Pizza Oven.Kiwi
Wood fired Pizza ovens have been a 12 year labour of love for us. We set out to design and build an affordable, handmade, wood fired pizza oven which is reasonably priced. It had to be made in New Zealand, and work really, really well choosing NZ materials. They told us it could not be done, which inspired us all the better that we would succeed building a wood fired pizza oven.
So after 15 prototypes, tonnes of concrete, the help of some friends we are releasing the Kiwi900, the first of many of our inventions. So this year we have taken the plunge into full time business and will be bringing our pizza ovens to the world. (OK maybe NZ first)
Wood fired Pizza ovens made by pizzaoven.kiwi are superior cookers because they are built out of rock which absorbs and retains heat. The average weight of a PizzaOvens.kiwi is between 280 and 300 kgs of solid rock, that equates to a lot of stored heat energy coming from your pizza oven.
The fire produces heat which is stored in the body and the base of the oven. When the oven is hot enough the fire is allowed to burn down and the remaining coals are pushed to the back and sides and the pizza slipped in onto the hearth stone. Depending on the heat of the oven and the size of the pizza it takes from one to five minutes to cook a pizza. It pays to keep your eye on it as it will cook faster at the back and will need to be turned. A small flame can be maintained at the back of the oven with smaller pieces of firewood, this helps to keep the heat of the oven up and adds a flame grilled and smokey taste. When the oven cools down the coals can be raked to the middle of the oven and more firewood added, this will bring the oven rapidly up to temperature again.
When cooking meat follow the same method, keeping a small fire in the back and placing your meat in the centre of the oven. Put the door in so there is a small gap, just enough so the oven can breath and the fire wont go out. Keep your eye on it and rotate the dish occasionally to ensure even cooking.
To use as barbecue. Build up a good supply of hot coals and rake them forward onto the apron at the front of the oven, place a grill over the coals and you're cooking.
To grill push the fire to the back of the oven and place a fry pan into the mouth of the oven, the heat of the flames exiting up the chimney will radiate down and grill beautifully.
To use as a smoker get the oven hot and allow to burn down until only a few hot coals remain. Push them to the back and place a large piece of suitable wood on the coals. You want it so the piece of wood is to big to catch alight and burn away but will sit there smoking for hours. Put your food in and close the door, keep your eye on it and if the fire comes away dowse it with a bit of water.
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