How To Light Any Ooni Pizza Oven – Step By Step Instructions For Lighting All Models

The first step to using an Ooni pizza oven is to light it, but that isn’t always as simple as it might appear. Lighting some Ooni pizza ovens is as simple as turning on the gas, while others require starting and maintaining a wood or charcoal fueled flame.

Whether you’re using your Ooni pizza oven for the first time or are doing some preliminary research before purchasing one, let’s go over how to light each Ooni pizza oven with step by step instructions.

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How To Light the Ooni Koda 12G

The Ooni Koda 12G is the newest addition to Ooni’s pizza oven collection as of 2023. It works with wood, charcoal, and propane.

In our pizza oven consulting business, we love recommending the Karu 12G to our clients because of its improved fuel-efficiency and user-friendly design. That said, it’s still important to light the oven according to the following instructions for the best results.

How to Light the Ooni Karu 12G With Propane

1. Make sure the gas burner is securely fasted to the back of the oven using the provided screws.
2. Connect the regulator to your propane tank or local gas connection and slowly increase the flow of gas to the burner. Make sure to give the gas time to move through the hose to the oven before lighting.
3. Remove the solid fuel tray (for wood and charcoal) from the back of the oven.
4. Ensure that your chimney is attached, the cap is removed, and the baffle is set to the open position.
5. Push in the gas control knob on the back of the Karu 12G burner and turn it slowly to the left. You should hear a click when the ignition kicks in and the flame is lit. If the flame doesn’t light, turn the knob back and slowly try again.
6. Turn the gas up to your desired temperature setting and let the oven preheat for 15-25 minutes.

Tip: When your launch your pizza into the oven, it sometimes helps to turn the flame down to avoid overcooking the toppings or burning the crust, especially when cooking at the maximum temperature.

How to Light the Ooni Karu 12G With Wood

1. Find a safe outdoor spot away from anything that can catch fire.
2. Position the oven on a level and fire-resistant surface.
3. Double-check that the draft plate is firmly in place.
4. Load the fuel tray with good quality wood pieces, preferably kiln-dried hardwood. Each piece should be no longer than 5.9 inches and no thicker than 1.5 inches.
5. Don’t overload the fuel tray; use up to 0.9lb of wood and never exceed 1.1lb in the tray. The wood should have room to breathe. Include a firestarter if necessary.
6. Light the wood using a standard lighter. Do not use gas or lighter fluid.
7. Before cooking, ensure the oven is hot and the wood has been burning brightly for about half an hour.
8. When lit, make sure the chimney cap is off.

How to Light The Ooni Karu 12G with Charcoal

1. Pick a safe outdoor location, away from potential fire hazards.
2. Place the oven on a steady, fireproof area.
3. Ensure the draft plate is properly attached.
4. Place cooking-safe charcoal in the fuel tray.
5. Add charcoal gradually, up to 0.9lb at once, but never more than 1.1lb in total. Do not stuff or overfill the fuel tray. Include a firestarter if necessary.
6. Light the charcoal with regular firelighters, do not use gas or lighter fluid.
7. Wait for around 30 minutes after the charcoal is glowing red before you start cooking.
8. Remember to keep the chimney cap off while the oven is on.

Safety Tip: After you’re done cooking, let the oven cool down on its own. Before storing, make sure there are no burning embers left and the oven is cool to the touch.

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How To Light The Ooni Fyra 12

• Heat Up Time: 15 minutes
• Max temperature: 950°F (510°C)

The Ooni Fyra 12 is a wood pellet fueled 12 inch pizza oven. The Fyra 12 is the only Ooni pizza oven that uses Ooni’s innovative gravity fed pellet hopper, so it’s a bit different than lighting other wood-based Ooni ovens.

Thankfully, lighting the wood pellets on the Ooni Fyra 12, and keeping it lit, is easier than almost any other solid fuel pizza oven.

