An electric pizza oven is different from a conventional one. The special design ensures uniform and complete baking of the product. It must be taken into account that, unlike a regular pie, pizza requires the highest possible temperature and a short time. Normally, it is 3-5 minutes and the temperature is 300-450 degrees.
The electric pizza oven is a design with an oven (chambers) optimally adapted for baking pizza. There is a pallet or a special hearth stone in the chamber, which allows using a higher temperature (some models can be heated up to 450-500 degrees using heating elements on both sides of the stone).
An example of an electric pizza oven
Advantages and disadvantages
Electric models have better performance properties, they are more convenient to use, they are more economical.
Of the advantages of electrical structures, it should be noted:
- high performance;
- availability of extended functionality;
- the ability to fine-tune the cooking time;
- the presence of heating elements in the upper part of the structure;
- compact dimensions.
Of the minuses, it is worth noting:
- high cost of construction;
- the need for wiring with the required power.
Expert opinion
Pavel Kruglov
Baker with 25 years of experience
For cafes and pizzerias, electric models are also most often used, providing greater productivity. But in some cases, wood-burning ones are used, which are considered more “natural” for the manufacture of such a product than gas or electric ones.
Purpose of the furnace
An electric pizza oven can vary in purpose, compact models are used for home use, large-sized and high-performance ones are used for catering establishments, pizzerias, and small cafes. The functionality of such ovens is almost the same, but parameters such as power, performance, number of ovens, and additional functions differ.
For home
Household models are more compact in size and reduced performance. Usually these are models for baking only one pizza at a time, the operation is simple and convenient. Some furnaces are equipped with electronic control systems, pre-installed programs.
4-5 minutes are enough for baking, heating can be 300-500 degrees, it all depends on the model and type of oven. Some models can be used for baking other baked goods, reheating ready meals, roasting meat or dishes.
Mini oven
Industrial
Industrial models are different from household ones, they are designed to cook pizza in large volumes. Most often, these are powerful conveyor ovens that allow you to bake from 12 pizzas per hour. The functionality is expanded, most often such ovens are equipped with additional features, including cooking other dishes, fine-tuning modes, setting the speed of movement of pallets.
professional oven
The sizes of such ovens are large, many of them are designed for floor placement, but there are also desktop ovens. Many of them are electric, available in operation, control is most often electronic (button or touch), but there are models with simple mechanical controls.
Why do you need an electric pizza oven?
For homeFor business
How to choose?
When choosing an electric pizza oven, you need to pay attention to the type of construction that can be equipped with a hearth stone or a conveyor (tunnel or disk).
Classic conveyor units provide excellent cooking results without the need for special experience. With the help of such ovens, you can cook not only pizza, but also other products; many models are equipped with electronic controls with installed programs for setting the required mode. The power of the equipment is 15-30 kW (for household models it is much lower), the baking temperature is on average 300-350 degrees, the cooking time is 3-5 minutes.
When choosing a device for baking, you must immediately decide on the following parameters:
- type (industrial or for domestic use);
- power;
- performance;
- cooking temperature, the presence of a temperature change controller;
- the presence of a regulator of baking time;
- the presence of extended functionality, the possibility of baking other products;
- the presence of a glass door for visual control of cooking.
When choosing hearth ovens, you need to pay attention to the following parameters:
- number of ovens;
- type of stone (natural or special ceramics);
- temperature level (the standard value is 450-500 degrees);
- the presence of mechanical or electronic control of temperature and heating time;
- furnace power;
- performance.
Overview of popular models
When choosing an electric pizza oven, it is recommended to pay attention to performance, control type, design dimensions, which will make it possible to select the model as accurately as possible. Among the most popular pizza ovens are the following:
| Model | Characteristics | Performance | Price |
| EDMP-2 KP mini | Mini-oven for the home, power 2 kW, there is a chamber with two trays, mechanical adjustment, maximum temperature 350 degrees, a hearth stone is used for cooking | Simultaneous cooking of two pizzas with a diameter of 32 cm, cooking time 5-7 minutes | From 23 thousand rubles |
| EDMP-1 KP | Hearth single-chamber design, power 3.4 kW, mechanical control | Preparation of one pizza with a diameter of 32 cm, cooking time 5-10 minutes | From 16 thousand rubles |
| EDMP-1 KP (2 sections) | Hearth two-chamber modification, power 6.8 kW, mechanical control | Preparation of two pizzas with a diameter of 32 cm, cooking time 5-10 minutes | From 33 thousand rubles |
| Apach AMS1 ECO | Household model with a power of 1.75 kW, a maximum temperature of 350 degrees, mechanical control | Cooking only one pizza at a time | — |
| ITPIZZA MD1 | The oven for use in public catering, has mechanical control, doors with quartz glass, chambers with illumination, (there are models with electronic control) | Simultaneous cooking of two pizzas | — |
| Gastrorag EPZ-04 | Compact portable oven with timer and mechanical control, mesh tray, maximum temperature 300 degrees | Mesh tray, cooking only one pizza at a time. | — |
Features of care and operation
Caring for ovens is very simple, but be aware of the presence of crumbs and residues of other products. After each use, the oven is cleaned, the trays must be washed and dried. Some designs are equipped with easily removable crumb trays, dismantled doors and removable glass, which facilitates the operation of the oven.
The use of any model of the oven is also not difficult, if there is a mechanical control, you just need to set the temperature and other parameters using the knobs for this. Electronic control provides great functionality, here you can set an individual temperature, baking time.
Some models can be used for cooking other products, for which various pre-installed programs are available, which are controlled using a convenient panel.
Recently, the popularity of the so-called "Pompeian oven" or pizza oven has been growing, as it is very easy to do it yourself. We use this oven not only for baking pizza, but also for homemade bread. In addition, it can make various dishes, pastries, meat dishes.
The design of the oven is such that it warms up to the desired temperature very quickly, faster than a Russian oven. And it keeps warm for a long time. You can bake in it using different modes: cooking during the heating period of the oven, cooking with active burning of firewood, as well as using residual heat.
Pompeii stove and its place in our life
The most common place for its placement is in the garden, in the open air. Such a stove can be placed separately or be part of a barbecue garden complex. In combination with a gazebo, the stove becomes a beautiful element of the landscape and a favorite place for family and friends to relax. By applying various types of stove decoration, you can get a stylish decoration for a homestead plot.
