How to Clean Ooni Pizza Stone? [Here’s My Secret Trick!]

Pizza is love, and so is a clean Ooni oven. But let’s be real; cleaning the oven can be a daunting task, especially when it comes to those stubborn pizza stains. But fear not, my fellow pizza lovers, for I have the secret to a sparkling clean Ooni oven.

To clean an Ooni pizza oven, first, let it cool down completely. Then, use a stiff brush or scraper to remove any large debris and ash. For stubborn stains, you can use a paste made of one part baking soda and one part water. No worries, it won’t affect the flavor of the pizza.

Want to know more about the nitty-gritty of Ooni oven cleaning? Keep reading to learn about the best tools and techniques for a thorough cleaning. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you.

But first things first:

Importance of Regular Cleaning for Your Pizza Stone

Regular cleaning of your pizza stone is crucial to ensure it lasts a long time and continues to produce delicious pizzas. Food particles and oils can build up on the stone, leading to off-putting flavors in your pizzas and a shorter lifespan for the stone. Moreover, a dirty pizza stone can harbor bacteria which can be harmful to your health.

To keep your pizza stone in tip-top shape, it’s important to regularly scrape off any debris, use a stiff brush to scrub it, and wash it with warm water and mild detergent.

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Avoid using soap or harsh chemicals, as they can damage the stone. Remember to dry the stone thoroughly before using it again to prevent cracking. Regular cleaning ensures that your pizza stone will be ready for your next pizza party.

Can I Use Soap on Ooni Pizza Stone?

Not unless you like the flavor of soap in your pizza.

Using soap or detergent to clean a pizza stone should be avoided as it can negatively impact the flavor of your pizzas as well as weaken the structural integrity of the stone over time. Let me explain how:

The porous surface of the stone can absorb the soap, which can ruin the taste of your pizzas.

Soap scum can also accumulate in the microscopic cracks of the cordierite stone and over time, can weaken the structural integrity of the stone. The acidic nature of soaps and detergents can also erode the surface of the stone, which can make it more likely to crack or break.

It’s best to stick to using warm water and a stiff brush or scraper to clean your pizza stone. For stubborn stains, a paste of baking soda and water will do the trick.

That said, the easiest and most effective way to get rid of all the stains and debris on your Ooni oven is to let it heat up at a maximum temp for 30 minutes. Heat will burn most things right off the surface.

Materials Needed for Cleaning Your Ooni Pizza Stone

Here is a list of materials needed for washing off the dirt and stains off your Ooni pizza stone:

• Stiff oven brush or scraper. Alternatively, you can use a plastic spatula
• Damp cloth or sponge
• Baking soda (if needed for tough stains)
• Warm water
• Towels or a clean, dry cloth (to dry the stone after cleaning)

Step-By-Step Guide for Cleaning Your Ooni Pizza Stone

Cleaning your Ooni oven after each use is super important. Not only will it keep your oven working like a charm, but it’ll also keep your pizzas tasting delicious.

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Plus, you’ll be sure that your oven is safe to use the next time you fire it up. So, don’t be lazy, and make sure to give it a quick clean after each cooking session.

Here’s how you can clean your Ooni pizza stone in a couple of easy steps:

1. Most of the time, I just set the temperature to the max and let the stone heat up for around 30 minutes. The heat burns off most of the grime. Then, I allow the oven to cool off and use a scraper to remove the remaining debris. This step gets the job done about 99% of the time.

2. If you don’t have the time or patience to heat-treat the stone for 30 minutes, simply flip it over and start baking. The heat will sterilize the other side, and you won’t have to deal with any downtime.

3. Twice a week, give the stone a gentle wipe with a damp rag after scraping off the debris with a spatula. Then, let it air dry. This should help you get it off the greasiness.

4. Now, for the annoyingly stubborn stains, you need something stronger than a spatula and warm water. Detergent is out of the question. But baking soda isn’t, as it doesn’t mess with the stone’s “natural flavor.” Make a paste of one tablespoon of baking soda and one tablespoon of water.

Put this paste on a wet rag and start scrubbing the stone in a circular motion. You might have to do this for a good few minutes. Now, take a damp cloth and wipe away the paste. Let the stone air dry.

What NOT to Do:

• Rinse the stone with water
• Scrub the surface with soapy water
• Scrub the stone too vigorously

Tips for Maintaining and Prolonging the Life of Your Ooni Pizza Stone

Ooni pizza stones are made of cordierite, which is known to be much sturdier than regular ceramic pizza stones. Nevertheless, they are not invincible. To prolong the lifespan of your pizza stone, I suggest doing the following:

• Let’s start with the obvious: handle the stone with care. It’s not steel, so if you drop it, it will crack.

• Thermal shock is the arch nemesis of pizza stones. So don’t put a cold stone into the hot oven or take it out of the oven immediately after baking. Also, avoid placing cold food on a hot stone. If you are going to use it for reheating frozen pizza or any other food, thaw it first.

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While you can always follow the instructions on the box and bake the pizza directly on the rack, baking it on a stone yields much better results, in my opinion.

• Do not slice the pizza on the stone. The stone may look rugged, but it’s actually more fragile than you think.

• Allow the stone to cool off completely before you make any cleaning attempts.

• Store the stone in a clean and dry place to prevent mold or mildew growth. Make sure the stone is completely dry before you store it.

Related FAQs

How often should you clean a pizza stone?

Ideally, you should clean your pizza stone after each use. This ensures that food particles and oils do not build up on the stone, which can lead to off-flavors in your pizzas and a shorter lifespan for the stone.

How do you clean a pizza stone that is black?

To clean tough black stains from a pizza stone, you can use a paste made of one part baking soda and one part water. To make the paste, mix the baking soda and water in a bowl until it forms a thick paste.

Then, apply the paste to the stains on the pizza stone using a stiff brush or wet rag. Scrub the stains for a few minutes, making sure to get into all the crevices. After scrubbing, wipe the stone with warm water and then dry it with a clean towel.

How to clean a ceramic pizza stone?

Scraping off the stone surface with an oven brush or plastic spatula will remove the debris most of the time. If the dirt is too stubborn, reheat the stone at the highest temp for half an hour. Heat will burn all the dirt and grime off the surface.

In Conclusion

And there you have it, folks, a comprehensive guide on how to keep your Ooni oven looking and working like new.

Remember, regular cleaning is key to maintaining the performance and longevity of your oven, and it’ll ensure that your pizzas always taste delicious.

Keeping an Ooni oven clean is likely the easiest part about using an Ooni oven. A lot of heat and a little scraping will go a long way. Happy baking!