Everything to do with wood

Lighting a fire for the OFYR

A good OFYR fire does not start with lighting it, but with choosing the right wood. In Switzerland, we have the best conditions for this: almost every municipality has its own forest areas, often with the possibility of obtaining locally felled firewood. Short distances, familiar origins, matching the landscape in which cooking takes place. Those who use their OFYR regularly are usually best off using local wood.

At the same time, there are situations where ready-prepared wood makes sense: when there is little time, when consistent quality is required, or when the wood is also intended to be a visual part of the outdoor space. For this case, we at OFYR Switzerland stock high-quality firewood from Austria – cleanly dried, cut to a stable shape and ready for immediate use.

Not all wood is the same

Well-dried hardwoods are particularly suitable for cooking on the OFYR. They burn hot and evenly and form stable embers – crucial for controllable heat on the grill plate.

Beech

The classic choice. Beech wood burns quietly, with few sparks, develops an even glow and is versatile – from lighting the fire to longer cooking. Ideal when constant temperatures are required.

Cherry

Rarer, denser and also visually distinctive. Cherry wood burns very cleanly, with fine embers and a slightly green-blue flame colour. It is ideal for longer sessions and for those who also see fire as a design element.

 

Important for both types of wood: the moisture content. Kiln-dried wood with very low residual moisture is easier to light, smokes less and provides predictable heat – a real advantage when cooking.

Roll or pallet – what suits your everyday life?

Wood rolls (25 cm)

Conveniently portioned, easy to store and ideal for spontaneous evenings. Depending on the weather and fire intensity, a roll of beech or cherry provides about 2–3 hours of even heat on an OFYR 100.

 

Pallets

For those who cook outdoors regularly or use their OFYR commercially. Pallets offer a clean seasonal supply, evenly cut logs and consistent quality over many hours of burning.

Lighting, adding fuel, and controlling

A good fire thrives on structure. Thin kindling, neatly split, makes starting the fire much easier. Instead of an axe and splitting block, a safe wood splitter has proven its worth, where the wood is split from above with a hammer – controlled, precise and with a significantly lower risk of injury.

A large firewood bag is useful for transporting and measuring the right amount of wood for the fire. As a guideline:

• OFYR 75: approx 1 bag for one evening
• OFYR 85: approx. 1½ bags for one evening of cooking
• OFYR 100: approx. 2 bags

This keeps the wood dry, ready to hand and makes the process relaxed.

Storing wood – functional and visible

Anyone who cooks outdoors knows that wood is always there. And it should be stored that way too.

Wood racks create order and structure in outdoor spaces. Tools and accessories can be stored out of sight, and the wood remains ventilated and dry.

Sideboards with wood storage combine storage space, work surface and wood storage – compact and functional.

Butcher blocks with wood storage offer additional work surface for those who want to prepare several courses and work directly over the fire. Ceramic surfaces are weather-resistant and can be used all year.

Wood thus becomes not only fuel, but also part of the design. Whether from your own community forest or ready-prepared from Austria: the key thing is that the wood is suitable for cooking. Well dried, cleanly cut and properly stored, it makes the difference between a fire that simply burns and one that is a pleasure to work with. An OFYR thrives on fire. And good fire always starts with good wood.