Joe’s oven concrete blocks walls
Rado – I couldn’t have done it without your CD and the advice in your friendly emails … Thanks a million!
Funny thing is that over the past several months we find ourselves roasting large turkeys, making chickens, other meat roasts, cakes, 
and drying fruit as much as we make pizzas and bake breads.
So we don’t make just pizzas now, or, we don’t just bake breads now. It is a lot more diverse and sophisticated. Better in every culinary way. Food that goes into the oven and then the food that comes out of it reminds me when I lived in Italy many years ago … Awesome and Healthy!
Roasting meat. On this picture one big roast is in and one big roast is out. Pizzas never tasted better and healthier!
Foundation (46″ deep columns buried).
Joey working hard on the stone facing!
Oven dome before insulation.
Casting the hearth in the front.
Beginning of chimney with stucco and the front.
Had borrowed a cement mixer so I decided to pour the chimney … way too much work like that! What was I thinking???
Just like Italy!!!
Joe’s Oven
Connecticut – USA
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His pizza oven is amazing! I am his sister and have been begging him to come out to California to build one in our backyard. The pizza’s are delicious and better than the famous pizza’s on Wooster Street in New Haven CT (and that is hard pizza to out taste).
We wished we lived closer!!!!
By Chris-Ann
Joey,
Because it is a stand alone fixture, Do you have to get county/city building permit for this? It looks great.
By any chance would you share with me as far as how many concrete blocks did you use for your foundation and overall structure? Did you follow Mr. Rado CD plan? thanks.
CT (Orlando FL)
By Caothang Nguyen
Hi Neighbor, I am north of you in RI, I plan on making my oven this year, would like to talk to you about yours and it would be nice to get local advise as I build mine. Would you contact me at my address brit401 at hotmail
By Ed V
As far as I am aware, each town/city has unique building codes. It’s probably a good idea to check with your planning and zoning committee. I lost track of how many blocks I used because I also built a corner counter prep area. If you’re thinking of building an oven, which I hope that you try, don’t over look an area for all the counter space you’ll need. Making the dough, sauce, toppings, pans for roasting other foods, etc. And yes I followed Rado’s plans fir the smart dome-He’s an artist!
By Joe
Hi Ed. Hope that you try building the oven. I use it all the time. I’ll write you via your email address.
By Joe
Wow, what a job! You did a spectacular job on the construction of your wood-fired oven. I’de love to build one like yours instead of the clay/mud option I’ve seen so much of. Can you please direct me to a source of plans or specifications. I’m concerned about roof slope, flu volume, and insulation requirements to maintain temperature stability.
I’ll be on the hunt tomorrow to round up some good, used fire brick.
Many thanks, God Bless you.
Jeff Zinneman, Tennessee
By Jeff Zinneman
Thanks Jeff. I hope that you build it – you’ll wonder how you could have ever cooked without it. We just had Easter dinner with a 22 pound rib roast, Virginia ham and baked pasta all from the wood fired oven. As far as the plans I emailed Rado and received his building cd and copied his dome design. Works great! If you are handy and have some basic tools you’ll be all set. Keep me informed on your progress. Don’t hesitate to ask any questions if you get stumped.
By Joe
If well insulated on the outside of the dense oven cooking part (more heavier the better) then this is perfectly satisfactory not only for pizza oven but as well for quality baking and/or roasting. I have a similarly looking oven with the cut stone tiling on the outside.
By Louis Carabini
My wife is Old Country Italian, and has been talking to me about wanting to build an oven outside like the one her family had in Italy. I have a lot of natural stone around my property, as well as stone walls, I want to incorporate the stove so that it looks like it has always been there.
I would love to talk to you about your oven and pick your brain. Would love to see yours in person if possible. Please email me @jcurtis1@optonline.net
Jeff Curtis
Stamford, CT
By Jeff Curtis
Hi Joe!
Great looking pizza oven – you did a good job. We live in Connecticut as well – I would love to talk to you about your oven building and experiences. How does it fare with CT’s winters (especially the last one with all the snowfall?). Are you handy? Did you follow the CD? We are expecting our building CD from Rado any day now – can’t wait.
My email address is bikerbabie@yahoo.com. I hope we can talk! fiona elizabeth
By fiona
Did you build an oven? I am in TN also and looking into it.
By Glyn
Hi Fiona, sorry for not getting back to you. Busy summer with the kids and all. Hope you had a chance to build the oven. Let me know where you are in the project. Be glad to give any advice that you might need.
Joe
By Joe
I need plans on how to build a Pizza oven. I can’t find any in these pages
By Gary Lowe
Hey Joe,
I’m in Ct also and looking to do a build. What if any building and zoning code requirements did you encounter when you did yours?
By Eric Sousa
Eric… just have them shipped home on Cd’s or on one DVD if you request the second design also , which is the Masterly oven design (MTO)… it’s much more interesting and easy I can say that… the link for the plans for building…
By Samuel
Actually I have already ordered but I was looking for common codes or laws that are enforced when building one of these ovens outdoors.
By Eric Sousa
Hello Rado,
I just wanted to let you know that the CD arrived safe and sound here in Canada yesterday, pretty fast. I will take the next few evenings to go over the vast amount of cool information you have provided then hopefully finish up my design. It is actually snowing here today (very uncommon for this time of year) and the ground is still a little hard for digging but with luck and some sun we should be able to get started in the next few weeks.
Cheers and thanks again.
By David
joe how are you?good job,
i like to know what was the mortar you use what did you use thanks sincerely john
watertown mass,send me an email,
By john
Hey Joe, thanks for the wonderful website! Question, my wife is very concerned about chemicals in our food, is there any chance of something leaching out of the concrete when it’s heated up? Thanks/ Ed
By Ed Searfoss
Sorry for the late response-rarely check Rado’s website. No concrete or mortar ever is in contact with the food. Fire brick on floor and dome has no exposed mortar. Hope you build the oven, we use it all year round! Good luck.
By Joe
Sorry for the late response-rarely check Rado’s website. I used standard mortar mix for the block and brick construction. As for the fire brick dome I used a combination of firestop and regular mortar- about 1 to 1 ratio. Oven is about three years old and still standing strong despite our New England winters. Hope you build the oven, we use it all year round! Good luck.
By Joe
Great job on a beautiful oven! How many pounds have you gained? lol :) I have put on quite a bit myself, that is why I ask. If you haven’t gained any, then how did you do that?
Anyways, I live in Ct. and have my oven up and running for a while now and love it, love it love it. I live in Southbury Ct. so we are somewhat neighbors. What part of the state do you feed?
Enjoy your oven and post some recipes!
John
By John in Conn.
Hi Joe,
great job on the oven. I live in Western Mass. And I would appreciate some info on the foundation build. Did you dig out four post holes and add rebar, it’s hard to tell from your photo.
Thanks
Ivan
By Ivan
Thanks Ivan-Yes, We dug four tubes and used plenty of re-bar to deal with our Northeast winters. Hope you build it!
Joe
By Joe
Came here by learning details about natural looking polished concrete floors and stamped concrete patios and walls. I am building one of these ovens as well, now when I looked at them I can see how good an idea they must be to have.
By Vickie
Nice oven out of concrete blocks.
By Susan McCormack
How can I convert this old brick outdoor 1965-ish fireplace into a pizza oven? Thanks
By Joe Vrabel