Following to see how it works out after use a few times. I'm planning on this project as well. Hopefully I can get started in the next week or so. I'm trying to find cheap/free fire bricks for the sides and saving up for fire rated slab big enough for pizza deck.
The side bricks perform well with no cracking. The sidewalk block at the bottom cracked (I assumed it might) but I have decided to put metal bracing under it. I am redesigning so check out my latest video.
Nice work! You’ll get a bunch of people telling you how you did it “wrong” but for 65 bucks I’d say you’re ahead of the game! I found this video as apparently the one that I did related to this is suggested at the end of yours. Weird how TH-cam works?! Keep going and happy pizza making!!
Great start! I honestly think it makes sense to have a separate area for the fire! Leave the fire burning for lobger! Use fire bricks instead of conventional bricks. Concrete slabs reinfoced with bar. Premade dome for the top!
Just an update - that DIY project didn't work well. I subsequently took it apart and created a different version (see newer videos). However, wasn't happy with that outcome either (heat loss, size, blocks break). Therefore, building a different version this coming summer that uses fire bricks instead of landscaping blocks. Thanks for watching, be sure to subscribe so you get notified on that video when done.
I built one, after two hours of burning almond wood it was barely 300 degrees. So I swapped out the paver for a pizza stone which is 1/4 thick. Now I got it to 350? Need to get it to at least 800. Any suggestions.
I agree. I was already thinking of rearranging it so it was more like a forno oven. We have been on fire bans so haven't tried much in the last 6 weeks.
Another video on this topic recommended having the opening to the upper cooking level and that of the lower heating level to be on adjacent sides of the oven -- i.e. 90° apart -- so than one doesn't have to reach over the open flame and risk getting burned while,accessing the pizza.
Awesome. Hope it works well for you. I am going to redesign to make a wider chamber inside but similar style. BUT it is raining, raining and raining here so maybe one day soon.
Cracks aren't much of an issue. I added metal bracing under it now. The side blocks never crack. I am redesigning for winter so have a look at the new video.
Great job! looking forward to your cooking videos. Let us know if the concrete slab will crack after a few times! I have been thinking to purchase a half inch steel plate beneath the concrete slab. Cheers!
The side bricks perform well with no cracking. The sidewalk block at the bottom cracked (I assumed it might) but I have decided to put metal bracing under it. I am redesigning so check out my latest video.
If you use any thing? You want you pizza oven to be able to cooks at less a big turkey ! The Weber Kettle is big enough! Only takes a min to make it into a pizza oven! It also give me more uses for my Kettle I LOVE IT 🧡
The cement slab does crack. I ended up dismantling my first version and will try something different next summer. I am considering solid cement base with wire rebar.
HOLA , QUE TAL,.ME INTERESA MUCHO EL CONTENIDO DEL VÍDEO, PERO NO LO MANDÓ CON SUBTÍTULOS EN ESPAÑOL. ¿ CUÁNTOS LADRILLOS UTILIZO Y SON REFRACTARIOS, LAS BASES DE QUE MATERIAL SON ?? ESPERO TÚ RESPUESTA GENEROSA. CHAUUU... GRACIELA DE ARGENTINA 🇦🇷💕✌👌👏👍😂😂😂
One thing about using non-mortared bricks is that you can try different configurations. My latest video I am making it more of a deeper chamber like a Forno Oven.
@@MaLiArtworks186 similar oven that some restaurants use to cook pizza inside of but of course better constructed and much more expensive. www.fornobravo.com/
The bricks and the two upper slabs are not likely sufficiently fire resistant to make a permanent pizza oven. You'll need refractory bricks and slabs, especially if you expect to use the oven frequently. Otherwise, the concrete will crack or possibly explode. Good concept, and one that can be built quickly, but you need different materials.
No major issue with the side bricks but the base and top have cracked. Still usable but could be long lasting issue. I am also curious to see how they stand up over time - heating in winter puts a lot of stress on them hence the cracked top one.
@@AlanMolstad Wow, who would expect it to explode. Wonder what caused that? Mine did crack but I just put metal reinforcement under. However, had dismantled that and trying new style next summer.