How To Light The Ooni Fyra 12 Wood Pellet Pizza Oven

1. Fill the fuel tray with 2 scoops of hardwood pellets (or similar), whether from Ooni or another reputable source. Use the chimney cap as a scoop for easy measuring.
2. Place a fire starter in the front part of the fuel tray and light it.
3. Carefully slide the fuel tray into the back of the oven.
4. Let the flame consume all of the starter pellets. This can take up to 5 minutes and can be monitored through the front viewing window.
5. Slowly fill the pellet hopper with more wood pellets until the pellets reach the top. Leave about 1 inch of room at the top so the hopper lid can fully close.
6. Using a laser thermometer, wait until the oven reaches between 800-900F before cooking.
7. As the flame dies down throughout the cooking process, add more pellets to the hopper. Add the pellets gradually, rather than refilling the entire hopper at once, as this will help keep the flame strong.
8. When you’re finish cooking, let the flame burn itself out completely and give the oven a few hours to cool down before cleaning up.

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How To Light The Ooni Karu 12

• Heat Up Time: 15 minutes
• Max temperature: 950°F (510°C)

The Ooni Karu 12 is a multi-fuel pizza oven that uses wood, charcoal or propane gas. Which fuel you decide to use makes a big difference in how you light this oven.

To light the Ooni Karu 12 with wood or charcoal:

1. Remove the chimney cap and make sure the front door cover is in place to ensure good airflow during the initial burn.
2. For Wood: Using a few pieces of good quality kiln dried hardwood, create a small structure within the fuel tray. Place 1-2 fire starters on top and slide the tray into the back of the oven. Light the fire starters and close the oven hatch. Wait until you have a nice clean smoke before cooking.
3. For Charcoal: Place 1-2 handfuls of lumpwood charcoal to the fuel tray and place a fire starter (or two) on top. Slide the fuel tray into the back of the oven, light the fire starters and close the hatch. Don’t begin cooking until the charcoal is burning white and don’t add more charcoal until they’re burning red. When adding more charcoal, wait around 10 minutes for it to begin burning clean before cooking.
4. When the pizza stone reaches your desired cooking temperature (800-950F), you can begin cooking.
5. To increase the temperature of the oven, and the height of the flame, make sure the chimney baffler is fully open using the adjuster on the side. For a lower and slower temperature, close the baffler to reduce airflow. Lower temperatures are better for deep dish and NYC style pizza because it gives it more time to cook without burning the toppings.

To light the Ooni Karu 12 with propane:

To use the Karu 12 with propane, you first need the optional gas burner attachment from Ooni.

1. Remove the chimney and fuel tray and place the chimney cap in the oven body (to close off the hole on the top of the oven).
2. Keep the front door of the oven removed at all times when cooking with propane.
3. Remove the defender plate from the back of the oven and attach the propane burner by tightening the screws with the included allen key (don’t overtighten or it will be difficult to remove later).
4. Connect the propane hose from your propane tank to the back of the Ooni pizza oven gas burner.
5. Push the heat control dial in and turn it slowly counterclockwise about 90 degrees until you hear a click and the flame lights.
6. Keep the dial pushed in for another 5-6 seconds before you release it (this is a safety feature).
7. If the flame doesn’t light on the first try, wait another 15-30 seconds and try again.
8. Let the oven heat up to your desired temperature setting.

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How To Light The Ooni Karu 16

• Heat Up Time: 15 minutes
• Max temperature: 950°F (510°C)

The Ooni Karu 16 is the big brother of the smaller Ooni Karu 12. The main difference between the Karu 12 and the Karu 16 is its much bigger cooking area (up to a 16 inch pizza) and the included mounted digital thermometer.

Just like the Ooni Karu 12, the Karu 16 is a multi-fuel oven that can cook with wood, charcoal and propane. Keep in mind that if you’re using charcoal, the flame will generally be smaller and lower than when using wood or propane, but it will burn just as hot.

To light the Ooni Karu 16 with wood or charcoal:

1. Neatly arrange 10-12 pieces of good quality hardwood (or 3-4 handfuls of charcoal) in the fuel tray and stick 1-2 fire starters within the pieces. Do not overfill the fuel tray.
2. Slide the fuel tray to the back of the oven and open the vents on the front and make sure the chimney baffler is open. Keep the front door closed at all times.
3. Monitor the flame through the glass window on the door. When the flame gets going in full, slowly add more wood/charcoal.
4. Let the flame burn for at least 30 minutes while the oven heats up. Use the mounted thermometer to monitor the temperature of the oven. Add more fuel as needed.
5. When the oven reaches your desired temperature (800-900F for Neapolitan style pizza), you can begin cooking.

