Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

Now that is cool!

Makes me want to quit my job, buy a truck and start making pizza!

Did you look at the prices and how much was already booked...very interesting business venture....

[whatrwho]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

Thanks for the info. Is there a link for the mobile buisness you refer to? I saw the one with the truck.

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

Yes and no...

inzosplace.com

[james]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

The time has come of update the original posting. I just looked, and Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round hasn't been touched since March 2005. Of course not much has changed in the world of wood-fired ovens. :-)

I have created a couple of graphics, which I think visually help describe the differences between round/dome and rectangular/barrel vault ovens. I think by attaching these graphics to the original sticky posting, it will help first time readers. To see the changes, take a look at the first posting, or as Dmun says, my essay. :-)

As always, comments are very much appreciated.
James

[dmun]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

A million WFO's in Italy? Wow.
The CIA says that there are about 50 million adults in Italy. Figure two to a household, that means that about 10 percent of Italian homes have a WFO.

[james]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

That's my highly unscientific (SWAG) estimate. I took the number of ovens our producer has made over the past 30 years (200K+), plus producers number 2-5, a guess at the rest of small oven producers, a guess at all of the handmade ovens, and all of the restaurant ovens. Like I said, not very scientific.

Don't forget that you can drive through large swatches of the Tuscan and Umbrian countryside, and just about every house has either an old original wood-fired oven (that supported the household) or a new one.

Fun, fun.

I wonder what the market penetration is in the U.S. for charcoal and propone grills?

James

[gjbingham]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

James - probably about the same number as homeowners + 50% of renters. Probably a 50 million grills, give or take a a few million. I have 5 grills - soon to be six. Does that count as one or six?

[brokencookie]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

Does that count as one or six?

It depends upon how many are usable and how many are "yard art"

[gjbingham]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

The reason for the numerous bbqs - mostly the joining of two families into one. Then there's the small one for tailgating parties, one for the beach cabin, and because I still fell inadequate, I still need a built-in for my upcoming outdoor kitchen. No dead soldiers lying around here. I should probably sell a couple of them in a garage sale! ......and that's why brick ovens are round!

[james]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

You're telling me that BBQ's are like televisions. 3.2 per average household. :-)

I think the U.S. market penetration on wood-fired ovens is about .000001%. We have a lot of room for growth. Just think, if FB could reach the Italian market percentage, we could sell somewhere around 5 million ovens. Not bad!

James

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

Ok, when do we get to buy FB stock?

[gjbingham]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

Not bad indeed! Keep spreading the word! I missed the recent replay of Good Eats, where Alton Brown does pizza - I've yet to see it. I think you should invite him up for a real pizza to display what a real pizza oven can do on Good Eats, Pizza II. That's how I'd recommend you spread the word.

BTW - we have 3 TVs inside, 5 in the garage (plus a couple of computer monitors), and one at the beach. All but the three inside are DTV capable. Sad, sad! A year from now, garbage!

[crowtrapper]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

Fire bricks may be a standard building supply item in USA but they are WAY off the beaten track here in Australia. I live in one of Australia's largest inland cities (Albury) and no building supply places here have them at all. The nearest thing that is available is from a stove supplier and that is a firebrick that is 160mm x 260mm x20mm used for lining the hearth of a fireplace. No use for a dome unless cut up into smaller pieces. I have decided the only way to get the firebricks I need is to drive the 300km to Melbourne and collect them from an industrial area there.
Crowtrapper.

[glennb]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

Crowtrapper,
You could just get them delivered from Melb.
There are suppliers as members of this forum who would be more than willing to look after you.

[exceloven]

Re: thanks for info

alot to learn.want to build one on a trailer.so will do alot of lurking. thanks again doug

Me too - taking my time to do it right - thanks for the info