WOODFIRED CONCEPTS
PORTUGUESE TRADITIONAL BRICK OVENS
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE, REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE
Dear customer, you have made an amazing choice in acquiring a very
unique
and
genuine
Mediterranean Wood Fired Oven
which will be a pleasure to use and provide you with many fantastic
meals and fun for many years to come.
There is nothing quite like a nice hot pizza or a roast cooked in a wood fired oven.
These Ovens are 100% handmade using the oldest traditional Mediterranean methods allied with the
latest finishing products. The design, construction and materials used allow these ovens to reach
cooking temperatures of over 350°C in under an hour under normal conditions using quality wood.
They have outstanding heat retention and are very economical to use at about 3kgs of wood per hour.
Using a wood fired oven for cooking is not an exact science so you will need to “get to know” your
oven and its capabilities by experimenting a little initially but the effort will be well worth it.
I
MPORTANT NOTE – CURING YOUR OVEN
Your Oven is freshly constructed from masonry materials and in order to work efficiently and minimize
cracking of the outer shell, it needs to be dried out slowly and thoroughly (cured) over a minimum
period of 5 days. Cracking occurs when the oven is fired at a very high temperature if it is not dried out
thoroughly because of rapid expansion of steam within the masonry so, to use your oven efficiently
and keep it in top condition it is
important
to follow these instructions carefully.
Failure to cure your oven
correctly will invalidate your warranty.
CURING YOUR OVEN
Day 1,
Light a
small fire
in the middle of the oven with
the door left open
, using small pieces of dry
wood and keep it going for several hours if possible, but
not exceeding
60°C
Day 2,
Repeat process with a larger fire
not exceeding 100°C
Day 3
, Repeat process increasing the temperature
up to 150°C
Day 4
, Repeat process increasing the temperature
up to 200°C
Day 5,
Repeat process increasing the temperature
up to 250°C
Please look at the
You tube
link below for a better understanding of the curing process
http://youtu.be/22WWWErgZoA
Close the oven door at the end of each firing session to allow the oven to cool slowly overnight
NOTE
It is
very important
that the recommended temperature is not exceeded during the first 2 days of curing.
For accuracy you will need to use a laser digital thermometer (readily available on Trademe).
Stand approximately 1.5m in front of the oven and point the laser beam inside the oven
and away from the flames to get a better reading of the surrounding temperature.
If in doubt, it is best to keep the fire smaller rather than larger over a longer period.
Note.
If your oven is not kept under cover and it is not being used for long periods during cold and wet
months, it will absorb moisture and will need to be dried out again by repeating the process from
Day 3
onwards, a couple of days before cooking.