Despite the fact that the pizza oven is mainly considered as an option for placement on the site of a country house or cottage, it can also be installed indoors by making an appropriate foundation for it and the correct chimney. But now we will consider the classic version of the Pompeii oven in the open air. The construction of such a furnace is quite realistic in our conditions, because. All materials are sold in hardware stores.
It should be said right away that the construction of such a furnace is not a quick, labor-intensive, and expensive business. But those who love fresh homemade cakes cooked in an authentic home oven are ready to work hard to have such an oven. And there are more and more such enthusiasts, and they are very pleased with the results of their work. After all, they get delicious homemade bread, real pizza and a real hearth, around which it is always pleasant to spend time in sincere company. And if you carefully study the instructions, then the construction of the Pompeian oven turns out to be not so difficult. In addition, this process is creative and will bring a lot of pleasure, both in the process of the work itself and in the process of “reaping” its fruits.
Technical and financial side of the issue
The rather high cost of such a furnace is due to several factors. The first is that it is made of refractory bricks and this brick is more expensive. But the point is not only the cost of the refractory materials themselves, but the fact that the brick structure has a lot of weight. In order to make it convenient to use the stove, it should be at a height of 80-100 cm. And for this, it is necessary to make a stand on which the stove will be installed. At the same time, the design of this stand turns out to be quite massive, because. it must support the weight of the stove. And at the end of everything, an appropriate foundation is needed for such a massive structure.
But the stand and foundation can be made of any materials. Usually, during construction and repair, there is always a large amount of unclaimed materials and residues (blocks, bricks, rebar, rolled metal, boards, the same cement), perhaps friends and neighbors have them and they don’t know where to put them. Thus, using the leftover materials for the construction of the foundation and stand, you can reduce costs.
Another negative factor is the duration of the furnace construction process. The whole design of the stove consists of the following components: foundation, pedestal, countertop, stove itself. The foundation and countertop will be made in the form of a monolithic reinforced concrete slab. To set and harden concrete, you will have to take technological breaks for at least 5-7 days, and preferably even longer. But, on the other hand, those who come to the site for the weekend can even find a certain advantage in this and engage in construction in stages. You can even prepare a foundation or foundation with a pedestal and countertop in one season, and continue building the stove itself the next summer. Thus, it is possible to divide financial investments into different periods. In addition, the foundation that has stood for the winter will show whether it was correctly made, and the defects that have appeared can be corrected before the laying of the stove begins. This applies to areas with unfavorable conditions for soils and groundwater levels.
It is important to choose the right time for laying the furnace itself. It is advisable to do this in the dry season, so that the brick does not pull on excess moisture, and it will be easier to prepare the oven for thermal operation in the future. During work, it is better to build a canopy over the site, or at least do not forget to cover the oven with foil after work.
How is the Pompeii oven
The Pompeian oven differs in its structure from. They say that it resembles the structure of an ancient Slavic oven. In any case, it has one definite advantage over the Russian oven - it heats up much faster and you can start cooking pizza in it already in the first hour of heating, which is very convenient. This is achieved due to the fact that the Pompeian oven has a less massive thermal mass (a layer of brick that must heat up and give off heat for cooking). In this oven, the layer of heating brick is 12 cm, and it warms up quickly and makes it possible to start baking pizza an hour after the start of the furnace. In 45 minutes, the temperature in the oven rises to 260 degrees, and to 370 after 60 minutes.
Structural scheme
The traditional Pompeian oven consists of the following structural elements:
- foundation;
- stand for the oven, consisting of a pedestal and countertop;
- bake.
The oven itself consists of the following parts:
- under (bottom or floor of the oven);
- vault (dome);
- entrance arch;
- chimney.
The chimney at the Pompeian stove is in front, in front of the stove itself. In this it differs significantly from many other stoves and fireplaces. This is an important element for the correct operation of the oven. The flame of fire rises up along the dome, enveloping and heating the ceiling of the vault. Thus, the heating effect of cooking pizza is achieved both from above and below at the same time, heat is obtained from all sides.
The size and shape of the furnace
The Pompeian oven has varieties. There is the so-called Tuscan type of oven and Neapolitan. The Tuscan type has a higher vault, while the Neapolitan type has a lower one, the Tuscan type of oven vault is more versatile, and the Neapolitan type is good if you are making this oven for pizza - this form is suitable for baking pizza a little more. Also, not all stoves must have a chimney; you can do without it.
The Neapolitan oven has a lower vault
Since many of us make this oven for baking bread, the Tuscan version with a round arch is more suitable for us.
The Tuscan type of stove has a round vault
As mentioned above, the size of the furnace can significantly affect the cost of the structure. The smaller it is, the lighter and cheaper it is, respectively. But there are certain sizes, smaller than which it is not effective to make a pizza oven. The most optimal size is the size of the inner diameter equal to 80-110 cm.
There are also rules that must be observed, tk. if these rules are followed, a furnace with the correct mode of operation is obtained. The oven consists of a spherical vault and an arched entrance for laying firewood into the oven and the pizza itself. The height of this arch is equal to 60% of the height of the dome (or 0.6 of the radius of the dome). The width of the entrance arch is approximately equal to the height of the furnace dome.
The vault of the Pompeian oven is multi-layered. It consists of the following layers:
- inner layer of refractory bricks;
- clay coating;
- the first heat-insulating layer of mineral or basalt wool;
- the second heat-insulating layer of perlite;
- covering the protective layer of cement mortar.
The thickness of each heat-insulating layer can be made equal to 5-10 centimeters. Accordingly, the thicker the heat-insulating layer, the longer the oven retains heat.
The top layer serves to protect the stove from atmospheric action and can therefore be made using any protective and moisture-repellent materials. It is also a decorative layer. You can decorate the oven to your taste. It can be decorative plaster, painting or mosaic.
