Pizza oven Tool Sets

[Acoma]

I am ready to buy my oven tools. I would appreciate feedback on what many of you feel are the true necessities for the ovens. I see that FB has:

Five piece premium pizza tool set for commercial or high-end residential use, with a rectangular 14.5 anodized aluminum rectangular peel, stainless steel round 7.9" peel, copper brush, and stainless steel rake and shovel. Each with 59" anodized aluminum handle.

I like the 59" because of the reach into the oven. I have the 44" oven, the 16" entry, and the 10" landing. Looking at these measurements, it appears that the 47" set would be too short, or am I wrong?

We are talking pizza cooking, coal movement, and cleanup.

Input please.

[RCLake]

Robert , I have not done any of this yet, but based on my cure fires I will make these comments. I don't have a lot of ash left over after a fire. There is an Acemart store in Dallas and I got a couple of peels, etc. and a wire broom to clean the floor.
After seeing the fires I know my pizzas will be closer to the front.
Not trying to drive business away from James, sorry James

As Dave would say , my two cents.

[gjbingham]

I got the five piece, more inexpensive set from FB - around $200. Indespenible! My brush cuaght on fire yesterday though. Be quick with a wood tool in the hot oven.

[dmun]

I have the FB 47 inch tool set, which is perfect for my 36 inch oven. The only thing I don't use is the large metal pizza peel, as I place my pizzas with the wooden peel, and retrieve them with the turning peel. If you made your pizzas close by, on a counter, then the big metal peel would be more useful.

[RTflorida]

I too have the 47" (cheaper) FB set. Agree 100% with dmun, I never use the large peel, the other tools and smaller turning peel are priceless. I've been using mine since last June...no issues other than scorching the wood brush (user error, leaving in the oven too long and getting too close to the fire. This set is perfect for my 36" oven.
I would also recommend searching for some good forged steel, extra long (mine are 31") log tongs. Took a couple of weeks of ebay searching but I found an antique pair in perfect condition for....I think $20 (plus shipping).
Don't buy the cheap scissor type coming out of china (they will last about a week, tops).

Rt

[gjbingham]

James,
That brings to a point, my recommendation for an oven brush. How about one where the copper bristles are set in a metal handle vs. wood? Perhaps there's a producer out there somewhere. Mine caught fire last night.

[Xabia Jim]

I did a post last year on redneck oven tools and serously.... I use some pretty basic stuff like a bent iron rod to pull out and push around the terra cotta baking dishes.

George, I push around my fire and coals using a piece of squared lumber (a handmade oar handle I found on the beach) so I have not yet burned my brush since it's not used for the major coal work, just the final brushing of the hearth ash.

I do use the wood peels to put the pizzas in and metal peels to move and remove.......and some of the best tools are the thermometer gun and leather gloves that almost go to my elbows.

[Frances]

Like Jim I only use the copper brush for sweeping the fine ash off the cooking surface - the coals get pushed back with my trusty old garden rake. Works a treat!

[CanuckJim]

Acoma,

All I can say is that I always recommend a five-piece tool set to my FB oven customers. Just makes life easier, plus no hunting around. I have the pro quality peels here, and they are very well made, light and easy to handle. Go for the longer ones. Finding long tongs (good ones) is more difficult. I'm thinking of asking my blacksmith friend, Lloyd Johnston, to make some for me this spring. If it ever arrives that is.

Jim

[Xabia Jim]

There's another speciality request James, long tongs!

Mine are always too short (but the gloves help!)