[WhiteRose]

Thank you for all the answers.
From what I read throughout this forum, most people have these wood-fire ovens outside. Is it even safe to have one inside? Besides a tall chimney I will have to have, are there any other considerations I should think about?

James,
1) How do I judge the size of the oven I need? You say that the difference in cost and effort of building a 36” oven is not much, compared to a 32” one. But, won’t I use more wood to fire and wait more time to heat the 36” one?
2)Some recommend considering cooking based on the heating retention time not on the oven floor dimension. What do you think? Then, will a 24” (internal) oven be enough to cook several pizzas (even one at a time) with a difference of a couple of minutes between them? I am confused.
3) Then, adding some extra thermal mass in the floor will make sense for a smaller oven, to help you cook for a longer time at high temperatures? How much more is this extra mass going to increase the overall heating time of the oven?

David,
1)you say: ” The forty minute heat-up time is for the pre-cast refractory ovens”. Do you know how much will it take to heat-up one of the Pompeii ovens with a 32” internal, to 500F? How much wood do I need to accomplish this temperature?
2)Thanks for reassuring me about the possibility of a glass door. Now, if the door is used only after the fire is raked out, I was wondering if the heat from the fire won’t escape in the kitchen. It shouldn’t be a problem during the winter, but in the summer it is going to be detrimental, isn’t it?
3)How do you cook in these ovens: with the wood burning in, after it has burnt but keep the coals inside, or rake them out then put the pizza inside?
Thanks for trying to enlighten a dummy.