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.

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.

Watch this video to learn more about the usage of the temperature zones

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.

Watch this video to see how you maintain the OFYR cooking plate.