The Advantage of Using a Wood-fire Pizza Oven

The CEO of Pizza90 wrote and sent us this informative, engaging and enjoyable to read article focusing on few advantages of having wood fire pizza oven, and I definitely think it will add value to our readers and audience – guest post.

While not as common in the US as in Italy, a wood-fired pizza oven produces delicious tasting foods. You’ll find it in restaurants like Pizza90 where wood-fire pizza is a staple on the menu. Once people experience the flavors, they often wish they owned such an oven at home. In Italy, these ovens are as popular as the barbecue grill is in America.

More people in the US are building these ovens as part of their outdoor living space. You just can’t replicate the taste with any other cooking method. Once you discover the advantage of using a wood-fired pizza oven, you’ll want one of your own.

These ovens are made of brick or stone or another heat-conducting material and are usually built outside. A dome covers the top of the oven where a fire is built to heat up the space. Once the oven reaches anywhere from 700 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit, it’s ready to cook the food. Even after the fire dies down, the temperature remains for several hours, allowing you to cook large amounts of food.

Cooking with Wood-fired Ovens is Faster and More Flavorful

These traditional wood ovens cook pizza much faster than a conventional oven. With temperatures that reach 900 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, they allow the pizza to be completely cooked and ready to eat in less than two minutes. Imagine how much easier it is to cook for a group of friends hanging out on the back patio than standing over a grill for an hour. Even pizza in the traditional oven will take 20 minutes to cook.

This fast cooking time boosts the flavor of the food. The heat is evenly distributed through the pizza so it has the same amount of doneness all over. The smoky flavor from the wood enhances the taste of the pizza and can be altered based on what type of wood you choose to use. The crust cooks quickly enough to remove any sogginess, resulting in a crisp yet chewy texture. Toppings are also crispier so you can easily taste the various flavors instead of having them meld together.

Wood-fired Ovens are Healthier and More Versatile

Because the food cooks faster, more of the nutritional value is left than with conventional cooking methods. Raw vegetables used as toppings on pizza keep more of their vitamins and minerals, which means the food is healthier to eat.

While many people think of these ovens only for pizza, they can actually perform many cooking tasks. In the past, cooks did all of their baking on wood-fired pizza ovens. You can bake breads and meats and roast vegetables, adding a unique flavor to everything. You can even pop a casserole in the oven for a fast meal that tastes delicious.

Even though many people associate the live flame with the wood-fired pizza oven, you can allow the flame to burn out and just retain the heat from the interior for cooking as you would over a stove top. The fire creates a convection heat you can use to cook with the same as in a gas or electric convection oven.

Wood-fired Ovens are Perfect for a Green Lifestyle

If you’re looking for a way to cut energy costs, these ovens are perfect for your home. Instead of using electricity or gas, you use only wood to produce the heat necessary to cook foods. Not only does this reduce your utility costs, but it takes less energy consumption which is good for the environment.

When people think of these wood-burning ovens, they often imagine the terra cotta brick variety or traditional stone ovens. However, many manufacturers today use modern materials to make the pizza oven heat conduct faster. The result is an oven that is ready to use in about the same time as heating up a grill.

You Can Build a Wood-fired Oven at Home

Look online and you’ll find all kinds of designs to build your own wood-fired pizza oven. While they all have certain elements in common, such as a dome top and heat-conducting materials and a tall base, you can make them in different sizes to fit your space. It’s even possible to build them inside some homes if you plan to cook with them a lot.

Wood-fired ovens are an ancient method of cooking that has never gone out of style. While there are many advantages of using one, the main reason their popularity never wanes is because the food tastes so good.