People who love cooking invest in buying appliances that take their prowess and talent to the next level. Some buy wood fired pizza ovens to prepare culinary delights to warm the hearts of family and guests.
However, like any other treasured possession, wood fired pizza ovens need care and maintenance to function well over a prolonged period of time. Today we look at various ways of handling an outdoor pizza oven to ensure it’s a worthwhile investment.
How to Maintain an Outdoor Wood Pizza Oven
The care required to maintain a pizza oven will depend on its type. A wood-fired outdoor pizza oven needs more care because its use of firewood generates more emissions and deposits on various parts, affecting its longevity and performance.
Here are some tips for keeping an outdoor wood pizza oven clean and in top condition.
1. Cleaning the oven
An outdoor wood pizza oven does not need to be deep cleaned with cleaning agents. Any food spilt on it burns to ashes because of the high temperatures at which the oven operates.
Such heat makes it hard for germs and bacteria to survive there. All the wood fired outdoor pizza oven needs is an occasional sweep with a metal brush to remove the ashes. It is advisable to avoid spilling water on the pizza oven as it could form rust and damage the metallic parts.
2. Purging soot stains.
Soot, unlike ash, is a combination of by-products from wood combustion, such as carbon and tar. It is sticky and oily, so it manifests as staining on surfaces.
When not removed well or early enough, its accumulation makes wood-fired pizza ovens unsightly. While a hard bristle gets rid of excess soot from the oven’s body, it does not clean out the soot stains.
However, to get rid of soot on your pizza oven walls completely and without breaking a sweat, start a fire in it. When the wood pizza oven heats up, it will simply burn away the soot off the walls. This means that you won’t have to get inside and do the scrubbing yourself.
These stains are a drawback of owning an outdoor wood pizza oven because using water or chemicals to eliminate the stain could damage the fire clay brick. The warranty does not cover such damages.
3. Sweep and inspect the chimney.
It is essential to sweep and inspect the chimney cap and flue of a pizza oven that uses solid fuel like coal and firewood, at least once a year. This regular maintenance ensures that any buildup or obstructions are cleared, improving the oven’s overall performance and energy efficiency.
4. Check the thermometer
A thermometer monitors the heat efficiency of the outdoor wood pizza oven so that you know the correct temperature. If the thermometer dial stops working, it must be removed by unscrewing and replacing it with another functional one.
5. Cast door and glass window care
Use a moist fabric to wipe off the dirt and grime from the glass window. If the cast iron door looks aged, spraying it with heat-resistant paint is one trick to revitalising its look. You can attempt this as a DIY project.
Maintenance of Wood Fired Pizza Ovens
The best care for wood fired outdoor pizza ovens is consistency in cleaning. Ensure that the oven cools down completely before attempting to clean it. Most of it is DIY, but if you need professionals to keep your wood-fired outdoor pizza oven in optimum condition, contact Sydney Heaters and Pizza Ovens, the leading specialists in installing and maintaining outdoor wood pizza ovens.
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