Materials for laying a wood-fired pizza oven
Refractory materials are used for laying the Pompeian oven: fireclay or oven bricks and oven masonry mortar. You can prepare the masonry mortar yourself from clay with the addition of fireclay or buy ready-made mixtures in the store. It is better not to use cement mortar with the addition of special additives, because. he behaves worse when laying and then leaves marks on it that are poorly washed off, which is completely unacceptable inside the furnace. The best thing is to buy a ready-made mortar - a special masonry mortar for furnaces. For such a stove, SHA-28 is suitable. It can be easily removed from the masonry surface without any traces. Another thing is that when laying a sphere of almost square bricks, fairly wide seams are formed on the outside, which are filled with mortar. And it is important that this solution is special refractory for laying furnaces, which does not crack at high temperatures.
When buying fireclay bricks for masonry, you need to take a brick for laying the inner surface of the furnaces. You do not need to take the front or for the outside, because. all the brick will be inside the furnace and the additional properties of the furnace brick intended for outdoor masonry will not be required here, and such a brick is more expensive. From facing bricks, you can lay out the outer entrance arch, if required by design. But this is not necessary, the temperature in the entrance arch is not so high and therefore nothing will happen to the brick, and the same internal fireclay brick can be used for the entrance arch.
To build a Pompeian oven with your own hands, you will need:
- fireclay bricks - for laying the hearth and arch of the furnace;
- mortar - mortar for laying furnaces;
- basalt or mineral wool - for warming the roof of the furnace;
- perlite - for warming the roof of the furnace and thermal insulation of the hearth from the countertop;
- reinforcing mesh or wire for reinforcing the roof of the furnace;
- reinforcement and reinforcing mesh for reinforcing countertops and foundations;
- metal profiles (beams, corner, pipe), if any are used in the structure;
- chimney pipe;
- formwork boards;
- polyethylene film for formwork and covering of slabs and ovens;
- boards and bars for props;
- brick or other concrete blocks for the podium;
- cement M500 for pouring the foundation and countertops;
- sand for preparing concrete for pouring;
Tools and fixtures:
- grinder with discs for cutting stone;
- or electric water-cooled tile cutter;
- concrete mixer;
- or a drill with a whisk for mixing the solution;
- a hammer;
- chisel;
- mallet (rubber mallet);
- saw;
- protective glasses;
- respirator;
- gloves;
- other tools.
Instructions: making a wood-fired Pompeii pizza oven with your own hands
Options for building a Pompeian oven may differ, because. it depends on the design decision, available materials and sizes of the oven. The instructions will give general recommendations and workflow for the construction of a traditional Pompeii oven.
Consider an example of building a Pompeian oven with your own hands with such basic parameters.
Foundation. The foundation is in the form of a monolithic reinforced concrete slab, 100-200 mm thick.
Stand for oven. The material from which the pedestal is being built is cinder blocks, the size of the cinder blocks is 200x200x400mm. The size of the pedestal in terms of 1200x1200mm. The height of the pedestal is 800mm. The thickness of the monolithic reinforced concrete slab of the tabletop is 100mm. The heat-insulating layer between the stand under the stove and the stove itself is made of fireclay bricks.
Bake. The size of the inner diameter is 840mm. Accordingly, the height of the dome vault inside is 420mm. The first layer of thermal insulation is mineral wool - 2 layers. The second layer of thermal insulation is a cement mortar with the addition of perlite. Perlite can be replaced with vermiculite or expanded clay.
The whole process is conditionally divided into two stages:
Stage 2 - the manufacture of the furnace.
Stage 1. Construction of the stand for the oven.
Step 1. Foundation device. In the place planned for the stove, a hole is dug with a size of 1500x1500mm (100-150mm wider than the size of the pedestal on each side) and a depth of 350mm.
The bottom of the pit is compacted with crushed stone and a sand cushion 200 mm thick is made. Formwork is assembled from the boards. For ease of pouring the concrete mix, a plastic film is laid on the sand.
A reinforcing mesh of rods with a thickness of 8 (12) mm is laid on it. It is necessary to place small supports under the reinforcement so that there is a clearance of 3-5 cm to create a layer of concrete under the reinforcement. The formwork is poured with concrete. The top of the foundation slab is leveled, checked for level. The concrete is wetted with water, covered with a film and left to harden and set for 5-7-10 days.
Step 2. The device of the pedestal. After the concrete has hardened, you can begin to build a stand for the furnace. In this case, it is made of cinder blocks.
We set the blocks with the letter "H". The plan should be a square with sides of 1200mm (3 blocks each 400mm long). The shape of the pedestal in plan can also be in the form of the letter "P". It depends on your decision.
But the advantage of the letter "H" is that the middle wall serves as an additional support for the furnace and thus the load from it is transferred to all structures more or less evenly.
Blocks are placed dry. After installation, the evenness and verticality of their installation is checked. Reinforcement is inserted into the holes so that the blocks do not move when pouring concrete. We fill the holes through one with concrete. After that, you need to let the structure stand for a couple of days to set the concrete.
Step 3. Installation of a monolithic reinforced concrete countertop. Formwork is being made for the countertop. In order for the tabletop to turn out to be the desired size of 1400x1200mm, the formwork must be made 200mm longer in front. Tabletop height 100mm. Moisture-resistant plywood or boards covered with polyethylene can serve as the bottom of the formwork.
Inside, the reinforcement is laid out again on coasters with a gap of 3-5 cm.
In parts where the countertop extends beyond the pedestal, make additional reinforcement.
The formwork is poured with concrete, the surface is leveled, its horizontalness is checked. Next, the countertop is poured with water, covered with a film and left for several days (5-7-10) for the concrete to harden.
This completes the stage of creating a stand for a wood-burning stove.
Pizza oven masonry is discussed in the sequel.
Useful video
Continuation.
The construction of a traditional Pompeian oven is a lengthy process and requires compliance with the sequence of work and maintaining the necessary intervals so that the supporting structures gain the necessary strength. The whole process is conditionally divided into two stages:
- Stage 1 - construction of a stand for the furnace;
- Stage 2 - manufacture of the furnace
Furnace masonry
After the stand for the furnace is built, you need to wait until its supporting structures acquire the necessary strength. A monolithic ceiling, which is also a countertop, must stand for at least 2-3 weeks before the stove can be laid out on it, because. the weight of the furnace is large enough and it is not recommended to install it on damp structures. If the countertop subsequently cracks, then the oven may also crack, because in fact the countertop is the foundation for the oven. Therefore, it does not build to risk the efforts and finances spent on creating the furnace.