@@ababyboomerinwinnipeg What im told is that rain water will go down into the cement and once you start to cook with a fire the water will cause the trouble. But the problem is that there is really no way to stop rain from being the cause of this. The cement blocks are kept outside where they are sold, so by the time a person takes them home they are already full of water. What happened to me is a sign that the basic design is flawed. The design is asking for trouble. And there is no way around this. The idea of a DIY backyard pizza oven is great, and that is why these videos are liked, But the truth is, that its a bad idea wrapped in a good idea...
If the temp of those cement pavers and the cement slab get over 400 degrees F, they will eventually crack. Fire Brick and Fire Mortar are made for this.
It will take a long time to heat up that thick patio block that the pizza sits on. Better to use a thinner "pizza stone" sitting on an old wire oven rack.
I have had to stand out in the cold checking on it - I have to agree, too cold. I gave up on that style and am creating something different when summer comes.
@@ababyboomerinwinnipeg Please be careful. I built one just like this and it worked great the first couple of burns with only a little cracking. Started it up this week and it exploded. Sounded like a bomb going off. Water in concrete slab does not mix well with high heat.
Don't let the pizza oven bug BIT YA! There many things setting on your patio? That will make a EXCELLENT PIZZA OVEN A Smoker, a Dome grill, a metal drum. Even your oven in YOUR HOUSE. I was going to build a brick one. But i was looking on my patio. and said to my self ITS SILLY FOR ME TO BUY OR MAKE ONE> i had a offset smoker. i can put 7 full size pizza in. A gas Grill, and a Weber Kettle. SO the WEBER KETTLE was very easy to turn into a pizza oven. Just turn the grate over and GET PIZZA PANS UP TO 18" a short heavy duty Pizza Peel, and 2 short rebar for the pans set even on it THAT IS IT
There's always a risk of that happening with a regular concrete paver. They aren't really meant to take that kind of heat. Fire brick is the correct material but much more expensive. You can get away with pavers and regular bricks if you're willing to accept that they're going to break eventually but they're cheap enough to be expendable. If you're going to go that route, there's 3 big things that I can think of that you can do to mitigate this issue. 1 - Make a real effort to really make sure that your keep the pavers dry. Converting the water inside the paver from liquid to steam creates internal pressures. If it's already bone dry, these are minimized. A cool thing about this design is that once it's cooled off, you can just partially/completely disassemble it and move the pavers to a completely dry location. 2 - If there's any chance of moisture inside the pavers, bring the heat up slowly to dry the pavers out more safely. 3 - Go to the hardware store and get some steel flatbar and use it like a cross support beam between the bricks and the pavers. That way, if a paver cracks, it won't collapse and ruin dinner. Be sure to fill the gap created by the flat bar with something like some sand or recess them in some way so they're flush with the top of the bricks.
The small pavers are 8 inches by 4 inches. The large pavers on top are 16 inches by 24 inches. The sidewalk blocks on the base are 24 inches by 24 inches.
Only if you cooked the bread while it was warming up. I think bread cooks at 200 F. This heats up to 500 or 600 F which would be took hot. However, I did cook cinnamon buns (like bread) while it was heating up so the temperature was lower. Experiment.
Wondering if the pavers when burned are toxic at all, i made my oven this pass weekend and i cant wait till Sunday to make some more but that's been in the back of my head after making my first batch... Has anyone heard or has any idea about this?
@@mosbysmen Yea i did that, made a fire for like 3 hours and then cooked a pizza in it but when i really heated it up it kinda cracked on me… so ill keep trying until i get something that can take the heat… or maybe get more space on the fire pit section…👍🏾
Following to see how it works out after use a few times. I'm planning on this project as well. Hopefully I can get started in the next week or so. I'm trying to find cheap/free fire bricks for the sides and saving up for fire rated slab big enough for pizza deck.
The side bricks perform well with no cracking. The sidewalk block at the bottom cracked (I assumed it might) but I have decided to put metal bracing under it. I am redesigning so check out my latest video.
Nice work! You’ll get a bunch of people telling you how you did it “wrong” but for 65 bucks I’d say you’re ahead of the game! I found this video as apparently the one that I did related to this is suggested at the end of yours. Weird how TH-cam works?! Keep going and happy pizza making!!
