Author Topic: Wood Stone pizza ovens (Read 23964 times)

PizzaBrewer · « **on:** August 09, 2005, 12:19:21 PM »

Anyone have experience with these fancy-looking ovens?

www.woodstone.net

Bill/SFNM · « **Reply #1 on:** August 09, 2005, 12:27:47 PM »

Pizzabrewer:

Are you looking for a pizza oven that actually uses logs as the heat source?

Bill/SFNM

PizzaBrewer · « **Reply #2 on:** August 09, 2005, 12:45:23 PM »

Possibly. Do you know anything about the Wood Stone ovens?

---Guy

Maple1 · « **Reply #3 on:** August 09, 2005, 02:02:00 PM »

Following up on this topic - does anyone have a recommendation for buying a wood burning oven for home use? It would be installed on an outside wall in the kitchen/sunroom.

Thanks

jimd · « **Reply #4 on:** August 09, 2005, 02:07:30 PM »

The only advice I can give is to avoid Golden Embers, which produces ovens out of Australia. Without going into the boring details, I purchased an oven from them last year and the experience was extremely, extremely negative.

Bill/SFNM · « **Reply #5 on:** August 09, 2005, 03:53:14 PM »

Quote from: Maple1 on August 09, 2005, 02:02:00 PM

Following up on this topic - does anyone have a recommendation for buying a wood burning oven for home use? It would be installed on an outside wall in the kitchen/sunroom.

Maple1:
I've owned one of these for over 4 years: http://www.earthstoneovens.com/m90.html

I'm super pleased with it, although if I had it to do again, I would have purchased the larger Model 110. I did investigate other manufacturers at the time, but Earthstone was the most economical and the owner was willing to spend all the time I wanted on the phone helping me almost daily with the installation. Whatever oven you build or buy (you can get them pre-assembled), you really need to understand something I mentioned the other day: your fire management skills will have a major effect on the quality of your pies. You need to know how to start and maintain a fire that cooks the bottom and top of the pizza to perfection - and not just one pizza but many subsequent pizzas if you have the need - which is much easier said than done. I've been learning for about 4 years and the other day all of the stars came together for a fire which produced the best pizza I have ever made.

I've been cooking with fire for a long time, but baking in a wood burning oven has been by far the most challenging. But really worth it!

Bill/SFNM

vitoduke · « **Reply #6 on:** August 09, 2005, 04:44:16 PM »

I just finished installing a Forno Bravo oven. We had our first pizza out of the oven this past week-end and it was fantastic. I used the same Lehmann recipe that I was using in my electric oven and it tasted completly different. The crust was crisp on the outside and had a nice texture inside. It cooked in 2.5 minutes. The oven took about 45 minutes to heat up- I think it was at about 750 degrees. I used a cheap oven thermometer that only went up to 650 and the needle went well beyond that. The following morning the oven was still at 350. I will post pictures next week of some pizza's and the oven. The Forno Bravo website has has all the directions for installing the oven.

Bill/SFNM · « **Reply #7 on:** August 09, 2005, 05:19:46 PM »

Quote from: vitoduke on August 09, 2005, 04:44:16 PM

The oven took about 45 minutes to heat up- I think it was at about 750 degrees.

45 minutes???

I fire mine for 4 hours!!!!!!!!!! Mine must have a much larger thermal mass and/or you must use a much bigger/hotter fire. I think air temperature is not very meaningful when it comes to this type of super-fast cooking. Most of the cooking comes from heat conducted from to deck to the bottom of the pie and radiated from the roof down onto the top of the pie. I use a remote IR thermometer to measure deck temps aiming for around 800F to cook the pie in about 90 seconds. Lately I've been using applewood sawdust to stoke the fire so that the flames arc up the walls and down onto the pie from the dome.

Bill/SFNM

Maple1 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 09, 2005, 05:43:20 PM »

Bill/SFNM and Vitoduke: Thanks for the info. I am in the planning stages for kitchen renovation. I'm thinking a pre-assembled oven built into the outside corner of the kitchen.

PizzaBrewer · « **Reply #9 on:** August 09, 2005, 05:59:58 PM »

Back to the original question in this thread, I'd appreciate any comments, good or bad, about the Wood Stone ovens. I may have the chance to pick one up for a great price.