Stage 2. Furnace production.
Step 4. The device of a thermally insulating layer between the countertop and the oven and the device of the hearth. The device of a thermally insulating layer between the stand and the oven is necessary in order to cut off the spread of high temperature from the oven along the stand structures and thus save heat in the oven and avoid heat losses. This is an important point in the construction of the furnace and is mandatory. Under - this is the brick bottom of the furnace.
Method 1. A cut-off heat-insulating layer can only be made under the furnace contour. This is the most correct option.
As a thermal insulation layer, use special calcium silicate insulating boards (Super Isol, Silca type) or other similar ones in terms of characteristics.
First, a preliminary layout is made on the countertop (without gluing to the solution) and cutting sheets of thermal insulation and a hearth.
Heat-insulating plates are laid out on the countertop. According to the template, the full contour of the furnace, including the entrance arch, is applied to them. The contour of the furnace is applied along its outer diameter, taking into account all layers of insulation. Sheets of insulation are cut out.
We prepare bricks for the hearth. Since the under is the future working surface of the oven, on which pizza and bread will be baked, the under is laid out from refractory (fireclay bricks). To do this, you need to select the right amount of the most even and smooth bricks, so that the surface of the bottom of the furnace is as even and smooth as possible. Bricks are laid out on the countertop. It is recommended to lay out the bricks in a zigzag pattern so that there are no transverse seams that a shovel can then cling to. Using a template, the outer contour of the furnace is applied to them. The bricks are numbered so that later they can be laid out in the same order. Brick cutting in progress.
After that, you need to once again lay out the sheets of insulation on the countertop, lay the bricks of the hearth on top and make sure that all the elements of the insulation and hearth are cut correctly. Now you can glue the insulation on a thin layer of mortar (you can use any, cement or mortar). Next, the bricks of the hearth are laid out on the mortar. Thermal insulation and under the furnace are ready.
This is the most common way to build a hearth and insulate it. But it has a significant drawback: calcium silicate boards are materials for the industrial production of furnaces. This material has very good characteristics, but at the same time it has a rather high price. In addition, it is not always and everywhere possible to purchase a small amount of this material.
Therefore, thermal insulation can be performed in other ways.
Method 2. Pouring a thermally insulating solution of perlite sand into a specially made hole in a monolithic countertop slab. To do this, first pour a monolithic slab to half the height (100mm). Then they lay out a template for the plan of the furnace and formwork is made along its contour.
The next layer of concrete is poured around the template, another 80-100mm. After the concrete has hardened, the template and formwork are removed.
The resulting cavity is filled with a heat-insulating mixture of perlite sand or expanded clay and cement.
Method 3. Thermal insulation layer of perlite and refractory bricks under the furnace in a monolithic tabletop. This method is a variation of the previous one. The difference is that first a thermal insulation layer is made of perlite (vermiculite) and under, and then they are poured into a monolithic countertop.
In this case, first, formwork is laid out on the tabletop corresponding to the outer contour of the furnace. A solution with perlite sand is poured into it.
The bricks of the hearth cut out according to the template are laid on top.
An insulating material is laid along the ends of the hearth (maybe a layer of perlite, a width of 5-7 centimeters).
Formwork is being done.
Step 5. Laying the 1st row of the furnace. A circle is cut out of plywood equal to the inner diameter of the furnace. It is laid out on the floor. Around this template, the bricks of the first row will be laid out. In order to later remove this template from the finished oven, it is pre-cut into 2-3 segments.
In the center of the circle, a device is fixed on a hinged support to control the correct laying. With this articulated arm, it will be convenient to control the spherical shape of the inner vault of the dome and also to maintain the glued brick in the desired position.
The device is a wooden block, with the help of a hinged device, attached in the center of the circle. But he already has many options for execution.
The thickness of the masonry arch of the furnace is 12 cm, so the masonry of the dome is done with halves of bricks. To do this, the brick must be cut in half (using a grinder, tile cutter or chisel with a hammer).
We lay out the bricks that will mark the edges of the entrance arch. From them we begin to lay out the bricks of the first row. The flat factory surface of the brick should look inside the vault, as this place will then be visible from inside the furnace. Bricks should be laid on mortar for laying furnaces (mortar). The distance between bricks should be minimal. It is recommended that you first lay out the first two rows dry to determine exactly the right number of bricks.
Step 6. The inlet of the vault. The inlet is made in the form of an arch. To perform it correctly, a template is first prepared. Two blanks are cut out of plywood in the shape of a future arch. The blanks are interconnected into blocks so that a stable template is obtained, on which the bricks of the arch will be laid out.
We remind you that the height of the entrance arch should be 60% of the height of the dome, which in turn is equal to the radius of the circle. The width of the entrance arch should correspond to the height of the dome, or even be less than it for stoves with a large diameter.
But for small stoves, the inlet needs to be adjusted with such a concept as ease of use. A shovel will be inserted into this hole, on which pizza is laid in the oven.
Firewood is also laid through this hole and ash is removed. Therefore, it should be of such a width that it is convenient to do these manipulations. In this case, it is proposed to make the width of the inlet 530mm.
On the established template and lay out the bricks of the arch. Spacer wedges are installed between the bricks to fix the brick while the mortar is setting.
Step 7. Laying the next rows. A masonry mortar is applied to the lower and side parts of the half of the bricks and the bricks are laid in the next row. They start a row with extreme bricks, which are located near the entrance arch.
When laying in the next rows, it is necessary to shift the bricks relative to the arcs of the other vertically in order to avoid through vertical seams. The brick is placed with the smooth face facing inward. The bricks are laid as close together as possible so that the seams are minimal. To check the correctness of the spherical shape of the masonry, we control it with the help of an articulated lever.
In the higher rows, when the masonry is rounded, the bricks are laid at an angle to the lower row. Ideally, these bricks should be sawn at an angle. But this is too complicated and you can do without filing. It is necessary to put fixing wedges in the resulting expanded seams. These wedges can be made from scraps and broken bricks.
In places where the dome adjoins the entrance arch, the bricks should be wedge-shaped. For a better pairing of the dome with the arch, the extreme bricks of the row must be cut.
