As an indian ex restaurateur I have to say this is brilliant. There are load of comments here to say to sprinkle water inside the clay, however I used to see my head chef priming the clay with yoghurt, which allows the naan to peel off without sticking. 10/10.
@@MxTim405 You have to prime or “seal” the clay with the yogurt. (You can use oil as well). Apply a thin layer of yogurt or oil to the inside of the tandoor, covering the clay surface. Light the tandoor, keep the heat about medium. Let it burn for a while, till you get a nice “sheen” to the clay surface. You can then use the tandoori for naans. This method should last a long while, but you may have to repeat it every once in a as while, if you have problems removing the naans.
Should probably wait for coals to heat up more in the beginning. Clearly, there is too much smoke and even the outside edges of the pot are very smoke-stained. Food will taste like charcoal.
Many thanks for sharing Nick! I made one based on your design and am absolutely loving it. I had to make a couple tweaks to get temperatures up well above 900F. Raising the coals up from the bottom by a couple inches so they don't choke up the air intake did the trick. I used a charcoal grate to do that. Getting close to 1000F now. The kebabs have been incredible. Now gotta learn making a good naan! Thanks again!
Thanks for the feedback and the tip on using a grate. My naan's have greatly improved. In this video this was the first time I tried to cook a naan, and I had learnt about mu oven yet. I could have done a few test runs first, but I like to share my mistakes with viewers.
@@SimpleNickVideos Sorry, my comment was about my own naan fiasco. My first attempt was rather weak - turned out more like Pita bread than naan. The second attempt with a slightly different dough prep was a drastic improvement - almost restaurant like. That's one great thing with the tandoor - it's been a lot of fun experimenting and learning. Within about 3 uses, my food is close to that of my favorite restaurants which is immensely satisfying. Thanks again for sharing your design.
Wow, that’s pretty spectacular! I’ve had my first Indian food today and have been scratching my head trying to figure out how I could recreate a little bit of the great food I had. Thanks for sharing!
My mom used a wet rag to wipe the surface before placing the naan in. That helped removing the coal residue and cool the back off a bit. She also used a small pillow looking medium to even out the dough before smacking it inside the oven.. its like using the wood stick to drop the pizza in an oven
Nick just wanted to say Thanks, I picked up my pots from the garden center for 70% off & built a beautiful Tandoori with my 5yr old daughter over 5 hours on the weekend. It worked great & tasted even better, though I burnt up my wife's old cloth oven mitts in the 1st use. Thanks again from Michigan.
Thanks for the great video. My husband made one a few weeks back and it's fantastic! We did put a grill in under the coals (cut from an old cake stand). All we need now is more decent weather!
Recently, I saw a commercial tandoor oven in a restaurant video, and I had the same idea to make one out of pottery. Thank you for posting this video, you saved me much time in trial and error to get this right.
Am very impressed with the way you can make with flower pots thank you giving me the idea I always wanted to do the same thing but didn't know how to start thanks a lot 👍👍👍👍👍
Hi Nick, i was so impressed with your video i decided to make one. i had trouble actually getting the coals to burn, eventually i got it going... the heat is amazing... i cooked sausages to start with and the lamb chops and tried naan bread... i love a good diy project...
Brilliant revision to your first design Nick! The extra ventilation in the bottom will really help the cooking; I found it essential in mine; although I put a much bigger single hole in to aid cleaning the ash out. The breads look fantastic by the way! Revision 2 to mine is on hold for a while as I'm too busy working on the inside of our new house at the moment. the insulated top seems like a must though; especially if bread is on the menu! My only suggestions would be to add gravel to the top for a bit of decoration and to weigh the vermiculite down to keep it from blowing out, and to invest in a weber BBQ starter if you are ever having difficulty lighting a fire in the tandoor (as it can be tricky) I accidentally bought house coals for mine which burn hotter than anything I've used before; but are completely useless in a regular BBQ - they only work in the Tandoor. Great work Nick, you're doing it right!
Hi Rick, thanks for the feedback. I was going to put some slate chipping onto so it matched some other pots I have. As for the BBQ starter, no need as it lights really easy. I put some lighter fuel onto, drop a match and then walk away. The air flow is so good I have to put the lid on to slow it down. I have another video which I will upload later that shows how easy it is to light. The other thing, the base pot is a lot wider at the bottom, and the outer pot has three large holes, so I am guessing that is why it works so well.
Hi Nick, just a suggestion. It wont get burnt as much, If the side of the naan bread which is going to stick with tandoor is wet. hope you it will work for you.
Muhammad Din Thanks Muhammad, I picked that tip up from someone else, and as you say it does the trick. Thanks for sharing on the video so other people benefit.
Brilliant. I made one yesterday and it worked a treat! Planning design two getting the rims in a better place for the skewers. Good time of year to get cheap pots at the garden centre - get building!!
Hi Nick.This is the best video that I have seen on making a tandoor at home.This gave me what I exactly wanted.Excellent,Excellent and Excellent are the three words that I would like to use to describe this video. I am very happy and releaved to have finally found what I wanted.I will now embark on building this.
