Why is my OONI pizza oven not getting hot enough?

We're sorry to hear that your Fyra isn't getting as hot as it should be -- we've got this! 🔥

There are a few variables that can affect the way that your Ooni Fyra performs. Ooni Fyra heats via convection and the heat from the grate travels through the oven, warms the stone and escapes out of the chimney. With that in mind, it is very important that the door is kept on at all times unless you are adding food. You should also ensure that the hopper lid is closed when you are not adding pellets. Otherwise, heat will escape from the hopper. Finally, please remember to remove the chimney scoop/cap before you light your Ooni Fyra.

The ideal temperature for cooking pizza in an Ooni is between 400ºC and 450ºC (753ºF to 852ºF) in the middle of the stone baking board. We recommend using an Infrared Thermometer like this one to measure the temperature as it takes out all of the guesswork!

If you're struggling to reach this temperature you can simply increase the pre-heat time to allow the stone baking board more time to heat up! It can be tempting to peek but remember to keep the door on throughout this preheat time, otherwise heat will escape from the oven opening!When lighting Ooni Fyra, start with the grate filled with pellets. Once the starter pellets are fully lit and not just smouldering, gradually top up little and often until you have reached the top of the hopper. Maintain this level throughout your cook for consistently high temperatures.A hopper full of pellets will last for 15 minutes. Top up little and often to maintain good airflow and temperatures.

Allow pellets to gravity feed into the burning area. Don’t push pellets down as this will suffocate the flame, reducing airflow and resulting in low temperatures. You can tap the hopper with the scoop every time you add pellets to ensure that no pellets are stuck. This helps the pellets to flow properly and spread out evenly in the grate.

A little tip is to leave a couple of minutes in between your cooks which will allow the stone to reheat to optimum temperatures. I use this time to monitor my pellets levels and, of course, to prep my next pizza!Another important factor in reaching optimum temperatures are the pellets that you use. We always use Ooni Pellets because they are 100% hardwood and perfect for use in Ooni ovens. If your pellets have been exposed to moisture, this can affect their performance.

The next thing to think about is your dough. Ooni pizzas cook best when the base is nice and thin and has light toppings. We recommend following our Ooni Classic Dough recipe as this recipe has been tried and tested by our team here at HQ and it is super delicious! You can find the recipe over on our website or in our app!

Well prepared dough will also make it easier to stretch a lovely thin base! If you haven't already, I recommend checking out our handy online video How to Shape and Stretch Pizza Dough as well as our blog post 10 Tips for Launching the Perfect Pizza.Here you'll lots of handy tips, including the "hovercraft technique" which prevents excess flour from burning your pizza base.

The most important thing to remember is practice makes perfect and it also creates a delicious learning experience! If you're still struggling with your Fyra's temperature, please feel free to reach out to our Support Team at support.ooni.com. We're always here to help! -Colton, Ooni HQ 🍕

Modified on: Fri, 28 Jan, 2022 at 2:11 PM

If the top of your pizza is burning while the base remains undercooked, this usually means that your baking stone isn’t hot enough.

• The middle of your baking stone should be 750ºF / 400ºC or higher.
• If your pizza is launched before your baking stone has reached this temperature, the base of your pizza won’t cook as quickly as the top of your pizza.

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How can I tell if my baking stone has reached the correct temperature?

Use the Ooni Infrared Thermometer.

1. Hold your infrared thermometer 6in / 15cm away from the mouth of your oven.

2. Point your infrared thermometer towards the centre of your baking stone.

3. Measure the temperature.

4. When your infrared thermometer reads 750ºF / 400ºC or higher, launch your pizza.

The bottom line? Baking stone temperature matters!

I’m struggling to reach the correct temperature. What can I do? 

Allow your baking stone more time to preheat.

• It can be tempting to launch your pizza sooner rather than later, but it’s important to wait the full 15 to 20 minute preheat time.
• If your baking stone hasn’t reached the correct temperature in 15 to 20 minutes, give it some extra time.

I’ve allowed my baking stone more time to preheat, but I’m still getting an uneven bake. What can I do?

There are a few things you can do:

1. Reduce the intensity of your flame

Reducing the intensity of your flame will give the base of your pizza more time to cook before the top of your pizza is overcooked.

To do this, follow the steps below:

* Tip: You can even turn your flame off completely (if using gas) or let your flame die down altogether (if using solid fuel) to cook your pizza using the ‘low and slow’ technique.

2. Make your dough thinner

Pizza with a thin base will cook more evenly than pizza with a thick base.

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To form a thin base:

• Follow our Classic Pizza Dough recipe.
• Follow our video guide on how to shape and stretch pizza dough. 

3. Use fewer toppings

Dough with light toppings will cook more evenly than dough with heavy toppings. 

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It can be easy to get carried away with your toppings, but try your best to resist the urge!

4. Avoid using toppings with too much moisture

Toppings with a high moisture content will make your dough cook slower.

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