42" or 48" internal that is the question

[olddude]

building outdoor kitchen with brick pizza oven
not sure if i should go with the 42 or 48 inside
1. have a 11 inch counter if front of oven opening
2. 48" would give me 11" from front of arch to inside of oven
3. 42" in oven i get 14" arch
4. so if i got this right that would be 22" or 25" from front of counter to opening of oven
5. concerns a) do i have enough room for vent trans. b) will it take a lot longer to heat up an 48 ver 42 inch oven

went to expo was great most there said bigger is better more room for fire and piazza's
just not sure of vent and trans

numbers where from bottom of dome

so if i set the vent back over dome can get more room just have make trans different
8" vent either way

[kebwi]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

Yeah yeah yeah, for some reason FB suffers from major oven envy, everyone always says go bigger (in response to your experience at the expo). I built a 36". You should ask yourself what your intention is. Is this a personal backyard oven for you, your family, and the occasional party? For such use, I expect my 36" to perform just fine. I just finished my oven so I don't really know, maybe it's insufferably small and I don't realize it yet...but I doubt it.

My entry arch from outer face to dome interior curvature is:
3"+6"+2.5"+2.5"
or...
1/3rd brick long + 2/3rd brick long + 1 brick thick + 1 brick thick
or...
The outer 1/3rd is my exterior arch in front of the vent and supporting the chimney. The next 2/3rd brick is the depth of my vent opening. The inner arch supporting my dome and the rear support for the chimney consists of two face-on layers of bricks (see my thread for photos).

So my entryway is 14" deep. There might be ways to shorten that. The outer support could be a face-on brick (2.5" instead of 3"). The inner arch could be a single layer of brick. Finally, the vent opening could be shallower. These would offer challenges though. Merging the dome to the chimney would be fancier with a single layer arch and the risk of smoke escaping out the entrance would be greater with a shallower vent.

Take that as you will.

Cheers!

[SCChris]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

Old Dude, stick with the 42" it'll cook everything you'll want to cook and heat with less fuel.. Plus you have a lot of 42" inch ovens to use as your base for info.

Chris

[jerrycook]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

I built a 48" oven because I found some nice 3" thick 12 X 24 tiles that I used for the floor. Fewer seams. I went 48" because the tiles were hard to cut with an HF 10" saw. I like the size. The oven is still pretty new and takes a while to heat and I use a ton of fuel. Actually, I haven't reached the high temp I'm looking for. But, it gets better every time I fire it up. I've been cooking pizzas on a 700 + degree floor. I really like the room inside. At this point it hardly seems worthwhile to fire up for less than a dozen pizzas. I'll be firing it up today.

[texassourdough]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

Anything from 34 inches up works well as a home oven. I have 39 and its more than adequate IMO. Nothing against a 42 but a 48 is a LOT of oven - about 70 percent more floor space and twice as much mass as a 36 so it would need about twice as much wood to fire and would take a bit longer to get to temperature. I would go with the smaller oven.

Good Luck!
Jay

[david s]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

Mine is 21" and I don't think twice about firing it up to cook three pizzas. The smaller you go the more frequently you use it. You don't need tools with huge long handles either.

[SCChris]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

So we're all in agreement, Any wood fired Pizza oven is a good pizza oven.

Old Dude you're local to Dino and a few others like myself, If you need to source anything just ask!!

Chris

[Neil2]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

Build two - 34 inchers. Same cooking area.

[Dino_Pizza]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

Hey olddude ( I just love saying that- thx for making that your forum name)

I have a 42" and could easily have made it 2-3" smaller & do all the stuff I do. I suggest staying with 42". Bigger ovens take more fuel and I already think twice about casual firings. You live close to me and not in a forest. It's relatively expensive for us city-folk to get wood or have it delivered and heating up anything larger than 42" dome is a commitment.

My 42" has a 15" deep landing (that starts about 3" within the 42" dome. My width is 22" at the oven entry and 25" wide at the outer entry arch. In front of that, I have an 8" counter.

Also, I'm 5'-11" with long, long arms (think alien ) and I can just barely maneuver things in the back of my oven. You will get used to whatever depth you end up with and the length of your reach, but I'm just forewarning you on the issue.

Can't wait to hear what your decision is olddude!
-Dino

[Les]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

Olddude - just a sanity check. Are you located in So. Cal or the Bay Area? My old stomping grounds.

Les...

[olddude]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

east bay as for wood i live in the middle of a lot of fruit trees

but for firing and cooking maybe i should go smaller 36 just me and wife here mostly didn't think about how much mas i would have to heat

[Les]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

east bay as for wood i live in the middle of a lot of fruit trees

Thats what I thought. I have bad memories of picking walnuts as a child in Brentwood. You should have an excellent choice for fuel. I get my walnut from a friend in San Ramon - he manages an orchard. At the rate they were tearing down orchards to build houses in Brentwood, I would think the wood is almost free.

Les...

[SCChris]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

Sorry Old Dude, I had Brentwood as LA area not Bay area.. Oh well.
If I can help just hollar.

Chris

[olddude]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

Okay well think i'm going with a 36" oven

if i stand the first course on edge do i need to change the dome to lower height
or can i leave it at the 20" was thinking if i bake bread which i will the extra room on the sides would be nice

or is the round type better for pizza which i will be doing at lot hope fully
i know i asked for 42 ver 48 but with ppl thinking twice about firing there 42 for just a couple of pizza'a think smaller would be better

only concern is i do want to make bread about 10 would more then enough

any comments on the standing ver arch for first brick would be help full

[SCChris]

Re: 42" or 48" internal that is the question

My soldiers are beveled full vertical bricks. I just trimmed the one end to acheave the angle to embrace the dome. As much as the formula is about a hemisphere and the reflected and focused heat of the shape, I think you'd be fine adjusting for a slightly higher sidewall and flatter or higher interior height. These ovens are so very flexable and forgiving. If you can I'd get as much high quality insulation under the floor and above the supporting slab as you can.. 2" rigid insluation is what I'd recomend over vermicrete. It'll add about $100 or so to your project but I think you'll have a more stable heat line, less loss of heat out the floor. Others will differ on this opinion.

Chris

PS James is right around the corner and his 38" kit would adjust just fine to a 36".