Step 8. Completion of the masonry of the dome. Laying the very top of the dome is a rather troublesome task. You can support the bricks from below with blocks.
The mortar, diluted to the correct consistency, copes well with gluing bricks, quickly adheres to the masonry and fixes the brick well. So at this stage it is important to have a properly made solution.
If the brick is too dry and quickly draws moisture out of the solution, then you need to dip it in water for a few minutes before laying.
The process of laying the dome can make it easier to use different patterns. Templates are made of plywood or chipboard. The most important thing in the manufacture of templates is to provide for the possibility of disassembling them so that they can be easily removed from the stove through the entrance arch.
Cell template.
Template made from stationary segments.
This template is made from cardboard.
Weather vane template from a rotating segment. Segments can be made 2-3 pieces. The segment is attached with screws to the embedded part, which rotates around the axis. For better stability of the axis, it can be attached to the plywood base using a threaded connection.
But if the template was not originally made, and there were problems when laying the last rows of the dome, then you can proceed as follows. In the center of the wood stove, make a stand of bricks of the desired height (approximately to the level of the existing masonry). Put a sheet of plywood on the bricks (from 2 parts, so that it would be convenient to remove it later), put a bowl of a suitable size upside down (dome) on the plywood. From above, make a spherical surface of the desired shape from wet sand.
It will serve as a template for laying the last rows of bricks. After the mortar has set, the retaining structures are removed.
Thus, with the help of not tricky devices, you can cope with the construction of the dome.
Step 9. External entrance arch. Now it's time to make the outer entrance arch. The outer entrance arch should be wider than the inner one. This is necessary in order to form the correct door porch.
It is not necessary to make a door in the pizza oven, because. pizza is baked on an open fire. But for making bread, residual heat is used and a door is required.
A plywood template of the desired width and height is made. In this case, with a radius of 325mm.
An arched vault is laid out according to the template. At the top, leave a hole for the chimney. The hole must match in shape and size with the prepared chimney.
Step 10. Installing the chimney. The chimney is installed in the place intended for it and fixed with masonry mortar. The design of the chimney may be different.
It can be made from special metal or ceramic pipes. It can be made of a metal box made of galvanized or stainless steel, followed by coating with masonry (or clay) mortar.
You can make a chimney from the same refractory brick. It all depends on the design and available materials. Chimney height varies. For an open outdoor oven, it may be low. For a stove located under a canopy, it should be higher so that the smoke does not go into the eyes of those present, or even try to bring it outside the canopy or gazebo. Since the height of the pipe affects the draft, it must be sufficient to create good draft in the furnace. You may have to experiment with the height and width of the chimney in the future. But for small stoves in open space, you can make a low pipe.
After completion of masonry work, it is necessary to carefully seal all external seams with masonry mortar. The entire wood-burning stove can be coated with a layer of refractory clay (with the addition of fireclay sand) to store heat and create a flat surface before laying the next layers of insulation.
Step 11. Preheating and drying the oven. After the laying of the furnace is completed, the furnace must be dried and its preparation for the temperature regime of operation must begin.
If you sharply make a strong fire in the oven, the brick may crack. It is necessary to prepare the stove for an open fire gradually, starting with a small number of branches. It will take some time to "fire" the oven. It is advisable to do this within a few days (4-7 days). In this case, the brick is dried before starting to insulate the dome.
Step 12. Furnace insulation. After drying the furnace, the process of creating the heat-insulating shell of the furnace can begin. The stove is wrapped with the first layer of insulation - mineral or basalt wool.
For an even greater thermal insulation effect, a thin layer of aluminum foil can be laid, but not necessary. A reinforcing mesh is placed on top. Instead of a grid, you can tie the oven with wire. The warming layer of cotton can be 5-10 cm.
On top we impose a second heat-insulating layer. It consists of a solution of cement with perlite sand. The solution is prepared at the rate of 5-7 parts of perlite per 1 part of cement. Perlite can be replaced with vermiculite.
When working with perlite sand, be sure to wear protective equipment: goggles, a respirator, gloves. Perlite is very dusty, and getting it into the respiratory tract and eyes is highly undesirable, because. perlite is actually ground pumice, and this dust can be very harmful to health.
Step 13. Completion. When the solution of perlite insulation dries, you can proceed to the final finishing of the furnace. The surface layer can be made of clay or cement-plaster mortar.
If the stove is in the open air, then it is desirable to cover the top layer with a moisture-proof material. Depending on the design, the furnace dome, entrance arch, countertop and pedestal can be finished with various decorative materials: mosaics, tiles, facing bricks.
Now you can test your Pompeii oven for the first time and make a real pizza.
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A round tortilla covered with tomatoes and cheese, called pizza by the Italians, began to be cooked on the sunny peninsula as early as the 17th century. It was during this period that tomatoes were brought to the European continent from America. The new dish had a good taste, had a composition of ingredients accessible to every Italian and was somewhat reminiscent of open pies. It was prepared mainly for the peasants, but it also found a place on the table of the monarchs. The bakers who prepared the tomato-cheese cake were called "pizzaiolo".
The classic pizza was made from hand-kneaded yeast sourdough dough and two types of flour. Olive oil, water and a little salt were added to it. After kneading, it was sent for proofing, then divided into portions and rolled out with a rolling pin. Various products were used for filling the cakes. Mandatory ingredients for it were only tomatoes and cheese. Pizza prepared for baking was sent to a wood-fired oven called Pompeii.
It had the shape of a hemispherical arch, in which the fire was bred on one side. The cake baking time was 90 seconds at 250-275°C.
Pizza ovens
It's hard to imagine an Italian restaurant without pizza on the menu. In the ovens used by public catering, you can bake bread, buns, pies. According to the method of heating, they are divided into three main groups:
- wood-fired pizza oven;
– gas;
- electric.
According to the method of loading and baking, they are divided into hearth and conveyor. All professional equipment for restaurants has different performance, which is determined by the number of products produced per unit of time - an hour, a day, etc.
Products cooked in such an oven have a piquant taste that gives smoke to pizza when baking. It works on firewood, charcoal or fuel briquettes, the manufacture of which uses deciduous trees. For its device, refractory bricks are used that can withstand temperatures up to 1250 ° C. The productivity of existing furnaces can be from 1 to 3 tons of products per day. The planned load is calculated for baking pizza with a diameter of 35 cm. Baking time is 2-3 minutes at a temperature of 350-400°C.
