Easiest DIY outdoor pizza oven ?

[canadianbacon]

Hi guys,

I'm just wondering if anyone can steer me in the correct direction...... I just moved, and now have a lot more property than I once did, and am thinking of building a simple
outdoor pizza oven next spring.

That said, I don't know how to go about it, build it, materials needed etc.  I want to keep it simple, in terms of build,
and easy on my wallet ( not too expensive ) ( don't want to spend $800 on it if possible sort of thing )

I am thinking that the best way would be to have the fire area and the pizza area in the same place, i.e. firewood goes on the left and pizza slides in over to the
right.....

I'm guessing that having the fire area below the pizza area would not be great, as a 3 inch brick or whatever the brick used would just kill off most of the heat, meaning that much heat
would be lost because of traveling through such a large ( thick ) brick.

Anyway, if anyone can get me going in the right direction, either on this thread, or perhaps a great thread already posted, I'd very much appreciated.

Admin: if this post is in the incorrect forum, please place it where it would get more views, and I appreciate that in advance.

Thanks very much everyone !

[c0mpl3x]

cut a 55gal drum in half and make it a WFO

[canadianbacon]

I'm thinking more along the lines of brick, mortar, and basic design though, but thanks for the input.

[c0mpl3x]

I'm thinking more along the lines of brick, mortar, and basic design though, but thanks for the input.

you said easy on the wallet 

[buceriasdon]

A variety of ideas on the internet such as: http://small-scale.net/yearofmud/2009/09/12/build-your-own-20-outdoor-cob-oven-for-great-bread-and-pizza/
it's a tad small but shows with ingenuity what can be built.
Don

[Jet_deck]

http://www.sunset.com/garden/backyard-projects/project-sunsets-classic-adobe-oven-00400000012056/

From Don also.

[Ronzo]

I'll be watching this thread closely. I LOVE the cob oven.

[canadianbacon]

Hi guys,

hey thanks for the links ! great stuff.

anyone else ? keep going, this could be a very good thread.

[Tscarborough]

The question is not how much it will cost, it is how long do you want it to last, and how efficient do you want it to be.  If all you want is 500 degrees, then stick with your kitchen oven and buy a couple of stones.  If you want high heat, high efficiency, and for it to last, then you are going to either have to scavenge or pay.

What are your exact criteria?

[canadianbacon]

you are correct, I want something that will last, my budget is about $900.

I'm pretty darn sure you can build one of brick, mortar for that price.

So, with that said, what you got me me Tscarborough ? I'm anxious to see.

I'm flexible, I honestly don't like the mud thing though, it's neat but I wouldn't do it.  I was thinking brick, maybe steel in some areas if needed.

if you have pictures to share of yours, I'm sure many of us would be happy to see them.

The question is not how much it will cost, it is how long do you want it to last, and how efficient do you want it to be.  If all you want is 500 degrees, then stick with your kitchen oven and buy a couple of stones.  If you want high heat, high efficiency, and for it to last, then you are going to either have to scavenge or pay.

What are your exact criteria?

[Tscarborough]

Mine cost almost nothing, but I work in the industry and scavenged for about 5 years to gather what I needed.  Here is what I calculated on another board for the Central Texas area for the oven itself.

"Just for comparison and informational purposes, I priced everything needed for the Forno Bravo 42" off of their plans. This is from the hearth slab up, including perlite for the hearth insulation through the perlite insulation for the dome, but does not include any dome finishes or the stand. This is the working part of the oven, the guts as it were.

Total, Plus tax=$587.55"

Note that that does not include the stand, the hearth slab or how you finish the dome decoratively and structurally.

My oven is built to my plans and specifications:  http://brokebrick.com/outdoorkitchen.htm

[buceriasdon]

http://www.fornobravo.com/pompeii_oven/pompeii_oven.html

[Tscarborough]

Those are the best plans available for the typical homeowner, for certain, Buceriasdon, and are the ones my pricing was based upon.

[canadianbacon]

your pics ?

wow, I'm impressed... this is EXACTLY along the lines I want to build.  Sweet looking oven.

I can't tell from the images but I am *assuming* that you burn your wood in the top area, along the side ? ... and the pizza slides in either in the middle or on the other side ?

Not quite sure, but it seems to be that way..... is that correct ?

You did some nice work there, very nicely done.  Those images make me want to build one tomorrow.

Thanks for your input.

Mine cost almost nothing, but I work in the industry and scavenged for about 5 years to gather what I needed.  Here is what I calculated on another board for the Central Texas area for the oven itself.

"Just for comparison and informational purposes, I priced everything needed for the Forno Bravo 42" off of their plans. This is from the hearth slab up, including perlite for the hearth insulation through the perlite insulation for the dome, but does not include any dome finishes or the stand. This is the working part of the oven, the guts as it were.

Total, Plus tax=$587.55"

Note that that does not include the stand, the hearth slab or how you finish the dome decoratively and structurally.

My oven is built to my plans and specifications:  http://brokebrick.com/outdoorkitchen.htm

[buceriasdon]

yep, When I build my next house here in Mexico those are the plans I'm using.
Don

Those are the best plans available for the typical homeowner, for certain, Buceriasdon, and are the ones my pricing was based upon.

[Tscarborough]

In a Wood Fired Oven, you burn the wood IN the oven.  After you get enough heat into the oven (I burn about 2 cubic foot of oak in an hour and a half), you remove the ashes, push some coals to the side and feed in small (1-2") logs to keep some heat going and to provide some light.  The oven is ready when all the soot inside burns off, meaning the walls and ceiling are 900+ degrees, and the hearth is 750+.  So long as you feed the side-fire, you can pump out 1-3 minute pizzas for hours.  Provided, of course, that you built the oven correctly.

Mine is a barrel vault oven, not a round oven like the Forno Bravo plans, but for general use I recommend the Pompeii (round) design.  I built my oven in part so that I could explore building a Timbrel vault.  Pizza  was a bonus, since I have been doing kitchen oven pizza all my life.  It also cooks great bread, stews, ribs, roasts, and is a great dehydrator.  It takes 4 to 5 days to reach ambient temperature from the hour and a half initial firing.

[carbon]

Cost wise, had I used perlcrete or vermicrete for insulation instead of the costly ceramic blankets and boards I could have easily brought the cost of my oven build down to well under a grand.  Another expensive component of the build is the stainless steel insulated flue, although there are other less expensive alternatives around that as well which I used.