Minimum oven size - advice please Pompeii Oven Construction Discuss Minimum oven size - advice please in the Pizza Oven Design and Installation forums; I have finally decided to build what I need to simply bake a few pizzas in the evening at home ...

[jpmort]

I have finally decided to build what I need to simply bake a few pizzas in the evening at home - as close as possible to the low dome Napoli type. But space is an issue for me, and I was wondering what experience people out there who have made their ovens have with the minumum dome width? I was hoping to go down to 27 inches/ 68 cm.

1. What is the minimum practical size I can get away with for baking one pizza at a time?

2. Refractory clay moulded on sand or bricks cut into thirds for the construction?

I noticed that Forno Bravo make ovens smaller than 30 inches, but is there space for the embers as well in those, or are they for non-Napoli pizzas?

If anyone can help with this, I would appreciate it lots!

John

[david s]

Look at thread "32" big enough."

[dmun]

Link for above mentioned thread (32" Oven Big enough?)

I sure wouldn't make an oven that small, or out of clay for that matter. There are people who have tiny ovens, but I don't know what they do with them. Superior Clay makes a 24" modular oven. For what? cupcakes?

[kebwi]

I made a 36", one of the smallest on FB. I'm not quite cooking in yet (next week maybe!!!). Remember that you need more room than for just the food because for several things (namely pizza) it's nice to keep the fire going while you're cooking, so you want room for a fire on one side and a pizza or two on the other. I wouldn't go much smaller than the low thirties (of inches).

[jpmort]

Thanks for the feedback. Interesting about the size and what do people do with those ovens. It was those people who I was hoping would post an answer on this thread.

As for the clay, my mistake, I meant to say refractory mortar. I just need an oven thats heats up super fast, and then allows me to bake a few pizzas. So I imagine that residual heat is not so important if I have a good fire going for a short time... Not sure.

Oh, and and I have just found in that link above, david s seems to like his 21'' oven! I might talk to him about his technique with the position of his embers during baking.

John

[SteveP]

My inside diameter is 40" and it is a good size. I don't clean out the coals after every use so it affords me a little extra room for coals. I also like being able to cook entire meals in the oven. My WFO is insulated well enough to cook in it for a couple of days after the pizza firing, and I like taking advantage of the heat.