The Ooni Fyra 12 used to be one of the easiest ways to get real wood-fired pizza without having to manage small logs.
It ran on the same hardwood pellets you’d use in a pellet smoker, needed no electricity, heated up quickly, and cooked proper 12 inch pizzas in about a minute.
But there’s one important thing to know before reading this review: the Ooni Fyra 12 is now discontinued.
I’ve kept this review live because we used the Fyra 12 heavily, cooked a lot of pizzas on it, and still think the hands-on experience is useful if you already own one, are looking at one secondhand, or want to understand how Ooni’s pellet oven compared with the current range.
If you’re buying a new Ooni today, this probably isn’t the oven you’ll end up with. But if you’re wondering whether the Fyra was actually any good, whether it’s worth buying used, and what the closest current alternatives are, this review should help.
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Table of Contents
Quick Verdict
The Ooni Fyra 12 was a genuinely good little pizza oven. It made excellent pizza, was fun to cook on, and gave you a proper live-fire experience without needing logs, charcoal, gas, or electricity.
The pellet system worked better than I expected. You light it with a natural firestarter, let the gravity-fed hopper do its thing, and once the oven is hot, you can cook 12 inch pizzas in about 60 seconds.
But because the Fyra 12 is discontinued, I wouldn’t chase one at an inflated price. If you already own one, keep using it. If you find one secondhand at a fair price, it can still be worth considering. If you’re buying new, I’d look at the Ooni Karu 12 for the closest wood-fired option, or the Ooni Koda 12/Koda 16 if you want something easier and gas-powered.
Choose Ooni Fyra 12 if:
- You find one secondhand at a sensible price
- You already use hardwood pellets for a pellet smoker
- You want wood-fired pizza without managing logs
- You like the idea of a portable oven that does not need electricity
- You’re happy with 12 inch pizzas
Skip Ooni Fyra 12 if:
- You want to buy a new oven with full current availability
- You want the easiest possible Ooni to use
- You want a larger 16 inch cooking area
- You want to clearly see the pizza while it cooks
- You don’t want to clean pellet ash or soot
Also available at: Amazon
Important Update: The Ooni Fyra 12 Is Discontinued
The Ooni Fyra 12 is no longer part of Ooni’s current US pizza oven lineup.
At the time of updating this review, Ooni’s US oven range is built around gas, multi-fuel, and electric models, including the Koda, Karu, and Volt lines. The Fyra 12 is not listed as one of the current US oven models.
That matters because the Fyra has not been replaced by a newer pellet-powered Ooni.
So, if you liked the idea of the Fyra because it used pellets, there isn’t a direct “Fyra 2” to point you toward.
The closest current option for real wood-fired cooking is the Ooni Karu 12. But the Karu burns small pieces of wood or charcoal, not pellets. Read my Ooni Karu 12 review.
If you want the easiest outdoor oven instead, the Ooni Koda range is the better fit because it runs on gas. Read my Ooni Koda 12 review.
This review is still useful, but the buying advice has changed.
At a Glance
Strengths
- Makes excellent 12 inch pizzas
- Runs on hardwood pellets
- No electricity needed
- Heats up in about 15 minutes
- Cooks pizzas in about 60 seconds
- Very portable
- Good if you already use pellets for a smoker
- Handles wind better than small gas flames
- Fun, live-fire cooking experience
Weaknesses
- Discontinued
- No current pellet-powered replacement from Ooni
- Only available in 12 inch size
- Door makes it harder to see the pizza
- Needs more cleaning than gas models
- Requires pellet top-ups
- Does not create a strong smoked flavour
- Not worth paying silly secondhand prices for
Best use case
The Ooni Fyra 12 makes the most sense for someone who already owns one, or someone who finds one used and specifically wants the pellet-fired Ooni experience.
If you’re buying new today, it’s better to choose based on fuel type: Karu for wood/charcoal, Koda for gas, or Volt for electric.
Real Cooking Experience: What the Ooni Fyra 12 Was Like to Use
The Ooni Fyra 12 was the second Ooni we used after the Ooni Koda 12.
At that point, we didn’t have a huge amount of proper pizza-making experience. We’d topped pre-made bases and cooked them in a regular oven before, but we weren’t people who had been hand-stretching dough for years.
That’s part of why the Fyra impressed me. It looked more intimidating than it actually was.
