Chimney on top of dome rather than in front?

[Russkendall]

Anyone have any experience with a wood fired oven that has the chimney at the top of the dome, in the middle, instead of in the front? I'm a newbie who is in the middle of a transaction to buy such an oven and have been assured by the seller that it cooks just as well as a standard oven with the chimney in the front. But other bakers I know have expressed concern. I called Forno Bravo today and they said that they don't recommend the chimney on top of the dome unless the oven is a commercial oven heated with gas. They say it lets out too much heat. Yikes. Your thoughts and experiences please?

Thanks,

Russ

[Lburou]

The consensus on this forum is that heat rises, aggressively.

In the case of a flu at the top of a wood fired oven, the majority of your heat goes right out the top of the oven! You'll need a huge fire (using a lot of wood) and you will not have a hot oven for cooking.

The issue is that simple, unless the flu is properly located at the front of the oven and then routed to the top, which is unlikely.

If you can't resist the oven, try it before you buy. That way you won't have any surprises.

Perhaps someone here on fornobravo.com lives close to you and would arrange a demonstration of their oven.....?

[dmun]

You are probably looking at a South American "horno". Some I once looked at were produced in Uruguay. The one I looked at was really cheap.

They use a LOT of wood. They are completely useless for any sort of retained heat baking, because you can't close off the flue from the baking chamber.

The things that wood fired ovens are made of are inherently expensive. If an oven is too cheap to believe, it might be too cheap to work. That said, if you must buy it, you could always brick in the misplaced vent and build a proper vented entry.

[azpizzanut]

Hello Russkendall,

Can you provide a photo or link for the oven you refer to?

I'd like to make sure the oven doesn't have a front vent that is wrapped over the top "squirrel tail" style and that there isn't a mistake in its description about coming out the top.

Can you describe the shape and dimensions of the oven for us?

Cheers,