The main disadvantages of this type of stoves are their large mass and open access to fire. They cannot be moved indoors without dismantling.
Electric pizza ovens
Such industrial equipment is the most common. It is equipped with electronics that regulates technological processes. The main advantages of furnaces of this type is the simplicity of their installation and arrangement. They are lightweight and can be moved around freely. It is convenient to equip small cafes, restaurants and pizzerias with such ovens. They may have several tiers. Their installation does not require a foundation device. According to the method of loading the furnaces are divided into hearth and conveyor.
The duration of baking products in such ovens is up to 15 minutes. The temperature regime for cooking pizza is from 20 to 450 ° C. The heating elements of electric furnaces are heating elements, which are removable parts of the overall design and can be easily replaced if necessary. Their power can exceed 10 kW.
Gas pizza ovens
Gas burners are used as a heating element of professional furnaces of this type. You can connect the equipment not only to a centralized network, but also to gas cylinders. Such ovens are the most economical. Their main disadvantages include increased safety requirements during their operation. The optimum temperature of the baking chamber is 300°C, the baking time is 5-7 minutes. Furnaces can have several levels, be hearth and conveyor.
Equipment selection principles
Before you buy equipment for restaurants, you need to make a calculation of its performance required for operation. The calculation is based on the indicator of planned sales and the assortment that is supposed to be produced on this equipment. Pizza ovens can be used for baking any dough products, so the planned productivity should be the sum of the total output of all types of products.
The premises selected for the organization of public catering may have different potential possibilities and options for connecting equipment. The most economical in operation are gas furnaces. But their device is not always possible due to a number of restrictions associated with increased security requirements. Wood-burning stoves have low productivity, so they can only be used in small establishments. At the same time, they can serve as a decorative design element for the interior of a pizzeria. Most often, catering establishments arrange electric ovens. This professional kitchen equipment can be used for preparing meat, fish and vegetable dishes. The average power required for the operation of such equipment is in the range of 15-30 kW. As a rule, its weight does not exceed 800 kg, and for ease of movement it is equipped with wheels.
Equally important in the choice of equipment is its cost. When determining it, it is necessary to take into account the operating costs. Buying cheaper stoves is not always effective. The purchased equipment should be economical and reliable in operation, and its repair base should be affordable. Any breakdown brings losses to the institution and they are associated not only with the cost of repairs, but also with downtime.
An industrial approach to the production of catering equipment involves equipping it with electronics, which allows you to automate the baking process as much as possible. This equipment can significantly reduce the number of workers involved in its maintenance. But only a professional electronics engineer can handle the programming of his “stuffing”. You should not purchase equipment with a high level of electronic content if there is no such specialist in the staff.
Where can I buy pizza ovens
Pizzeria ovens are produced by manufacturers from various countries, including domestic companies. You can buy pizza ovens directly from manufacturers. But this way of buying is associated with a long waiting period for the product associated with the period of its manufacture. It is easier to buy furnaces in specialized trading companies. They offer finished products that they have in stock.
Pizzeria ovens can also be bought in the online store, the range and prices are available. This method of purchase is convenient in that it provides the opportunity to purchase equipment even in those regions where there are neither manufacturers nor specialized trade organizations. When purchasing equipment, it is necessary to pay attention to the warranty period of operation, the availability of certificates of conformity and the possibility of service.
For any pizzeria, whether it is a network project or a separate pizzeria, almost unconditionally the most important equipment in the food department is professional pizza oven. The oven is the foundation of success or failure, as the wrong pizza oven can completely change the attitude towards a newly opened establishment. Okay, this is clear. This is very important equipment.
But knowing that it is very important and knowing how to choose the right industrial oven are not necessarily parallel concepts. There are several important factors that you need to pay attention to before making a decision on the purchase of a particular equipment.
Types of Professional Pizza Ovens
The four main types of pizza ovens are brick ovens, deck ovens,conveyor ovens, and industrial convection ovens. The fundamental fact among the four types of ovens is that in terms of the quality of the final product (pizza), they go in the following sequence: wood-fired brick ovens allow you to cook a real authentic dish with the best taste, deck ovens allow you to do the same, but not so cool, conveyor same and convection ovens close the top four, offering the visitor more of a mass product than a work of culinary art. However, choosing the right pizza oven is not as obvious as it might seem at first glance, as factors such as the performance of the oven, its capacity, the overall dimensions that the oven will take in the kitchen, the types of pizza, the types of energy supply available in your premises, and, in the end, the cost of the oven itself furnaces - all these factors must find a consensus in order to correctly determine the type of equipment.
So let's analyze the same factors that influence the choice of the type of furnace.
How many pizzas do you need to cook?
Poor performance
Industrial Convection Pizza Ovens have a relatively small productivity in comparison with other types of furnaces. They usually have 2-3 levels in the chamber and are capable of cooking one 40cm pizza per pan. The average cooking time for pizza in a convection oven is 5-6 minutes. This time may vary depending on the temperature and the amount of pizza loaded into the cooking chamber. In addition, there will be some heat loss every time the door is opened, although most modern models are equipped with systems that can restore temperature losses as quickly as possible, reducing preheating time. Industrial Convection Pizza Ovens perfect for establishments that do not specialize in pizza, but offer it only as an alternative to other dishes. Most often, such establishments do not even purchase a separate convection oven, but cook pizza in combi steamers in 100% convection mode.
Average performance
Deck ovens usually have a lower productivity compared to conveyor ovens. Each level of the deck oven holds 4-6 pizzas at a time. The cooking time in a deck oven is longer than in a conveyor oven and takes 6-8 minutes, in addition, you need to watch the pizza at the time of cooking and turn it for more even baking. Such an oven takes up a lot of kitchen space and, in addition, when the pizza is rotated, heat is lost, which can increase the cooking time. The only way in which a hearth oven eliminates the disadvantages of overall dimensions is to install a multi-level oven. The number of levels of such furnaces can start from one and go up to five or even six.
wood stoves similar to hearth ovens in several ways: they have a limited cooking area and longer cooking times compared to conveyor ovens. In addition, unlike deck ovens, wood-burning ovens usually have only one cooking level. The cooking space in a wood burning oven is usually larger than a single deck oven, but naturally it doesn't compare to the space in a 3 or 4 deck pizza oven. Typically, a wood-burning oven can cook up to 10-12 pizzas per load, and with the right temperature, they will all cook in no more than 5 minutes. In addition, if the heat in a wood-burning oven is controlled by a professional, then such an oven will have minimal heat loss when loading and unloading pizza.
