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A wood fired oven is bought for two things at once: the pizza, then the fire. Nobody stands around a gas oven. The trade is that it wants three quarters of an hour to come up to heat, seasoned hardwood to run properly, plus a flue that clears the roofline safely.

Get those right and it becomes the most used thing in the yard, because the oven keeps giving heat long after the pizzas are done: roasting, then bread, then something slow overnight.

What we range

Valoriani has been building refractory ovens in Italy since 1890, from compact domestic sizes up to commercial. Polito builds by hand in Thomastown, Melbourne, NATA tested and certified, finished in paint that holds colour to 650 degrees. Both are the real thing; the choice usually comes down to size, finish and lead time.

How to choose

Freestanding or a kit. A freestanding oven arrives assembled on a stand, works the day it lands, then moves if you move. A kit is designed to be rendered into a bench or surround, which is what an architect-designed alfresco area usually wants. A kit cannot be undone once it is built in.

Size to how you actually eat. A 780mm floor takes two large pizzas at once, which keeps a table of eight fed without shifts. Going bigger buys capacity you may not use, along with a longer heat-up every time you light it.

Budget the flue. It is the cost people forget. The flue has to clear the roofline and any combustible surface, so confirm the path before you settle on where the oven sits.

Want to cook on a total fire ban day? Only gas can do that.

Wood fired oven questions, answered

How long does a wood fired pizza oven take to heat?

Twenty to thirty minutes for a compact oven like the Polito Giotto, closer to an hour for the larger Valoriani kits. Floor temperature is what matters; it wants to sit between 380 and 450 degrees for pizza.

How much wood does it use?

A few kilos to reach temperature, then a small feed to hold it. Use seasoned hardwood; anything damp makes smoke instead of heat, which is the usual reason a new owner thinks the oven is underperforming.

Do I need a flue and clearances?

Yes. A wood oven produces smoke and needs a flue that clears the roofline and combustible surfaces, which is the cost people forget to budget for. Confirm the flue path before you commit to where the oven sits.

Can I cook more than pizza in one?

That is most of the value. As the oven falls through its temperature range it moves through pizza, then roasting, then bread, then slow cooking overnight on stored heat.

Freestanding or built in?

Freestanding ovens arrive assembled on a stand and can be moved later. Kits are designed to be rendered into a bench or surround, which looks better in a finished alfresco area and cannot be undone.

What is the difference between Valoriani and Polito?

Valoriani is Italian, refractory clay, with a range running from compact to commercial. Polito is handmade in Melbourne, NATA tested, then finished in paint that is colour stable to 650 degrees. Both are genuine wood fired ovens; the choice is usually about size, finish and lead time.

Can I use one on a total fire ban day?

No. A wood oven burns solid fuel and produces embers, so a total fire ban stops it. If you want to cook on the hottest days of summer, add a gas oven or choose gas outright.

Not sure where to start?

Tell us about your space and we'll suggest what suits.

Hayden will be in touch within one business day.