Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
The Ooni Fyra 12 is a fantastic pizza oven and is especially good for those new to cooking pizzas at home as well as those wanting a portable pizza oven.
We know how good the Ooni Fyra 12 is because we bought one to test and review so you can see what you get and how it works.
We bought a standard Ooni Fyra which cost £249 as we already had a lot of the other kit you need to cook pizzas.
However, if you are just getting started we recommend getting the Ooni Fyra bundle kit as it has everything you need to get you started.
So if you’re interested to find out a little more about the Fyra, take a look at our review below which includes what’s in the box, how you put the Ooni Fyra together, and how it works and other useful facts.
What’s in the Ooni Fyra 12 Box?
Ok so if you buy your Fyra direct from Ooni it will come delivered in a rather uninspiring cardboard box like the photo which seems a little boring.
However, opening the box is where it starts to become interesting. Inside the cardboard box you’ll find all of the following:
- Glossy Ooni Fyra Box
- Cordierite Pizza Oven Stone
- Instruction Booklet and Warranty
- Ooni Fyra Main Body
- Detachable Door
- Fuel Grate and Tray
- Fuel Hopper, Chimney, Scoop and Flame Keeper
So now you know what is in the box, lets go through and have a look in a little more detail at each of the items we’ve listed.
Glossy Ooni Fyra Box
The glossy box shows you what your Ooni Fyra will look like when put together.
The box is really well packed with molded cardboard to ensure that your Ooni pizza oven turns up in one piece without any dents or marks. We were really impressed by how well it was all packaged.
Other items within the box are also packaged in bubble wrap and plastic to ensure that there is no damage.
Cordierite Pizza Oven Stone
The cordierite pizza stone is packaged in bubble wrap to prevent damage in transport. It sits within the bottom of the pizza oven and can be reversed following each use if required which aids in the cleaning process.
The pizza stone absorbs and retains the heat from the flame to provide a nice crispy pizza base and is big enough to easily cook a 12-inch pizza.
Instruction Booklet and Warranty
Let’s face it, as soon as you get something like this out of the box you just want to start cooking on it.
Many devices are quite difficult to put together and get started but not the Ooni Fyra. Not only is it incredibly easy but the instructions provide you with a step-by-step guide to get you cooking.
The instruction manual comes with an Essentials Guide that includes top tips and recipes for dough, sauce and two pizzas; Quick Start Lighting Guide; and Manual & Safety Instructions.
Ooni Fyra Main Body
The main body of the Ooni Fyra is made from powder-coated carbon steel. The body is fully insulated so it is great at retaining the heat and cooks really well.
The bottom of the body has three fold-down legs which have non-slip feet making it stable enough to cook on the majority of even and uneven surfaces.
Detachable Door
The detachable door obviously allows you to put the pizza in and take it out of the oven!
It fixes into place easily and has a handy viewing window that you can look through to check on the flame and pizza. The door also has a specially designed handle that stays cool, allowing you to remove the door with ease.
Fuel Grate and Tray
The fuel grate and tray slot neatly into the rear of the Ooni Fyra.
This function makes lighting the pizza oven much easier. All you have to do it to add a scoop of wood pellets to the grate along with a natural firefighter. Once you light the firefighter you simply slide the tray into the pizza oven.
Once your pizza oven has cooled down after use, you can slide the tray out and empty any ash out.
Fuel Hopper, Chimney, Scoop and Flame Keeper
Finally, there is the fuel hopper, chimney, scoop, and flame keeper.
The fuel hopper slots into the circular hole towards the rear of the body and is located directly above the fuel grate. Wood pellets can be poured into the hopper and as the fuel is used, pellets feed into the grate automatically.
Its chimney is detachable and comes in two sections. The lower of the two sections slots into the hole at the front end of the Fyra and has a built-in vent that can be adjusted easily by turning a lever.
The upper part of the chimney has a cap that can be put on when not in use. The cap also acts as the scoop and is the perfect size for adding more pellets to the hopper.
If you are wondering what the flame keeper is, we’ll tell you now! The flame keeper attaches to two slots on the inner roof of the pizza oven near the chimney.
It is there to direct as much heat as possible from the fuel over your food. This prevents the heat from disappearing straight up the chimney and reduces heat loss. In turn, the process will help to cook your pizza quicker.
Putting the Ooni Fyra Together
Putting the Fyra together really couldn’t be easier. Following the very simple instruction booklet means you can’t go wrong.
We started off by unfolding the legs on the bottom of the Fyra and then placed it on a flat surface.
Once this was done, we added the pizza stone which we slid straight in through the opening and then sat it in the gap in the floor.
Next, we added the flame keeper which slots into the roof of the pizza oven.
The next few steps were just as easy. The lower section of the chimney slots into the pizza oven and then the upper section sits on top. Finally, we added the hopper into the rear hole and the grate and tray into the back of the pizza oven.
All of this took a matter of minutes to complete and at that point, we were ready to light the pizza oven.
What Are Our First Impressions of the Ooni Fyra?
We love Ooni pizza ovens as they are extremely well made and in our opinion easy to use.
Our first impressions of the Fyra are that it was incredibly well packaged to avoid damage in transport. The plastic bubble wrap and bags are as you would expect non recyclable but all of the cardboard went into our recycling the following week.
The Fyra is very easy to put together, even without the instructions. Within a matter of a minute or two we had ours together and ready to go.
However, we found the instruction manual very easy to read and clear. There are plenty of photos and the instructions make you feel that cooking a pizza will be an easy task to manage.
One of the things we link most about the Ooni Fyra is that it uses wood pellets. The pellets are fairly inexpensive and very easy to use. They light very quickly and provide a vast amount of heat.