Thanks!

---Guy

Repguy · « **Reply #10 on:** August 09, 2005, 09:08:27 PM »

Why don't you give them a call. They would be happy to talk to you and answer any questions. 800-988-8103

pizzanapoletana · « **Reply #11 on:** August 12, 2005, 07:33:22 PM »

Quote from: Maple1 on August 09, 2005, 05:43:20 PM

Bill/SFNM and Vitoduke: Thanks for the info. I am in the planning stages for kitchen renovation. I'm thinking a pre-assembled oven built into the outside corner of the kitchen.

This would be the best choice:

www.sfallestimenti.it

Repguy · « **Reply #12 on:** August 12, 2005, 07:56:11 PM »

Just curious, what makes those ovens better than a Wood stone?

pizzanapoletana · « **Reply #13 on:** August 13, 2005, 04:08:27 AM »

The whole lot....

A wood stone oven is a prefabricated type of oven that cannot reach the heat property of an handmade neapolitan oven (clay brick, lime volcanic sand and the secret insulating material), and also the durability (some ovens made in this way in Naples in 1930s are still in use and working).

You cannot simply achieve the cooking property of a neapolitan oven with a prefabricated one.

Ciao

apizza · « **Reply #14 on:** August 13, 2005, 01:53:22 PM »

Pizzabrewer, I don't have wood burning oven and have never used one, but if the right opportunity came along, like a great price, I'd go after it. My problem is where to put it. I think that oven will make a great pizza. I like what I get in my kitchen, but to have an opportunity to learn about that kind of oven would be something I'd have a tough time passing up. It's all part of the quest. I suspect you could sell it if it didn't work out. Just do a temporary set up for now, fire hose at the ready and let her rip.javascript:void(0);

Repguy · « **Reply #15 on:** August 14, 2005, 01:03:57 AM »

Pizza napoleatano,

Can't reach temp? Ever been to Naples 45 in NYC? about 700 degrees in 2 wood stone ovens. Tutta Bella in Seattle, over 700 degrees in a Wood stone oven. What temp are you looking for? Do you personally know of any wood stone ovens that have not held up? The very first oven they ever built is still cooking? Sounds like you don't have all the facts.

PizzaBrewer · « **Reply #16 on:** August 14, 2005, 11:05:05 AM »

Quote from: apizza on August 13, 2005, 01:53:22 PM

Pizzabrewer, I don't have wood burning oven and have never used one, but if the right opportunity came along, like a great price, I'd go after it. My problem is where to put it. I think that oven will make a great pizza. I like what I get in my kitchen, but to have an opportunity to learn about that kind of oven would be something I'd have a tough time passing up. It's all part of the quest. I suspect you could sell it if it didn't work out. Just do a temporary set up for now, fire hose at the ready and let her rip.javascript:void(0);

Apizza: It's a quite large commercial oven, certianly nothing I could set up in my kitchen on a temporary basis! It's in an auction, my only chance at it is if everyone else is scared off by the size and weight. I believe it weighs about 6000 pounds. Of course that scares me too, I don't know how I'd move it. But it's a $40,000 oven, if it's going for $500 or $1000 I don't know that I'd be able to resist.

Repguy: You seem to know a lot about these ovens, can they be disassembled for moving? If not, how do you recommend moving and lifting this monster?

Thanks!

---Guy

Repguy · « **Reply #17 on:** August 14, 2005, 06:38:31 PM »

Pizza Brewer,

If you go to the wood stone website, there is a section on moving the ovens. No they can't be disassembled. You will have to hire someone to move it. Sounds like you are looking at one of the larger ovens, probably a 6 or 7 footer. These ovens have a huge thermal mass. Contrary to what others on this fourm think they know. and will give you tons of even, balanced heat.

apizza · « **Reply #18 on:** August 14, 2005, 07:43:10 PM »

WOW! Pizzabrewer, the oven is cheap, it's the truck you have to buy that's expensive. ( Someday I'll learn how to post a grin face)

PizzaBrewer · « **Reply #19 on:** August 14, 2005, 08:08:13 PM »

Repguy: Thanks for the info. It's a Firedeck #8645, according to the website it's 4,350 lbs. Again, I doubt I'll buy it but if the price is right...