We used the Fyra multiple times a week for a few months when we were first testing it properly. We ate a lot of pizza. We tried Ooni dough recipes, store-bought fresh dough, pre-made bases, different toppings, different pellet brands, and different weather conditions.
The basic process is simple.
You add pellets to the fuel tray, light them with a natural firestarter, let the flame establish, then fill the hopper. Once the pellets are burning properly, the hopper gravity-feeds fuel into the firebox.
There’s no power cord, no controller, no auger, and no fan. It’s just a simple pellet fire.
Once it’s hot, the Fyra cooks fast. I mean properly fast. A pizza can go from raw dough to finished in about a minute, but you have to pay attention. This is not an oven where you launch a pizza and wander off.
The first pizza we cooked was a little overdone. The second was slightly underdone. By the third, we were pretty much converted.
The dough took a few attempts to get right as well, but even the messy early attempts were edible. Once you get the dough stretched properly and stop overloading the toppings, the Fyra makes the sort of pizza that ruins normal takeaway pizza.
The crust comes out crisp but still soft, the cheese melts properly, and the toppings cook quickly without drying everything out.
The thing I would not oversell is the smoke flavour.
Because the pizza is only in the oven for about 60 seconds, and good pellets burn pretty cleanly, you do not get a heavy smoked flavour. It tastes wood-fired, but not smoky in the same way barbecue does.
That’s not a bad thing. I don’t want my pizza tasting like brisket smoke. But if you’re buying the Fyra thinking pellet fuel means strong smoke flavour, that’s not really what happens.
What the Ooni Fyra 12 Was
It used 100% hardwood cooking pellets, the same type of pellets you’d use in a pellet smoker. But unlike a pellet grill, it did not need electricity. There was no auger feeding pellets into the fire. Instead, the Fyra used a simple gravity-fed hopper.
That was the main appeal.
You got a real wood fire without needing to chop small logs, manage charcoal, or plug anything in.
The Fyra was also only available in the 12 inch size. There was no 16 inch Fyra, and now that the model has been discontinued, there still isn’t a larger or newer pellet-powered version in Ooni’s current US lineup.
If you want a current Ooni that burns real wood, look at the Ooni Karu 12 Review. Just remember that the Karu uses wood and charcoal, not pellets.
Is the Ooni Fyra 12 Still Worth Buying Used?
Maybe.
If you find an Ooni Fyra 12 secondhand in good condition and the price is fair, I do still think it can be worth buying.
It cooked excellent pizza for us. The pellet system worked. The oven was portable. The build held up well. And the fact it does not need electricity makes it useful for camping, RV use, tailgating, or backyard cooking where you don’t want another thing plugged in.
But I would not overpay for one.
The Fyra is discontinued, so you’re buying an older model. You also need to think about what condition it’s in, whether the stone is cracked, whether the door fits properly, whether the chimney and hopper are included, and whether you can still get any accessories you specifically want.
I’d consider a used Fyra 12 if:it’s clearly cheaper than a new current Ooni
- the stone is intact
- the hopper, chimney, door, fuel tray, and grate are all included
- the shell is not badly damaged or rusted
- you specifically want the pellet-fired setup
I’d skip it if the price is close to a new Ooni Karu or Koda.
At that point, I’d rather buy a current model with easier support, current accessories, and a full new-product warranty.
Ooni Fyra 12 vs Current Ooni Models
The biggest thing to understand is that there isn’t a direct current Fyra replacement.
Here’s the simple version.
| Oven | Fuel | Current status | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ooni Fyra 12 | Wood pellets | Discontinued | Existing owners or secondhand buyers who specifically want pellets |
| Ooni Karu 12 | Wood, charcoal, optional gas | Current model | Closest current option if you want real wood-fired cooking |
| Ooni Koda 12 / Koda 16 | Gas | Current models | Easier outdoor pizza cooking |
| Ooni Volt 2 | Electric | Current model | Indoor pizza without wood, gas, or pellets |
| Ooni Karu 2 Pro | Wood, charcoal, gas option | Current model | Larger multi-fuel cooking with newer features |
If you liked the Fyra because it was wood-fired, the Karu range is where I’d look.
If you liked the Fyra because it was simple and affordable, the Koda range might actually suit you better, even though it’s gas.
If you liked the Fyra because it used pellets, there isn’t a current Ooni equivalent.
For a broader look at Ooni fuel types, read my Ooni Karu vs Koda comparison.
Performance Breakdown
Ease of Use
The Fyra is not hard to use, but it is more hands-on than a gas Ooni.