After burning coal To avoid the black burns mix some salt in water and sprinkle on the inner side of tandoor it will get clean as new and after that put naan inside. Great Idea . Thanks
Wet the side of naan that is going to stick in the tandoor with water that'll help the naan not to burn from that side but give you a nice crispy holden colour. hope that helps and thank you for this idea..will definitely give it a go this summer Inshaa'Allah
Hi Nick, thanks for your videos - great stuff! Have watched them all and got some nice ideas. Followed your example - got some pots and built a tandoori on Saturday and it works great! Did some lamb kofta kebabs and they cooked really nicely - tasted fantastic. Will be making some naan breads next - hopefully today!! Thanks mate - great stuff!! Terry, from Brisbane, Australia
Wow wowww just wow i was looking months to make tandoori oven easily at home .. There are lots of way but not easy for me. But you made my day today. Thank you dear
Thanks for sharing your brilliant way of making tandoor. Just wanted to share my grandmother way of cooking tandoori naans as i had seen her make them back home at my farm in India. ideal temperature should be 150 Centigrade or when coal has burnt out. Constant temperature is the key. what i saw in the video is that due to high temperature naan is cooked too quickly with exposed side should have golden brownish colour. Tip : just before you line the naan pat both side with the mixture of water and vegetable oil. Please do try.
+Sukhjeet Bajwa Thanks for sharing Sukhjeet, you are absolutely right the naan was cooked too hot. This was the very first time I had cooked a naan, and I have since learnt how to do it better since. The key things are as you said a lower temperature, and I also wipe a damp cloth around the inside to lower the temperature on the walls. I have since filmed cooking successful naans, just need time to edit the videos and post them.
You can make like a cushion for your naans if your worried u might burn yourself, and u can make ur naans bigger and a kebab roll but over all great video and great idea 👍
When the side walls are not black anymore its up to heat as soot is burned off. Will also make sure you're not getting all that on your naan. Also if you make a little lowering basket with hooks you can dangle food in centre of tandoor which helps with cooking.
Great vid, have made one myself. Simple and works a treat. My only addition was a 99p stainless steel sink drainer to use as an additional grill. Thanks Nick!
Hi before putting the bread in you should rub a wet cloth inside the oven to cool down little bit the temperature of the oven then your bread will not burn from the back side it will be golden brown .
Yes thanks for mentioning that and sharing with everyone. This video was the first time I tried cooking a naan, so I soon learnt from my mistakes. As you say every time I cook bread I wipe down the inside of the oven. I should also point out that if I leave the lid on, the sides can get a bit sooty from the smoke, so another reason to wipe down with a wet cloth to clean first. Once again thanks for sharing.
Ingenious! I still think you might need one that is a bit bigger though to accommodate things like Tandoori Chicken Thigs of bigger cuts of meat and poultry. I like what you have done though. My Nan just LOVES Naan! (I had to get that in!) Thanks for sharing Simple Nick. I believe that I have found inspiration for my next backyard project here in America! Cheers!
Hi Nick, Great video, I have built my own, more-or-less the same size as yours. One slight modification I made was to get a plant pot dish, that you would normally stand a pot on, and drilled 10 or so holes in, I then put this into the bottom of the tandoor, due to it's size it wedges in about 1-2" from the bottom. Unfortunately the 1st one cracked into about 4 pieces, I suspect this is because the 13mm holes I drilled were a bit ragged and possibly too big. I'm going to try a metal grill of some sort as you mentioned. Also my top pot has a hairline crack in, but I noticed that you have used much thicker walled pots than me. I have also put some decorative pebbles round the top, this stops the vermiculite blowing about (you can get 10L bags of vermiculite from B&Q for about £4.50 - I used about 4). Mine now sits along side my BBQ in my outdoor bar/kitchen. Thanks
Beautiful design sir, to add on and make the design better may I suggest to put a piece of metal grate towards the bottom pot edge, and apply a thick layer (1-2") of clay inside the tandoor (top pot) so your naans will come out better.
Genius mate 👏👏👏👌👍🙏 thank you very much for sharing your brilliant idea.. Coming from someone who loves nan & tandoori one of the main reasons why I miss home so much😂🙏🍻cheers mate
Just some suggestions:Get a terra cotta clay dish and drill several holes in that plate. Turn the plate over and install it into the bottom of your oven to keep the coals up and ventilation going well. These round plates are cheap and easily drilled out with a masonry bit. Just remember to turn the plate upside down when you put it into the larger pot at the bottom.You may try seasoning the sides of your clay pot oven, just as one would do with a cast iron skillet to season it for cooking.You can also obtain crack-resistant cement mix and make a 40% mix of Vermiculite and a 60% mix of cement. This would be used instead of just the Vermiculite alone and is essentially making a fire brick insulation for the sides of your pot. This also reduces the chance of the clay pot inside eventually cracking, as it helps eliminate moisture in the insulation. Vermiculite alone often absorbs moisture and can cause a clay pot to crack.
Thanks Nick great video. I'm thinking of how to improve the air flow and ash cleaning, concerned over the combination of ash and fat build up blocking the holes. Will watch your cleaning vid next!
Nick, this looks great but can you provide a step by step including exact materials (size etc) needed for people like me who are a little less creative? I know its a pain but it looks so good!
