DIY rocket pizza oven!

[fred]

We had an old industrial looking German electric oven in the back yard going to waste and it got me wondering how hot I could get this thing with a rocket stove underneath to make it into a pizza oven ..Best pizza ovens go well over 600F and the "experts" say rocket stoves do not have the power for the temps required.
The oven had a large deflector plate at the bottom so Im hoping that will keep the heat even... So anyway,a 4" hole in the bottom of it, sat on top of this cement perlite rocket stove that I built..
Ive no thermometer but can anyone guess the temp based on how a piece of 2X2 hardwood combusts into flames? (vid below)
If the thing cooks pizzas good I`ll clad the whole contraption with red brick..or something!
Pizza anyone?

[SimonH]

Bloody hot

[Michael Parnham]

Wouldn't like to put my hand inside

[fred]

The Mrs said "I hope that thing doesnt blow up"..
She thinks I might start a fire!!!
Must admit when I looked round the back looking for smoke ,I wasnt expecting to see a blow torch!! lol

[Michael Parnham]

The Mrs said "I hope that thing doesnt blow up"..
She thinks I might start a fire!!!
Must admit when I looked round the back looking for smoke ,I wasnt expecting to see a blow torch!! lol

You do make me smile sometimes Fred

[fred]

Thanks Micheal.

[Michael Parnham]

Thanks Micheal.

Your welcome Fred, nice change of topic and I enjoyed it

[mickcant]

Did you try cooking a pizza ?
Mick.

[fred]

Did you try cooking a pizza ?
Mick.

Not yet Mick... But after that test run at at the temperatures achieved, I know it will cook a large Pizza in about one minute max...
I`ll post pics when that happens.

[Steve.r]

Cremation comes to mind

[fred]

Cremation comes to mind

For a wood ignition time of less than one minute, the wood must be heated to a temperature of 430 degrees Celsius or 806 degrees Fahrenheit. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
https://www.reference.com/science/temperature-wood-ignite-5b1fcab3a521fe3a

That piece of 2X2 ignited in 52 seconds...or less.
The closest crematorium to us here is Cebu.
I think you have just given me an idea.

[Terpe]

Fred, if you'll be going to UK anytime soon please let me know as I'm quite interested in this :-

https://uk.uuni.net/

Your idea look interesting but perhaps rather large, unwieldy and difficult to replicate.

One day I'll be producing decent Pizza at home too

[fred]

OK Peter..No worries... I think that thing runs on wood pellets..Where will you get a supply of that here?
Also..I`d like to have a better idea of how it is designed...Get the design and you could have a better quality one made here out of stainless steel.. You can use a couple of tiles for a pizza stone Ive been told.

I have a proper brick dome pizza oven..problem is it takes 2 hours to get hot enough after cutting down half the forest..Great for a big pizza party with 50 guests but for a couple of pizza`s?? Forget it!!
Another option..
You can have a rocket stove like the one I have designed but made out of metal..Any decent metal shop will knock one out for you... A bit like the one in vid here..(Without grill section)



Or if thats too big a smaller one like this..This guy makes great stoves BTW..



Then you could make this thing to go on top.. Light enough for two people to carry believe it or not and a fun project to make!

[fred]

Looks a lot better now since I bricked it over (Partially)
Did two family sized pizza`s in this thing and the results were...Beautiful..Sorry no other words to describe..

Now!! For some pizza music..

For starters..( but check out Joe Sample. on the piano first
(5.46))





Any advanced Pizza night bookings you lot?

[Terpe]

Well done, hats off to you for that

I took you suggestion about having a stainless steel one made here based on the Uuni design and am trying to draw it up and specify.

I note your comment about the fuel being wood pellets and this seems to be a bit of an issue just now.

Given the low (ish) cost of manufacture, I'm tempted to get one done and try different fuels.
Any suggestions fred ?

My local DIY shop can supply decent stainless steel and the owner said hermight be able to get some thick aluminium plate.
A little bit pricey by local standards, but much much cheaper by far then sourcing from UK.

[fred]

Well done, hats off to you for that

I took you suggestion about having a stainless steel one made here based on the Uuni design and am trying to draw it up and specify.

I note your comment about the fuel being wood pellets and this seems to be a bit of an issue just now.

Given the low (ish) cost of manufacture, I'm tempted to get one done and try different fuels.
Any suggestions fred ?

My local DIY shop can supply decent stainless steel and the owner said hermight be able to get some thick aluminium plate.
A little bit pricey by local standards, but much much cheaper by far then sourcing from UK.

My advice Peter would go something like this..

First off,if your oven box is single skin Stainless steel without any insulation then it will not really hold the heat inside where its required which is entirely unsatisfactory for a pizza oven..
Looking at the picture again in your link,I can see an internal skin..No idea if the void has just air (which is also an insulator) or there is an insulation layer in between? You really need plans to know how it works..
The important thing to remember is there is little point getting even a small space hot if that heat is transferred to outside atmosphere! Its hot enough here already!

After you have figured out how its insulated you need a powerful heat source..
I`d recommend this (without the pan holder on top) that fits into the bottom of your oven..You will need a deflector plate to distribute the heat evenly..



You can make this small rocket stove detachable from the oven and use it outside for other purposes..

Once you make these pieces of kit out of good quality materials they will not be throw away and may very well last a life time...Thoroughly fit for purpose!

Good insulative materials are available here...Rockwool..Vermiculite,(Soil less plant growing medium)
Perlite etc.
Once you have a design..Post it here and I`ll be happy to take a look.
Cheers,
Fred.

[Terpe]

Thanks fred for your interest and ideas.

I'll give some serious thought to the suggestions you made.

It's not my current number one priority but at least once or twice a week I spend time thinking about a small pizza oven. It's too long been a passion for me.

[fred]

I know what you mean...I have a whole list of wants that I hope to get around to building eventually.. The good thing about being over here without the commitments and time restraints of having a boss or a job etc means that eventually I WILL get round to them all sooner or later...Ive ticked off many things that I had always wanted to try thus far...Lots of time for the rest of them....At my leisure!
Hopefully my next project is a rocket stove powered hot tub/jaccuzzi!!
Let the good times roll!!

[Terpe]

Nice thinking fred

Once I get this house the way my missus wants I plan a trip to Marikina River, just a few minutes walk away, and try fishing for the big black fish that are constantly breaking surface.

One of my biggest challenges coming into view is how to change the stairway up from the 2nd floor to the 3rd floor.
It's a bit steep and narrow and I don't like it.
Shame really as it's a massive bedroom up there with large en-suite, games rooms, laundry room and balcony.

The pizza oven is creeping up the priority list.

Why oh why can't I prioritise enough time to do all this stuff.......I'm retired now........

Still painting mate
Never ending.
New cupboards for the 'dirty kitchen' to build and paint too