Lighting it is simple enough. Add a small amount of pellets to the fuel tray, place a natural firestarter on top, light it, and let the fire get established. Once it’s burning well, fill the hopper and let the oven heat up.
After about 15 minutes, it should be hot enough for pizza.
The part that takes a little attention is cooking. You need to remove the door, launch the pizza, put the door back on, watch through the small peephole, then turn the pizza roughly every 20 seconds.
We got the best results with about three turns.
It’s not difficult, but it is active cooking.
If you want the least effort, the Koda 12 or Koda 16 is easier. You turn on the gas, let it heat up, and cook. You still need to turn the pizza, but you don’t have pellets, a hopper, ash, or a door to deal with.
Read my Ooni Koda 12 Review if you want the simpler gas option
Pellet System
The pellet system is the reason the Fyra exists.
It gives you a wood-fired oven without having to use small pieces of hardwood. If you already have a pellet smoker, you can use the same cooking pellets you already keep around.
Do not use heating pellets. Only use food-safe hardwood cooking pellets.
The hopper feeds pellets into the fire as they burn, and once the oven is going properly, it gives you around 20 minutes before needing a top-up.
In real use, that was enough to cook several pizzas before refilling. For a round of about six pizzas, we usually used around one and a half to two hopper loads of pellets.
That surprised me. I expected it to chew through pellets faster than it did.
The pellet fire also held up better in wind than the flame on some gas ovens. That was one practical advantage of the Fyra.
Temperature and Heat
The Fyra gets hot enough for proper fast pizza.
Ooni says it can reach pizza-cooking temperatures in around 15 minutes, and that matched our real use pretty well. Once it was properly heated, the pizza stone had enough heat to cook the base quickly, while the flame coming across the top cooked the toppings and cheese.
You can adjust the chimney baffle, but for pizza we mostly left it fully open.
The biggest adjustment is learning how fast the oven works. A pizza can go from underdone to too dark very quickly. That’s normal with high-heat pizza, but the Fyra’s door makes it slightly harder because you’re peeking through a small hole instead of watching the whole pizza clearly.
This is one area where newer or gas ovens are easier. Being able to see the pizza more clearly makes a difference.
Pizza Cooking Results
The pizza is the main reason the Fyra was worth owning.
It makes the kind of pizza that gets people excited. Thin-ish base, proper puff around the crust, melted cheese, cooked toppings, and a base that’s crisp without being dry.
We used the Fyra with homemade dough, store-bought fresh dough, and pre-made bases.
Homemade dough was easily the best. It tasted better, stretched better once we got the hang of it, and gave us the most Ooni-style result.
You can use store-bought bases, but I wouldn’t buy an Ooni just to cook pre-made bases. The oven really shows what it can do when you use proper fresh dough.
The Fyra can also do other pizza styles, but for us the classic thin, fast-cooked Ooni pizza was the reason to use it.
Smoke and Wood-Fired Flavour
The Fyra gives you a wood-fired feel, but not a strong smoke flavour.
That’s an important distinction.
Yes, it burns hardwood pellets. Yes, there’s a real flame. Yes, the pizza tastes better than a regular oven pizza.
But because the pizza cooks so quickly, it does not sit in smoke long enough to absorb a big smoky flavour.
I’d describe it as lightly wood-fired rather than smoky.
That’s actually what I prefer for pizza. But if you’re imagining pellet-smoker-style flavour, that’s not what the Fyra does.
12 Inch Size
The Fyra only cooks 12 inch pizzas.
For most families, couples, and casual backyard cooks, I think that’s fine. A 12 inch pizza is easier to stretch, easier to launch, easier to turn, and easier to fit on a regular cutting board.
Because each pizza cooks so quickly, you’re not standing there forever even if you need to make a few.
One batch of the Ooni quick dough recipe made enough for six 12 inch pizzas for us. That would usually feed up to four adults and three kids, depending on appetite.
If you’re entertaining a bigger group, you can make more dough.
The limitation is not total food volume as much as pizza size. If you want larger pizzas, you need a 16 inch oven like the Ooni Koda 16 Review or one of the bigger current Ooni models.
Door and Visibility
The door is one of my biggest annoyances with the Fyra.
It helps keep heat in, which matters with this style of oven. But it also means you can’t clearly watch the pizza cook. There is a small peephole, but it’s not the same as having an open-front gas oven or a larger viewing window.
You end up opening the door, turning the pizza, putting the door back on, and repeating that until it’s done.