Hey Mark I bet you are a lot more creative than you think. You just need to go to your garden centre or DIY store and choose the biggest pot you can afford. Don't grab any old pot, pick one you find attractive and will look good in your garden. Remember a Tandoor is for life! Now get a trolley and wheel it around, and start placing other pots inside until you get the best fit. There is no exact science here, do what you think looks good. I am also updating the following page on my site and will put the measurements I used - www.simplenick.com/tandoor.html Thanks Nick
Hi glad you had success with your build and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. As to will it crack, I can't really answer that as there are sop many variables. But if it did I wouldn't worry, mine has cracked inside but I still use it, and it is over two years old now. Here is a review I did so you can see the cracks I have th-cam.com/video/ZVJ_5TAOIPc/w-d-xo.html
Hi: thanks for sharing/ showing this. It is beautiful in its simplicity and portability, that probably harkens back to its origins in Central Asia. Only question I have is about collection and removal of ashes from the bottom. I seem to have noticed some holes in the largest (outer) pot. Do you have some sort of “ash/ dust pan” below the oven? Thanks
it is always wonderful to make a Good food with family and to make your bread looks better you need less temperature on the wall and more flame so the bread can bake at the same time on both sides.
Has anyone watched the tv show Friday night dinner? This guy sounds almost exactly like Paul Ritter’s character Martin. Who is rather eccentric. I love it! I love this video. Thumbs up!
If you put the Naan lower they will brown on both sides and wont need as long. Whenever Ive seen chefs do it in Indian restaurants they stretch the naan over a small cushion then whack it against the side ! Hope this helps.
Hi Pete, I haven't personally used a steel bin, but others have. Here is a link to an example from my website www.simplenick.com/2018/03/21/andy-goddards-dustbin-tandoor-oven/
Hi Nick, I built the tandoor with a large galvanised bin, however the bottom terracotta pot split, how can I prevent this? Does this need to be replaced or could I fix it? thanks
Hi Pete, do you need to repair the crack in the pot? I have cracks in mine, it is now 3 1/2 years old and I am still using it today. I did post a video about filling the cracks in my upper pot about a year a go. But if I am honest I am not worrying about the internal cracks and it does not affect the performance.
SimpleNick - Nick Collins Hi Nick it’s a big crack, it happened when I first lit the tandoor. I could fix it or repair it with fire cement. It could have cracked due to the rain and then the pot not drying out or I put in too much coal first time
+Kevin Mcbrierty I have had several emails from people that have used sand, with mixed results. Some love it and haven't had a problem, but then others have had cracked outside pots. Maybe that is down to the heat or the quality of their pots.
Hi how does this tandoori do with radiant heat output? I'm looking for a nice radiant heat diy to heat a ~150 sq ft house. I'd have to add an exhaust vent and chimney to this I know, but the bonus of cooking on it will reduce initial build costs. Thanks.
I see where you are coming from, as I have been looking at flower pot heaters as well, mainly for a greenhouse. As for this tandoor, the radiant heat output is very low as the aim is to keep all the heat in. The vermiculite does an amazing job keeping the heat in.
This is brilliant I have the plant pots but need insulation. You mentioned vermiculite. This is a type of plant food , will it contaminate the food ? And could I use shingle stones instead ?
+Anthony Kirby Hi Anthony, why do you say it is a plant food? Yes gardeners use it, but for soil aeration typically in potting or growing seeds. There is no feed in standard vermiculite. I am using the larger vermiculite typically used with indoor fireplaces. But if you are concerned the vermiculite is kept separate to the food area by the inner pot. You can even put a seal over the top in either clay or render. Yes you can use shingle stones, several people have. Some are happy and others not. It is clearly a decorative option, but the insulation is not so good.
+SimpleNick - Nick Collins I researched the wrong vermiculite Nick. The insulating type you use I now know of thanks. It is hard to come by only online order. But I've used smell decorative stones that work really well and much cheaper to. Plus no cracking to inner or outer pots. Thank you for replying.
My internal pots cracked. Why do you think that happened? do you think they have lead or was the flame temperature such a shock for the pots to endure? If i seal the cracks with clay would that be ok?
I have no hesitation to reveal to you that being an Indian I got the necessary guidance from you Nick. Great Job and the terracotta material looks very good and should exist for many years to come. What was the insulation material you used ? Thanks, Anil Kashyap, Nanjing
hello Mr.Collins, few question - why did you drill holes in the inner pot (the one which seats inside the bigger pot), did you also drill holes to the base of bigger pot? if yes then do you need to align holes of bigger & smaller pot ? for ventilation? how do you clean (remove ash etc) this unit after you have done with the cooking? do you need to season inner wall of this pot before you start using it? hope to hear from you. thanks in advance
Hi Boon, The first oven I built had just one hole in the bottom, but the base was smaller. For the new oven I wanted a bigger base so I could use more charcoal and have an even hotter oven. The bottom pot I went for only had one hole, so I decided to drill more to improve the air flow. I am glad I did as the air flow is perfect, see my other video on lighting the oven. You have seen how easy it is to build, if you are unsure try the oven first. If it doesn't work take it apart, drill some holes and try again. I did not drill any holes in the bigger pot, that already had three big holes. I did not align the holes over the outer pot with the second build. Where possible is best to do that as it makes cleaning easier. As for cleaning some people use a vacuum, but I just use a cloth and brush, see video th-cam.com/video/ewac7d4u2uU/w-d-xo.html . As for seasoning the inner wall, I did not, but others have. Lots of people have used special flavoured rubs, but I was happy without the season..