To light the Ooni Karu 16 with propane:

The Ooni Karu 16 needs an optional gas burner attachment to work with propane.

1. Open the vents, chimney and front door of the Ooni Karu 16.
2. Remove the back plate and attach the gas burner by gently tightening the 2 screws to fasten it to the oven. Don’t overtighten the screws for easy removal when you’re finished.
3. Push the heat dial control in and gently turn it counterclockwise until the flame ignites. Keep the dial pressed in for 5 seconds before releasing (safety feature).
4. Set the temperature dial as high or low as you like. Close the door and let the oven heat up to your desired temperature.
5. When the temperature of the oven is to your liking, you’re ready to cook your pizza.

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How To Light The Ooni Pro

• Heat Up Time: 20 minutes
• Max temperature: 950°F (510°C)

The Ooni Pro is one of Ooni’s flagship, and most expensive, multi-fuel ovens. Big enough for a 16 inch pizza, the Ooni Pro can cook with wood, charcoal and propane.

Note, the Ooni Pro pizza oven is currently discontinued, meaning you can no longer purchase it directly from Ooni. It’s been replaced by Ooni’s new flagship pizza oven, the Ooni Karu 16.

To light the Ooni Pro with wood or charcoal:

1. Fill the Ooni Pro fuel tray with several handfuls of charcoal or 10-12 small pieces of hard wood. You can also use a combination of both fuel and wood, however the amounts will vary depending on the size of the pieces. Don’t overfill the tray and make sure there is good airflow between the pieces.
2. Add 1-2 fire starters and slide the fuel tray to the back of the oven.
3. Light the fire starters and shut the fuel door.
4. Close the front glass door and make sure the chimney baffler is open.
5. After 15-20 minutes, the fuel should be smoldering. This is a good time to gradually add more fuel to get a nice flame going and increase the temperature of the oven.
6. Wait for the oven to reach your desired temperature then cook your pizza.

To light the Ooni Pro with propane:

The ooni pro requires an optional gas burner attachment to work with propane.

1. Remove fuel tray.
2. Remove glass door (if necessary) and attach “pizza door” (the open metal front plate that clips on).
3. Attach the propane burner to the back of the Ooni Pro and gently tighten the screws to prevent it from falling out.
4. Connect propane hose from the Ooni Pro to your propane tank.
5. Make sure the chimney cap is ON (meaning the chimney is CLOSED).
6. Press in the heat dial control and slowly turn it counterclockwise. When the Ooni Pro lights, you’ll hear a click and see flames. Keep pressing the dial for another 5 seconds before releasing (safety feature).
7. Set the temperature dial as high as you prefer and wait for the oven to reach your desired temperature.

Related Post: Is the Ooni Pro Discontinued?

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How To Light The Ooni Koda Series

• Heat Up Time: 15-20 minutes
• Max temperature: 950°F (510°C)

The Ooni Koda series consists of two propane fueled pizza ovens, the Ooni Koda 12 and the Ooni Koda 16. The only difference between each of these two pizza ovens is size.

The Ooni Koda 12 is ideal for smaller individual Neapolitan sized pizza, while the Ooni Koda 16 is large enough for a 16 inch New York style pizza.

As a single fuel oven, both the Ooni Koda 16 and Ooni Koda 12 are super easy to light.

To light the Ooni Koda 12

1. Connect the propane hose from the Ooni Koda 12 to your propane tank. Make sure the valve on the propane tank is set to open.
2. Press the heat control dial and slowly turn it counterclockwise. After about 5 seconds, you should hear a click and see flames.
3. Let the oven preheat for 15-20 minutes until it reaches your desired temperature.
4. Adjust the flame as high or low as you like.

To light the Ooni Koda 16

1. Connect the propane hose from the Ooni Koda 16 to your propane tank. Make sure the valve on the propane tank is set to open.
2. Press the heat control dial and slowly turn it counterclockwise. After about 5 seconds, you should hear a click and see flames.
3. Let the oven preheat for 15-20 minutes until it reaches your desired temperature.
4. Adjust the flame as high or low as you like.