It works. You get used to it.
But it is not as easy as cooking on the Koda, where you can just see what’s happening.
Flame Behaviour
One thing that surprised me the first time was how the flame behaved when opening the door.
When you remove the door, oxygen rushes in and the fire gets a boost. Flames can shoot out the back near the fuel tray.
That is normal for the Fyra, but it means you need to give the back of the oven plenty of clearance.
Don’t set it up right against a wall, fence, tree, or anything that could be damaged by heat or flame.
This is not a big problem once you know about it. But it’s something I’d want to know before using one.
Build Quality
The Fyra felt well made for the price it sold at.
The shell was powder-coated steel with a stainless interior, and the oven was insulated enough to heat quickly and hold enough heat for fast pizza cooking.
The cordierite stone did what it should. It heated well and cooked the bases properly from underneath.
The one issue we had was with the spring used to adjust the vent. It broke the second time we used the oven. We contacted Ooni, sent photos, and they posted us a replacement part free of charge.
After that, the replacement worked fine and we didn’t have more trouble with it.
That experience did make me more confident in Ooni’s support at the time. But if you’re buying a used Fyra now, just remember you’re buying an older discontinued model, not a new oven with the same easy buying path.
Portability
The Fyra is genuinely portable.
It weighs about 22 pounds, the legs fold, and the chimney and hopper come apart. It’s easy enough to put in the car and take to a friend’s house, camping, or tailgating.
The stone should be treated carefully, but the oven itself is not hard to move.
If portability is one of the reasons you’re interested in a used Fyra, that part still makes sense.
The only thing to remember is that you’ll also need pellets, a peel, firestarters, and whatever surface you’re cooking on. The oven is portable, but the full setup is still more than just grabbing the oven and going.
Cleaning
Cleaning the Fyra is not difficult, but it’s more involved than cleaning a gas Ooni.
For the stone, you can run the oven hot to burn off stuck food, then brush it once cooled. You can also flip the stone so it wears more evenly.
The outside just needs wiping down once cool.
But because it burns pellets, you also get ash and soot. We would clean out the chimney and firebox every few cooks, especially if we were loading it into the car.
It’s not a huge job. But if you want the cleanest, least-mess Ooni, gas or electric is easier.
What Else Can You Cook?
You can cook more than pizza in the Fyra, but pizza is still the reason to own it.
With cast iron cookware, you can cook things like steak, burgers, vegetables, focaccia, or desserts. The oven gets very hot, so anything that suits fast, high-heat cooking can work.
Just don’t put wet foods directly on the pizza stone.
Dry bread-based things are fine on the stone. Anything with moisture, fat, or sauce should go in cast iron so you don’t damage the stone or increase the risk of cracking.
For us, pizza was the main use. The fact it could do other things was a bonus, not the buying reason.
Accessories You Actually Need
You do not need every Ooni accessory to use the Fyra.
But you do need a peel. Without a peel, getting raw dough and toppings into the oven is basically impossible.
Here’s how I’d think about accessories:
| Accessory | Do you need it? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Pizza peel | Yes | Needed to launch and remove pizzas |
| Turning peel | Very useful | Makes turning fast pizzas much easier |
| Infrared thermometer | Useful | Helps check stone temperature before launching |
| Pizza oven brush | Useful | Makes cleaning the stone easier |
| Carry cover | Useful if moving it | Helps protect the oven and keep parts together |
| Modular table | Optional | Nice setup, but not necessary |
| Cutting wheel | Optional | Handy, but a normal cutter or knife can work |
If I were buying accessories for a used Fyra, I’d prioritize a peel first, then a turning peel, then a pizza cutter.
Everything else is nice but not essential.
What to Expect From the Ooni Fyra 12
The Fyra is simple, but it is not completely hands-off.
Expect:
- about 15 minutes to heat up
- 60 second pizzas once the oven is hot
- a few attempts to get dough stretching right
- quick turning every 20 seconds or so
- light wood-fired flavour, not heavy smoke
- pellet top-ups during longer pizza sessions
- some ash and soot cleanup
- more involvement than gas
- better pizza than most takeaway once you get the hang of it
- a small learning curve, but not a scary one
The Fyra is fun if you like the process.
