Control the temperature

Heat up, read the stone, use the hot back

The oven has no thermometer. One control: the knob on the back, Max at 9 o'clock, Min at 6 (seen from behind).

1. Preheat on Max: Ooni's product page says 15 minutes, the Essentials Guide 20. Add 5 to 10 minutes in the cold (Essentials Guide).
2. Read the middle of the stone with an infrared thermometer (Essentials Guide), emissivity 0.95 (help centre).
3. Aim for at least 400 °C (750 °F) for Neapolitan-style pizza (Essentials Guide).
4. The back, by the burner, is the hot side: "The side closest to the flame will color the fastest" (Essentials Guide).
5. Turn it off in breaks: it is safe to 500 °C (950 °F) but should not run hot for long without cooking (Essentials Guide).
6. Too hot: turn the flame down at the knob, or rest a cast-iron dish on the stone for about 30 seconds (Essentials Guide).