High performance
If the maximum performance of the equipment is a priority for you, then pizza conveyor oven This is what you need. Conveyor Ovens provide the user with an endless cooking platform that is fixated on punching pizza faster than you can assemble it for cooking. As soon as you put the pizza on the conveyor belt, the oven does the rest of the work itself, passing the pizza through the cooking chamber at the set speed and set temperature. Some models of conveyor ovens have 3-4 levels, for the most demanding consumers with gigantic productivity (takeaway pizza, pizza delivery, the largest pizzerias, etc.). The total cooking time for pizza is 4-5 minutes. In addition, due to the fact that the pizza itself passes through the baking chamber, heat loss is practically reduced to zero, which means that it does not take time to restore the temperature.
How much space do you have?
For a small area
Compared to three other pizza ovens, convection ovens won't take up all the space in your kitchen. Any of the pizza convection ovens will take from 0.5 to 1.5 m3 of the volume of your kitchen. This is a great solution for establishments that have very limited space. Some convection ovens are specially made narrow but tall so that they can save usable floor space by saving it for other equipment.
For medium area
Deck ovens are ideal for pizzerias with little space in the kitchen and for restaurant owners who would like to install other equipment in addition to the pizza oven. Obviously, the space occupied directly depends on the dimensions of the hearth oven and the number of levels, but on average a 4-level hearth oven will occupy a volume of 4.5 m3. Although this is obviously more space occupied than with a convection oven, in any case, these ovens can rise up, stacked on top of each other, without taking up additional horizontal space in the kitchen.x
For a large area
Most industrial conveyor ovens require a fair amount of space to operate. Space is required for conveyor belts protruding beyond the dimensions of the furnace at the entrance to the furnace and at the exit from it. In addition, most ovens are made wide so that 2 large pizzas wide can fit on their conveyor belt at the same time. All this requires a fairly large free piece of floor in the kitchen of your pizzeria. A single-level conveyor oven will take up a volume of 4 m3, while a three-level model will take up a volume of almost 10 m3, although this is only a vertical growth, without additional capture of the horizontal areas of the kitchen. If your establishment has a fairly spacious kitchen, then a conveyor oven is definitely worth the purchase.
Just like other types of ovens, wood-fired pizza ovens vary considerably in size. Although, unlike other types, wood stoves are usually lined up to fit into a certain space in the kitchen or hall of the establishment. For many restaurants, a wood-burning stove is more of a hallmark of the establishment than a real functional piece of equipment. Thus, a wood-burning stove is often used as a "attraction" for visitors, built in a conspicuous place where customers can watch and appreciate the stove in action. Wood burning stoves can reach the height of the ceiling from the floor itself and take up a much larger area of the room compared to other types of stoves, about 3 m2.
How much money are you willing to spend?
Low cost
For most owners, the issue of price comes first and it is for this characteristic that the stove is selected. Professional convection ovens for pizza have a wide range of prices from $1,000-$10,000 making them accessible to most entrepreneurs. Maintenance and repair of convection ovens are quite simple and inexpensive. Cleaning the oven cavity every day at the end of the shift and cleaning the fan once a week can significantly reduce repair costs. All these factors make the pizza oven a good solution for a small budget.
Average costs
Conveyor ovens can cost in the range $5,000 to $30,000 depending on the manufacturer, size, condition (in the case of used equipment), and other features of the oven. However, because there are so many mechanical parts that are constantly working, driving, twisting, spinning, the chances of something breaking are much higher. Any replacements and repairs in conveyor ovens require a professional approach. In addition, cleaning the oven (which must be done daily) and subsequent commissioning take longer than with other types of ovens.
Deck ovens have the same large discrepancy in cost as conveyor ovens. The main factor that allows you to make a choice in favor of an expensive deck oven for pizza is a long service life, reliability and easy maintenance. Hearth furnaces are able to work for years and even decades. This means that they can retain a high value for a long time if they are resold a few years later. Basically, all the maintenance of a hearth oven comes down to is wiping the oven itself with a damp cloth and caring for the hearth stone, which should be worked on with a scraper. The fact that there are no moving parts in this oven reduces the possibility of costly repairs and maintenance to a minimum.
High costs
Wood-fired stone ovens are usually the most expensive, since they are assembled into a finished product right at the customer's place. The installation of such a furnace requires a trained specialist for assembly and, depending on the complexity of the design, may require a wide variety of building materials for manufacture. All these facts lead to the fact that absolutely not every establishment will be able to incur such huge costs for the manufacture of a furnace, especially in a rented room. Prices for factory stone ovens start from $5,000 and seem to have no final value. The cost of the stove is also influenced by the manufacturer of the stove and its size and quality of materials and type of food, since modern stone stoves can be both wood-burning and combined, with gas connection.
What types of pizza will you cook?
Depending on the creativity of the chef, there are countless types of pizza from every corner of the planet. The combinations of base and toppings are endless, however, there are main types of pizza that are usually distinguished:
New York-style pizza- a kind of pizza, born in New York, brought by immigrants from Naples - the birthplace of pizza. Often has an impressive size, the slices are thin and flexible. The dough is kneaded by hand and uses a moderate amount of sauce and cheese. New York pizza can be considered an enlarged version of the Neapolitan pizza. Pizza slices are always eaten folded in half, or even stacked on top of each other, due to the size and flexibility of the crust. The traditional topping for such a pizza is mozzarella cheese lying on a small amount of tomato sauce. Other toppings for New York pizza are most often mushrooms, pepperoni, sausages.
Chicago pizza (Chicago-style pizza or Chicago-style deep-dish pizza)- has a thick crust formed in a deep baking dish. The order of the ingredients has been changed: cake, cheese, topping, sauce on top. Some types (called stuffed - pizza staff) have two layers and sauce on top. Chicago pizza is usually eaten with a fork and knife, because without them you can get pretty dirty. This pizza has become famous in Europe largely thanks to the Pizza Hut pizza chain.