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How To “Light” The Ooni Volt 12

The Ooni Volt 12 is another new addition to the Ooni pizza oven collection, but unlike the other models, it’s fully electric and doesn’t burn liquid or solid fuel. The Volt 12 is currently our favorite indoor pizza oven.

That said, its controls can be confusing if you’re new to using the oven. The following steps should get your started without much trouble.

How to Use The Ooni Volt 12

1. Powering On: Press the ‘on/off’ button on the oven door. The light inside the oven will turn on, indicating it’s ready to go.
2. Setting the Temperature:
   • Turn the temperature dial on the door to your desired pizza cooking temperature.
   • Wait for the oven to preheat. Two illuminated numbers will show your chosen temperature and the current oven temperature.
   • A tone will sound when the oven reaches the preset temperature, signaling it’s ready for pizza.
3. Using the Balance Dial:
   • The balance dial adjusts the heat distribution between the top and bottom heating elements.
   • For a crispier crust, turn the dial counterclockwise to send more power to the bottom heating element.
   • For caramelized toppings, turn the dial clockwise to send more power to the top heating element.
   • Press the balance dial within 5 seconds to confirm your settings.
4. Boost Function:
   • If you want extra heat for the base, use the boost function.
   • Turn the balance dial counterclockwise all the way until the icon starts flashing quickly, indicating the boost has started.
   • You can cancel the boost anytime by pressing or rotating the dial.
5. Cooking Your Pizza:
   • Once the oven signals it’s reached the desired temperature, it’s pizza time!
   • Use a pizza peel to place your pizza inside.
   • Depending on the pizza type, you might need to rotate it occasionally for even cooking. For Neapolitan pizzas, turn every 30 seconds.
6. Turning Off:
   • After cooking, press the ‘on/off’ switch on the door to turn off the oven.
   • Wait for the oven to cool down before storing or covering.

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Which Fuel Type Should I Use?

For some Ooni pizza ovens, like the Fyra 12 or Koda series, the choice of fuel is easy because there is only one to choose from. But for many other Ooni pizza ovens, with their multi-fuel options, the decision can be a confusing one.

Let’s go over the basics of how fuel can affect your pizza. But for a more in depth discussion on the pros and cons of using various fuel types in an Ooni pizza oven, check out this article on Medium.

How Fuel Types Affect Pizza

There are two main ways fuel affects pizza outcomes in a pizza oven – speed and taste. The speed at which the pizza cooks affects the texture of the crust and how well done the toppings are. Fuel types also affects taste by releasing smoke (or not, in the case of propane) as it burns which infuses into the ingredients as they cook and gives the pizza a smoky flavor.

So, for example, if you’re cooking a Neapolitan style pizza, the ideal fuel choice is wood or charcoal. This is because wood and charcoal produce very high temperatures as well as add smokiness that Neapolitan pizza is known for.

On the other hand, for New York and pan style pizza, which are cooked at lower temperatures, propane is ideal. With propane, the temperature and height of the flame can be easily adjusted using the heat control dial on the back of the Ooni. This allows the pizza is cook relatively slowly at a low temperature giving the crust a nice crisp while not burning the cheese and toppings.

Pizza Type	Temperature	Ideal Fuel
New York style	600°F-700°F	Propane
Neapolitan styles	950°F (510°C)	Wood or Charcoal
Sicilian style	425°F (218°C)	Propane
Detroit style	450°F (232°C)	Propane
Grandma style	500°F (260°C)	Propane

However, with all this being said, any kind of pizza can be cooked using any kind of fuel. You just need to be aware of what you’re trying to accomplish and what the results will be with your particular oven.

For example, you can cook a New York style pizza using wood with great success as long as you’re able to control the temperature of the flame, which is totally possible but requires a bit of practice. On the other hand, you can make a fantastic Neapolitan pizza using propane if you keep the temperature high (it just won’t have a smoky flavor).

In fact, many famous New York area pizzerias use coal fired ovens at lower temperatures. Just as several well known Neapolitan pizzerias use gas or electric to fire their ovens. At the end of the day, it’s all about technique and knowing your oven.