo 16 x2 = cheap, has a rotating stone and heats from under the stone as well. Easy to transport and move around. Rotating stone sounds pretty handy to have to allow me to do other things while pizza is in the oven. Not very sexy, not sure if that matters for bookings/events. I see its recommended to spend $80 for the fibrament stone but heard I may need to use a screen to prevent burning?
Gozney Arc x2 = can't really afford it but I am not opposed to borrowing some money if the Arc is worth it. Harder to transport / move around. A lot sexier-looking and would help in marketing materials, especially if i sprung for the stands. Is the Arc as good as the Arc XL, just less room inside?
What else should I consider? Not open to a trailer at this time.

I know there are a million threads on this but I am still no closer to being able to make a decision :-/ Thank you for your guidance!

by aghenender

DragonfruitMiddle846 7 hours ago

I use the bakerstone portable pizza oven and do recommend it. My issue with it is that it has too many vent holes and it lacks a door. Some regular bricks fixed the vent hole issues. I surrounded my bakerstone portable pizza oven with the bricks which stop the airflow except from back to front. As for the front I fashioned a door from a wooden cedar panel wrapped in aluminum foil. After that I tested it and it reached 1002° f and I went ahead and shut it off because I wasn’t cooking anything and I’m not going to cook anything over a thousand degrees f.

Because it’s surrounded with bricks it doesn’t have a problem with the wind cooling it down so quick along with the pizza dough. Your size is appropriate to the oven. I don’t remember its exact dimensions but it’s at or under the size that you mentioned. I prefer a gozney pizza peel that’s nonstick, perforated and it has ridges which is very helpful for easier launching. When my peel is flat without holes and I’m dealing with a very high hydration dough, the Pizza turns into some kind of industrial suction cup.

This may seem over complicated but it’s a simple matter of putting the bricks around it and lighting it. Oh and speaking of the flame. It has two circular burners. It has the middle one that is pretty much dedicated to the deck and then it has a larger rectangle shape burner that hits the deck and the ceiling. It has two burner adjusters which makes temperature control fairly simple. It includes a picture thermometer of sorts on top of it but don’t use that. An infrared thermometer also known as a thermal gun is a required piece of equipment.

What I like about the oven is that it makes some beautiful pizzas. It gets hot enough for a true Neapolitan pizza. I can cook More than just Pizza in there. I have a 9 or 10 in cast iron skillet that I use for baking bread such as focaccia or steak or whatever we feel like cooking.

What’s even better is that the pizza box can be taken off. I understand I’m going outside of your question but for transportation it’s helpful. What’s also helpful is that I think it’s 22 in. You can put a cast iron grill on there and use it for grilling. Instead of a grill you can put a griddle on top of it. Making pancake eggs and hash browns and basically treating it like a bakerstone expensive griddle, yes you can.

Tldr – bakerstone portable pizza oven. I think it’s the best and most versatile budget model out there.

2 Comments

Constant_Can9545 7 hours ago
Fwiw ive seen very successful catering events using only kodas. Where you are worried about rebound time can be solved with an extra oven. Just go back and forth.
DragonfruitMiddle846 7 hours ago
I use the bakerstone portable pizza oven and do recommend it. My issue with it is that it has too many vent holes and it lacks a door. Some regular bricks fixed the vent hole issues. I surrounded my bakerstone portable pizza oven with the bricks which stop the airflow except from back to front. As for the front I fashioned a door from a wooden cedar panel wrapped in aluminum foil. After that I tested it and it reached 1002° f and I went ahead and shut it off because I wasn’t cooking anything and I’m not going to cook anything over a thousand degrees f.
Because it’s surrounded with bricks it doesn’t have a problem with the wind cooling it down so quick along with the pizza dough. Your size is appropriate to the oven. I don’t remember its exact dimensions but it’s at or under the size that you mentioned. I prefer a gozney pizza peel that’s nonstick, perforated and it has ridges which is very helpful for easier launching. When my peel is flat without holes and I’m dealing with a very high hydration dough, the Pizza turns into some kind of industrial suction cup.
This may seem over complicated but it’s a simple matter of putting the bricks around it and lighting it. Oh and speaking of the flame. It has two circular burners. It has the middle one that is pretty much dedicated to the deck and then it has a larger rectangle shape burner that hits the deck and the ceiling. It has two burner adjusters which makes temperature control fairly simple. It includes a picture thermometer of sorts on top of it but don’t use that. An infrared thermometer also known as a thermal gun is a required piece of equipment.
What I like about the oven is that it makes some beautiful pizzas. It gets hot enough for a true Neapolitan pizza. I can cook More than just Pizza in there. I have a 9 or 10 in cast iron skillet that I use for baking bread such as focaccia or steak or whatever we feel like cooking.
What’s even better is that the pizza box can be taken off. I understand I’m going outside of your question but for transportation it’s helpful. What’s also helpful is that I think it’s 22 in. You can put a cast iron grill on there and use it for grilling. Instead of a grill you can put a griddle on top of it. Making pancake eggs and hash browns and basically treating it like a bakerstone expensive griddle, yes you can.
Tldr – bakerstone portable pizza oven. I think it’s the best and most versatile budget model out there.

Write A Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.