Pennsylvania oven builders

[Pat R]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

I've been lucky. I've got a nephew, a son, and a host of friends who like the fire thing. My son has just moved home and would cook out there every night.

My biggest problem was getting them to believe a pizza only takes 90 seconds!

Pat, your oven is too hot.

--eyeing a burned pizza.

Guys, count to 45, seriously, try it!

Pat goes out and buys a timer.

Maybe my biggest problem is how much increase there is to my food budget and how that translates to increases on the scale!

Yes, the oven has to go to someone who appreciates it. Could be joint custody at this point!

[hodgey1]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

Pat
I will have to see my attorney soon. The WFO should only go to someone in the family that's going to appreciate it! I might have to look outside the family, none of mine has shown the interest in making only eating.

[Pat R]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

JeepPiper--have you posted how to roast coffee? I'd love to know. What great Christmas presents! (Found it...great discussion...looking forward to it!)

Been busy around here but all is good. You name it, we've tried it. Tomorrow is a 13 lb top round that is a practice run for a future party. We've done a lot of beef so we are ready. I hope.

Finally got a good deep dish by par-baking the crust. And, our secret cheese combination--cooper sharp and fontina with a little parm. Seriously good. Add smoked bacon and it's heaven out of the oven!

We have done a bunch of turkeys leading up to Thanksgiving and find it pretty easy given a thermometer, timer, and one of those popups. And constant surveillance. We haven't mastered the different temperatures needed for different dishes so doing the whole meal might be tough (not to mention cold outside). High temp roasted potatoes and salmon (three minutes) work great.

As for the investment, well, my will has changed a bit and anyone who wants to see their share needs to come for dinner on the porch. Life is good.

[hodgey1]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

I'd have to say that's a great ROI ! Not many hobbies/passions can do that. The pizzas I turned out of my WFO last night were as good if not better than what I remember eating as a kid at the brick oven pizza shop near are home in NJ. I feel like that in its self make the investment worth it.

Chris

[jeeppiper]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

Hodgey...w.r.t to "appreciated property value"...I showed a photo of my WFO to a realtor friend of mine...his reaction was "Wow! That will increase the value of your property by $5000 easy!"....

Being that I spent about $2500.....'twas a good investment.

[hodgey1]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

You have to keep in mind the appreciated value of your home with a custom built WFO in the back yard, priceless !!!

[Toomulla]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

If they ask about ROI they just don't get it I am now down to about $100.00 a pizza based on the initial investment

[hodgey1]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

Wow thats cool, roasting coffee! Hmmm, now I have something else to explore and enjoy. We've been grinding fresh beans with a burr and French pressing every morning for years, cant wait to try roasting my own.

Now when people say " you spent what? And how long?To make pizza? Whats your ROI ?" I now can say "it also roast coffee!!! So there! Some people dont get it, they'd rather eat a cardboard Dominos and go to Starbucks then possible learn to do it on there own.

[jeeppiper]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

Awesome Pizzas are just the beginning....you will need to accessorize your WFO. Get yourself one of those cast iron Tuscan grills and you will have the best steaks you can imagine. Get some ceramic cookware and you can cook entire holiday meals in your oven. I even made a coffee roaster and now roast my own coffee beans. Every morning I now wake up to the best dang coffee in the state!!!

[hodgey1]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

Thanks for the kind words Jeeper. It's been a labor of love-hate. I've been feeling lazy since getting the roof on but it seemed like all I did this summer was build. Oh, and because of all the rain, also mowed alot of grass. The pizzas that are coming out of the WFO are paying real dividends, couldn't be much happier. Can't wait to start baking some bread this fall.

[jeeppiper]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

Hodgey, Beautiful build !!! and nice job on the dome too (I wish my dome looked that good). I think 16 weeks is pretty respectable....mine took about 9 months to build (weekends and evenings). Once you have it fired up and making pizza's, and the roof is on, then the pressure is off so you can take your time dressing it up..

[hodgey1]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

Are there any PA oven builders and users out there? I am in Perry county and am in the process of building.

I'm nearing completion of a 42" Pompeii WFO in NW Pa "Crawford County". The link to my photo album is below.

http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/memb...nsylvania.html

[jeeppiper]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

Welcome Fire-n-smoke! I have never seen a showroom for ovens...

[Fire-n-Smoke]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

Hi everyone,
just signed onto the forum and was wondering if the showrooms listed by forno bravo have ovens on display for me to see. I am interested in the Toscano and the Artigiano models. I am located in lower bucks county and see there are a few places in jersey not far from me.
tom

[Pat R]

Re: Pennsylvania oven builders

We have had so much fun trying things. Today was bread day but it's a little damp out so we can wait for the weekend.

We've tried all kinds of dough from Pillsbury cans to wegmans to trader joes to, the best, from scratch. Everything goes well until someone wants to pile on the toppings. So I have to say 'keep it simple' over and over.

The hardest part is getting the dough to stretch out and stay there. Been reading a lot about it and getting better.

The oven holds heat well so I have to plan on a roasting the next day. So far we've done a prime rib (my friend thought he was funny handing it to me for my first attempt--I didn't leave the oven!), big rolled pork shoulder to pull apart, ribs, three whole chickens at one time, butterflied lamb (least successful) and an apple pie.

Best dessert: Pillsbury crescent rolls (not low fat please) spread with mascarpone, sprinkled with shaved chocolate, add a strawberry half and roll. We put them on a pizza pan and it takes less than a minute in the oven.

Worst dessert: On a store bought tube of dough, the kids put broken up chocolate, red dots, sweet tarts, and fruit rollups on top. I rolled it up because I didn't want all that stuff running in the oven. People actually ate it. Or they took some and it landed in the garbage. Going to steer clear of candy pizza.

It would be nice to get together to share ideas. I mentioned to Don at Stravinos that they should start a group. He knows of someone in the valley who is doing a build.

Get in touch if you'd like to stop by. I plan to post pictures next week.