thank you. thank you for the whole idea behind this oven. I will make it soon. though i have one more question: the first few chunks/pieces on that skewer facing direct heat(towards the bottom) - do they get burned/roasted badly? thanks in advance
Hi, from your perspective, what difference would this tandoor have with a real one in terms of maximum heat threshold, heat retention inside the tandoor and ability to cook with even heat? A real tandoor costs a lot so I'd imagine there should be some difference. The question would be whether this difference would be felt in the cooking and lifetime of the homemade one.
I was wondering that as well. I'm thinking that if you let it cool overnight...that the ash could be vacuumed up with a shop vac the next day. Here's a video he made showing how he does it.
Is the external pot terracotta? they're very expensive and as its only function is to contain the insulation i don't suppose it needs to be. Do you just cover the oven when not in use? to prevent water build up in the insulation layer?
Hi John, yes the external pot is terracotta, and yes it can be expensive. You need to buy it at the right time of the year when there are sales, this one cost me £17. Yes it's only function is to hold in the insulation, and lots of people use metal dustbins. I went for a pot as I wanted it to look nice in the garden. Remember it stays on patio all year round, so you want to be looking at something nice. And yes I do cover it, you can use an upside down pot tray or a bag. I prefer pot tray as that is more pleasing on the eye.
Hey Nick, great video and would have thought it was so simple to do..... Anyway, I plan on trying this myself and didn’t quite catch the name of the insulation you mentioned, would you care to share again please ? Thanks 😎
Hi Amer, sorry I am not clear on the question. The pots sit on a ring which I made from cutting the bottom of an old broken pot. There are no braces holding the pots in place, just the vermiculite. Does that answer your question, if not then please let me know. Thank Nick
Yes there are cracks, but it doesn't affect the performance, checkout this review I did some time ago. th-cam.com/video/ZVJ_5TAOIPc/w-d-xo.html . The Oven is now 2 years, 2 months old, and still in working order.
As an indian ex restaurateur I have to say this is brilliant.
There are load of comments here to say to sprinkle water inside the clay, however I used to see my head chef priming the clay with yoghurt, which allows the naan to peel off without sticking.
10/10.
Thanks for sharing that, and I had someone else mention that to me as well. Thanks
Ruhul Choudory hi Ruhul can you advise how they did this and was it regularly when the oven was cold?
@@MxTim405
You have to prime or “seal” the clay with the yogurt. (You can use oil as well).
Apply a thin layer of yogurt or oil to the inside of the tandoor, covering the clay surface. Light the tandoor, keep the heat about medium. Let it burn for a while, till you get a nice “sheen” to the clay surface. You can then use the tandoori for naans.
This method should last a long while, but you may have to repeat it every once in a as while, if you have problems removing the naans.
@@theoriginalshakil8013 thanks a lot! I will build my new tandoor when the garden is finished
Should probably wait for coals to heat up more in the beginning. Clearly, there is too much smoke and even the outside edges of the pot are very smoke-stained. Food will taste like charcoal.
Fantastic! My husband is making one of these this weekend. (He doesn't know it yet!)
So did he make one?
@Maria Dowler haha
SimpleNick - Nick Collins where did you buy all the stuff from plz
Funny he said the same about you and bum stuff
😂😂😂
Many thanks for sharing Nick! I made one based on your design and am absolutely loving it. I had to make a couple tweaks to get temperatures up well above 900F. Raising the coals up from the bottom by a couple inches so they don't choke up the air intake did the trick. I used a charcoal grate to do that. Getting close to 1000F now.
The kebabs have been incredible. Now gotta learn making a good naan!
Thanks again!
Thanks for the feedback and the tip on using a grate. My naan's have greatly improved. In this video this was the first time I tried to cook a naan, and I had learnt about mu oven yet. I could have done a few test runs first, but I like to share my mistakes with viewers.
@@SimpleNickVideos Sorry, my comment was about my own naan fiasco.
My first attempt was rather weak - turned out more like Pita bread than naan. The second attempt with a slightly different dough prep was a drastic improvement - almost restaurant like. That's one great thing with the tandoor - it's been a lot of fun experimenting and learning. Within about 3 uses, my food is close to that of my favorite restaurants which is immensely satisfying. Thanks again for sharing your design.
Wow, that’s pretty spectacular! I’ve had my first Indian food today and have been scratching my head trying to figure out how I could recreate a little bit of the great food I had. Thanks for sharing!
My mom used a wet rag to wipe the surface before placing the naan in. That helped removing the coal residue and cool the back off a bit. She also used a small pillow looking medium to even out the dough before smacking it inside the oven.. its like using the wood stick to drop the pizza in an oven
Thanks for sharing, much appreciated
Nick just wanted to say Thanks, I picked up my pots from the garden center for 70% off & built a beautiful Tandoori with my 5yr old daughter over 5 hours on the weekend. It worked great & tasted even better, though I burnt up my wife's old cloth oven mitts in the 1st use. Thanks again from Michigan.
