Giardino 60 Size Limitations?

[Sheila]

Hi, I was hoping that someone could give me some input on their experiences with the size limitations of the Giardino60 as well as any general design/ build thoughts. My husband and I recently bought a house that has an odd "pit" made of brick and lined with fire brick (it looks like something you might do oyster roasts on??). Problem is, it is half under the eaves of the porch so I can't imagine having a fire in it. Since we cant see using it as is, we thought we would turn it into a pizza oven since we could vent it so that it did not vent under the eaves (and since we love making pizza anyways). The more I read on constructing an oven from scratch and inspected the existing "pit" the more I started to think that it would be easiest and most effective (safest etc) to buy a kit and use the existing structure as a stand (ultimately make a little gabled roof "house" around it. Interior dimensions on this thing are roughly 33.5" wide by 42.5" deep. It seems like I could place the Giardino60 right in the existing structure with limited modifications. I know that it is the smallest of the ovens but we would primarily use it to make pizza on family pizza night and I am ok doing them one by one. I was wondering what was the largest pizza I could expect to be able to fire in it (I am currently able to throw 14" pizzas and cook them in my oven) and how many people really felt that they needed more space than it had to offer. I was hoping to re purpose this "pit" without having to take it apart, however, if I remove the walls that extend up from the base, the structure is roughly 46.5"x47". I believe I could get the Giardino70 to work that way. We don't entertain often and I am hopeful that the Giardino60 would be adequate but this project is not inexpensive and I would hate to regret not getting the right size. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

[Chach]

Pending on how the stand is constructed and what the nase is actually sitting on as far as a sub base you can pour a structural slab on top of your existing base and cantilever all sides to make the top fit almost anything you want to put on there. The thing we dont know os how this thing is constructed or what its sitting on..but you can totally pour a structural slab on top to accomodate a bigget oven. If you do that make sure tou get what you want and dont settle for less you wont be happy. The option is rip ot all out and start over. Building the base out of cement block on a slab is not really that hard or that bad of a job to do. Hope this helps.