Wood-fired ovens are ideal for preparing traditional dishes, from baked pasta to vegetables au gratin, from pizza to roasted meat, but the choice of a wood-burning oven must first pass through a careful analysis of the aspects of all the most important characteristics.
In this article we will list the main features of wood-fired ovens, to help you choose the right product for your kitchen needs.
The speed of the temperature rise
The choice of a good wood-burning oven also depends on the ability to reach the ideal cooking temperature more or less quickly: if the goal is to cook traditional dishes calmly, on Sunday morning with calm and tranquility, then you will not need an oven that reaches quickly the necessary temperature – you light it in time and once ready, proceed to put the dishes in the oven.
But if your goal is to cook more often in the oven, even when the time is shorter, then you need to turn your attention to faster products.
The speed of reaching the temperature depends a lot on the size of the oven: generally a good wood-burning oven is able to store heat quickly, even if it is of considerable size, but undoubtedly a large oven needs more time and greater amount of wood.
There are, in fact, smaller ovens that reach the desired temperature in half the time and with consequent lower wood consumption.
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Wood oven: the importance of shape and size
The shape of the oven is a fundamental element, because it is the shape that determines the diffusion of heat: the dome allows the creation of air currents that arise from the flame and that propagate going up the curved part, to spread throughout the oven, allowing air to converge from all directions. A thrust is created from the top towards the base and then again towards the top, creating a circular movement that transmits heat by radiation and thus giving the dishes the traditional aroma of cooking with wood.
Generally wood-fired ovens are very capacious, but the choice depends on the needs, which is why the Fontana oven range is full of variants, which allow you to choose the most suitable product for your cooking needs.
Why is it so important to choose an oven based on size? Because the larger the oven, the higher the consumption of wood: it makes no sense to buy an excessively large oven if the quantities you intend to prepare are small.
Cooking uniformity
One of the main characteristics that are required to a good wood-burning oven is, without a doubt, the cooking uniformity. A quality product must guarantee cooking uniformity in all its parts, to be able to bake several dishes simultaneously without fear of non-optimal cooking.
Furthermore, an oven that ensures uniform cooking is much more practical, it allows you to develop your own knowledge of the instrument avoiding having to check the cooking phase several times.
In this regard we can also mention the ability to maintain heat: a good wood-burning oven is able to maintain the temperature even for a long time. For example, if you plan to cook pizza, a good oven will allow you to also bake good bread once the pizzas are cooked. A wood-burning oven is excellent when the temperature drops very slowly, allowing it to be used for several hours after the first batches.
The choice of a wood-burning oven involves the analysis of various factors, but first of all it is necessary to reflect on our kitchen needs, on what uses we would like to make of it, only then we will be able to choose the best product for us.
Remember that a good wood-burning oven will become the protagonist of your lunches and dinners, it will allow you to try your hand at the best traditional Italian recipes, so we just have to wish you a good choice of the best Fontana oven!