+Kris Tobbe Hi Kris, thanks for sharing and I am pleased it went well. What a cool thing to do with your daughter.
Thanks for the great video. My husband made one a few weeks back and it's fantastic! We did put a grill in under the coals (cut from an old cake stand). All we need now is more decent weather!
Yes what is it with the weather at the moment, I haven't used mine for a couple of weeks and I am getting stir crazy.
Recently, I saw a commercial tandoor oven in a restaurant video, and I had the same idea to make one out of pottery. Thank you for posting this video, you saved me much time in trial and error to get this right.
Am very impressed with the way you can make with flower pots thank you giving me the idea I always wanted to do the same thing but didn't know how to start thanks a lot 👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks Shameem, and I hope you get around to building one yourself, you won't regret it.
SimpleNick - Nick Collins thank you
Hi Nick, i was so impressed with your video i decided to make one. i had trouble actually getting the coals to burn, eventually i got it going... the heat is amazing... i cooked sausages to start with and the lamb chops and tried naan bread... i love a good diy project...
Cool, thanks for the feedback Juanita, and I am glad you are enjoying cooking with your oven.
Brilliant revision to your first design Nick! The extra ventilation in the bottom will really help the cooking; I found it essential in mine; although I put a much bigger single hole in to aid cleaning the ash out. The breads look fantastic by the way!
Revision 2 to mine is on hold for a while as I'm too busy working on the inside of our new house at the moment. the insulated top seems like a must though; especially if bread is on the menu!
My only suggestions would be to add gravel to the top for a bit of decoration and to weigh the vermiculite down to keep it from blowing out, and to invest in a weber BBQ starter if you are ever having difficulty lighting a fire in the tandoor (as it can be tricky)
I accidentally bought house coals for mine which burn hotter than anything I've used before; but are completely useless in a regular BBQ - they only work in the Tandoor.
Great work Nick, you're doing it right!
Hi Rick, thanks for the feedback. I was going to put some slate chipping onto so it matched some other pots I have. As for the BBQ starter, no need as it lights really easy. I put some lighter fuel onto, drop a match and then walk away. The air flow is so good I have to put the lid on to slow it down. I have another video which I will upload later that shows how easy it is to light. The other thing, the base pot is a lot wider at the bottom, and the outer pot has three large holes, so I am guessing that is why it works so well.
Hi Nick, just a suggestion. It wont get burnt as much, If the side of the naan bread which is going to stick with tandoor is wet. hope you it will work for you.
Muhammad Din Thanks Muhammad, I picked that tip up from someone else, and as you say it does the trick. Thanks for sharing on the video so other people benefit.
Necessity is the mother of inventions.
Brilliant. I made one yesterday and it worked a treat! Planning design two getting the rims in a better place for the skewers. Good time of year to get cheap pots at the garden centre - get building!!
Thanks for the feedback John, and glad to hear your build went well.
Hi Nick.This is the best video that I have seen on making a tandoor at home.This gave me what I exactly wanted.Excellent,Excellent and Excellent are the three words that I would like to use to describe this video. I am very happy and releaved to have finally found what I wanted.I will now embark on building this.
Thanks for the feedback Azhar, really appreciate it, and good luck with your build.
Wow I will make it for sure
After burning coal To avoid the black burns mix some salt in water and sprinkle on the inner side of tandoor it will get clean as new and after that put naan inside. Great Idea . Thanks
Wet the side of naan that is going to stick in the tandoor with water that'll help the naan not to burn from that side but give you a nice crispy holden colour. hope that helps and thank you for this idea..will definitely give it a go this summer Inshaa'Allah
Thanks for the feedback, and that is exactly how I do it now. Also help to stick the naan to the side of the wall.
Hi Nick, thanks for your videos - great stuff! Have watched them all and got some nice ideas. Followed your example - got some pots and built a tandoori on Saturday and it works great! Did some lamb kofta kebabs and they cooked really nicely - tasted fantastic. Will be making some naan breads next - hopefully today!! Thanks mate - great stuff!! Terry, from Brisbane, Australia
Thanks for the feedback Terry, and I am glad your build went well. Nick
Wow wowww just wow i was looking months to make tandoori oven easily at home .. There are lots of way but not easy for me. But you made my day today. Thank you dear
I am going to make one myself one day. Thank you very much for this!
Just wanted to share thanks for the video. By no means handy, I put it together easily and had so much with my first meal.
Thanks for sharing your brilliant way of making tandoor.
Just wanted to share my grandmother way of cooking tandoori naans as i had seen her make them back home at my farm in India.
ideal temperature should be 150 Centigrade or when coal has burnt out. Constant temperature is the key. what i saw in the video is that due to high temperature naan is cooked too quickly with exposed side should have golden brownish colour. Tip : just before you line the naan pat both side with the mixture of water and vegetable oil. Please do try.
