Best Wood for Ooni Pizza Oven and Perfect Homemade Slices!

If you’re a fan of making pizza for the family, then a pizza oven is an essential yard accessory! However, it is easy to underestimate the importance of the best wood when cooking pizza.

Using the ideal wood in your Ooni pizza oven will guarantee that you get the best taste and the best cook out of your carefully prepared ingredients, resulting in a perfectly cooked pizza with that authentic wood-fired flavor.

Using the ideal firewood to cook pizza is as vital as choosing fresh ingredients and toppings. And it can make or break a family pizza night!

What Is the Best Wood to Use for an Ooni Pizza Oven?

If we could only use one wood type to fire our Ooni pizza oven – which would we choose?

Well, certain elements make all the difference when cooking pizza. We need to create a hot oven – around 900 degrees Fahrenheit – that maintains consistent heat and gives off a clean, aromatic smoke.

The best way to do this is by using oak logs that have been well seasoned and kiln-dried. They should get split into one to two-inch sections for a fast, even burn.

If you need a more direct answer regarding which firewood is best for Ooni pizza ovens?

Then here are some of our favorites.

1. Ooni Premium Assorted Oak Pack

For our top spot? We recommend the Ooni Premium Assorted Oak Pack. It’s ideal for the Ooni Karu 16. However, it does not fit the Ooni Karu 12. The wood is kiln-dried to 15-20% moisture. That equates to a slow, dry cook.

It provides an elegant Neapolitan wood-fired pizza experience! If you want to get off to the best possible start with wood-fired pizzas, this compact box will provide everything you need.

Pros:

Inside the box, you get natural firelighters, kindling, and all the wood you will need to cook your pizzas. The pizza firewood bundle includes a mix of logs in varying sizes, plus some wood chips to give a burst of heat. All the wood is premium oak, kiln-dried for a hotter and more consistent burn.

Cons:

It doesn’t fit the Ooni Karu 12 pizza oven.

Other than that? And the potentially high cost of firewood – there aren’t many negatives here. The firewood starter set contains everything needed to cook several batches of pizza, and we genuinely can’t think of anything negative to say about this product.

(Of course – if you have a cheaper source of natural organic firewood close to home, like in your backyard, then nothing beats fresh and local! But – not all of us are so lucky.)

2. Ooni Premium Hardwood Pellets

Ooni premium hardwood pellets work for all Ooni pellet pizza ovens. They’re best for hassle-free cooking with a consistently high temperature.

While some wood pellets get made from somewhat dubious materials, these Ooni hardwood pellets contain 100% oak for a clean burn with minimal ash production. They’re food-grade. No shady additives!

Pros:

This giant bag will fuel a pellet pizza oven for 8-12 hours of cooking – that’s a lot of pizza! Wood pellets give you all the flavor of a wood-fired pizza without the mess associated with using logs. They quickly reach the optimum cooking temperature, and you can easily regulate the temperature by adding more or fewer wood pellets.

Cons:

The only downside to using pellets is that they are just not as fun as a wood-fired pizza oven. Pellets can also only get used in specific pizza ovens. We find that charcoal and logs are more versatile.

3. Ooni Premium Lumpwood Charcoal

Ooni Premium Lumpwood Charcoal is suitable for all Ooni multifuel pizza ovens, plus many solid-fuel barbeque grills. It’s best as a base layer underneath wood chunks.

Ooni Premium Lumpwood Charcoal gets made from sustainable 100% birch hardwood, a high-performance fuel that infuses food with all-natural flavors.

Pros:

The charcoal gives a slow, sustained burn, ready for cooking just 15 minutes from lighting. It outputs ultra-low ash and provides a longer burning time than wood.

Cons:

Burns at a lower temperature! So it will need to be used in conjunction with logs or wood chips when cooking pizza.

4. Smoak Kiln Dried Red Oak Cooking Logs

Smoak Firewood Cooking Wood Logs - USDA Certified Kiln Dried (Red Oak, 08in Pieces (08-10lbs))

Smoak Kiln dried red oak is perfect for Ooni multifuel pizza ovens. It’s USDA-certified red oak logs, kiln-dried at 160 degrees for up to 48 hours for a slow, steady, and consistent burn. Smoak logs give an exceptionally clean and hot burn, perfect for wood-fired pizza ovens.

