We regularly receive photos of our customers' successful projects. This example shows a large private outdoor kitchen into which a Valoriani Top 100 has been harmoniously integrated. The brick arch emphasises the Italian flair and effectively frames the wood-fired oven.
The customer project
A Valoriani Top 100 was installed as the centrepiece of the outdoor kitchen. Integrating it into the masonry creates a tidy appearance and short working distances for outdoor cooking. The oven is designed for wood-fired operation and is suitable for pizza as well as many other dishes, from vegetables and casseroles to meat.
Planning and installation
When installing a wood-fired oven in an outdoor kitchen, a solid base, appropriate clearances from combustible materials and a suitable flue are important. In this project the oven was integrated into a masonry setting; the brick arch provides a visual accent and frames the oven opening functionally. For bespoke projects careful planning is recommended – from structural calculations to the routing of the flue and making the work surfaces weatherproof.
In use: fire, temperature and versatility
The Valoriani Top is traditionally fired with dry hardwood, such as beech. After lighting, a wide range of temperatures becomes available. A commonly used rule of thumb in practice is roughly 40 minutes of heating time – depending on weather, fuel, construction and the desired outdoor cooking temperature. The high heat is ideal for pizza; at more moderate temperatures casseroles, vegetables, bread and desserts turn out well.
Monitoring the temperature
An infrared thermometer helps maintain consistent results by checking the firebrick floor temperature. That makes it easier to judge the right moment to load the oven and to estimate baking times.
Further tips from pizza-ofen.de
- Build guide: build your own pizza oven
- Lighting a pizza oven
- Table of oven temperatures for outdoor cooking
Small planning tip: Anyone creating or extending an outdoor kitchen benefits from individual advice – for example on the right oven size, accessories such as an infrared thermometer and on the optimal integration into the outdoor kitchen.
