Cooking units

How many people you can cook for depends on the size of your OFYR and what type of food is being prepared. Of course, the exact numbers also depend on the chef's skills. 

When you use your OFYR for the first time, it is important to create a small fire for approximately 30 minutes. The cooking plate has a slight downward curve towards the middle. The steel will settle when it is heated for the first time, naturally bending down a little more.

If you ignite a large fire during the initial use of your OFYR cooking unit, this could cause the cooking plate to bend down too far in subsequent uses. Always follow our instructions to prepare the cooking plate for optimal performance.

When your OFYR is delivered, you will notice that the cooking plate is covered in a sticky substance. This factory oil needs to be removed from the surface before your first time cooking with an OFYR.

Thoroughly heat up the cooking plate, then drizzle on some olive oil and spread it out with a kitchen towel or cloth. The oil will move with the factory oil, making it easier to clean the plate. Please note: when the cooking plate is still too cold, the mixture will turn into a sticky black substance that is difficult to remove.

Drizzle on the olive oil for about 2 to 3 times. Scrape each layer of oil off with the supplemented spatula, pushing the scrapings into the fire. Once the scrapings have a beige colour, the cooking plate is clean and ready for use. 

Watch the video for more information about using your OYFR for the first time.

Stack the wood as if you are building a log cabin (about 2-3 layers high) or a teepee. Make sure the bark faces outwards to limit smoke formation. If you have an OFYR XL, Trailer or 120 PRO+, create 3 smaller fires to heat the cooking plate faster. Add some wood wool in the middle and light the fire. 

Always pick high-quality wood that is clean and has little bark. It is recommended to use kiln-dried or very dry wood with a maximum humidity of 20%. Drier wood will help limit smoke formation during cooking and is easier to ignite.

Go for a harder type of wood, like beech or ash wood. Softer wood like birch burns down very quickly, meaning you will need more wood. Be cautious with using tropical hardwood, as it generates substantial heat. Using an excessive amount of this type of wood can cause the cooking plate to warp.

Please note: do not use green wood and avoid coniferous species such as eucalyptus, elm or sycamore, as these types of wood can contaminate your food and cause health problems.

Charcoal can be used for heating the cooking plate, but the plate might get less hot. A combination of woodfire in the middle and charcoal around it does work better. Coconut briquettes are the preferred charcoal to use. Of course, woodfire does create a much nicer atmosphere than charcoal!

The ideal size for the logs is around 10 x 30 cm. We advise against using larger pieces of wood. These do tend to catch fire quickly, but generally do not burn down properly due to the lack of space for oxygen in the cone. For the 85 model you need to use smaller logs as the opening of the plate is slightly smaller than the 100 model.

For an evening of cooking (4-5 hours) you will need in average around two OFYR® Wood Bags of around 50 liters each, depending on the outdoor temperature and the weather conditions.

Every kind of vegetable oil can be used for cooking because of the higher combustion rate. It is best to start with olive oil. Olive oil has a lower combustion rate and will therefore form a a nice brown-black hue. After the first few uses (2-3 times) you can start using other oil types such as sunflower oil or groundnut oil, whatever your taste prefers. 

When the wood turns into coal you can start to create temperature zones by pushing around the coals. By pushing more coals to one side, the plate becomes hotter on that side.

No extra air supply is needed, enough air comes in through the opening in the cooking plate.

The best way is to let the fire die out on its own. For safety reasons the flames can be covered by the Snuffer. However, the fire will not die out when the Snuffer is put on the plate, because there is still some air supply. When covering the fire for a longer period of time with the Snuffer, such will cause strong smoke formation. When then removing the Snuffer, such might lead to sudden and big flames due to sudden air supply. Hot ashes and charcoal that remain from the burned down firewood, can be covered by the Snuffer in order to avoid these to be blown away.