Pros:

Kiln-dried red oak logs get cut into various sizes to suit all types of Ooni multifuel pizza ovens.

Cons:

You don’t get kindling or fire starters! So you will need to source these elsewhere. That’s a hassle – since not all firestarters are food-grade. Make sure to read the labels. Eat safely!

5. Pit Boss Fruitwood Blend Hardwood Pellets

Pit Boss 20 lb Fruitwood Blend Hardwood Pellets

The fruitwood blend from Pit Boss is appetizing for all types of Ooni pellet-fueled pizza ovens.

Try something different with this fruitwood blend of hardwood pellets! The smoke from fruitwood adds a subtle sweetness and flavor depth to pizza, making an exciting oak pellet alternative.

Pros:

Low mess – just one-half cup of ash from a 20-pound bag.

Cons:

The taste is distinct. It’s a wildly different flavor contrasting against oak wood smoke, which not everyone may enjoy.

6. Jealous Devil All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal

Jealous Devil All Natural Hardwood Lump Charcoal - 35LB

Did you know that you can use a pizza oven for baking fresh homemade bread? It’s easy! Swap the wood for this hardwood charcoal to reduce the temperature, and away you go!

Jealous Devil hardwood charcoal is perfect for all Ooni multifuel pizza ovens, plus many solid-fuel barbeque grills.

Pros:

Large chunks of charcoal for a longer burn time. Perfect for fresh (and fluffy) homemade bread.

Cons:

It can be much messier than logs or pellets.

7. The One # 1 Pizza Oven Hardwood Logs

Pizza Oven Wood Hardwood pizza fuel kiln dried wood for Pizza Oven or Outdoor Stoves (6 Inch size 12x12x8)

These pizza oven logs rock for all Ooni multifuel pizza ovens. The only problem you may encounter is the log length.

The box contains a range of different hardwood logs for when you fancy a change from the regular oak boxes. It includes sustainable hardwoods such as poplar, ash, and aspen.

Pros:

A break from the norm, bringing some new smokey flavors to your pizza oven.

Cons:

These logs are longer than some small pizza ovens we’ve seen! It might not fit all Ooni pizza ovens, so check the sizing carefully. (Or – get prepared to hack and slash until the logs fit perfectly. Some homesteaders don’t mind – but it’s not for everyone.)

homemade ooni wood fired pizza with meat — The best firewood for cooking should be small enough to fit your pizza oven. It should also be dry enough to ignite – and heat up quickly! The biggest pizza oven mistake is cooking with green and wet firewood. Make sure your firewood has a moisture content of 20% or below. Otherwise, your pizza oven will never heat up on time – if at all! Also – the best pizza-burning pellets we’ve seen have a moisture content below ten percent.

How to Choose the Best Wood for an Ooni Pizza Oven

Choosing the correct wood for your pizza oven is a bit of a deal-breaker. There is nothing worse than seeing your pizza-building skills get wasted because your pizza oven is not performing correctly!

So – let’s look (and cook) at everything you need to know about the best wood for an Ooni pizza oven.

Can You Use Any Wood in Ooni Pizza Ovens?

Pizza ovens have become so popular because we have realized that it is the best – and only – way to cook perfect pizza! For the authentic pizza flavor and experience, our carefully crafted homemade pizzas need to bake at around 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Most conventional ovens do not go any higher than 500 Fahrenheit, so no matter how much effort you put into the perfect base and toppings, you will struggle to achieve that delicious wood-fired flavor.

The other reason that choosing the best wood is vital is that the wood smoke adds flavor to your pizza. Burning the wrong wood may give you a harsh smokey flavor that overpowers your pizza. Or it tastes bitter and unpleasant.

So, it is not a good idea to chuck any wood you have lying around into your pizza oven, as you might not get good results. The wrong type of wood may burn too quickly or slowly. Or, it might give off bitter, nasty smoke that taints your pizza.

What is the Best Wood to Use in a Pizza Oven?

Seasoned oak is our favorite. Some characteristics make wood suitable for a pizza oven. The best wood for a pizza oven should be clean and well-seasoned. The best have hard and dense structures. Clean wood is free from mold, fungus, damp dust, and other musty flavor-tainting substances.

