Residential Factory-Assembled Manual
Mugnaini Imports, Inc.
12
oven CurIng InsTruCTIons
Your Mugnaini wood-fired oven is made from
Refrattari Cotto
or refractory clay. The water used to form the
clay must be
cooked
out before your oven can be put into use. Curing is the process of slowly heating an
oven to first drive out the moisture from the oven components and surrounding mass, and then to temper
the oven dome. This process is simply a matter of starting fires according to a schedule for several hours a
day over a four-day period. It is crucial that this curing schedule be followed in order to not “thermally shock”
the oven components which will result in a crack. A crack does not ruin the oven but it should be avoided to
prolong the life of your oven.
NOTE: Fine shallow cracks may become noticeable on the inside of the oven dome. This is a natural
occurrence with refractory castable components and does not indicate a failure of the material.
These procedures are only used for curing an oven. You only need to cure an oven once. However, if the oven
has not been used for a long period it is recommended to allow one full day to slowly bring the oven up to
maximum temperature.
seleCTIng The ProPer WooD for Your oven
You should use only seasoned hardwood (moisture content of 20% or less). The type of wood available to
you will depend on where you are located and what your local firewood vendors stock. Oak, ash or maple
are common hardwoods but fruit and nut woods such as apple, almond, cherry, walnut and pecan are all
good choices. Avoid using soft resinous woods with a lot of sap and oil such as
spruce, pine, eucalyptus or birch.
The size of the wood is crucial to controlling the oven environment. We recommend
double split wood in lengths of 12–16”. Double split logs are typically triangular in
shape approximately 2–5” in diameter. Plan on using one cord of wood every 3–6
weeks depending upon usage.
fIre sTarTIng Tools
In addition to double split hardwood, you will want to
stock some kindling (small pieces of wood approximately
1” in diameter, preferably hardwood), and fire starters. We
recommend Weber® brand Firestarters or any other non-
toxic, non-resinous starters.
The curing process will require 20 pounds of kindling.
You will find firestarters and kindling are very helpful for
starting and refreshing a fire.
