Essential Brick Oven Proportions

The BIGGEST mistake that brick oven designers and builders make is in the mouth and face proportions.  The mouth is the opening to the oven proper.  The face is the front of the oven.  The space between contains the flue, and on my interior ovens, the combustion air channels.

The face of the oven is 'sprung' off the side masonry

If I was your athletic coach I'd shout, "LISTEN UP!"

NOTE: In all these photos, the mouth is LOW: about 60% of the height of the interior dome.

The face is about 2" higher and can be much wider.  I have altered the common on-line designs that cramp the face to provide easier visual and physical access to the oven interior.  This actually is closer to the original oven found in Pompeii, Italy.  The cramp faces found on manufactured ovens are an industrial convenience (theirs not yours).

The flue is between the two arches.

The hearth should be at BENT-ELBOW height.  This makes handling food and wood ergonomically smooth.