+Sukhjeet Bajwa Thanks for sharing Sukhjeet, you are absolutely right the naan was cooked too hot. This was the very first time I had cooked a naan, and I have since learnt how to do it better since. The key things are as you said a lower temperature, and I also wipe a damp cloth around the inside to lower the temperature on the walls. I have since filmed cooking successful naans, just need time to edit the videos and post them.
You sir...are a genius, such a simple yet brilliant idea for a tandoor...totally inspired me. Thanks
You can make like a cushion for your naans if your worried u might burn yourself, and u can make ur naans bigger and a kebab roll but over all great video and great idea 👍
Wow! Such a brilliant idea. You are a genius!
When the side walls are not black anymore its up to heat as soot is burned off. Will also make sure you're not getting all that on your naan. Also if you make a little lowering basket with hooks you can dangle food in centre of tandoor which helps with cooking.
Excellent tips and thanks for sharing
That's a quick and brilliant idea Nick. I'm going to build one as well and make some wonderful Tandoori chicken and Fish tikka
Thanks for the feedback Rakesh and I hope you were successful with your build
Great vid, have made one myself. Simple and works a treat. My only addition was a 99p stainless steel sink drainer to use as an additional grill. Thanks Nick!
Tom Beran Thanks for the feedback Tim, and nice tip about the sink drainer
Hi Tom. When you say sink drainer, what exactly do you mean? I imagine that to be extremely small. How does it work?
@@lawswon4857 check out stainless steel sink drainers online - about 5-6 inches. Hope that helps
Iv been wanting one for ages. They are soo expensive. Best believe my husband and me are trying to make this tonight !
This is the best thing I’ve seen all day!!
This man is a genius! Thank you. Brilliant idea.
Hi thanx reply from vermiculite b and q is that same thing and can use a metal bin
No desi could have done it better ... Simple, functional and awesome ... thanks for the ideas.
Rehan Riaz not true plenty of desis will do plenty better but not bad for a gora guy.. I liked his enthusiasm about the whole thing
Rehab u r the only dumb desi here
Ok gentlemen, excuse my ignorance...the fuck is a desi or gora?
desi means the "local guys" and gora means the "white man"....so don't worry they are not using anything filthy or abusive...
I wonder how many Desi people eat their Naans like that 😂😂
Where you get your pots from b&q if you wet the bread it won't burn
I got the pots from a local garden centre. Yes I always wet the bread now as well as the side walls, it was Cleary too hot when I cooked my first nans
just in the Nick of time . i was going to buy a grill but now i am going to make this . well done Nick , thank you .........king arthur
Hi before putting the bread in you should rub a wet cloth inside the oven to cool down little bit the temperature of the oven then your bread will not burn from the back side it will be golden brown .
Yes thanks for mentioning that and sharing with everyone. This video was the first time I tried cooking a naan, so I soon learnt from my mistakes. As you say every time I cook bread I wipe down the inside of the oven. I should also point out that if I leave the lid on, the sides can get a bit sooty from the smoke, so another reason to wipe down with a wet cloth to clean first. Once again thanks for sharing.
Awesome idea! How do you clean the ash out, presume just scoop it out by hand?
Hi, check this out - th-cam.com/video/ewac7d4u2uU/w-d-xo.html for cleaning the oven
Ingenious! I still think you might need one that is a bit bigger though to accommodate things like Tandoori Chicken Thigs of bigger cuts of meat and poultry. I like what you have done though. My Nan just LOVES Naan! (I had to get that in!) Thanks for sharing Simple Nick. I believe that I have found inspiration for my next backyard project here in America! Cheers!
Thanks for the feedback
Hi Nick, Great video, I have built my own, more-or-less the same size as yours. One slight modification I made was to get a plant pot dish, that you would normally stand a pot on, and drilled 10 or so holes in, I then put this into the bottom of the tandoor, due to it's size it wedges in about 1-2" from the bottom. Unfortunately the 1st one cracked into about 4 pieces, I suspect this is because the 13mm holes I drilled were a bit ragged and possibly too big. I'm going to try a metal grill of some sort as you mentioned. Also my top pot has a hairline crack in, but I noticed that you have used much thicker walled pots than me. I have also put some decorative pebbles round the top, this stops the vermiculite blowing about (you can get 10L bags of vermiculite from B&Q for about £4.50 - I used about 4). Mine now sits along side my BBQ in my outdoor bar/kitchen. Thanks
+Andy English Thanks for sharing Andy
It's nice to see people making stuff at home with there family......Keep up the vids.
Beautiful design sir, to add on and make the design better may I suggest to put a piece of metal grate towards the bottom pot edge, and apply a thick layer (1-2") of clay inside the tandoor (top pot) so your naans will come out better.
Genius mate 👏👏👏👌👍🙏 thank you very much for sharing your brilliant idea.. Coming from someone who loves nan & tandoori one of the main reasons why I miss home so much😂🙏🍻cheers mate
Thanks
Thank you for the brilliant idea
Fantastic job! I'll be making one, Thank you for sharing with us 👍👍
Just some suggestions:Get a terra cotta clay dish and drill several holes in that plate. Turn the plate over and install it into the bottom of your oven to keep the coals up and ventilation going well. These round plates are cheap and easily drilled out with a masonry bit. Just remember to turn the plate upside down when you put it into the larger pot at the bottom.You may try seasoning the sides of your clay pot oven, just as one would do with a cast iron skillet to season it for cooking.You can also obtain crack-resistant cement mix and make a 40% mix of Vermiculite and a 60% mix of cement. This would be used instead of just the Vermiculite alone and is essentially making a fire brick insulation for the sides of your pot. This also reduces the chance of the clay pot inside eventually cracking, as it helps eliminate moisture in the insulation. Vermiculite alone often absorbs moisture and can cause a clay pot to crack.