If you want to press a button and remove as much fuss as possible, it’s probably not the best match.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Real wood fire without logs
- No electricity required
- Cooks very fast
- Fuel is easy to store if you already use pellets
- Cooks excellent pizza
Cons
- Discontinued with no direct pellet replacement
- Only available in 12 inch size
- Door makes visibility harder
- Only available in 12 inch size
- Needs more cleaning than gas
Who This Is For — And Who Should Skip It
Who it's best for
Anyone who specifically wants a pellet-fired Ooni that makes proper wood-fired pizza without needing electricity or small logs.
Who should skip it
Anyone buying new, wants the easiest Ooni, wants larger pizzas, or doesn’t want to deal with ash cleanup, and a discontinued model.
Also available at: Amazon
Best Current Alternatives to the Ooni Fyra 12
Unless you’ve found a Fyra second-hand, these are the current Ooni models you’ll want to look at for the most similar pizza-cooking experience.
Closest Wood-Fired Alternative - Ooni Karu 12
The Ooni Karu 12 is the closest current alternative if you liked the Fyra because it cooked with real fire.
It does not use pellets, so it is not a direct replacement. But it gives you wood and charcoal cooking in a current Ooni model, with the option to add gas if you want more flexibility.
Read more in my Ooni Karu 12 review.
Easy Gas Alternative - Ooni Koda 12
The Ooni Koda 12 is the better choice if you want fast outdoor pizza with less fuss.
It does not have the pellet-fire feel of the Fyra, but it is easier to light, cleaner to use, and simpler for quick weeknight pizza.
For all the details, see my Ooni Koda 12 Review. Or, jump straight to my Ooni Koda vs Fyra comparison.
Larger Multi-Fuel Upgrade - Ooni Karu 2 Pro
The Ooni Karu 2 Pro is the better alternative if you want a second generation, larger multi-fuel oven instead of a discontinued model.
It gives you wood and charcoal cooking out of the box, optional gas, a larger cooking area, and newer features like the glass door and digital temperature hub. It’s more oven than the Fyra was, but it makes sense if you want to upgrade instead of hunt down an older model.
FAQs About the Ooni Fyra 12
Is the Ooni Fyra 12 discontinued?
Yes. The Ooni Fyra 12 is discontinued and is no longer part of Ooni’s current US oven lineup.
That does not mean it suddenly became a bad oven. It just means I would treat it as a secondhand option now, not a current product recommendation.
What replaced the Ooni Fyra 12?
There is no direct pellet-powered replacement.
If you want real wood-fired cooking, the closest current option is the Ooni Karu 12. If you want something easier, look at the Ooni Koda gas models instead.
Is the Ooni Fyra 12 worth buying used?
Yes, if the price is fair and the oven is complete and in good condition.
I would check that the stone is intact, the door fits, and the hopper, chimney, fuel tray, and grate are all included.
If the used price is close to a new current Ooni, I’d buy new instead.
Does the Ooni Fyra 12 taste smoky?
Not heavily.
It has a light wood-fired flavour, but the pizza cooks too quickly to absorb a strong smoke flavour. If you’re expecting pellet-smoker-style smoke, you’ll probably be disappointed.
Is the 12 inch size big enough?
For most families and casual pizza nights, yes.
The pizzas cook so quickly that making several 12 inch pizzas is not a big deal. But if you want larger pizzas or more room to turn them, a 16 inch oven is easier.
Can you use regular smoker pellets in the Ooni Fyra?
Yes, as long as they are food-safe hardwood cooking pellets.
Do not use heating pellets. They are not made for cooking food.
Final Verdict
The Ooni Fyra 12 was a really good pizza oven.
It cooked excellent pizza, was genuinely portable, used pellets efficiently, and gave you a fun wood-fired cooking experience without needing electricity or small logs.
But the buying advice is different now because it’s discontinued.
If you already own one, I’d keep using it. If you find one secondhand at a fair price, it can still be worth buying. But if you’re shopping for a new Ooni today, I’d look at the Karu 12 for the closest wood-fired option, the Koda range for easier gas cooking, or the Volt if indoor electric pizza makes more sense.
The Fyra was great. It’s just not the current Ooni I’d tell most new buyers to start with anymore.
Also available at: Amazon
Kate Brown is the founder of Burning Brisket, where she shares hands-on smoker reviews, barbecue gear guides, and practical tips for backyard BBQ. She has cooked extensively on charcoal, pellet, electric, and kamado smokers, using real-world experience to help beginners choose the right equipment and make better barbecue at home. Her focus is honest, straightforward advice that makes smoking and grilling easier without unnecessary complexity.
