What do you need to know about cooking outdoors with wood?

Lots of things! Pizza, bread, gratins, steaks and slow cooker - basically everything you can do in a regular oven. But Faster Greta is not only a baking oven, the lower part is also a grill. So when the fire has burned down, you simply push in the included grill grate and take care of the embers!

It depends on what to cook, but we usually say about an hour to get up to a good pizza temperature. There are also nice thermometers to buy that you can set in the oven part if you want a detailed check of the heat.

Faster Greta is made to stand free outdoors. We have many customers who use it on the terrace, but it is at your own risk. If you place it on the terrace, you should think about laying paving stones or concrete slabs underneath (4 pcs 50x50cm), and always have it well insulated around Faster Greta as it emits radiant heat, on all sides. Common sense and caution should prevail.

Yes, it works really well!

Much more. Faster Greta is really a wood-fired all-round oven. Bread, focaccia, gratins, whole roast chicken, root vegetables, even dessert. Anything that works in a regular oven works here, with the addition of wood smoke flavour.

The key is to use the oven's temperature curve. Pizza first, at the highest heat. Then bread and gratins when the temperature has dropped to 200 to 250 degrees. Finally slow cooking and drying in the residual heat. One firing session can provide food for the whole day.

It works great as a fireplace! Start by removing both doors before firing. Sitting around a crackling fire with good friends on a cold autumn evening is magical. With our baking oven Faster Greta, there will simply be more time for outdoor enjoyment in autumn and winter.

No, on the contrary. Because it is made of corten steel, it can withstand being outside all year round, in all kinds of weather. The only thing you basically need to do is empty the stove part from coal and soot a little now and then, and brush the stones in the oven part with a wire brush when they get dirty.

It is not difficult, but it requires two people. The first thing you do is remove all loose parts - doors, stones, plates, etc. Then you lift it in the round bars that sit on each side. Once the corten steel has gained its patina, it colors easily, so wear clothes that are durable.

Yes! Lillhälla comes with a grill grate that sits on top of the fire pit. This makes it perfect for simple outdoor grilling:

• Light the fire and let it burn down to embers before placing the grill grate on top
• You can use both firewood and charcoal – charcoal gives more even heat for grilling
• The grate is made of stainless steel and withstands high temperatures
• Perfect for sausages, burgers, vegetables and other food grilled directly over embers

Clean the grill grate with a wire brush while it is still warm – food residue comes off most easily then. Lillhälla is fundamentally a fire pit, but the grill grate turns it into a practical combination of ambience fire and cooking.

About 3-4 times a year. It depends on the climate where you live, so you have to keep an eye on it.

Brush the oven with rapeseed oil or raw linseed oil (raw linseed oil can be a bit stickier than rapeseed oil). When you have oiled it, you heat up the oven so that the oil etches on. Then it will become like a film on the steel.

If you do not use Faster Greta for a longer period, you can wrap the oven in a tarpaulin.

Starting a fire in Lillhälla is simple, but the right technique gives a better fire experience:

• Lighting: Start with newspaper or firelighters at the bottom, add kindling on top, then smaller pieces of firewood. Light from below
• Firewood: Use dry, split wood for best results. Birch, oak and beech produce fine embers. Avoid softwood if you do not want lots of sparks
• Charcoal: If you want even grilling heat, you can use charcoal instead. Light with firelighters or a charcoal starter
• Wood size: Lillhälla has a diameter of about 45 cm – split the wood into suitable pieces that fit without sticking out over the edge

Do not overfill the fire pit – give the fire room to breathe. A moderate amount of wood that burns well produces more heat and comfort than an overstuffed fire pit that smokes.

The temperature in Faster Greta is controlled by the airflow through the firebox door and the chimney hat:

• Firebox door: The wider you open the door, the more air enters and the hotter the fire burns. Close it almost completely to lower the temperature and save firewood.
• Ashtray: Flip the ashtray upside down if you want even more airflow from below – this creates a more intense burn.
• Chimney hat: Open the chimney hat fully for maximum draught. Close it partially to slow down heat loss through the chimney.

