Why Italian Wood-Fired 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

[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!

[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

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?

[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

[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

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

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

Yes and no...

inzosplace.com

[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

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....

[james]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

You can definitely put a brick oven on a trailer or the bed of a truck. Very cool idea. There are quite a few mobile FB ovens at this point, doing farmers' markets, festivals, parties and events, and more are being built all the time.
James

[gjbingham]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

Cool! Very cool!

[whatrwho]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

Can you put any oven on these trucks?

[phoenixzorn]

Re: Why Italian Wood-Fired Ovens are Round

There's a truck near here, 1960s Chevy dumper, $1200.... throw another $10k at it, and you'll have yourself a nicely restored pizza wagon... I think I might have to do that too... =)

[stuart]

My favorite truck oven is the Big Green Truck. I first saw it listed in a Costco newsletter.

http://www.biggreentruckpizza.com/7_002.htm

Now that is cool!

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