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Wood Fired Pizza Oven


Bigrig1919

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I want to build a wood Fired Pizza oven in my back yard. I'm having trouble finding someone to build it for me. I have researched the ovens for a year and downloaded a 68 page instruction booklet for the oven I want built.

The problem I'm having is, I can find many WF ovens in the area and plenty of brick, concrete masons here. But, none of them know how to insulate the base or sides to reach the Temp. I want.

Also, if the oven is not insulated properly , it will not retain the heat. I've shown the instruction book to several people and even though they can speak good English , they cannot read an English book.

I want my oven to reach 700 degrees in 45 min and retain most of the heat overnight.

Is anyone else in the area interest in WF ovens and/ or have info on who could build it?

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Go visit the nice folks at Foccacia restaurant just east of San Juan Tecomatlan. He just built (or had built) a new oven he uses for the wonderful pizza they make there. I am sure he would love to show it to you and let you know who could build you one.

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I want to build a wood Fired Pizza oven in my back yard. I'm having trouble finding someone to build it for me. I have researched the ovens for a year and downloaded a 68 page instruction booklet for the oven I want built.

The problem I'm having is, I can find many WF ovens in the area and plenty of brick, concrete masons here. But, none of them know how to insulate the base or sides to reach the Temp. I want.

Also, if the oven is not insulated properly , it will not retain the heat. I've shown the instruction book to several people and even though they can speak good English , they cannot read an English book.

I want my oven to reach 700 degrees in 45 min and retain most of the heat overnight.

Is anyone else in the area interest in WF ovens and/ or have info on who could build it?

Save yourself a drive and go to GIARDINO Italian Restaurant on the main drag of Chapala. It is on the West side of Madero.

They have two of them. Perhaps they would tell you where to go to have one made.

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700 degrees, wow that is kind of hot, I worked in the Pizza business for 10 years and we always ran our ovens at 500 degrees, I do not know nothing about Wood FIre though.

I'm not an expert in WF ovens. Never owned one, never built one and have never cooked in one, but I've read about 50 articles and 7-8 books on WF ovens. I'm also subscribed to 4-5 WF blogs.

A good WF oven will heat up to 700 degrees in about 45 min and cook a med pizza in under two min. The important part is having A "GOOD WF oven". They need to be insulated properly so you are not heating the concrete base with your fire and heat is not escaping thru the dome. The chimney needs to be placed so that it draws air properly. This will keep the fire burning. When I visit a WF pizza place, I carry my IR laser Temp gauge with me ( cost about $25 in US) I can measure the temp in various parts of the oven floor.

It's surprising to me the number of pizza cooks here that have no idea of their oven temp, heat up time,etc. I've found some ovens in the area that are under 200 degrees when they put my pizza in to bake. The quality shows

But, a lot of them turn out great pizzas.

Bottom line is, I'm hoping to find someone that really knows WF ovens and how to build one.

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Do you need a "fire brick" like a pottery kiln ?? Not sure the regular house brick would work. Can you still buy asbestos in any form that would work

You need fire brick for the cooking floor and the dome. My plans call for a 2 inch thick FB board for insulation under the cooking floor and a FB mat over the dome.

I have no idea what FB board is, but in the US, my plans say you can get it at Home Depot

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Talk to Christian and Cassie at Giovani's on the Careterra near Rio Bravo in West Ajijic. They ran The Junky Munky Pizza Place which recently closed and they had a wood fired oven custom built. They closed the Pizza place recently, not sure what happened to the oven but they would certainly be a good source of info.

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Check out masonry heaters / masonry stoves. They burn a very small amount of wood in a short time, some include an oven above that gets very hot for a short time that works for baking bread etc. The bricks retain the rest of the heat for 12-16 hours and slowly release it. There are guys around who build these, but usually the main purpose is to heat a home in the cold parts of the year. The oven is an added plus.

Try calling Ing. Abelardo Romero, Director General of Equipos y Refractorios Aro, SA

Vía Gustavo Baz No. 347 "C" Naucalpan, Estado de México C.P. 53130

Teléfonos: 5393-9468, 5393-8834, 5393-9482, 5393-9484

They are geared more towards foundries but sell everything you would need to build your oven - the bricks, the mortar, the base and insulation. He may also know albaniles who really know how to build these heaters. Last I heard, it cost about 15,000 pesos to build one.

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Talk to Christian and Cassie at Giovani's on the Careterra near Rio Bravo in West Ajijic. They ran The Junky Munky Pizza Place which recently closed and they had a wood fired oven custom built. They closed the Pizza place recently, not sure what happened to the oven but they would certainly be a good source of info.

The last pizza we had there, about 3 weeks ago, was terrible - when I asked why, it turns out they had cooked it "a la plancha" - on a griddle, not in an oven. Supposedly their oven broke down. I'd call that grounds for closing, not putting out lousy pizzas that are uncooked on top and burnt on the bottom.

Bigrig, if you get your oven, I hope you open a restaurant whether vegan or not just so the town can finally have good pizza.

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The last pizza we had there, about 3 weeks ago, was terrible - when I asked why, it turns out they had cooked it "a la plancha" - on a griddle, not in an oven. Supposedly their oven broke down. I'd call that grounds for closing, not putting out lousy pizzas that are uncooked on top and burnt on the bottom.

Bigrig, if you get your oven, I hope you open a restaurant whether vegan or not just so the town can finally have good pizza.

Canamex

I'm to old and Lazy to open a Pizza Resturant , but when I get my WF oven finished, I will invite you over to one of my Pizza Parties.

My wife and I (plus some friends) think I make the best Pizza in Lakeside. Of course, not everyone likes the same type of pizza. I've been in some pizza res with friends and they rave about the pizza and I hate it. And, visa versa, I sometimes love a pizza and friends hate it. That's what I like about baking your own. You can make it the way you want it.

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Canamex

I'm to old and Lazy to open a Pizza Resturant , but when I get my WF oven finished, I will invite you over to one of my Pizza Parties.

My wife and I (plus some friends) think I make the best Pizza in Lakeside. Of course, not everyone likes the same type of pizza. I've been in some pizza res with friends and they rave about the pizza and I hate it. And, visa versa, I sometimes love a pizza and friends hate it. That's what I like about baking your own. You can make it the way you want it.

I would love to be placed on your guest list. I'm interested in a WF oven but it wouldn't be worth making one here just for our home use.

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  • 10 months later...

Did the oven get built Bigrig1919? I'd like a wf oven. It'd be fun to have a pizza "throw down." Although I'd be crushed if I didn't win. :D I've been told that my pizza is the best pizza people have ever tasted. That's just what they say and perhaps have never eaten a homemade pizza before but I just need that wood fire oven to perfect it. ;0)

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No, no, noooo that would never do...If you don't get it, that's alright but those of us who take the time to make pizza from scratch, desire the flavor and perfect crust do. I'm like a kid at Christmas about this...been talking about it for a couple of years. I don't think the smallest capacity will do it for us.

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I have a cast iron oven door, cast by the Amish.

https://www.lehmans.com/p-2317-dutch-oven-left-door-for-building-your-own-brick-dutch-oven.aspx

I also have the "Bread Builders" book on the same page. This is an depth, scientifically detailed, study about baking bread (and pizza). It is also the most in depth book on building ovens and stoves. Most of the materials are available here - the perlite or vermiculite insulation is available from "Garden Center" for example.

I was going to build an insulated door and use the metal door for the ash pit. I used to have an electric pizza cooker but it never produced much except a lot of smoke.

Make an offer. I am more interested in stir fry and grilling now, using our Thai Bucket Stove.

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