Well-seasoned wood is timber that gets left to dry for a considerable period after felling. Seasoned wood means it will be dry, giving you a clean burn. The best wood for a pizza oven has been kiln-dried for the perfect even burning experience.

Hard, dense wood will burn for longer and maintain a consistently high temperature. Hard and dry wood creates the ideal conditions to cook the perfect pizza.

What Kind of Wood Do I Use in My Ooni Pizza Oven?

The type of wood you use in your Ooni pizza oven will depend on the pizza oven model. Ooni makes several pizza ovens, all of which require different fuels.

The Ooni multifuel pizza ovéns are the most versatile models and can get fired with solid wood or charcoal. Fueling your pizza oven with wood and charcoal will give your food those authentic wood-fired flavors. Multifuel pizza ovens can also be adapted to use gas by adding on an Ooni gas burner.

Another option is an Ooni wood pellet pizza oven, which gives you the ease of cooking with wood without the hassle. These dispense a steady supply of hardwood pellets and offer a consistently high heat with very little maintenance. A good quality wood pellet will add a smokey, aromatic flavor to your food.

Or, if you want to stay away from wood altogether, there is also a range of Ooni gas-fired pizza ovens! No mess, no fuss, but also no authentic wood-smoke flavor.

Can You Use Wood Chunks in Ooni?

Selecting the right size of wood is vital to getting a consistent temperature in your Ooni pizza oven. We recommend using logs that get split to around one to two inches wide and between 12-inches and 16-inches long. The size also depends on the size of your pizza oven.

The reason that logs are better than wood chips is that they give a longer burn time and a more consistent temperature. However, wood chunks or chips do have a place in the system! Wood chips are also helpful because they burn – and ignite fast. (Some of them also offer a unique flavor for your homemade pizza. Bonus!)

The base of your fire in an Ooni pizza oven should consist of well-seasoned hardwood cooking logs, but you can use handfuls of wood chips to complement this in many different ways.

Firstly, if your logs are running low and the rolling flame is not hot enough to cook pizza, wood chunks can be a quick and effective way to bring the fire back to life. Give them a few minutes to start burning before putting your pizza in the oven.

Wood chunks can also get used to adding different wood smoke flavors to the oven.

Can I Use Traeger Pellets in My Ooni Pizza Oven?

Traeger wood pellets can get used in an Ooni pizza oven, but there are a few vital factors to bear in mind. Traeger pellets come in a range of different types of wood, designed to add smokey aromatic flavors to meat, fish, and vegetables. Some of these may be too overpowering for pizza, and we’d recommend that you stay away from hickory or the Bold Blend varieties of Traeger pellets.

You should also only use Traeger pellets if you have a pellet-fired pizza oven. They will not burn well on a multi-fuel stove, and you are unlikely to get the temperatures needed to cook the perfect pizza.

Can You Use Wood Cat Litter in Pizza Ovens?

First off – no! Yes, wood pellet cat litter is cheaper than premium pizza oven pellets. But please don’t consider burning this to cook pizza! The wood in cat litter pellets is of variable quality and may contain chemicals that taint your food. You have no guarantee of the type of wood used, and these types of wood pellets are highly likely to leave a sooty residue on the inside of your pizza oven.

Besides – we promise your dinner guests will run away screaming once they learn how you’ve cooked their dinner. Not recommend. Please don’t!

homemade pizza ooni thick cut cheese — We love cooking fresh homemade pizza in our Ooni! It’s the best way to celebrate a hard day’s work on the ranch or homestead. And nothing beats delicious wood-fired pizza dough. It’s even better with plenty of jalapeño peppers, fresh or fermented tomatoes, and garden herbs. Properly seasoned firewood is just a bonus!

Conclusion

We’re madly in love with cooking fresh homemade pizza. Not just any pizza! We love pizza with fresh homegrown tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, and plenty of chive from the herb garden.

What about you? What’s your favorite firewood for pizza ovens – and which wood do you think works the best for fresh homemade pizza?

We love eating and cooking pizza. Nonstop.

We’re also happy to answer any questions about homemade pizza ovens – and the best wood for baking homemade pizza!

We thank you for reading.

Have a beautiful day!

Best Wood for Ooni Pizza Oven and Perfect Homemade Slices!