Its cheap enough to replace a 90 cent brick if it cracks. So far no problems but only used 3 times.
th-cam.com/video/HKF3D5r0fAs/w-d-xo.html
Great start! I honestly think it makes sense to have a separate area for the fire! Leave the fire burning for lobger! Use fire bricks instead of conventional bricks. Concrete slabs reinfoced with bar. Premade dome for the top!
I gave up....order pizza over the phone. More reliable.
Just an update - that DIY project didn't work well. I subsequently took it apart and created a different version (see newer videos). However, wasn't happy with that outcome either (heat loss, size, blocks break). Therefore, building a different version this coming summer that uses fire bricks instead of landscaping blocks. Thanks for watching, be sure to subscribe so you get notified on that video when done.
Would 12mm steel work instead of sidewalk block?
I built one, after two hours of burning almond wood it was barely 300 degrees. So I swapped out the paver for a pizza stone which is 1/4 thick. Now I got it to 350? Need to get it to at least 800. Any suggestions.
I found similar issues so went to a different style with the wood inside where the pizza cooks (kind of a big oven with room). That worked better.
I think this is an easier set up and easy to take down Than earth oven.
We don’t do a lot of pizzas but it might become fun and handy oven to have.
I agree. I was already thinking of rearranging it so it was more like a forno oven. We have been on fire bans so haven't tried much in the last 6 weeks.
big project. Are the shelves concrete slabs?
Concrete blocks. Did not stand up over time so am crafting a new style next year.
Great video! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Paul.
Another video on this topic recommended having the opening to the upper cooking level and that of the lower heating level to be on adjacent sides of the oven -- i.e. 90° apart -- so than one doesn't have to reach over the open flame and risk getting burned while,accessing the pizza.
Sounds like a good idea as well.
This is very cool, love it, new friend here. I did something like this few weeks back.
Awesome. Hope it works well for you. I am going to redesign to make a wider chamber inside but similar style. BUT it is raining, raining and raining here so maybe one day soon.
Great video
We joined the cement pizza oven club too! Best pizzas ever! Only a minor crack. AHEAD OF THE GAME!
Cracks aren't much of an issue. I added metal bracing under it now. The side blocks never crack. I am redesigning for winter so have a look at the new video.
th-cam.com/video/HKF3D5r0fAs/w-d-xo.html
Great job! looking forward to your cooking videos. Let us know if the concrete slab will crack after a few times! I have been thinking to purchase a half inch steel plate beneath the concrete slab. Cheers!
The side bricks perform well with no cracking. The sidewalk block at the bottom cracked (I assumed it might) but I have decided to put metal bracing under it. I am redesigning so check out my latest video.
not a bad idea,maybe it prevent cracking the concreet slab
Thank you!! I just want to make a simple pizza oven. Your video is by the simplest.
Thanks Jay. Plus it can be disassembled and constructed differently if need be. I am currently working on generation 4 - still trying to perfect it.
Great job
If you use any thing? You want you pizza oven to be able to cooks at less a big turkey ! The Weber Kettle is big enough! Only takes a min to make it into a pizza oven! It also give me more uses for my Kettle I LOVE IT 🧡
Am looking to do my own. How did the slab go? Was wandering if a stone slab(ie granite) or glass(ie an old stove top)??? Any advise would be good
The cement slab does crack. I ended up dismantling my first version and will try something different next summer. I am considering solid cement base with wire rebar.
the best ive seen
How safe is to use these concrete bricks?
The concrete bricks were OK but the sidewalk blocks eventually broke. My next generation uses fire bricks. Still not perfected yet.
HOLA , QUE TAL,.ME INTERESA MUCHO EL CONTENIDO DEL VÍDEO, PERO NO LO MANDÓ CON SUBTÍTULOS EN ESPAÑOL. ¿ CUÁNTOS LADRILLOS UTILIZO Y SON REFRACTARIOS, LAS BASES DE QUE MATERIAL SON ??
ESPERO TÚ RESPUESTA GENEROSA. CHAUUU...
