Best Height for Wood-Fired Pizza Oven

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When thinking about planning for an oven, the first element to decide is whether it will be for the kitchen or an outdoor feature.

If the fixture is to be inside, remember the rule of thumb, the ideal oven will open out a few inches lower than eye level for easy viewing and cooking ergonomics, but take into account the surroundings and height of the ceiling.

The base of the block will want to be a height of approximately nine hundred and twenty millimeters, for which the pizza oven sits upon creating an eye-line of sight where the cook can see into the back of the fixture.

How can you Determine the Best Height?

The idea of a well-built brick pizza oven is to have it at a height where the chef can look into the mouth and see food cooking.

The ideal height will also incorporate the inserting and removing of the pizza: the design’s ergonomics will determine the overall build’s specifications.

There are also guides from folks that have previously built ovens, now online as well as in publication, even consider consulting your local stone mason and construction experts.

Of course, the safest choice would be to have a professional crew construct and install the oven for you.

 

Is the Height Universal?

Let us take a step back and look at this from a human perspective; a basketball player above six foot six inches will not want to use an oven designed for the average person at five foot eight inches.

For it to be said, a person shorter than average will also want to have a custom pizza oven that incorporates their height differences.

The standard height will be designed with the average human adult height in mind; the fun part about a wood-fired pizza oven is the custom designs that people come up with to fit their own personal needs.

 

What is the Highest you can Make it?

In the example mentioned earlier in the article, there are going to be some people with bigger bodily dimensions than average. However, there is no limitation on the height of an oven, at least for one that is going to be built and utilized outdoors.

Indoor units will have restrictions when it comes to the ceiling and wall heights of the house or residential building. Specific chimney designs stipulate that the nominal height of the oven will be one hundred and eight inches for optimal airflow.

One limitation will be tip-over points; keep this in mind when constructing your wood-style pizza oven.

 

How Low can a Pizza oven be?

The portion of the oven called the mouth would need to be at a height the chef can see inside, meaning it will need to be at least three feet in height.

This comes from the ergonomics of most people from lower heights to about six feet, and taller folks might want to push that to four feet to take into account their above-average height.

There will be different circumstances that will allow for different building heights, even a rear-fed oven near that has a lower bottom level for thicker dishes that need higher heat for cooking.

 

How can you tell if a Pizza Oven is too High?

As mentioned in the article above, there is one constant in the pizza oven design: a chef should be able to comfortably see the back of the cooking area through the mouth of the oven.

Therefore, if a person must reach above their head to feed the pizza into the mouth or can see the upper portions of the oven, these will be clear indicators that the build was meant for a taller person.

This, of course, can be accommodated with a stand in which to stand; there are some kitchens that have multiple ovens, and some will be at heights considered too high to see from a standing position.

 

Final Thoughts on Best Height for Wood-Fired Pizza Oven

There are not many restrictions when it comes to constructing a pizza brick oven; most stonemasons will recommend a chimney oven with a height of around one hundred and eight inches to create the optimum airflow for the unit.

Remember, if you are designing one of these ovens for yourself, consider the ergonomics of the people that will be using them frequently.

Do not hesitate to reach out to the local professionals, the stonemasons, and other knowledgeable folks to understand the oven’s construction needs and the specifications to create the perfectly balanced pizza oven.