Gozney Roccbox vs Ooni Koda 12 Outdoor Pizza Ovens: Which One Is Best For You?

In the world of portable pizza ovens, there is an eternal debate that rages across internet forums and the minds of prospective buyers—which is better, Ooni or Roccbox? Today, I’m going to be comparing the Gozney Roccbox with the Ooni Koda 12 to help you figure out which pizza oven is the best fit for you.

The Gozney Roccbox is a multi-fuel pizza oven that can cook with propane, wood, and charcoal, while the Ooni Koda 12 cooks with propane exclusively. Both the Ooni and Roccbox have a 12-13 inch baking surface, making it big enough to cook a 12 inch personal-sized pizza (about the size of a large dinner plate).

The Roccbox is best for those who already know how to use a wood-fired oven, or are determined to learn how. It can also cook with propane, but you’ll need to switch out the burners depending on what fuel you’re using. The base model costs $499, or $599 with the wood burner attachment, and includes a peel.

The Ooni Koda 12 is a much simpler pizza oven, with a built-in propane burner that only needs to be connected to a gas line to work. The Koda 12 is best for those who just want a simple pizza oven at an affordable price, and who aren’t interested in wood-fired pizza. The Ooni Koda 12 costs $399 for the oven, but you’ll need to buy a peel in order to use it. 

Roccbox vs Ooni: Background

Understanding the background of Ooni and Gozney can give us some insight into their respective philosophies and approaches to pizza oven design. Both Ooni and Gozney have shown a commitment not just to making pizza, but to the communities of people around the world who are passionate about it.

Related Post: Gozney Roccbox vs Ooni Fyra 12 Compared and Reviewed

About Ooni

Ooni started out as a Kickstarter campaign in 2013, launched by founders Kristian Tapaninaho and his wife Darina Garland. Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, Tapaninaho’s mission was to start a company that brings authentic wood-fired pizza to the average home cook. He achieved this by designing and creating a unique line of portable pizza ovens that look as good as they perform. This innovative design allows pizza makers to cook pizzeria quality pizza right at home.

Since then, Ooni has continued to innovate, expanding their product line to include gas-powered ovens like the Ooni Koda 12. Despite moving up the ranks so fast in the pizza oven game, Ooni has stayed true to its roots, emphasizing the ease of use and authenticity in its products.

About Gozney

Gozney, on the other hand, was founded by Tom Gozney with a vision to revolutionize outdoor cooking. With a background in stone oven technology, Gozney brought a level of craftsmanship and attention to detail to the pizza oven market that was previously unseen. This commitment to quality is evident in every Gozney product, from their professional-grade ovens to their home-use models like the Roccbox.

Gozney’s approach to pizza oven design is all about versatility and performance—the Roccbox is built to withstand the stresses of professional use, but user-friendly, making them a great choice for home cooks as well.

Ooni vs Roccbox: Ooni Koda 12

Now that we’ve covered the background of Ooni and Gozney, let’s take a closer look at their flagship pizza oven models, starting with the Ooni Koda 12.

Ooni Koda 12 Background

The Ooni Koda 12 is a compact, gas-powered pizza oven that’s designed with portability and convenience in mind. This oven is super compact and barely 20lbs, which makes it possible to take it on the go with you without much trouble. 

I know most portable pizza ovens are advertised as something you can take camping with you, but with the Ooni Koda 12, it’s actually true. Unlike a 40-50 pound “portable” pizza oven, this one is actually light enough (around 20lbs) that you could pack it up and take it with you up the trails for a little impromptu hillside pizza making session.

Despite its small size, the Ooni Koda 12 is capable of reaching temperatures up to 950F, which is pretty incredible. It does this via a very efficient (and small) propane burner, so you’ll need to remember to take a small tank of gas with you wherever you’re headed with it—or even just in your own backyard.

Ooni Koda 12 Build Quality

The Ooni Koda 12 is a well-built pizza oven, and this was immediately obvious to me the first time I handled it. The powder-coated stainless steel body feels slightly rough to the touch, and helps the oven retain heat as well as remain relatively cool to the touch when it’s in use.

The Ooni Koda 12 is also quite light, despite having a relatively good thick layer of insulation. No, it’s not as thick and robust as the Roccbox, but we’ll get into that more later.

The baking surface of the Koda 12 is made from a 0.4” thick slab of cordierite stone—exactly the same thing as a pizza stone you can buy for your home oven. The stone works by absorbing the heat from the oven so when you launch your pizza, the underside of the crust starts cooking right away. 