We also love the scoop which allows you to add just the right amount of pellets each time. The other great thing is the self-feeding hopper. As long as you don’t go over the top when you add pellets, they will self-feed into the grate when space is available.
Finally, we found that the Fyra is very portable. We go to France on holiday each year and took the Fyra with us in 2022. It enabled us to have pizza at our accommodation without having to go out saving us plenty of time and money!
How Easy is the Ooni Fyra to Light?
We have found lighting the Fyra to be a very easy task. There are a few things however we suggest you do.
We bought and highly recommend wax natural firefighters as they are simple to use and will make sure your pizza oven is lit properly every single time.
Once you’ve removed the tray and grate from the back of the pizza oven, simply place a small number of pellets into the grate, then pop one of the firelighters on top and set light to it.
Within a second or two the firelighter will start to burn and you can pop the tray back into its slot on the Fyra.
After a couple of minutes, we started to add small amounts of pellets to the hopper and after about 15 minutes the pizza oven was up to cooking temperature. We bought a laser thermometer gun to check the temperature once it was lit. They are well worth the money and you can find the best pizza oven thermometer guns in our article.
One thing to think about is the direction and strength of the wind. On a couple of occasions when we removed the door, the wind caused a slight backdraft which pushed some flames out of the grate and out of the back of the pizza oven.
Depending upon the location of your pizza oven, you may want to think about who, or what is behind it!
How Easy Was it to Cook a Pizza in the Ooni Fyra?
One thing you’ll notice with pizza ovens is that practice makes perfect. Although we’ve used a number of pizza ovens in the past, they can vary.
Once the Fyra was up to temperature and we’d checked there were enough pellets in the hopper it was time to cook. Just make sure you don’t fill the hopper up too much as otherwise, it won’t feed the grate properly. We make sure we add pellets little and often.
We had already made the dough and tomato sauce as per the Ooni Classic Dough and Sauce recipes and layered a base up with toppings and so it was time to slide the pizza into the oven.
The door was opened and the pizza was slid from the peel onto the hot pizza stone. If you’ve not cooked in a pizza oven before or have problems with your pizza dough sticking to the peel, make sure you put semolina on the peel and not flour. It will slide much easier!
Once the pizza was in the oven we quickly replaced the door and then kept an eye on it through the viewing window.
Within a short amount of time, you could see the dough begin to puff up and cook. Now if there’s one thing we’d strongly recommend it is to keep a keen watch on the pizza as it can easily burn.
Depending upon how thick your base is, and of course the type and number of toppings, you will have to turn your pizza oven frequently.
We always turn every 15 seconds or so as you are better off turning your pizza more, rather than offering your friends and family burnt pizzas.
How Long Does a Bag Of Ooni Pellets Last?
We bought a large 10kg bag of Ooni hardwood pellets when we first got the Fyra. Ooni state that one 10kg bag of pellets will last for a good 7-10 hours of continuous cooking. However, up to now, we have had it lit 4 times and cooked in total, 24 pizzas with just under half a bag left.
How Hot Does the Outside of the Fyra Get?
You need to be really careful when you are cooking with any type of device and the Ooni Fyra is no different.
The outside of the pizza oven does get hot however the legs do remain cool which is good for any surface you plan to put it on.
When you are looking to use your Ooni pizza oven we would always recommend having it on a flat stable surface. We’d also recommend keeping it away from children and any flammable objects.
The best thing to put your Ooni Fyra on is a pizza oven table. You can find a list of some of the best on the market by reading our article 4 Best Pizza Oven Stand Reviews.
What Else Can You Cook in an Ooni Fyra?
As with most pizza ovens, you can cook a number of different dishes as long as you have the right equipment and enough space.
The Ooni Fyra is not the largest pizza oven on the market and therefore if you are looking to cook a whole chicken or bulkier items you will have to think again.
If however you fancy cooking up some flatbreads, vegetables, or meats cooked in an iron pan, you’ll find the Fyra will cook them to perfection. Don’t forget to check out our What Can You Cook In a Pizza Oven? post.
Can you Keep the Ooni Fyra Outside?
As with any metal pizza oven, we would recommend that you do not leave it outside!
You can get covers for them but even so, we wouldn’t leave such an expensive item outside.
Obviously, if your pizza oven is still warm, you could leave it outside overnight if you know it won’t rain but we always make the evening last a little longer and simply put it away when it’s cooled down sufficiently.
Is the Ooni Fyra Portable?
The Ooni Fyra is completely portable and it is one of its best features.
As we said earlier on in the review, we took ours to a Eurocamp campsite when we went to France this year.
We checked before we went that the campsite allowed charcoal BBQs and then decided to take the Fyra.
It’s not massively heavy and weighs just 10kg. We also bought the Fyra carry case which although seems expensive is well worth the money.
The carry case is made up of two sections. The first is a small bag that holds the collapsable chimney and hopper. We also pop our laser thermometer gun and lighter in the bag seeing as there is space.
Then the main part goes over the top of the Fyra and fastens underneath with two straps. The smaller bag then straps to the top of the cover and you have two carry handles, one on the top and the second on the side.
On the campsite where we were staying most pizzas in the takeaway were over €10 each! We cooked 10 pizzas on one evening as we were staying with friends which would have set us back well over €100 and we cooked them for a fraction of the cost.
Not only that but we have a great evening making our own pizzas whilst relaxing with family and friends.
Final Verdict
We love the Ooni Fyra and in our opinion, if you’re looking for a pizza oven that you can use at home and away it’s a fantastic choice.
If you plan on cooking lots of foods other than pizza, then you may want to look for an oven that’s slightly larger but for our needs, it is a great choice of pizza oven!
Don’t forget you can buy either the Ooni Fyra or the Ooni Fyra Essentials bundle kit by clicking on the links.