GRACIELA DE ARGENTINA 🇦🇷💕✌👌👏👍😂😂😂
If you make the top three bricks deep, could it cook a turkey? Can you cook on top of the slab?
One thing about using non-mortared bricks is that you can try different configurations. My latest video I am making it more of a deeper chamber like a Forno Oven.
@@ababyboomerinwinnipeg What is Forno Oven?
@@MaLiArtworks186 similar oven that some restaurants use to cook pizza inside of but of course better constructed and much more expensive. www.fornobravo.com/
Just made your design today. Fire is going and upper paver is heating up. Pizza will be on soon.
Awesome. Hope you enjoy it.
th-cam.com/video/HKF3D5r0fAs/w-d-xo.html
This is great! Do you have any updates on this build? Did it cook a pizza? Right on the paver or have you used a stone/pan/cast iron?
I cook on a pizza stone - got it at Home Depot.
The bricks and the two upper slabs are not likely sufficiently fire resistant to make a permanent pizza oven. You'll need refractory bricks and slabs, especially if you expect to use the oven frequently. Otherwise, the concrete will crack or possibly explode. Good concept, and one that can be built quickly, but you need different materials.
Agreed. I have already started planning a different version.
Thanks for the critique. I was wondering if concrete could explode in fire.
Came for the video, stayed for the music.
how well will these bricks work if it rains beforehand? Seems like regular brick would explode once they are heated if they have water in them.
No major issue with the side bricks but the base and top have cracked. Still usable but could be long lasting issue. I am also curious to see how they stand up over time - heating in winter puts a lot of stress on them hence the cracked top one.
th-cam.com/video/HKF3D5r0fAs/w-d-xo.html
@@ababyboomerinwinnipeg th-cam.com/video/HKF3D5r0fAs/w-d-xo.html
@@AlanMolstad Wow, who would expect it to explode. Wonder what caused that? Mine did crack but I just put metal reinforcement under. However, had dismantled that and trying new style next summer.
@@ababyboomerinwinnipeg
What im told is that rain water will go down into the cement and once you start to cook with a fire the water will cause the trouble.
But the problem is that there is really no way to stop rain from being the cause of this.
The cement blocks are kept outside where they are sold, so by the time a person takes them home they are already full of water.
What happened to me is a sign that the basic design is flawed.
The design is asking for trouble.
And there is no way around this.
The idea of a DIY backyard pizza oven is great, and that is why these videos are liked,
But the truth is, that its a bad idea wrapped in a good idea...
Do you think using more porous “fire bricks” would have any benefit?
Not sure, but these do seem to work.
If the temp of those cement pavers and the cement slab get over 400 degrees F, they will eventually crack. Fire Brick and Fire Mortar are made for this.
It will take a long time to heat up that thick patio block that the pizza sits on. Better to use a thinner "pizza stone" sitting on an old wire oven rack.
I have had to stand out in the cold checking on it - I have to agree, too cold. I gave up on that style and am creating something different when summer comes.
Dude that's gonna blow up
lol - no, pretty safe. Even safer now with snow all around it.
@@ababyboomerinwinnipeg Please be careful. I built one just like this and it worked great the first couple of burns with only a little cracking. Started it up this week and it exploded. Sounded like a bomb going off. Water in concrete slab does not mix well with high heat.
You did good Man but You need to Cement + Red dirt to make "Adobe Cement" to seal the air.
Don't let the pizza oven bug BIT YA! There many things setting on your patio? That will make a EXCELLENT PIZZA OVEN A Smoker, a Dome grill, a metal drum. Even your oven in YOUR HOUSE. I was going to build a brick one. But i was looking on my patio. and said to my self ITS SILLY FOR ME TO BUY OR MAKE ONE> i had a offset smoker. i can put 7 full size pizza in. A gas Grill, and a Weber Kettle. SO the WEBER KETTLE was very easy to turn into a pizza oven. Just turn the grate over and GET PIZZA PANS UP TO 18" a short heavy duty Pizza Peel, and 2 short rebar for the pans set even on it THAT IS IT
I used cement blocks, it broke badly before the pizza was ready.
