Alfa Pizza Oven

[rmisale]

Hi

Does anyone know if a stainless steel dome (like in the Alfa ovens) works as good as the brick ovens?

Thank you

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: Alfa Pizza Oven

These ovens are pretty, but IMO won't come close to a properly designed and constructed brick oven. In addition to lacking proper thermal mass and minimum insulation, these ovens are wider than they are deep, which have proven to suffer from breathing problems. True brick ovens last scores of years, and Alfa Forno folks wont stand behind their oven after 24 months.

They sure are pretty though, but for my $4000, I'd pass, and move on to a serious oven.

[rmisale]

Re: Alfa Pizza Oven

Thank you for your help.
I am struggling to find a good oven in Ontario and it is not easy.

[rmisale]

Re: Alfa Pizza Oven

What about the Chicago Brick Oven - Amici Pizza Oven 500 Series. Does anyone know about those ovens?

[scott123]

Re: Alfa Pizza Oven

In addition to lacking proper thermal mass and minimum insulation, these ovens are wider than they are deep, which have proven to suffer from breathing problems.

Perhaps you're looking at different models than those that I've come across, but the Alfas I've seen are deeper than they are wide.

Alfa Forno 5 Minuti Italian Wood Fired Oven & Cart

In order to fit a pizza and a fire, the fire has to be in the back, which means you can't watch the edge closest to the fire for doneness. You're basically baking blind.

Lack of thermal mass and insulation will make retention baking/bread baking impossible, but, for pizza, top heat is about infrared radation, and IR works independently from mass. A 4" black body at ~1000 F. will be emit the same radiation, the same top heat, as a 1/16" black body at the same temp.

I'm not defending this particular oven- the shape doesn't work for a side fire, the chimney's inside the main chamber and the dome is too tall for consistent balanced sub 90 second Neapolitan bakes, but, theoretically speaking, nothing is stopping someone from coming up with an extremely viable stainless dome pizza oven. It's just a matter of time.