Always choose high-quality wood that is clean and has little bark. It is recommended to use kiln-dried wood or very dry wood with a maximum moisture content of 20%. Dryer wood helps reduce smoke during cooking and is also easier to ignite.

Preferably choose a harder type of wood, such as beech or ash. Softer wood like birch burns very quickly, meaning you will need more wood. Be careful when using tropical hardwood, as it generates a lot of heat. Using too much of this type of wood can cause the cooking surface to warp.

Note: do not use green wood and avoid conifers such as eucalyptus, elm, or plane tree, as these types of wood can contaminate your food and cause health problems.

All types of vegetable oil can
be used for cooking due to the higher burning rate. It
is best to start with olive oil. Olive oil has a lower
burning rate and will therefore develop a nice brown-black tint.
After the first few uses (2-3 times), you can start using other oils,
such as sunflower oil or peanut oil, depending on your taste.

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

Watch this video to learn more about using temperature zones.

During cooking, you can clean the cooktop by pushing food residues into the fire. After cooking, do the same and then wipe the plate clean with an oiled cloth.

Do not let a thick layer of burnt-on residues build up, as these are difficult to remove. It is better to scrape the cooktop regularly during and immediately after cooking. If a layer of residue does form, you can remove it by heating the cooktop and adding a few ice cubes. Then scrape the cooktop, and the residues will disappear.

Watch this video to see how to maintain the OFYR cooktop.