2024 Neapolitan oven build

[david s]

Some people say you can't have too much insulation, but as the insulation is expensive and also is subject to the rule of diminishing returns, extra insulation will cost you more for a very small benefit.

Q1. 3" of insulating board is quite sufficient IMO
Q2. The floor thickness should match the dome dome thickness. Some builders, typically those who want to bake lots of bread like a really thick floor an turn their floor bricks on edge to get a 4" thick floor. But remember the thicker the floor and dome are, the longer it takes to saturate it with heat. If you have really thick walls and floor, you won't be keen to fire up the oven on a Friday night to cook 3 pizzas. And you better have access to a lot of free wood.

[daidensacha]

Hi All,

Long been on my bucket list to build and planning to start this year in spring.

I want to cook primarily Neapolitan style pizza. I also want to make use of the retained heat to cook meat, and bake bread in days following a pizza bake.
To this end, I’m weighing up the balance between size of fire, of wood and time required to heat the oven, and the best insulation and floor thickness to cook with and retain heat.

Neapolitan Style Oven Planned specs.

• Base insulation: 75mm ceramic fibre board. (Unsure if its worth adding 100mm vermicrete under the ceramic fibre board)
• Oven floor: 50mm thick firebrick plates. (leaning to 500 x 500 x 50mm, although 500 x 500 x 64mm also available)
• Dome:
  • ID: 1020mm
  • OD: 1248mm
  • Inner height: 426mm
  • Outer height: 540mm
• Dome Insulation: 75mm ceramic fibre blanket, covered with 100-150mm vermicrete (ratio 1:8)
• Opening:
  • Width 500mm
  • Height 280mm

Question1: Floor insulation

Is 75mm (3”) ceramic fibre board sufficient to retain floor heat, or would it be worth adding additional 100mm vermicrete insulation under the ceramic fibre? That would by my reckoning give it the equivalent of 125mm ceramic fibre insulation. Overkill?

Question 2: Oven floor brick thickness

I want to make use of the retained heat in the days following a pizza bake. General consensus is that 2.5”/ 64mm is best, but I noted that the Forno Bravo Premio100 Home Pizza Oven Kit uses 75mm ceramic fibre with 50mm floor on top. Clive, the Wood Fired Oven Chef who has a brilliant Youtube channel built his oven using the Premio100 and he says the retained heat is really good. Is it worth going for 64mm thick floor, or is the 50mm sufficient?

Appreciate any feedback or info.

Looking forward to posting as the build commences.