Air Temp vs. Deck Temp Wood-Fired Oven

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Do you love the taste of the food that comes from a wood fire? If you don’t know already, wood-fired ovens need ventilation, which means they’re often outside when it’s being used.

As a cook (or a professional chef), it’s important to know the difference between air temperature and deck temperature. We’ll tell you everything you need to know and why these temperatures are important to keep track of when using a wood fire oven.

What are the Differences?

Here’s what you’re looking for, the differences between the two temperatures for wood-fired ovens. Here they are:

 

Air Temperature

Air temperature means the air inside the oven, not the outdoor temperature that you were thinking of.

 

Deck Temperature

Deck temperatures are often referred to as the temperature on the baking surface. In this case, the temperature of the stone or ceramic.

With these differences, you now know how important it is to know what they are because it affects the quality of the food.

 

What is Similar Between the Two?

Air and deck temperatures have the same similarities when it comes to cooking. Here’s how they’re the same:

 

• When both are at higher temperatures, it means the food will cook quickly and develop a crust quicker
• When both are at lower temperatures, the food will cook slower, and the crust will be softer

 

Certain things like pizza need to be cooked at a higher temperature if you prefer a crisper crust, whereas bread needs to be cooked at a lower temperature so it’d be nice and fluffy.

This is why you have to pay attention to the temperatures when cooking in a wood fire oven.

 

Which One is faster?

Deck temperature has a greater impact on cooking speed than the air temperature. This is because it’s inside where the food is cooking. However, you do run the risk of burning the food, as higher temperatures can make the food cook quickly.

 

What Type Do Chefs Prefer?

The temperatures that the chefs prefer is their personal preference for how they want the food to cook.

They may prefer a higher deck temperature if they want the food to cook quickly. However, if they are baking bread, they may prefer even temperatures from both air and deck. With that said, it boils down to personal preferences.

 

Which one is Easier for Maintenance?

It is far easier to maintain the air temperature. This is because the air temperature is more dispersed throughout the cooking chamber, whereas the deck temperature can vary greatly depending on the location of the food on the cooking surface.

However, maintaining a consistent air temperature requires a well-designed cooking chamber with proper insulation and ventilation and a good understanding of how to manage the fire and airflow to regulate the temperature.

So, remember this the next time you fire up the wood fire oven.

 

Final Thoughts on Air Temp Vs Deck Temp Wood-Fired Oven

Hopefully, you’ve learned the importance of the air and deck temperature for a wood fire oven by now. They’re both different and can affect the texture of your food in the end.

Remember, higher temperatures mean it will cook faster, and lower temperatures mean it will cook more slowly. You’ll need to keep the temperatures at your preferences so that the food you’re making will come out tasting exactly the way you wanted it to.