(checked 2026-10-10)Small sample: about 236 ratings (1-star 3%, 2-star 3%).
The budget pick at both Wirecutter and Tom's Guide: a simple, compact propane oven that comes with a cover and a lifetime warranty. The small 3.5-inch-tall opening makes turning trickier, and some owners burn tops before the crust cooks.
Top complaints
- Cramped opening and stone
Wirecutter found the 13 x 3.5 inch opening and small baking surface made turning harder, and it bumped dough into the rear burner a few times, scorching it immediately. Serious Eats notes your peel must be under 13 inches wide.
Source: Wirecutter, Serious Eats review - Tops burn before the crust is done
Several 1-star Walmart reviews say the top burns before the crust cooks, or the middle stays doughy while the edges overcook, and that pies must be rotated or the back burns. Tom's Guide also had a crust turn to ash when left a bit too long.
- Slower preheat than claimed; short hose
Serious Eats needed 40-45 minutes to pass 800°F on a cold, windy day, versus the 15 minutes claimed, and the left side ran cooler. Tom's Guide's only listed con is a propane hose that could be longer.
Source: Serious Eats review, Tom's Guide review
What owners love
- Dead simple for beginners
Setup is just inserting the stone and connecting a tank. The front knob has markers for pizza heat that Wirecutter found spot-on, and Serious Eats' first-time tester made excellent leopard-spotted pies.
Source: Wirecutter, Serious Eats review - Cover and lifetime warranty included
Wirecutter calls it the best value among propane ovens it tested. It includes a cover, which kept the oven dry through days of rain in Serious Eats' test.
Source: Wirecutter, Serious Eats review - Gets very hot
Tom's Guide cooked pizzas in about 90 seconds at around 900°F; Amazon shoppers say results taste close to wood-fired.
- You want 14- to 16-inch pies or to roast in a skillet
- You want wood or charcoal flavor
- You need natural gas (it can't be converted)
- Beginners who want one knob and no fuel fiddling
- Small patios, tailgating and car camping
- 10- to 12-inch pizzas
Scores (tap for why)
What experts say
- Wirecutter (NYT): Budget pick: beautiful pizzas, a cover and a lifetime warranty at about two-thirds the Koda 16's price. The baking surface and opening are cramped.
- Tom's Guide: Best budget pick and best for beginners at $349. It warns that there isn't much insulation around the exterior, so be cautious around kids.
- Serious Eats: 'Great,' but comparably priced Ooni ovens have the edge on performance. Its separate review found a 40-minute preheat but excellent pies.