Neapolitan pizza very similar to New York in appearance. It has round edges and a thin or slightly thicker base with a slight rim around the edge. The most standard topping for Neapolitan pizza is cheese; despite the fact that there can be a huge variety of fillings for Neapolitan pizza, the skill of the chef is required to prepare a real Neapolitan pizza.
Sicilian pizza usually square or rectangular in shape with a medium or thick crust. Here again, the toppings can be very varied, but the traditional Sicilian pizza has anchovies, pecorino cheese and garlic.
The best combinations of oven and pizza for cooking in them
Pizza oven stats
| Furnace type | Pizzas per hour (average) | Price | Heat | Warm-up time | cooking time | Operator Requirements |
| convection | 40 per camera | $1,000-$10,000 | convection | 15-20 min | 5-6 min | Low |
| conveyor | 80 for 1 conveyor | $5,000-$30,000 | Convection and radiation | 10-15 min | 4-5 min | low-mid |
| Hearth | 50 on 1 under | $5,000-$30,000 | Thermal conduction and radiation | 60 min | 6-8 min | Medium-high |
| Wood (stone) | 80 for 1 under | Depends on many factors | Convection, reflection and heat conduction | 45-60 min | 2-5 min | High |
Please note that convection, conveyor and deck ovens can be in the form factor of compact bench top models that will have lower capacity, take up less space and cost much less than their full size counterparts.
As you can see, there are many factors that choose a pizza oven for your restaurant. The most important thing to remember is that every restaurant, cafe and pizzeria is different and choosing the right oven should always be accompanied by a preliminary analysis of the audience, costs, implementation opportunities and other factors. Choosing a Pizza Oven will be the first step in turning pizza into cash.
You can always choose a pizza oven in our catalog in the section
Traditional fragrant pizza is cooked in a special oven. Professional equipment is indispensable both in large restaurants and in tiny cafeterias. The range of ovens is wide, it is important to choose the one that matches the concept of the establishment and satisfies the needs of customers. Equipment differs in energy sources, capacity, method and time of pizza preparation.
Wood-fired pizza ovens
Since time immemorial, a familiar attribute of an Italian pizzeria has been a wood-fired oven. The developers of modern models have applied the latest achievements of science to technologies proven over the centuries, as a result, today you have the opportunity to purchase copies of authentic samples adapted to the needs of consumers. Adherents of strict observance of the canons recognize the only method of making real pizza - over the hearth of a brick oven. Modernized equipment uses various types of fuel, including firewood.
Purpose. Traditional ovens are the best option for a pizzeria whose owner wants to get real pizzas and prefers classic baking methods.
Heat. In models of this type, three methods of heating work in parallel: contact heat transfer, convection and the effect of heat reflection from the hearth walls. The shape of the inner part of the dome creates conditions for the movement of hot air currents, the dough and filling are baked evenly from above and below. The dome and hearth are made of refractory materials.
baking conditions. The required temperature ranges from 370ºС to 540 ºС.
Energy type: wood, coal or gas. As an option, the devices can be equipped with an additional gas heating system.
Preheat duration - from ¾ hour to several hours. You can be sure that the temperature is high enough when you see that the dome has turned white. For the most part, professional models do not need visual cues for the chef, as equipped with thermometers, in addition, it is allowed to use an infrared pocket thermometer to measure the temperature in the working area.
Baking time in a sufficiently heated oven is from one and a half to 5 minutes. The volume of the cake and toppings, as well as the number of pizzas cooked at the same time, plays a role.
Temperature recovery time. A certain amount of heat from the stone hearth is spent on cooking each pizza, but as long as the fire is maintained, the lost heat returns very quickly. It takes a few minutes after taking out - and you can bake the next batch.
Wood-burning pizza ovens in the catalog
Pizza ovens with stone hearths
Hearth stoves are the second most popular after wood stoves, they are more economical and easier to maintain. Their distinctive feature is the presence of stone or ceramic hearths on which dough products are baked.
Purpose. Electric deck ovens are suitable for pizzerias whose owners want to get high quality pastries without investing a lot of money in the purchase and maintenance of equipment.
heating method. The heating elements supply heat to the trays while heating the chambers. Thus, the dough is baked on a sheet, in parallel, the filling and cheese are ready. A heat-resistant glass viewing window and internal lighting allow the chef to control the process from the outside.
Baking temperature 200-350ºС, for some models maximum - 500 ºС.
Energy type. Gas can also be used to heat stone hearths, however, in the field of catering electric pizza ovens are more popular.
about 1 hour.
baking time. At 260ºС, it will take ~7 minutes to bake one pizza, a little more or less, depending on what kind of filling and what thickness of the dough.
Temperature recovery time. Baking uses the heat of the oven, so it takes some time for the oven to return to readiness. To avoid downtime during operation, make sure that the selected model fully meets the capacity requirements of your production.
Hearth pizza ovens in the catalog
Convection pizza ovens
Rising energy prices are driving restaurateurs to use it sparingly. This oven reduces energy consumption, baking time and labor costs.
Purpose. The equipment is optimal for enterprises planning to produce high-quality pizza at minimal cost, as well as for kitchens with a small area.
Heating method. From the name it is clear that these devices are equipped with convectors, thanks to which heated air circulates through the chambers.
Temperature and baking time. Convection significantly reduces energy costs due to the fact that at a temperature of 237ºС you can cook several pizzas at once in 5 minutes.
Energy type: gas and electricity.
Preheat duration is a maximum of 20 minutes.
Time to restore operating temperature: not required. Perforated shelves made of stainless steel retain heat and increase the efficiency of the machine.
Conveyor pizza ovens
Relatively slow and at the same time highly productive way of baking. The semi-finished product passes through the chamber, being on the conveyor belt, and the finished dish comes out on the other side. This method provides an opportunity to cook not only pizza.
Purpose. Conveyor ovens are good for medium-sized pizzerias, as well as for organizing a pizza delivery service. You can also use the versatile equipment to toast sandwiches, bake fish and vegetables.
Heating way: movement of hot air masses.
Baking temperature.. The temperature range from 200ºС to 300 ºС is used.