Nevertheless, Amazon reviewers love the pizzas they make out of this beautiful, durable chiminea pizza oven.
Make sure that you start your pizza after the flames have burned down to hot coals, and use a non-stick peel. On the other hand, like all cast-iron versions, the Blue Rooster Casita Style will need occasional maintenance to prevent rust.Īlso, it should be covered in winter.
However, a cast-iron chiminea oven is better when situated as desired and then left in place, covered for winter. Requires more surrounding space than chiminea to reduce risk from radiant heat.Greater risk of injury from hotter heat for longer periods of time.Often, they stain the surface beneath the chiminea oven.Cast iron is much heavier than clay Hence, difficult to move or store.Cast iron can burn wood or charcoal and allows the use of lighting fluid.No need to be cured before using (although curing is still recommended).Cast iron heats faster and burns hotter.Design differences mean that a cast iron chiminea oven is less likely to tip over.
More durable and longer-lasting than clay.They should be covered or stored in bad weather frozen water inside a clay chiminea oven will lead to cracking or shattering.Clay versions should be warmed in cold temperatures before using to prevent shattering.Clay versions need to be cured before first use.Lower temperature than cast iron gives more placement options and means that contact burns are less severe (although of course, no one should ever touch a hot oven).Clay may be more visually appealing in design since it often matches other terra-cotta and clay garden accessories.They were originally made out of clay a cheap, plentiful material that excels at heat distribution.Ī modern chiminea baking oven is made out of clay or cast iron, and each material has its strengths, both literally and figuratively. Thus, this airflow design means that they keep flames and smoke away from surrounding objects and people, and make the fire burn hotter and cleaner, reducing residual ash.Īdditionally, it also means that fire in a chiminea will burn out completely in a relatively short period of time, an important safety consideration in both ancient and modern applications.Īnd, while many people use these products simply for heat and enjoyment outdoors, they are also still very popular for their original application: cooking. Hence, feeding the flames, and then venting heat and smoke vertically. Moreover, unlike other fireplaces, the unique shape of a chiminea creates an airflow that draws fresh air in through the front of the fireplace.
Notably, an opening in the roof of the hut allowed smoke to escape, and the hard earth floors reduced risk of fire from a broken chiminea. They were invented in Mexico nearly 400 years ago and were used inside traditional earth-floor huts for both cooking and warmth. It is obvious that there are plenty of options for the best chiminea pizza oven.Ī chiminea (from the Spanish word for “chimney) is a freestanding fireplace with a round body and a vertical chimney.