How Long Does a Propane Tank Last in a Pizza Oven? Hours by Model
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Hours of full-flame runtime from one 20 lb tank
| Oven | Max BTU/hr | Hours per 20 lb tank | Maker's own claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ooni Koda 12 | 13,500 | About 32 | None found |
| Ooni Koda 2 (14-inch) | 15,000 | About 29 | None found |
| Ooni Koda 16 | 29,000 | About 15 | More than 15 hours (Ooni) |
| Ooni Koda 2 Pro (18-inch) | 33,000 | About 13 | None found |
| Ooni Koda 2 Max (24-inch) | 35,000 | About 12 | None found |
| Ooni Karu 16 / Karu 2 Pro gas burner | 25,000 | About 17 | None found |
| Gozney Roccbox | About 14,300 | About 30 | None found |
| Gozney Arc | About 15,350 | About 28 | None found |
| Gozney Arc XL | About 17,500–18,800 | About 23–25 | None found |
| Solo Stove Pi Prime | 15,000 | About 29 | Up to 20 hours on high (Solo Stove) |
| Camp Chef Italia Artisan | 17,000 | About 25 | None found (built for 1 lb canisters) |
| Blackstone Pizza Oven (6825) | 54,000 | About 8 | None found; model discontinued |
Hours are calculated: a 20 lb tank holds about 430,000 BTU (20 lb × about 21,500 BTU per lb), divided by the oven's BTU rating, assuming full flame the whole time. Where a maker publishes its own estimate it is shown separately, and the two do not always match.
From Hours to Pizza Nights
Hours of burn are hard to picture, so convert them to evenings. Say a night costs 90 minutes of full flame, which is generous: 30 minutes of preheat plus the cooking. A Koda 12 tank is about 20 nights of that, a Koda 16 tank is about 10, and a Koda 2 Max tank is about 8. These are our own estimates from the burn rates above, not measured counts.
Ooni says a Koda 16 burns 1.3 pounds per hour, which it equates to about 10 pizzas. On that basis one reviewer figured a 20 pound tank is on the order of 150 pizzas. That is Ooni's estimate extended, not a pizza count anyone verified.
What Shortens a Tank
Cold, wind, and long preheats. The burner works harder in the cold, and bigger stones like the one on the Koda 2 Pro take longer to heat. Leaving the flame on high between pizzas also adds up.
Gozney's Roccbox and Arc burners are rated in the same low range as the Koda 12, which is why they sit near the top of the table.
Small Canisters and Tank Safety
A 1 pound disposable canister holds about 21,500 BTU, so it runs a 17,000 BTU Camp Chef Italia for roughly an hour and a quarter at full flame. That oven is designed for them; ovens like the Koda 16 need a large tank.
A 20 pound cylinder like the one Ooni's manual describes is about 12.2 inches across and 17.9 inches tall. Never fill a cylinder past 80 percent, keep a spare for a big pizza night, and store tanks outdoors. Running out mid-pizza is the least fun kind of suspense.