In this way, the Ooni Koda 12 is a bit like having a miniature brick pizza oven that you can pick up and take with you wherever you go, even if it’s just from the garage to your backyard.

But unlike a brick pizza oven, the Ooni Koda 12 runs exclusively on propane instead of wood. I like this because it keeps the cost of the oven relatively low while still delivering performance and consistent heat. The Koda 12 usually takes around 20-30 minutes to reach maximum heat saturation. 

Roccbox vs Ooni: Gozney Roccbox

Now that we’ve covered the Ooni Koda 12, let’s turn our attention to the Gozney Roccbox. This versatile pizza oven has a lot to offer, from its dual fuel options to its robust build quality.

Gozney Roccbox Background

The Gozney Roccbox is a portable, multi-fuel pizza oven designed to bring the power of a commercial pizza oven to your own home.

Unlike the Ooni Koda 12, the Roccbox can burn wood and charcoal just as well as it does propane. Great for those who want the flexibility to cook with whatever kind of fuel you feel like using depending on your situation.

The Roccbox is capable of reaching temperatures up to 950F, making it possible to cook a pizza in as little as 60 seconds on the maximum settings. This is the perfect environment for making authentic Neapolitan style pizza, especially if you’re using wood. 

Gozney Roccbox Build Quality

When it comes to build quality, the Gozney Roccbox is one hefty little unit. I remember thinking how dense and heavy the Roccbox is for its relatively small size. At over 40lbs, it’s definitely not one you’ll be hiking up a trail with anytime soon (unless you want the workout). 

The heft of the Roccbox is indicative of the lengths Gozney has taken to make it one of the best pizza ovens for heat retention on the market. This means it holds its heat very well, so it heats up fast and doesn’t cool down between making pizzas.

In fact, the heat retention of the Roccbox is so good that I know several people using it in small commercial setups like food trucks and festival stands. It’s not going to be big enough for a large pizzeria, but for a small time operation it works perfectly. 

Like the Ooni Koda 12, the baking surface of the Roccbox is a 19mm cordierite baking stone. But it’s actually quite a bit thicker than the Koda, which is only 10mm thick. Along with the insulation around the exterior, this thick baking stone is another factor that makes the Roccbox really good at retaining heat.

The Roccbox’s thick insulation isn’t just for heat retention, it’s also for safety. The exterior of the Roccbox stays relatively cool to the touch while it’s fired up, so it won’t scald your hands or arms if you accidentally touch it. This is an especially crucial feature if you have kids or pets running around the house.

Roccbox vs Ooni Koda 12: What are the Differences?

Now that we’ve covered the basics of the Ooni Koda 12 and the Gozney Roccbox, let’s take a closer look at what sets these two ovens apart.

Ooni Koda 12

The main strength of the Ooni Koda 12 is its simplicity. Unlike a multi-fuel pizza oven with different burners and parts to swap out, the Koda 12 is a single, solid unit—just plug in a propane line and you’re good to go.

The Ooni Koda 12 might not be as hefty as the Roccbox, but its small and light frame is still capable of reaching the same scorching temperatures of up to 950F. This is more than enough to cook an authentic Neapolitan style pizza. You can also turn down the temperature for a classic New York style pizza as well.

Gas won’t give you the same smoky flavor as wood or charcoal, but it’s also much quicker to get going and doesn’t require the same experience or learning curve as a wood-fired oven. 

That said, the Ooni Koda 12 doesn’t have the same level of insulation, or as thick of a baking stone, as the Roccbox. In my opinion, this doesn’t make a huge difference unless you plan on making dozens of pizzas one after the other. Most people will cook 1-2 pizzas at a time, so heat retention isn’t as big of a deal.

If you’re making more, you may find that you need to give the oven a few minutes between each one to get the temperature of the stone back up. In my experience, this really isn’t a big deal unless we’re talking about making dozens of pizzas in a row.

Gozney Roccbox

The Gozney Roccbox, on the other hand, is all about authenticity and precision. The Roccbox can be as convenient as the Ooni Koda 12 if you use gas, or if you prefer you can go the Neapolitan route and cook with wood.

