Sunday, December 9, 2018

Brick Ovens Worldwide

2000 year old oven in Pompeii

500 year old oven in France
Here are the stats for one week of visits to this blog:
United States
220
Russia
185
Italy
119
Australia
27
Egypt
11
Ukraine
11
India
10
Malaysia
7
United Kingdom
6
Mexico
4

I've never been sure how many of these visits are by humans... but over the years I've been contacted by real people from many countries.  As the purpose of this blog, aside from being a running record of my work, has been to inform potential brick oven builders and users in design, methods, and materials for a successful project.

I hope this has been the case.  I was recently contacted by a person who bought a cast refractory oven ten years ago from one of the major suppliers.  The local masons enclosed it in stonework and about a year ago it collapsed.  In my mind, ten years is too short a time for an oven to work before needing replacement (that's expected of a kitchen range).  In addition, the expensive stonework that encloses the oven needs to be taken apart and rebuilt after a new oven (a request for a TBO one is in motion) is installed.
TBO 54" at Pietree Orchard in Maine

Although I humorously say that my ovens are guaranteed for 500 years, it is entirely possible.  The integrity of a brick oven dome built from custom cut fire brick is such that it will withstand time and even abuse, aside from the obvious hazard of being buried for 1800 years under volcanic ash.
One oven I built was so extremely over-fired by the enthusiastic owner that the aluminum handles on the door melted; the oven was fine; I now use iron for door handles.

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Professional baker using my portable oven



This oven survived Vesuvius' (in background) eruption in 29AD.  It would likely survive the next.

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