Essentials Guide

Troubleshooting
Ooni Karu 12 has been carefully designed to provide exceptional
food experiences and we know that you will love using it to
cook. Our team have thousands of hours of experience cooking
with fire and enjoying delicious pizza. You can reach us at
support.ooni.com or check out our online FAQs and video
guides - we’ll be happy to help.
I am seeing smoke from Ooni Karu 12
It is perfectly normal for solid fuels to produce some smoke
during the initial lighting period. Once Ooni Karu 12 is up to
temperature, it will burn cleanly with minimal smoke. Continued
smoke is a sign of incomplete combustion and can be caused by
reduced airflow or the use of unsuitable fuel.
Remember to follow the lighting steps on pages 16-20 and to
top up little and often. An over-full grate can suocate the flame
and cause smoke.
Always store your fuel in a warm, dry environment and use
within 6 months. Charcoal and wood that are old may have
absorbed moisture and will not burn cleanly or eciently.
Check that your chimney bae is open and chimney cap is
removed which will allow maximum airflow.
My Ooni Karu 12 has changed colour
Ooni Karu 12 is made from high-quality stainless steel. You may
notice some colour changes after repeated heat cycles but
this won’t aect performance. This change is known as patina.
Remember to store your Ooni Karu 12 indoors when it is not in
use.
I can see soot inside Ooni Karu 12
Soot is natural when burning solid fuels. Excess soot can be
wiped down using a dry paper towel or the Ooni Pizza Oven
Brush when Ooni Karu 12 has completely cooled. You can
reduce the amount of soot through ecient fuel management
as described on page 20.
Remember to open the chimney bae fully and remove the
chimney cap for optimum airflow and an ecient burn.
My Ooni Karu 12 is running too hot
Fuel management is the easiest way to reduce the temperature
of Ooni Karu 12. If your Ooni Karu 12 exceeds 950°F
(500°C), stop adding fuel and remove the hatch until regular
temperatures are reached. You can also reduce the flames by
closing over the chimney bae (see page 14).
If your stone baking board is too hot, try adding a piece of Ooni
cast iron for 30 seconds or so to absorb some of the heat.
My Ooni Karu 12 is not hot enough
Ooni Karu 12 will preheat from 15 minutes. Add an additional
5-10 minutes to this preheat time if your Ooni Karu 12 is not
running hot enough.
If cooking with charcoal or wood, check that your chimney
bae is open and the chimney cap is removed for optimum
airflow. Before each cook, free the grate of any leftover ash by
brushing it down. Only use fuel that is high quality, dry and less
than 6 months old.
Keep your door on throughout any charcoal and wood-fired
cooks. This helps to keep heat in and allows the chimney to
work its magic drawing heat from the grate.
Note: If your Ooni Karu 12 has been exposed to rain or extreme
cold it may take longer to preheat.
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