My Ooni Karu 12 is producing lots of smoke/soot.Updated 7 months ago

**If cooking with solid fuels:**

When cooking with solid fuels, there will always be some smoke and soot

produced. You can minimize this however by following the tips below:

* Use hardwood instead of softwood (our [Ooni Premium Hardwood 5″ Oak Logs](https://ooni.com/collections/oven-fuel/products/ooni-premium-hardwood-5-oak-logs) are perfect)

* Start out by adding a base layer of lumpwood charcoal with around 4-5 small logs on top.

* Only remove the door when launching, turning or removing your pizza.

* Ensure the chimney baffle is open.

* Position your oven so that any wind enters through the back instead of the front.

* Ensure your fuel has been stored securely to prevent any moisture from getting in.

* Only add more wood when you need a spike in temperature (don't overfill the fuel tray).

In the example below, you can see the difference between hardwood (left) where

the smoke is lighter in comparison to softwood (right), where the smoke is

heavier and darker in colour. Softwood logs produce more smoke and soot

compared to hardwood and you will notice similar results if your fuel is damp.


**If cooking with gas:**

When using your gas burner with Ooni Karu 12, a small amount of smoke/soot can

be expected while your oven and stone are preheating. Once your oven has

reached top temperatures, this should disappear.