How small can an oven be? Newbie Forum Discuss How small can an oven be? in the Good Background Information forums; I haven't got a big garden. Is it possible to make a small oven at all? Thanks...

[npsmama]

I haven't got a big garden.

Is it possible to make a small oven at all?

Thanks

[james]

The smallest oven we sell (Casa80) is 31" round, which makes it a one pizza at a time oven, that can roast a chicken, but not a small turkey, and bake in a couple of pans.

There are two problems going smaller than that:

You are getting pretty tight on coooking floor surface. You need a fire in the oven for a number of types of cooking, and you end up with a fire, and no room for food. I installed a 26" Italian oven as an experiment, and honestly did not like it.

Second, the oven opening in proportion to the volume of the oven chamber is out of kilter. In a small oven the opening needs to be wide and high enough to get pizza and food in and out, so the smallest acceptable opening is still to large relative to the size of the oven. It is very difficult for a small oven to retain heat.

So if you can find the space, I think the 30" size should be the starting point. If you don't have the space, and your decision is between a 26" oven and no oven, you should still go for it. Still, do everything you can with high efficiency insulation to get as much cooking space as you can. 4" isn't a big deal in construction terms, but it really matters in cooking floor.

James

[Fio]

I built a 35" oven, and it's just barely big enough for my tastes. I minimized on the footprint, and gave myself very little extra room around the sides and the back. The result is that I have a 35" oven resting on a base that measures 49" X 56". Check out my construction thread to see pix.