Introduction
Making your own outdoor oven can be a fun and rewarding DIY project. Outdoor ovens allow you to bake, roast, or cook pizza in your backyard or outdoor living space. With some simple materials and a bit of time, you can build an outdoor oven to enjoy for years to come. In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps of how to make an outdoor oven.
Choose a Design
The first step is deciding on the design for your outdoor oven. There are a few main options:
Brick Oven
This classic design is made from brick and mortar. It retains heat very well for baking pizza or bread. Building a brick oven requires masonry skills.
Cob Oven
Cob ovens are made from clay, sand, and straw pressed together to form the dome and floor. They often have an insulating layer between the cob and an exterior layer of brick or stone. Cob ovens require some special materials but are simpler to construct than brick ovens.
Metal Drum Oven
Perhaps the easiest design is fashioning an oven from a 55-gallon metal drum. These ovens heat up quickly but don’t retain heat as well. They work best for faster cooking foods like meats or vegetables.
Choose a Location
When deciding where to build your outdoor oven, consider these factors:
- Sun exposure – Pick a sunny spot for faster oven heating.
- Wind protection – Shield the oven from strong winds which can affect temperature.
- Accessibility – Ensure you can easily access the oven entrance.
- Clearance – Leave 2-3 feet of clearance on all sides of the oven.
Build your oven on a non-flammable base like bricks or concrete. Ensure it is level by using a spirit level during construction.
Obtain Materials
The materials you’ll need depend on the oven design you choose. Some common materials include:
- Bricks or cob mixture for dome construction
- Mortar or clay for binding bricks/cob
- Insulation like perlite or vermiculite
- Cement board or metal for floor
- Metal drum for drum oven
- Chimney pipes and hood
- Heat-resistant paint or plaster
Make sure to use heat-resistant materials rated for high temperatures. Purchase a pizza stone if you plan to bake pizza.
Build the Oven Foundation
The oven foundation bears the weight of the structure. Lay concrete, paver stones, or bricks to form the base. The foundation size should be slightly larger than your planned oven dimensions.
For brick ovens, build the foundation at least 12 inches wider and longer than the oven floor. This provides clearance on all sides.
Construct the Oven Housing
Once the foundation is prepared, you can build up the main oven housing with bricks or cob.
For brick ovens:
- Build the floor with firebricks, using refractory mortar rated to high heat.
- Build the dome using regular bricks and refractory mortar. Maintain the proper dome curvature as you lay the bricks.
- Include an oven door about 16 inches wide and 12 inches high.
- Allow a vent or chimney opening at the top for smoke.
For cob ovens:
- Build up the sand base to the desired shape and pack it down firmly.
- Press cob pieces together by hand onto the sand base to form the dome.
- Shape a door opening using damp sand. Remove the sand later.
- Allow the cob dome to dry completely over several days before firing up the oven.
Metal drum ovens are the simplest option. Just place the drum on blocks or bricks to elevate it. Be sure to cut out a door opening.
Add Insulation
Insulation helps retain heat. For brick ovens, add a 2-4 inch layer of perlite or vermiculite insulation between the inner and outer brick layers.
With cob ovens, press crumpled newspaper or perlite into the middle layer of the thick cob walls.
Metal drum ovens already have built-in insulation from the air gap of the double-walled construction.
Finish Construction
The final steps include:
- Plaster the oven exterior with earth plaster, cement, or heat-resistant paint. This protects from weather and seals in heat.
- Install the chimney. Use chimney pipes, an exhaust hood, and flashing to vent smoke outside.
- Cure the oven by slowly drying it out over a few days before the first fire. For cob ovens, follow a curing schedule.
- Add an oven door. Weld or rivet a metal door onto metal drum ovens. Attach a wooden door with heat-safe handles to other ovens.
Using Your Outdoor Oven
Once construction is complete, it’s time to fire up your oven! Here are some tips for use:
- Gradually break in the oven over several small fires before cooking in it.
- Use hardwoods like oak or fruit woods for the best oven fuel. Avoid resinous softwoods.
- Let the oven fully preheat for best results. Pizza ovens reach 700-800°F or higher.
- Try out different placement areas in the oven to find the hot spots for cooking different foods.
- Use a pizza peel and infrared thermometer to handle and monitor foods.
- Always closely supervise the fire. Extinguish it fully after each use.
With proper care and maintenance, your DIY outdoor oven can provide years of tasty meals cooked with a unique wood-fired flavor.
FAQs about Making Outdoor Ovens
What is the best material for an outdoor oven?
Brick and cob ovens retain heat the best. Metal drum ovens heat up quickly but won’t stay as hot. Choose based on your cooking needs.
How thick should the walls be?
8-12 inches thick provides good insulation. Cob oven walls are often 16 inches or thicker. Metal drums have air gap insulation between inner and outer walls.
What temperature does an outdoor oven reach?
700-800°F is ideal for pizza. Baking ovens may only need 400-500°F. Add more fuel for higher temperatures.
How long does an outdoor oven take to build?
It depends on the design, but plan on 15-30 hours for a simple cob oven, or 40+ hours for a brick oven. Work time can be spread over several days.
What foundation is best?
Concrete or pavers provide the most stable base. Bricks also work if built on compacted ground. Elevate on blocks to reduce moisture transfer.
Should there be a vent or chimney?
Yes, a vent at the top allows smoke to release so ovens don’t get smoky inside. Chimney pipes help control airflow.
Conclusion
Building your own outdoor oven enables you to bake, cook pizza, or roast meats with unique wood-fired flavor. With proper site selection and use of heat-resistant materials, you can create a fun and functional outdoor oven using bricks, cob, or a metal drum. Be sure to evenly preheat and carefully monitor the oven during use. Incorporating insulation helps retain heat for more efficient cooking. Get creative with your design and enjoy tasty meals cooked in your DIY outdoor oven.