Indoor or outdoor?

[DrakeRemoray]

Hi All,

I have a friend who is about to gut a house here in Denver. She will remodel and live here when it is done. She very much wants a wood burning oven and has the means to put it in the kitchen.

She was debating that it might be more fun to have it outside than inside.

I personally like it outside, but we do have winter here, so it is clearly more usable year round if it is inside.

I also told her the best option might be a nice covered outdoor kitchen area.

If you had the means, would you put your wood fired oven in the house or outside?

Drake

[CanuckJim]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

Drake,

If I really, really had the means, I'd do both. Smaller for the inside, larger outside. Around here, people sort of hibernate in winter, and it would be nice to bake up a pizza or some bread without going outside at all.

Jim

[Richard]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

I would also do both given the opportunity.
Based on a colder climate would recommend indoor and use daily for all types of cooking, roasting, baking

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

OK, but if you had to choose...

[jengineer]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

Covered outdoor kitchen. In the kitchen area have double french doors, that allow access to a covered kitchen with sink and countertops. Preferreably on a southern or eastern exposure. Low walls with widnows that can totally removed for the summer (yep you need to create shed designed for the storage of the windows/screens. Some windows that are double hung are quite easy to remove. This will give a nice open air feeling to the place.

[Richard]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

Indoor - 39 to 43 inch diameter

[james]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

I have both, but I think if I had to choose I would go outside. It depends a lot on your weather. In CA and Italy, we get to use our outdoor ovens most of the year -- if not all of it. I have fond memories of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years in rain and light snow. But nothing serious.

So I guess this means I am answering under one set of conditions. Were I in a colder climate, or shorter outdoor living season, then I would have to reconsider.

We could have a poll. :-)

James

[RTflorida]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

My 2 cents. To me the climate is the deciding factor. I love the outdoors, so in an area with great weather most of the year; I would choose an outdoor oven.
Frequent snow, freezing rain, or torrential rain (much like we are starting to see here in FL) would make me opt for an indoor oven. Wasn't an option for me.....would have involved a very extensive and expensive remodel to create the needed space. I'm sure I have many 'rain outs' to look forward to in the next 4 months

RT

[Archena]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

If I were sure I'd use it a lot definitely indoors. Also, climate extremes work the other way, too. Alabama gets hot and muggy meaning an outdoor fire is not going to be a pleasant thing to get anywhere near. 100 degrees at 80% humidity and I guarantee you'll be making homemade ice cream in front of the TV instead.

Then there are mosquitoes - ours scare wasps. What I might brave on a cool evening I'm not going near on a hot night. Citronella smells good - doesn't work worth a darn...

[RTflorida]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

Archena, you brought up two more valid points that apply to me as well - mosquitoes and heat/humidity. The bugs are about to start their onslaught after our recent rains. Have already experienced the heat/humidity this past weekend, about passed out from making pizzas on Saturday.
I will tough it through the heat.....the mosquitoes WILL put a serious damper on evening cooking.

I change my vote, if at all possible, regardless of climate, build it indoors.

[maver]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

Outdoors year round in our climate - just need a cover to avoid the occasional drizzle. No real bug issues to speak of. Cooking in the evening can get a little cool sometimes in the winter, but the oven keeps the pizza chef comfortable. We're definitely never too hot to stand by an oven, especially in the evening.

[swripley]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

Okay Drake, I?ll put my two cents into this conversation for what it is worth. First, because I live in a similar climate as yours (I?m in Montana). Second, because I have an absolute dream of an indoor kitchen that I got to hands on design myself 10 years ago and got ?everything? I wanted except for a second dishwasher which I later added to the garage. And finally because I am a very opinionated women. If I had to choose, I would go with an outside oven. First, because Coloradans like Montanans aren?t stopped by a little snow. Second, mosquitoes aren?t as much of an issue for us in the north as it is for the southerners. And finally there is something about the romance of cooking out side that will make it much more special outside. But by all means, figure out an attractive way to cover it.

Sharon

[RTflorida]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

SNOW please, watch your language

[Archena]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

Snow is evil.

[CanuckJim]

Re: Indoor or outdoor?

Archena, RT,

Well, without snow you wouldn't have all that wonderful hard red spring wheat that makes such good flour that makes such good bread and pizza, that melts and feeds farmers' fields, that melts and makes potable water, that runs off into streams and lakes. Just being defensive . Canucks are like that when it comes to cold, I guess because we have no choice but to live with it. Hey, we play pond hockey outside in February and build snowmen wearing only thick sweaters. Then again, there's "chestnuts roasting by an open fire."

Having said that, it's worth pointing out (again) that I live at about the same latitude as northern California. Canadians refer to southern Ontario as the banana belt, and we certainly do not see the nasty weather they do in, say, Rochester, Buffalo or Albany.

As for bugs, I've seen mosquitoes (called "gators" locally) that have twin engines inside the Arctic Circle in July. The proliferation of insects in the far north is precisely why birds migrate there to nest. There are stories of moose and caribou suffocated by bugs in their nostrils and throats. Not a good way to go.

Ever try to ski on rain?

Jim