Ooni Fyra 12 pizza oven review: is it the best budget portable wood fire pizza oven in the UK?
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Ooni is unquestionably this country’s most popular pizza oven manufacturer.
The keenly-priced Fyra 12 runs on wood pellets like those used in pellet barbecues, weighs just 10kgs and comes with a 12-inch baking stone.
How easy is the Ooni Fyra to use?
An absolute breeze to put together (as in, even I could do it, and I’ve been known to struggle with slot a into slot b) simply attach the chimney and the rear-mounted pellet hopper, unfold the three legs and carefully slide in the cordierite stone.
The Ooni Fyra is as easy to use as it is to assemble - a fantastic ‘entry level’ pizza oven if you’re dipping your toes into the world of your own wood-fired pizza.
With no logs or gas to wrangle with, instead you simply have to feed wood pellets through a hopper - so long as the hopper is full, it will sizzle away.
The wood pellets come in a resealable waterproof fuel bag - easy to transport if you’re heading off camping or want to bring the oven to a friend’s place.
No tools were needed for assembly, and we were using it within a half hour of removing from the packaging.
We used an Ooni pizza peel to slide pizzas in and out of the oven - you’ll need a pizza peel, although other models are available. With the oven hitting 400C, you need the peel to place and remove the pizzas in - absolutely do not toy around with alternative methods, you’ll end up burnt and covered in pizza.
How easy is the Ooni Fyra to light?
To light the Ooni Fyra, you simply remove the grate from the back of the oven, fill with pellets, and set alight.
Top tip: get yourself a box of natural firelighters. The wood pellets are difficult to light and using wads of paper is ashy, messy, and frustrating. Firelighters will get those pellets sizzling in 15 minutes. After that, you have to refill the hopper every quarter of an hour or so - in which time you’ll be able to cook 4 12” pizzas.
How easy is it to cook a pizza in the Ooni Fyra?
Oh so easy!
Once the oven is hot, a pizza will fully cook in 90 seconds. Make sure to spin the pizza after 30 seconds so the crust cooks evenly, otherwise it will burn as the end closest to the flame.
How was the pizza? A dream. The crust was featherlight, crispy, puffy - with that delectable wood-smoke quality you can only get from the real thing.
Top tip: make sure your peel is thoroughly covered in flour before you put your pizza on it, to help it shuffle in.
How safe is the Ooni Fyra?
Used correctly, it’s fine - but the outside gets very hot, so keep children and pets well clear. When the wind picks up flame backdrafts can come out the rear grate, so stand well clear.
Can you keep the Ooni Fyra outside?
If you purchase a cover - which Ooni sells - you can store outside. Otherwise, the oven is so light that you can easily bring it back indoors once it has cooled (two hours after the flame extinguishes)
Is an Ooni Pizza Oven worth it, or shall I just order takeaway?
Here’s the crux of the matter, really. Will purchasing a pizza oven mean you’ll eat more delicious pizzas on a regular basis than ordering from your local pizzeria?
I’d say so, yes, for a couple of crucial reasons. Firstly - and most crucially - you’re eating your slice direct from the fire, and that freshness simply can’t be replicated with a boxed pizza that survived a twenty minute ride on the back of a delivery moped to get to you. There’s no sogginess, no heat loss, the toppings haven’t slipped and slid.
Secondly, and perhaps a little obviously - you’re tailoring your toppings to your whim. While you can theoretically do this at many pizza houses, the freedom here is as great as your imagination. Crack a fresh egg on your pie for an Egg Florentine (utterly delectable) - you won’t get that from a takeaway. Or layer sliced banana and Nutella for a heavenly dessert pizza.
Ooni Fyra star ratings
Packaging 4/5
Ease of assembly 5/5 Build quality 4.5/5 Ease of use 4/ Value for money 4/5 Cooking results 4/5 Ease of storage 5/5
Best pizza dough providers
Granted, you will have to order a dozen or so dough balls at a time but they keep for ages in the freezer. Simply defrost in the fridge overnight, take them out a few hours before to reach room temperature and cover with a damp tea towel to proof.
Massarellas: Massarellas is based in Yorkshire and they ship their amazing Sourdough and Classic varieties to most of mainland UK.
The Sourdough version, especially, produces outstanding pizzas with mountainous crusts that are light as a feather.
Ooni: Ooni ships top-notch semi-frozen sourdough pizza dough balls to your door – mainland UK only.
The minimum order is 24 dough balls but they keep for months and freezing doesn’t affect the final results, which are scrumptious.
Top tip: make sure to dry your mozzarella slices on paper towel before you put them on the pizza, or else you’ll end up with a soggy passata and sloppy slice - not ideal.
Help your gent seriously up his pizza game with a brilliant pizza oven.
The keenly-priced Fyra 12 runs on wood pellets like those used in pellet barbecues, weighs just 10kgs and comes with a 12-inch baking stone.
A fabulous ‘starter’ pizza oven - ideal for feeding a small family or a pizza party. Cooks 12” pizzas in 90 seconds and is an absolute doddle to use.