+a1930ford Thanks for sharing your thoughts, good for people to share experiences with the community. Thanks
I just made one with 200 Lt drum and large flower pot
Mine I can use as a tandoor or grill oh and also I can use coal or gas or both
How to confirm if the pot is surface is not coated with something which is not safe to consume?
Impressive, quick tip would be brushing ghee or butter onto the naans topside so it heats up and has color
Thanks Nick great video. I'm thinking of how to improve the air flow and ash cleaning, concerned over the combination of ash and fat build up blocking the holes. Will watch your cleaning vid next!
Hello, how to remove burned coals ashes from it ? Thank you
You can use a vacuum cleaner or a garden hose to water it down after it has cooled completely.
What a smart a dude hats off for such a cool and a pro tandoor .
Wat material was used for insulation ❓❓❓
Nick, this looks great but can you provide a step by step including exact materials (size etc) needed for people like me who are a little less creative? I know its a pain but it looks so good!
Hey Mark I bet you are a lot more creative than you think. You just need to go to your garden centre or DIY store and choose the biggest pot you can afford. Don't grab any old pot, pick one you find attractive and will look good in your garden. Remember a Tandoor is for life! Now get a trolley and wheel it around, and start placing other pots inside until you get the best fit. There is no exact science here, do what you think looks good. I am also updating the following page on my site and will put the measurements I used - www.simplenick.com/tandoor.html Thanks Nick
I built this and it's awesome. It's currently 16 degrees Fahrenheit will this crack if I use it today?
Hi glad you had success with your build and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. As to will it crack, I can't really answer that as there are sop many variables. But if it did I wouldn't worry, mine has cracked inside but I still use it, and it is over two years old now. Here is a review I did so you can see the cracks I have th-cam.com/video/ZVJ_5TAOIPc/w-d-xo.html
The clay pots used for gardening have lead, is it safe to make a tandoor using the commercial clay pots
No Really - th-cam.com/video/SNGPP6b4ZZ0/w-d-xo.html
Such a simple idea to a complicated thing, really. Well done!
Excellent!! Planning to build one this weekend. Thank you so much for the idea and simple instructions.
Thanks for the feedback and I hope your build went well.
Hi: thanks for sharing/ showing this. It is beautiful in its simplicity and portability, that probably harkens back to its origins in Central Asia. Only question I have is about collection and removal of ashes from the bottom. I seem to have noticed some holes in the largest (outer) pot. Do you have some sort of “ash/ dust pan” below the oven? Thanks
it is always wonderful to make a Good food with family and to make your bread looks better you need less temperature on the wall and more flame so the bread can bake at the same time on both sides.
Thanks for sharing this tip
Also the temp for naan should be 250-350 degrees celcius. Very innovative....nice!!
Thanks for that tip
so cool. gonna build one
How do you empty the ashes after cooking
The ash falls out of the bottom, I have another video where I show cleaning out of the ash
cannot seem to find a big enough pot for this in the local hardware or garden stores in US. anyone has found and used a pot larger than the std 22"?
Am building one now...so brilliant
Can you use earth rather than vermiculite? Thanks
Has anyone watched the tv show Friday night dinner?
This guy sounds almost exactly like Paul Ritter’s character Martin. Who is rather eccentric.
I love it!
I love this video.
Thumbs up!
Love Friday Night Dinner - never been told like I sounded Martin 😀
If you put the Naan lower they will brown on both sides and wont need as long. Whenever Ive seen chefs do it in Indian restaurants they stretch the naan over a small cushion then whack it against the side ! Hope this helps.
Yes I need to make myself one of those cushions
Can you use a stainless steal bin with holes cutout with the pots and filling? thanks
Hi Pete, I haven't personally used a steel bin, but others have. Here is a link to an example from my website www.simplenick.com/2018/03/21/andy-goddards-dustbin-tandoor-oven/
Cool thanks Nick
Hi Nick, I built the tandoor with a large galvanised bin, however the bottom terracotta pot split, how can I prevent this? Does this need to be replaced or could I fix it? thanks
Hi Pete, do you need to repair the crack in the pot? I have cracks in mine, it is now 3 1/2 years old and I am still using it today. I did post a video about filling the cracks in my upper pot about a year a go. But if I am honest I am not worrying about the internal cracks and it does not affect the performance.
SimpleNick - Nick Collins
Hi Nick it’s a big crack, it happened when I first lit the tandoor. I could fix it or repair it with fire cement. It could have cracked due to the rain and then the pot not drying out or I put in too much coal first time
very good idea and simple, functional. i really thank you for your reply.
Functional and looks great, too! How do you clean out the ash?
What size (max diameter) × height of clay pots did you use?