What kind of slate did you use? Thanks
I was just using landscape blocks.
There's always a risk of that happening with a regular concrete paver. They aren't really meant to take that kind of heat. Fire brick is the correct material but much more expensive. You can get away with pavers and regular bricks if you're willing to accept that they're going to break eventually but they're cheap enough to be expendable. If you're going to go that route, there's 3 big things that I can think of that you can do to mitigate this issue.
1 - Make a real effort to really make sure that your keep the pavers dry. Converting the water inside the paver from liquid to steam creates internal pressures. If it's already bone dry, these are minimized. A cool thing about this design is that once it's cooled off, you can just partially/completely disassemble it and move the pavers to a completely dry location.
2 - If there's any chance of moisture inside the pavers, bring the heat up slowly to dry the pavers out more safely.
3 - Go to the hardware store and get some steel flatbar and use it like a cross support beam between the bricks and the pavers. That way, if a paver cracks, it won't collapse and ruin dinner. Be sure to fill the gap created by the flat bar with something like some sand or recess them in some way so they're flush with the top of the bricks.
Curious to see how pizza turns out.
So far so good. Do have to try again.
Good job!!
Would it be too close to the fences?
It is about 4 feet from the fence and no fire going that way. We did stop using for a bit as we had fire bans but ok now.
What is the size of concret tablets (3x) ? Thank you
The small pavers are 8 inches by 4 inches. The large pavers on top are 16 inches by 24 inches. The sidewalk blocks on the base are 24 inches by 24 inches.
Looks good! A very uniform design!
LO DESCUBRÍ RECIÉN.
GRACIELA DE ARGENTINA 🇦🇷💕
This will crack after a few burns. You can’t use a cement slab unfortunately.
True enough. Sidewalk blocks I put reinforcement underneath so cracking doesn't matter (showed in future video).
Has this worked then?
Yes, it works. Not as efficient as a closed one but we enjoyed the cinnamon buns, pizza and pita.
Does it work with bread? Thank you
Only if you cooked the bread while it was warming up. I think bread cooks at 200 F. This heats up to 500 or 600 F which would be took hot. However, I did cook cinnamon buns (like bread) while it was heating up so the temperature was lower. Experiment.
@@ababyboomerinwinnipeg thank you so much!!
Just get her up to temp 700F or 370C then you will have fun cooking. Get yourself one of those infrared temp guns 🔫 to measure the heat
I did order one of those temp guns - I arrived today. Looking forward to better heat analysis. Thanks for suggestion.
normal bricks and concrete slabs will crack eventually due to high heat
And bricks wil spall
Bricks are 50 cents and pavers are about $5. Not a huge monetary loss if you have to occasionally replace one or both.
😎 🍕 🍕
If you get concrete too hot it can not only crack but it can blow lumps of burning hot lumps of concrete off at you. Wouldn't recommend this method.
It would need to get a lot hotter then the 700 to 800 degrees that you will get here.
@@Dare2BWise th-cam.com/video/HKF3D5r0fAs/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/HKF3D5r0fAs/w-d-xo.html
Wondering if the pavers when burned are toxic at all, i made my oven this pass weekend and i cant wait till Sunday to make some more but that's been in the back of my head after making my first batch... Has anyone heard or has any idea about this?
i would burn a fire in there for a hour to cook out any stuff , and then go for it
@@mosbysmen Yea i did that, made a fire for like 3 hours and then cooked a pizza in it but when i really heated it up it kinda cracked on me… so ill keep trying until i get something that can take the heat… or maybe get more space on the fire pit section…👍🏾
Pavers will crack over time !!
I’m just watching the beginning had to stop wondering why you wouldn’t Atleast take the hose to those dirty bricks you were pulling out of the dirt ?
Those sidewalk blocks were just spacers, not associated with food production.....all taken apart now anyway.
GIVE THIS BOOMER SOME SUBS!!!
nice and easy.
Thanks Baby Boomers.
You can use Charcoal.
I did try charcoal later one - yes much better.
Getto
What material is the big brick ?
Just using landscape blocks. The base is all sidewalk blocks because we had them laying around. Seems to work fine so far.