Keep in mind, though, that cooking with wood isn’t as simple as throwing some logs in the oven and lighting a match. It takes quite a bit of experience and knowledge about how wood burns to get the oven to reach and maintain the maximum temperatures. It can be even trickier to bring the temperature down and stay there if you want to cook at a lower temperature for different pizza styles.

In either case, many people will appreciate having options so if you ever feel like learning how to use a wood-fired oven you can. But in the meantime, most people I interact with prefer to use propane anyways, so it’s really up to you. 

The Roccbox also comes with a built-in thermometer which measures the temperature of the oven floor. That’ll be a nice nice feature for some, but I actually prefer a built-in thermometer to tell me the temperature of the ambient air. I already have an infrared thermometer to tell me the temperature of the baking stone. 

Ooni Koda 12 vs Roccbox in Numbers

When comparing the Ooni Koda 12 and the Gozney Roccbox, it’s helpful to look at the numbers.

The biggest number difference here comes in the form of price: the Gozney Roccbox costs $499 for the base model (propane) and costs an additional $100 for the optional wood burner. This brings the total cost of the Roccbox with all features to $599.

On the other hand, the Ooni Koda 12 is much less expensive thanks to its exclusive use of propane and less robust (though still premium quality) construction. The Ooni Koda 12 costs $399, and that includes all the burners you’ll need. The only thing you’ll need to buy besides the oven itself is a pizza peel.

Here’s a brief comparison of some of the main features:

• Price: The Ooni Koda 12 is generally more affordable than the Gozney Roccbox, making it a great choice for those on a budget.
• Max Temperature: Both ovens can reach impressive temperatures. The Ooni Koda 12 maxes out at 932°F (500°C), while the Gozney Roccbox can reach up to 950°F.
• Fuel Type: The Ooni Koda 12 is gas-powered, while the Gozney Roccbox can use both gas and wood, offering more versatility.
• Weight: The Ooni Koda 12 is lighter, weighing 20.4 lbs (9.25 kg), compared to the Gozney Roccbox, which weighs 44 lbs (20 kg).
• Cooking Surface: Both ovens have a similar cooking surface area, enough to cook a 12-inch pizza.
• Build Material: Both ovens feature a stainless steel body and a stone baking board for even heat distribution.

Feature/Spec	Ooni Koda 12	Gozney Roccbox
Price	$399	$499-$599
Fuel Type	Gas	Gas or Wood/Charcoal
Max Temp	950°F (500°C)	950°F (500°C)
Heat-up Time	15 minutes	15 minutes
Weight	Lighter (20lbs)	Heavier (40lbs)
Build Material	Stainless Steel, Cordierite Stone	Stainless Steel, Stone Floor
Special Features	Portable, Foldable Legs	Safe-Touch Silicone Jacket, Retractable Legs
Ideal For	Speed, Convenience, Affordability	Versatility, Safety, Multi-Fuel Options (sold separately)

Ooni vs Roccbox: Final Verdict

After comparing the Ooni Koda 12 and the Gozney Roccbox, it’s clear to me that both pizza ovens have a lot to offer. To figure out which one is best for you, you’ll need to understand the ideal use case scenario for each one.

Ooni Koda 12: Ideal Users

The Ooni Koda 12 is the perfect pizza oven for those who value the simplicity of propane but still want excellent results. It’s also an excellent choice for those who live in smaller apartments or condos and only have the space of a balcony to use their pizza oven. 

The Ooni Koda 12 is also a great choice for those who might want to take their pizza oven on the road with them. At only 20lbs, the Koda 12 is easy enough to pack up and take to a friend’s house, the park, or the beach. I can tell you from experience, it’s really not that difficult, especially if you get the custom carry case from Ooni. I can’t say the same about other larger and heavier pizza oven models.

If you’re someone who just wants to get into making pizza at home with a professional-grade pizza oven, without learning how to use a wood-fired oven, I fully recommend the Ooni Koda 12. Hook it up, turn it on, wait for it to heat up, and you’re ready to go.

And at only $399, the Ooni Koda 12 is one of the best pizza oven deals on the market today. 

Gozney Roccbox: Ideal Users

Compared to the Ooni Koda 12, the Gozney Roccbox is a different pizza oven designed for different users. Its multi-fuel, modular burner design gives much more flexibility than the single propane burner of the Koda.

In addition to propane, the Roccbox can cook with wood and charcoal using the Wood Burner 2.0 attachment which is sold separately for an extra $100. This makes the Roccbox quite a bit more expensive than the Ooni Koda 12, but if you want a pizza oven that can do it all, it’s worth the price.

