Ooni Koda 2 Max vs Gozney Arc XL: Which Big Gas Pizza Oven Should You Buy?

If you want a 20-inch pizza oven, the Ooni Koda 2 Max is the one to buy, and the Gozney Arc XL is the one to pick if 16 inches is enough and you want a lighter, easier-to-place oven for less money. The Koda 2 Max has a 24-inch cooking area and weighs 95 lb. The Arc XL cooks one 16-inch pizza and weighs 58.5 lb. In our data the Koda 2 Max is listed at $1,199 to $1,299 and the Arc XL at $999.99, so the gap is roughly $200 to $300. Both are gas-only, neither is portable, and both can anchor an outdoor kitchen countertop.

This is a comparison from our model data and the reviews it draws on, mainly Serious Eats and Tom’s Guide for the Koda 2 Max, and TechRadar and Tom’s Guide for the Arc XL. We have not tested either oven ourselves. Prices are from October 2026 and move often, so check the current price before you buy.

Ooni Koda 2 Max vs Gozney Arc XL at a glance

Two notes on that table. The Arc XL’s maximum temperature differs by source, so check Gozney’s page if the number matters to you. And the heat-up figures are not like for like, which we explain below.

Which oven makes bigger pizzas?

The Koda 2 Max, by a wide margin. Ooni lists a 24-inch cooking area made of two side-by-side stones, which takes one 20-inch pie, two 12-inch pizzas or three 10-inch pizzas. Serious Eats also fit a Detroit-style pan. That is the reason to buy it, and it is the only oven in our data that does it.

The Arc XL takes one 16-inch pizza. Both TechRadar and Tom’s Guide list that size, and Tom’s Guide gives a 16.8-inch wide mouth. A 16-inch pizza feeds more people than a 12-inch one, but you will be launching pies one at a time, and the Koda 2 Max can have two cooking at once.

Be honest about how often you will use the extra space. If your pizza nights are for four to six people, a 16-inch oven like the Arc XL or the cheaper Ooni Koda 16 is probably enough. The Koda 2 Max earns its size when you are cooking for a crowd, making large formats, or running two things at once.

Which heats faster?

Neither result is clear, and we would not decide on this. Our data lists about 15 minutes for the Koda 2 Max and 35 minutes for the Arc XL, but the reviewers measured different temperatures in different places:

• Koda 2 Max: Tom’s Guide reached 800°F in about 15 minutes. Serious Eats measured 660°F in 11 minutes and a stable 850°F in about 38 minutes, and noted that much smaller ovens it had tested take 30 to 40 minutes to get there.
• Arc XL: TechRadar lists 35 minutes to 800°F and says the big mouth makes it 10 to 15 minutes slower than the Roccbox. Tom’s Guide says the stone reaches 750°F in about 15 to 20 minutes.

The honest summary is that both are ready in somewhere between 15 and 40 minutes, depending on what you measure. Plan for the long end, especially in cold air. Once the stone is hot, Serious Eats clocked thin pizzas in about 22 seconds on the Koda 2 Max.

Burners, controls and reliability

The Koda 2 Max has two independently controlled burners. That lets you run one side hotter than the other, although Tom’s Guide found its single temperature gauge reads only the center rear, so it advised against very different heats. Serious Eats found the dual zones nicer in theory than in practice. Its long-term update reported that the dual-burner system was finicky to light, with one or both burners going out after lighting, and called the oven expensive, huge and propane-hungry. That is a real caution at this price.

Our data does not list the burner layout of the Arc XL, so we won’t describe it. What the reviewers do say is that it is a well-made, easy oven. TechRadar notes a digital thermometer and stable temperatures, and Tom’s Guide calls it beautifully made. Its drawbacks are the price, the weight and a stone that is tricky to remove.

Will either fit your countertop or outdoor kitchen?

Weight and footprint matter more here than for any smaller oven.

Koda 2 Max. At 95 lb and 29 x 25.5 x 16.5 inches, Tom’s Guide treats a table or station as close to non-negotiable and says it works more like a built-in alternative than a portable oven. The review notes Ooni’s large modular table was $299 at that time. If you are putting it on a countertop, the counter has to carry the load and meet the oven’s surface requirements.

Arc XL. At 58.5 lb it is lighter, but TechRadar lists it as not portable and Tom’s Guide says to have a second person help with setup. TechRadar says the optional Arc Stand is $250, with fold-down shelves and room for a gas cylinder. We do not have the Arc XL’s outside dimensions in our data, so measure from Gozney’s page before you cut or clear anything.

