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INSTALLATION, USE AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL
Piccolo 60/75 Gas Fired Oven Curing
Your Mugnaini oven is made from Refrattari Cotto or refractory clay. The water used to form the clay
must be cooked out prior to using your oven at full power. Curing is the process of slowly heating an
oven to dry the moisture out of the clay components and then slowly raising the temperature to temper
the oven dome. Once cured, your oven may be used at full power on any subsequent usage.
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 can and should be avoided.
NOTE:
Fine shallow cracks will become noticeable on the inside of the oven dome. This is a natural
occurrence with refractory components and does not indicate a failure of the material.
Before you start curing, familiarize yourself with the proper method to fire and adjust the flame.
Day 1: 4 hour firing procedure
•
The goal is to increase the temperature of the dome at a rate of 50 - 70° per hour up to a
maximum temperature of 250 - 300° F.
•
Alternate between the small flame and no flame (leaving only the pilot light on) to slowly raise
the inner dome temperature. Monitor the oven at 15-minute intervals.
•
Use the handheld infrared thermometer to measure the temperature on the back wall of the
dome and make a note of the temperature and the time.
•
Open the gas supply valve and ignite the pilot light.
•
Use the control dial to select the small flame on the dial to fire the oven. Place the door on the
shelf at angle leaving a 3-4” gap for combustion air to enter the bake chamber.
•
After 15 minutes, turn off the flame by turning the control dial to the pilot light position and
check the temperature on the back wall. Close off the bake chamber by placing the door in the
fully closed position. This will help saturate the entire oven with heat.
•
After another 15 minutes, check the temperature and repeat the firing process with the small
flame and door on shelf.
•
After another 15 minutes, turn of the flame to check the temperature and repeat the holding
process by closing the door.
•
NOTE:
you need to turn the flame off to get an accurate reading of the dome temperature.
•
Alternate between the firing and holding processes. As the oven gets hotter and starts to hold
heat, you may to need to wait longer between the firing process and you may need to turn the
flame up higher to keep the temperature rising.
•
NOTE:
it is normal to see water dripping from the oven and building up inside the door. This
process is driving the free moisture out of the oven components.
•
When you reach 300° F or 4 hours of firing, turn off flame and shut down oven by turning the
control dial to the off position. Wait until the pilot light goes out and insert the door to close off
bake chamber.