A good tip is to fire up the oven with the door and chimney open, then close them down once you have reached your desired temperature. Use an oven thermometer for precise control.

Heat the oven to 300 to 400 degrees. In the Faster Greta it takes roughly 45 to 60 minutes. Flour the pizza stone well. Roll thin bases. They bake in two to four minutes. Rotate the pizza halfway. Have all your ingredients ready before you start, close to the oven. It should go fast once the oven is hot. The wood smoke gives the pizza a flavour no regular oven can match. That is the real difference.

Faster Greta has built-in smoke channels on the sides that you can use to infuse your food with a delicious smoky flavour:

• Open the smoke channels (the small hatches on the sides of the oven) so that smoke is directed into the oven chamber
• Partially close the chimney hat to force the smoke to linger longer in the oven space
• The combination of open smoke channels and a half-closed chimney gives the best smoke effect

Keep in mind that smoking works best at lower temperatures – use wood that produces good smoke, such as fruit woods like apple or cherry. Experiment with how much you open the smoke channels to find the flavour you prefer.

Wood-fired ovens like Faster Greta are excellent for bread. Bake at a lower temperature than pizza, around 200 to 250 degrees. Heat the oven first and let it come down to the right level. Sourdough, focaccia, flatbread, everything gets its own character from the wood smoke. Place a bowl of water inside for steam, it gives a crisp crust. Allow 30 to 45 minutes depending on size.

The pizza stone is an accessory that sits on top of the built-in stones in the oven section. It protects the stones underneath and provides even heat for a perfect pizza base:

• Oil the pizza stone with cooking oil before first use
• Place the stone in the oven section on top of the existing stones
• Fire up the oven to a high temperature – for pizza you want at least 300–400°C
• For maximum temperature, you can remove the heat shield (the metal plate between the firebox and the oven) – this allows heat to radiate directly up towards the pizza stone

The pizza stone retains heat well, so you can bake several pizzas in a row. Brush the stone with a wire brush after use.

More than you might think. Lillhälla works for most things. Grill directly on the grate. Fry in a cast iron pan. Cook in a pot. Roast marshmallows with the kids. Meat, fish, vegetables, it all turns out well. The best tip is to use embers rather than open flame. Embers give more even heat and better control. Patience always pays off over an open fire.

Yes! Faster Greta comes with an oven tray that lets you cook on two levels at the same time in the oven section:

• The lower level is the stones – perfect for bread, pizza and gratins that need direct contact heat from below
• The upper level is the oven tray – great for side dishes, desserts or extra portions
• Oil the oven tray with cooking oil before first use so food does not stick

Keep in mind that the lower level is hotter than the upper one, so plan your cooking accordingly. By using both levels you can prepare a full dinner for the group all at once.

Beyond regular cleaning (emptying ash and brushing stones), Faster Greta needs a more thorough clean from time to time – especially if you notice heavy soot build-up:

Remove the heat shield

• The heat shield sits between the firebox and the oven section. It can become stuck due to soot and heat
• Use a wedge and hammer to carefully loosen it if it is stuck
• Lift out the heat shield and brush it clean with a wire brush

Clean behind the heat shield

• With the heat shield removed, you can access and scrape away soot deposits from the inside
• Brush around the smoke channels on the sides
• Check that nothing is blocking the airflow

Clean under the firebox

• Remove the bottom plate under the firebox
• Brush away ash and soot that has collected beneath the grate
• Reassemble everything in reverse order

We recommend this type of thorough cleaning at least once per season, or more often if you use the oven frequently.

Faster Greta gets very hot during use. Follow these safety guidelines for safe operation:

• Children: Always supervise children near the oven. All exterior surfaces become hot during firing
• Hot surfaces: Always use oven mitts or heat-resistant gloves when handling doors, trays and grill grates
• Water bucket: Always keep a bucket of water nearby as a safety precaution
• Combustible materials: Maintain at least 1 metre distance to combustible materials around the oven
• Ash disposal: Empty ash into a metal bucket – never into a plastic bucket or waste bin. Ash can remain hot for several days
• Surface: Place the oven on a non-combustible surface such as concrete slabs or paving stones

Use common sense and never leave a burning oven unattended.