Some rules apply to both:

• Follow the manual for clearances and surfaces. We do not have either maker’s clearance figures, and we will not guess. Check the required distance to walls and overhead structures, and what kind of countertop surface is allowed under a hot oven.
• Keep it in open air. NFPA’s grilling guidance says to place a grill well away from the house, deck railings, eaves and overhanging branches, and the same logic applies to an oven that throws flame and heat. Our outdoor kitchen ventilation guide covers airflow around covered outdoor kitchens.
• Plan the gas. Only the Koda 2 Max is listed for natural gas. If you want a fixed gas drop, that decides the question, and the work belongs to a licensed gas fitter. If you will use propane, plan where the cylinder lives.
• Mind the floor space. These are not small appliances. If counter space is tight, see our small outdoor kitchen ideas before you commit to a 95 lb oven.

Cold-weather cooking with a big oven

It is winter, and a large oven asks for a little more care than a small one. We have no cold-weather test results for either model, so this is general guidance, and our guide to using a pizza oven in cold weather has the full routine.

1. Preheat longer than the box says. Use an infrared thermometer on the stone, not just the dome reading. A hot dome over a cold stone gives a pale base.
2. Block the wind. Tom’s Guide recommends keeping the Koda 2 Max out of crosswinds. Use a wall or screen, at a safe distance and within the manual’s clearances.
3. Bring a spare propane cylinder. Serious Eats called the Koda 2 Max propane-hungry, and a large oven on a cold night will test a single cylinder. Never warm a cylinder with a flame or hot water.
4. Keep dough indoors until the last minute. Cold dough tears and bakes unevenly.
5. Cook outside only. Gas ovens make carbon monoxide, so never run one in a garage, tent or enclosed porch.
6. Check hoses and connections before the season. NFPA suggests brushing a soapy mixture on the hose, regulator and connections to look for leaks.

If you want to see how the fuel choice plays out in winter, our pizza oven fuel guide compares gas, wood and electric, and our winterizing guide covers storing an oven and cylinders for the season.

Who should buy which?

Buy the Ooni Koda 2 Max if:

• You cook for a crowd or want 20-inch pies or two pizzas at once.
• You want the option of a natural gas line.
• You have a strong table or countertop and room for a 95 lb oven.
• You are comfortable with a premium price and the reports of finicky lighting.

Buy the Gozney Arc XL if:

• 16-inch pizzas are enough and you want a lower price than the Koda 2 Max.
• You want a lighter oven that is easier to place, with a digital thermometer.
• You are fine with propane only and a slower preheat on paper.
• You care about the look of the oven on a patio or counter.

Who should skip both and pick a smaller oven?

A lot of buyers do not need a big oven, and a smaller one will be cheaper and easier to use. Skip both of these if:

• You cook for two to four people. The Ooni Koda 16 is a 16-inch gas oven at 40 lb and $499 to $649 in our data. It has the same 16-inch pizza size as the Arc XL, at a lower price. Tom’s Guide calls it the Arc XL’s main 16-inch gas rival at a lower price.
• You want something compact. The Gozney Arc is the 14-inch version of the Arc XL at 47.5 lb and $699 to $799.99. Tom’s Guide says the two are pretty much the same apart from two extra inches of capacity, and that the Arc XL costs about $300 more.
• You cook only now and then. Serious Eats recommends a smaller, cheaper Ooni for occasional use.
• You want to move the oven. Neither is portable. Our Ooni vs Gozney comparison covers lighter options from both brands.

For the wider field, see our best pizza ovens of 2026.

Should you buy now or wait for Black Friday?

Black Friday is November 27, 2026 and Cyber Monday is November 30. Early Black Friday sales have started at some retailers. We have not verified any offer on the Koda 2 Max, Arc XL, Koda 16 or Arc, and we will not quote a sale price we cannot back.

Here is what to do instead:

• Write down today’s price on Amazon and on the brand’s own store. The prices in our data are from October, and they have likely moved.
• Check the price history with a third-party Amazon tracker, so you know whether a “deal” is real.
• Decide your number first. At roughly $1,000 to $1,300 each, a 10 percent cut would be about $100 to $130, so it is worth knowing what you would be happy to pay.
• Check what is included. A bundle with a table, stand or cover is a different purchase from the oven alone, and the Koda 2 Max in particular needs somewhere to sit.
• Do not leave a gift to the last minute. Large ovens ship heavy and can sell out.

Our pizza oven Black Friday guide has what Ooni and Gozney did in 2025 and how to judge a deal. If you want pizza this winter and you have a sheltered spot, buying at a fair price now beats waiting for a sale you cannot size.

Our verdict

For most people shopping for a large gas oven, the Gozney Arc XL is the easier choice: a handsome 16-inch oven that is lighter than the Koda 2 Max and costs roughly $200 to $300 less in our data. For hosts who want the biggest oven they can buy, the Ooni Koda 2 Max is the one, as long as you have the room, the table and a tolerance for a possible lighting quirk. If neither feels like your kind of oven, the Koda 16 is the sensible step down.

Check the Ooni Koda 2 Max price on Amazon · Check the Gozney Arc XL price on Amazon · Check the Ooni Koda 16 price on Amazon

Full reviews: Ooni Koda 2 Max, Gozney Arc XL, Ooni Koda 16 and Gozney Arc.