42" or 48" internal that is the question

[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

[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.

[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

[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.

[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

[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!

[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