Bottom Fire Chamber Newbie Forum Discuss Bottom Fire Chamber in the Good Background Information forums; I am wondering myself whether I could find other alternative in the US other than using a steel sheet for ...

[dmun]

I am wondering myself whether I could find other alternative in the US other than using a steel sheet for the oven floor.

Clearly the steel sheet is no good: while the fire is going it will overheat and burn anything placed on it, and it will not hold heat once the fire is out.

The masonry heater folks build something like this: They use either a cast refractory cement slab under the "white" oven, or a big piece of soapstone ($$$) between the firebox and the oven floor. If your oven is small enough, you could get a refractory kiln shelf from a ceramics dealer, but they aren't very thick.

My opinion? If you want the best oven you can get for your time and money, I'd download the plans and follow them exactly. They are put together from the best results of hundreds of oven builders. You'll get lots of support on building and using your oven right here.

If you want to reproduce this Egyptian mud oven, I'd make it out of mud. There are a few cob oven builders here who can give you some advice: their builds are grouped under the heading "other oven types".

Whatever you decide, good luck with your project.