About Your Oven
A Priceless Investment In Family Experience
Authentic Pizza Ovens is your connection to time-honored traditional cooking. We import the finest quality, artisan-made ovens, each hand-crafted in a village near Rio Maior just north of Lisbon, Portugal.
Nothing brings a family and friends closer together than family-style cooking– from kneading the dough, preparing the toppings, to ultimately creating piping hot, wood fired, one-of-a-kind pizzas to enjoy as a group!
The flavors of naturally cooked wood fired pizza are unmistakable and the crispy base (created by setting fire directly on the cooking surface) is a hallmark of our ovens. The quality and freshness of expensive restaurant pizza can be yours at a fraction of the price, and a wood fired pizza is an investment which adds value well beyond the fun and memories you serve up!
Our ovens are hand made from quality natural materials to ensure the finest, most authentic product. We use refractory (fire) brick, a ceramic material in the oven lining. It is able to withstand high temperatures and outdoor use, however we recommend that you use one of our covers when not in use or to avoid severe weather exposure. A cover will not only protect it from general dust but primarily from wet weather. It is important that your oven isn't sitting in wet damp weather or with snow on it. Covers will protect the longevity of your oven. See our Accessories Page for options.
Just as with the authentic ovens of Europe, it is highly recommended that you “break it in” by making a small fire (low heat) to dry out any moisture in the oven. This process of curing your oven should be repeated every day for 5 days. Our ovens come with thermometers that are in Celsius. While they are good thermometers, if you want extreme accuracy we suggest you buy an infrared thermometer. A visual inspection of your oven will provide you with the best clue as to its readiness, as the brick surfaces transition from black to white as the charcoal is burned off the oven walls.
Despite your best efforts in curing your oven cracks will appear. This is completely normal in all terra-cotta, and brick wood fire pizza ovens. We include our special repair kit with all our traditional brick ovens to fill any cracks. Cracks may appear around the dome or along the seam between the brick and mortar and even inside. They will expand when the oven is hot and retract when it cools. Most European pizza oven owners do not patch their ovens as it is a sign of a seasoned oven and because they are only superficial cracks, they have no reason to. As previously mentioned, the ovens will crack but to avoid quicker and/or larger ones it is important you cure your oven properly. See FAQ’s for proper curing treatment.
It is also common for the base of the oven to crumble a little bit. The base is concrete and it is NOT pre-fabricated materials- it is all handmade so it may crumble a little bit on the edges. You can easily paint the spots with the Ultra Fire crack repair or even use some mortar. You may find gaps inside your oven in the dome as well as on the floor of the oven- this is normal and intended. Remember, these are handmade!
Every oven has its unique character and no two ovens are alike, making your backyard as individual as you are.
Read: Safety, Compliance, and Combustion Guide
MAKE SURE TO READ THROUGH ALL OF THE CURING AND CARE INSTRUCTIONS HERE
Here are video examples of our products and their uses:
WATCH HOW OUR OVENS ARE MADE HERE
This video will show you how to repair cracks that will appear.
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