Here’s How to Clean Your Ooni Pizza Stone the Right Way

Ooni pizza ovens have taken the za world by storm and it is not stopping (for good reason). They’re portable, lightweight and easy to transport. They heat quickly and intensely. They have options for fuel and above else, the community it has created is like none other. When the Ooni Memorial Day sale popped up last year, we bought it for ourselves as a housewarming gift and it’s truly the gift that keep on giving. The only thing was, when we brought it out for the start of season this year, we didn’t exactly know how to clean our Ooni pizza stone. I know I’m not alone in that thought process, and I think you’ll be surprised at how easy it is! Delicious pizzas are waiting to be made, so let’s get right to it.

Ooni Pizza Stone Basics

The actual Ooni pizza stone is super important to the pizza oven. It distributes the heat evenly across the surface of the entire oven. The thing is, it absorbs and retains heat making sure the pizza cooks uniformly.

The Ooni pizza oven is the best at mimicking the intense heat of traditional wood-fired ovens that you see in pizzerias. Again, by absorbing heat it can directly cook the pizza giving it a charred crust. All of Ooni’s pizza stones are made from cordierite and they come standard.

What is cordierite you ask? Good question. Cordierite ceramic stones can withstand higher temperatures. It means you can cook your pizzas faster preventing any cold spots.

The stone itself serves as a thermal mass, storing and releasing heat gradually. It helps keep a consistent cooking temperature inside the oven making it very efficient.  Over time, with regular use, the Ooni pizza stone develops a natural non-stick surface (how cool!). This seasoned surface prevents the dough from sticking making it easier to slide your pizza on and off.

​All of those reasons previously mentioned are the forefront of why you should take good care of your pizza stone.

Cleaning Your Pizza Stone

First things first, allow the Ooni stone to cool completely. Those pizza stones are no joke! We’re all about preventing injuries here. In fact, they are one hot pizza stone typically exceeding 900 degrees F (480 degrees C). Touching, let alone attempting to clean the stone while it’s hot is just not a good idea.

Cleaning a hot stone can be challenging as the heat can make some food residue more firmly. Let it cool and then you can get to work.

How to Clean Your Ooni Pizza Stone

If you take anything away from this blog post, this is the most important thing. Soap and water should be avoided when cleaning your Ooni pizza stone. The stone itself is an incredibly porous material. When the stone absorbs moisture, it can affect the stone’s performance and potentially lead to issues like cracking or a compromised cooking surface. Go with the burn-off method.

Burn-Off Method

The absolute best way to clean your ooni pizza stone is with the burn-off method. Before starting the burn off method, allow the stone to completely cool off.

1. Pre-heat your Ooni pizza oven the highest temperature. (check your manual for the highest temperature)

2. Place the stone inside and allow it to heat for 15-30 minutes. The high temperatures will cause any residual food particles to burn off, effectively sterilizing the stone.

3. Monitor the process. Keep an eye on the stone during the burn-off process so it doesn’t overheat or sustain any damage.

4. After the burn-off method, turn off the pizza oven and allow the stone to cool completely. Once it has cooled, you can use the scraper from your Ooni pizza oven brush to gently (emphasis on gently) remove any ashes or remaining debris/burnt food. Follow it up with the use of a stiff brush in a circular motion to sweep it all away. Check the Ooni website for the best brush.

5. Final step in cleaning your pizza stone, per the Ooni pizza oven website, if the brush has not worked you have one last option. You can wipe out the inside with a dry cloth or paper towel (again, once it’s cool off = safety first!). If there are pieces that are really not coming off, please do not resort to soapy water. Leave that dish soap right next to your kitchen sink.

What you are going to do is very carefully remove the stone, flip it over and place it back into your oven. The next time you are making some excellent pizzas, the bottom of the stone will clean itself entirely and you’ll be left with a clean ooni pizza stone awaiting pizza lovers to flex.

Regular Maintenance

A very effective way to keep your Ooni pizza oven in good condition for a long time is to clean it on a regular basis. Preventing buildup is huge, but again not impossible to stay on top of the maintenance.

A clean pizza stone is almost like a metaphor for a clean slate for your next meal. New memories to be made, more laughs to be had. All of that starts new with a fresh clean pizza stone. (Cheesy? yup.) Add these muffins to your next pizza party and they’ll be the perfect addition!

Cleaning the outside of your pizza oven

Let’s talk about some essential tools for cleaning the outside of your pizza oven. This is a trick because all you need is a damp cloth (damp rag, whatever you call it). No need for any harsh chemicals or intense cleaning supplies. Those things can corrode or contaminate your pizza oven. Yikes!

General Care for your Ooni Pizza Stone

What does natural seasoning have to do with your pizza stone?

As you continue to use your Ooni pizza stone, the oils and fats from those delicious perfect pizzas you make will gradually penetrate the surface of the stone. The cool thing is that it occurs naturally. With each pizza more flavors and fats are absorbed into the stone, enhancing the taste and texture of the next pizza.

The other neat part of natural seasoning is the fact that it creates a smooth, non-stick surface. This non-stick coating can help prevent the dough from sticking and helps promote better heat distribution aka better cooked pizzas.

Do note that the look of the stone’s surface may change throughout the process of natural seasoning. Discoloration, spots or other variations like that are normal and do not affect the pizza oven’s performance.

Ooni Pizza Oven Storage

No shocker here, but first start by allowing your pizza stone (and your hot oven) to completely cool down. It’s just the nurse in me that really wants you to be safe. No one has time for burns, I promise you! It’s such high heat you’re working with. So once it’s cool, remove any ashes, food residue or debris from the oven and stone.

If your pizza oven has anything to be taken apart, go for it. Sometimes the chimney or legs require a disassemble, but just check with your owner’s manual. It will help make storage much more compact and really reduce your risk of damage.

By following some simple steps, you’ll have a clean surface of the pizza stone ready for some homemade pizzas! With the right tools and some regular cleaning, you’ll see the best results from your Ooni pizza oven. We personally have the Ooni Karu 16 multi-fuel pizza oven, but the Ooni Frya and Ooni Koda are both excellent options.