trying to figure out the best wfo for experimental backyard usage...

[fightingirish23]

Up until now i've been cooking all my pies on my cleaning cycle in my home oven.  And i've finally got it down somewhat i think, lol.  So i think i'm ready to bite the bullet and buy a brick oven.  I'm just trying to figure out which would be the best one, most cost efficient and typical for backyard use.  Is forno bravo the way to go? Earthstone?  Those are the only two that i really know of for residential use.  I know Bill/sfnm uses the earthstone model 90, maybe he can chime in?  On how efficient and costly it is?  Any info is appreciated.

thanks

sean

[Bill/SFNM]

Sean,

I selected the Earthstone about 9 years ago when there were fewer alternatives. IIRC, Earthstone and Mugnaini were the only ones I considered. I am crazy about my oven, but I don't really have any basis of comparison. If I were starting over today, I would include on my list the oven sold by marco and the one built by pftaylor, depending on your requirements and budget.

The efficiency and cost of cooking with wood has a lot to do with how much thermal mass you are trying to heat and how much is lost during the firing and baking. This may have more to do with your particular installation and construction than the basic components sold by the manufacturer. FWIW, I over-built my with more mass and insulation than called for by the manufacturer. As a result, it takes more fuel to bring up to temp, but stays hot longer. So it is less efficient and more expensive to operate if you are baking a small number of batches, but more efficient and less expensive for larger batches. I try to maximize efficiency by cooking multiple meals (breads, roasts, etc.) from a single firing.

Bill/SFNM

[trosenberg]

After spending countless hours on the Forno Bravo site I decided to have a brick oven built from the specs available on that site.  I had some very talented masons build a beautiful brick oven.  I am very happy with it but it is the only wfo I have ever had so??? I think that I would opt for a little lower dome if I had to do it again.  I also feel that one of the cast ovens like PF Taylor's probably performs a bit better, but it is hard to beat old fashioned fire brick for looks.  If you are handy or can get a good mason to work reasonably I would encourage you to compute the costs of a brick oven built on site, it may be your best bet .

[AZ-Buckeye]

I have the Mugnaini Medio 110 model (42 inch diameter).  Like the others, I have nothing to compare it to -- but I'm very satisfied.  Takes about 1 1/2 hrs to bring it up to pizza temp (2 hours if I'm going to be making more than a few pizzas).  Mugnaini offered a one day cooking class free of charge with the oven and it was well worth the trip to California.

Besides the cost of the oven, I think we spent another $2000 on building the outside, stone work and venting (which can be quite expensive).

Don't think I could live without my wood fired oven now.

[ERASMO]

I own the Primavera 60 from Forno Bravo which I have had great luck with.  I mostly cook pizza on Friday nights for the family and although it is a small oven it performs very well.  I also bake bread from time to time and I fit four small loaves in at a time.  I can usually get two bread bakings out of a good firing.  Thats another nice thing about this small oven--I am up to pizza temp in less than one hour.  Forno Bravo now has a Primavera 70 which is a larger version.  It is not on the website yet but I am sure you could get some info if you contact them.

[JConk007]

FI,
I assume you got my PM?
I also have the same as bill/sfnm the eartstone 90 I would have gone 1 size bigger if I did it again. The red fornos just appear a bit thinner and weigh a bit less than the Earthstone, that was my deciding factor the thermal mass and retention.
As bill mentions over build it for sure. Recipe calls for 6 inches perlite insulation over dome of insulation I have in places over 1 foot!
Thats why its som much fun the next day! is still at 400 + degrees for cooking???
The option to built one with fire brick is very reasonable if you are handy.
I would be very curious to see Trosenburgs invoice having a "professional" mason do it?
My original quote in the landscapers budget was 25K for the oven. OUCH at that point I just went for it myself. I am not a mason but was able to get it done very reasonably all by my lonesome.