How close to place your guests (seating) in relation to the oven opening.

[thebadger]

I'm trying to figure out where to place the opening of my oven in relation to my patio... Front or angle placement.

I've done a lot of reading about the oven/construction but nothing about how much area I should leave in front of the oven to "work" my pizzas and how close to put my guests (placement of tables and chairs). I don't want to be bopping my mother-in-law upside the head with my pizza peel every time I get one out. (Honestly - she's great! She's very handy, she did 95% of my drywall work in my basement.)

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks
Dick

PS Great Forum. This has given me the confidence (and obsession if you ask my wife) to build my own oven.

[asudavew]

Haven't finished mine so I can't really help you with layout, but I understand the obsession, as does my wife. Poor lady!

Check out my thread on the obsession part.


http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f2/how-does-2472.html (How does......)

[RTflorida]

Although mine is not near a seating area (outside of my pool cage and patio area), Pizza making will draw people close to see what is going on. The 4' x 5' pad of pavers in front of my oven is my buffer....I asked everyone (including wife and mom in law) to please respect that boundary when I'm working the fire or making pizza. That 4 x 5 zone has worked out well so far...no burns (guests or pizzas) and no bumping into a loaded peel. I'd say that is a fair and workable distance.

RT

[asudavew]

Originally Posted by RTflorida

The 4' x 5' pad of pavers in front of my oven is my buffer....I asked everyone (including wife and mom in law) to please respect that boundary when I'm working the fire or making pizza.RT

You keep your wife and your mom in law back?

dang man.............

someone's gonna get burned in my backyard!!!

thanks for the thoughts on the pizza floor..... I think i am gonna do the diamond shape

just for me!

[RTflorida]

It all comes down to fear, both are afraid of a scary fire and remember my lost eyebrows, eyelashes, and arm hair in the first few large fires I built.

[Ken524]

Originally Posted by thebadger

I'm trying to figure out where to place the opening of my oven in relation to my patio... Front or angle placement.

I had the perfect placement in mind for my oven until I realized the opening was facing into the prevailing wind. I ended up swinging it 90 degrees to avoid the breeze blowing into the opening.

Of course now that I'm building, seems like the wind is mostly from the north... blowing right into my opening!

[Archena]

If you're talking about a seating area I'd say at least 6' from the farthest working surface. If you're talking about a working area, you want at least four feet between any structure/furniture (island, whatever) so people can get by each other. I'd add two feet for the front of the oven since you have to factor the peel in.

You can get by with less but you'll miss the extra space - there's a reason kitchen space has a premium on it!

[Bacterium]

My oven has its front section/opening poking through into the pergola, the flue misses the pergola gutter by inches so it means I can use my oven rain, hail or shine yep I have proven it

My work area is actually one end of the table (outdoor setting as we call it) and it is 90degrees to the oven mouth. I have about a 6foot square space which allows me to swing the peel from the oven to my working space.

If you can strike a balance where people can mill around and enough working space it makes for a great atmosphere......if they get too close stoke the fire up a bit

[Wlodek]

Originally Posted by Bacterium

My work area is actually one end of the table (outdoor setting as we call it)

My plan is similar. I want to sit at the table, get up, turn round and reach for a pizza. I guess many summers spent sailing on a smallish boat where everything was within arm's reach gave me this habit. Not that I had an oven there ...


And it is (well, will be) all under a gazebo with slate roof, so we will be quite weatherproof. No such thing as "pizza, weather permitting" on the menu. It will be unconditional.

I'll also have a little work table on the side with the toppings and dough containers, possibly even somewhere to use my rolling pin. There is room provided for that.

Just sharing ...

W.