Stuff We Love: Portable Backyard Pizza Oven
Updated: Dec. 09, 2022
We tried out the Ooni Fyra portable pizza oven and found an easy, fun way to cook real wood-fired pizzas and bring friends together.
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We recently got to try out the Ooni Fyra Portable Wood-Fired Pizza Oven. Though all Ooni models are portable, the Fyra, priced at $249, is their entry-level pizza oven. It works with wood pellets, while other Ooni models are powered by gas, wood or charcoal.
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Basic Features of the Ooni Fyra
- Wood pellet fuel;
- Ooni pellets were included in our order, but any food-safe hardwood pellets will work
- At 22 lbs., not too heavy;
- Collapsible legs for portability;
- Heats up in about 15 minutes;
- Cooks one 12-in. pizza at a time;
- Outdoor use only.
Our Pizza-Making Experience
We fired up the Fyra several times and found an easy-to-use outdoor pizza oven that makes tasty pizzas. It takes some practice to get the first pizzas cooked right, as it’s easy to burn or overcook them. That’s not a defect, just a learning curve.
We also had to learn how much flour to spread on the pizza peel so the pizzas would slide into the oven with ease. Perfecting the quick arm/hand movement to slide pizzas onto the cooking stone without making a mess took a few tries, too.
While the instructions say that Fyra cooks pizzas in one minute, we found that each pizza took three to four minutes.
The biggest surprise of the Ooni Fyra? How much fun it is for a casual gathering of family or friends. With some guests in charge of prepping the pizzas, others assigned to cook and the rest “supervising,” our pizza parties with Fyra were really enjoyable. We loved watching this little oven do its thing, then digging into hot wood-fired pizzas right as they came out of the oven.
Our Take on Fyra
Ooni Fyra has some limitations due to its size, chief among them you can only cook one pizza at a time. We typically made two pizzas back-to-back so everyone, including the pizza chefs, could take a break and eat before starting in on the next ones. And cleanup is a breeze.
But as an starter oven for those with small outdoor spaces, or others who hesitate investing in a built-in oven, we give Ooni Fyra high marks for portability and ease of use. Plus, it’s just plain fun to cook with.