If for whatever reason the hot charcoal needs to be disposed of straight after cooking, the following procedure is best. Wearing heat resistant gloves remove the hot charcoal from the cone with a brush and a metal dustpan and put the hot charcoal in an empty zinc bin. Throw cold water in the bin till the hot ash is entirely wed and dispose of the ash as is allowed according to local regulations.

The OFYR cooking unit can be left outdoors all year round. It is recommended to use the cover.

The time needed to heat up the cooking plate very much depends on the outdoor temperature. The time needed can range from 25-30 minutes during spring and summer to 45-60 minutes during fall and winter.

Depending on the weather conditions and the outdoor temperature, the cooking plate will reach a temperature of around 300 °C on the inner edge and around 200 °C on the outer edge.

In some cases, the cooking plate may bulge upwards in the middle and thus become convex. This means the steel is incorrectly stressed. If this happens, please contact your dealer.

While you are cooking, you can clean the cooking plate by pushing food remnants into the fire. After cooking, you do the same and then follow it up by rubbing the plate down with an oiled cloth. 

Do not allow a thick layer of residue to build up, as this layer will be difficult to remove. It is better to scrape down the cooking plate frequently during and directly after you are cooking. If a residue layer does build up, you can remove it by heating up the cooking plate and adding some ice cubes. Then scrape down the cooking plate and the residue will disappear.

It is important to clean and maintain the cooking plate of the OFYR after every use. Scrape food remnants off the plate and apply a layer of vegetable oil to prevent rust formation. If the cooking plate is already cold, you can use a pan coating spray. This spray is easier to apply, doesn't evaporate and keeps the plate oily for a long time.

If you do not use your OFYR for a long time, we recommend oiling the cooking plate every 15 to 30 days to prevent corrosion. Keep in mind that corrosion is heavily dependent on the climate - salty, humid air will affect the cooking plate more than dry air.

When you use your OFYR regularly, a smooth layer of carbon residue will build up on the cooking plate. This will make the surface extra smooth and comfortable to use. Occasionally, this layer might start to chip. If this happens, you can simply scrape the chips off with the spatula and then oil the cooking plate again. This way, the carbon residue layer will gradually renew itself.

We recommend removing the cold ashes after every use to prevent the cone from getting clogged. When (wet) ashes stay in the cone for too long or if you live in a wet and salty climate, rust chips might form on the outside of the Corten cones. These can easily be removed with a spatula. 

The coating of the Black cones might come off when wet ashes are left in the cone. Remove the cooled ashes from the cone after cooking, and regularly remove water and wet leaves from the cone when you haven't used your cooking unit for a while. 

Watch the following video for full instructions on maintaining and cleaning the OFYR cone.

You do not have to worry about water filling up the cone. Each model is carefully designed to let rainwater drain. In the Classic cooking units, there is a small hole in the cone. With the Storage and Island models, the water runs through the double-walled side of the base. The PRO models have an ashtray.

Please note: the cone will always need to be emptied after cooking, to prevent the cone from clogging up.

While cooking oil splashes may form stains on the base. On the Corten steel bases these stains cannot be removed. However, the entire Corten steel base can be treated with oil using a kitchen towel making the stains invisible. Such treatment will make the entire base darker. When it rains, slightly greasy water may run off the Corten base, which may permanently stain light-toned stone or wooden surfaces.

Corten steel products come with the additional service that the corrosion process has already started by the time they are delivered. Upon delivery, it takes another 6-12 months for the initial corrosion to turn into a fully protective layer. Due to this the color of the products can differ.

Although the coating of the Black Cooking Units is very strong, it is always possible that scratches will occur. Therefore with every Black Cooking Unit a touch up bottle comes for free, which can be used to repair minor damage.

The ceramic blocks can be left outdoors.

It is recommended to store the wooden blocks indoors. Wood is a natural product and is therefore sensitive to weather influences.

The ashes should be removed from the cone after each use. With the Island and Storage versions ashes can collect on the top plate under the cone. Remove both plate and cone to remove those ashes and to enable a proper flow through of rainwater. Ashes can be removed with a dustpan and a brush.