As I’ve touched on previously, both the Ooni Koda 12 and the Gozney Roccbox are built to last, but the Roccbox takes it to another level. This pizza oven is so dense and heavy it could be used as boat anchor if you needed one. All the extra metal and insulation makes it one of the best portable pizza ovens for retaining heat on the market.

But all the extra heat retention is only going to be useful if you’re making many pizzas in a row, such as at a big family gathering, a party, or a small commercial setting. Outside of those scenarios, I don’t recommend buying the Roccbox purely for its heat retention—which isn’t to say it’s not worth it, though.

The Roccbox is also built to last, with a robust stainless steel body that can withstand the rigors of outdoor cooking. So if you’re a serious pizza enthusiast who’s looking for a high-quality, versatile oven that you can use for years to come, the Gozney Roccbox is worth considering.

In terms of results, both the Ooni Koda 12 and the Gozney Roccbox will make an excellent pizza. In fact, there really isn’t much difference between the two in terms of pizza quality, especially if you’re using propane for both. That’s why (as a prospective buyer) you should focus on price, form factor, and fuel choices.

That said, the Roccbox can deliver one thing in terms of results that the Ooni Koda 12 can’t: smoky flavors. When you cook with wood, the flavors of the smoke infuse into the crust giving the pizza a distinct flavor characteristic of traditional Neapolitan cooking. 

But this only applies if you’re using the Roccbox with wood, so if you plan on opting to use propane most of the time, you can save money by buying the Ooni Koda 12 instead.

Ooni Koda 12 vs Gozney Roccbox: Which One is Best? 

So, which is it: the Ooni Koda 12 or the Gozney Roccbox? Unfortunately, I can’t give you a definitive one-size-fits-all answer about which one to buy—they’re both great ovens in their own right. 

The truth is you need to compare each oven with your pizza style preferences, living situation and budget. 

If you value simplicity, convenience, and affordability, the Ooni Koda 12 is a great choice. But if you want more versatility, control, and authenticity, the Gozney Roccbox might be the better option, especially if you ever want to cook with wood or charcoal.

If you’re still undecided, here are some key points to consider:

• Price: If you’re on a budget, the Ooni Koda 12 is generally more affordable. $399 vs $499 is an easy choice, moneywise.
• Fuel Type: If you want the option to cook with both gas and wood, the Gozney Roccbox offers more versatility. But if you’re never cooked with wood before and don’t want to learn how, stick with the Ooni Koda 12
• Portability: If you plan to take your pizza oven on the go, the lighter weight of the Ooni Koda 12 might be a plus.
• Temperature Control: If you want precise control over your oven’s temperature, the built-in thermometer on the Gozney Roccbox is a handy feature, but it’s generally easier to control heat with propane. In this case, the Ooni Koda 12 might be a better choice.

The Winner: Ooni Koda 12 (for most people)

If you want my opinion (which I presume you do), I think the best pizza oven for most people most of the time is going to be the Ooni Koda 12. The Koda 12 is less expensive, lighter, and uses the easiest and most convenient type of fuel. 

Unless you specifically want to learn how to use a wood-fired pizza oven (or already know how), the Roccbox is probably too much for a beginner to wrap their head around. And if you only plan on using propane most of the time, you’re better off with the Ooni Koda 12

In other words, only get the Roccbox if you really really want to cook with wood or charcoal. For everyone else, save some money and get the Ooni Koda 12. The pizza will taste the same regardless. 

Main Facts Covered in this Article:

• Ooni and Gozney are both reputable companies known for producing high-quality, portable pizza ovens.
• The Ooni Koda 12 is a gas-powered oven that’s known for its simplicity, convenience, and affordability.
• The Gozney Roccbox is a versatile oven that can use both gas and wood, offering more control and versatility.
• Both ovens can hit the same 950F temperatures and cook a Neapolitan style pizza in under a minute.
• The Ooni Koda 12 is lighter and more portable, making it a great choice for those who want to take their pizza oven on the go.
• The Gozney Roccbox, while heavier, is built to last and features a built-in thermometer for precise temperature control.
• Both ovens are capable of producing excellent results, mimicking the results of a traditional brick oven with their stone baking boards.
• The best oven for you depends on your specific needs and preferences, whether that’s simplicity and affordability (Ooni Koda 12) or versatility and control (Gozney Roccbox).

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