Can I use permasand instead of rocks?
hay what els can u use for the insolation ( free ) can mud, sand or small stones be used ?
+Kevin Mcbrierty I have had several emails from people that have used sand, with mixed results. Some love it and haven't had a problem, but then others have had cracked outside pots. Maybe that is down to the heat or the quality of their pots.
Fair play this is a handy bit of D.I.Y, i'll be making one of these in the summer coming up.
Good luck with your build
Hi how does this tandoori do with radiant heat output? I'm looking for a nice radiant heat diy to heat a ~150 sq ft house. I'd have to add an exhaust vent and chimney to this I know, but the bonus of cooking on it will reduce initial build costs. Thanks.
I see where you are coming from, as I have been looking at flower pot heaters as well, mainly for a greenhouse. As for this tandoor, the radiant heat output is very low as the aim is to keep all the heat in. The vermiculite does an amazing job keeping the heat in.
Hi its very nice where we can you stuff from .plese let no
This is brilliant I have the plant pots but need insulation. You mentioned vermiculite. This is a type of plant food , will it contaminate the food ? And could I use shingle stones instead ?
+Anthony Kirby Hi Anthony, why do you say it is a plant food? Yes gardeners use it, but for soil aeration typically in potting or growing seeds. There is no feed in standard vermiculite. I am using the larger vermiculite typically used with indoor fireplaces. But if you are concerned the vermiculite is kept separate to the food area by the inner pot. You can even put a seal over the top in either clay or render. Yes you can use shingle stones, several people have. Some are happy and others not. It is clearly a decorative option, but the insulation is not so good.
+SimpleNick - Nick Collins I researched the wrong vermiculite Nick. The insulating type you use I now know of thanks. It is hard to come by only online order. But I've used smell decorative stones that work really well and much cheaper to. Plus no cracking to inner or outer pots. Thank you for replying.
How can you check if the terracotta pot is lead free or not?
+MrCryingMoon Good point, checkout another of my videos - th-cam.com/video/SNGPP6b4ZZ0/w-d-xo.html
My internal pots cracked. Why do you think that happened? do you think they have lead or was the flame temperature such a shock for the pots to endure? If i seal the cracks with clay would that be ok?
I have no hesitation to reveal to you that being an Indian I got the necessary guidance from you Nick. Great Job and the terracotta material looks very good and should exist for many years to come. What was the insulation material you used ?
Thanks,
Anil Kashyap, Nanjing
Thanks Anil really appreciate the feedback.
Does it matter what kind of pot to use? I.e. any type to avoid?
hello Mr.Collins, few question - why did you drill holes in the inner pot (the one which seats inside the bigger pot), did you also drill holes to the base of bigger pot? if yes then do you need to align holes of bigger & smaller pot ? for ventilation? how do you clean (remove ash etc) this unit after you have done with the cooking? do you need to season inner wall of this pot before you start using it? hope to hear from you. thanks in advance
Hi Boon, The first oven I built had just one hole in the bottom, but the base was smaller. For the new oven I wanted a bigger base so I could use more charcoal and have an even hotter oven. The bottom pot I went for only had one hole, so I decided to drill more to improve the air flow. I am glad I did as the air flow is perfect, see my other video on lighting the oven. You have seen how easy it is to build, if you are unsure try the oven first. If it doesn't work take it apart, drill some holes and try again. I did not drill any holes in the bigger pot, that already had three big holes. I did not align the holes over the outer pot with the second build. Where possible is best to do that as it makes cleaning easier. As for cleaning some people use a vacuum, but I just use a cloth and brush, see video th-cam.com/video/ewac7d4u2uU/w-d-xo.html . As for seasoning the inner wall, I did not, but others have. Lots of people have used special flavoured rubs, but I was happy without the season..
thank you. thank you for the whole idea behind this oven. I will make it soon. though i have one more question: the first few chunks/pieces on that skewer facing direct heat(towards the bottom) - do they get burned/roasted badly? thanks in advance
Hello
What product is used as insulation?
Thank you
Just how do you clean the burned charcoal dust and stuff out of it?
Hi Bob, check this out - th-cam.com/video/ewac7d4u2uU/w-d-xo.html
Good information
That's a good effort but they look burnt from the back and under cooked from the front , have you managed to figure out the right temp?
Yes the first go at nans were burnt, but I now have a lot more success by cooling the wall down by spraying water on it.
Hi, from your perspective, what difference would this tandoor have with a real one in terms of maximum heat threshold, heat retention inside the tandoor and ability to cook with even heat?
A real tandoor costs a lot so I'd imagine there should be some difference. The question would be whether this difference would be felt in the cooking and lifetime of the homemade one.
How about the ash, how do you get it out or clean the oven?
I was wondering that as well. I'm thinking that if you let it cool overnight...that the ash could be vacuumed up with a shop vac the next day. Here's a video he made showing how he does it.
Me to.
use a ladle for ash and you dont clean the sides at all
What is the diameter of the large outside pot please
Hi, loving this, do you have dimensions of the pots used? Thanks
Awesome....how do you put it off..i mean put off the fire when not in use?
I don't, I let the fire die down on it own. Once I finished cooking I stoke the remaining coals and keep the lid off.
Is the external pot terracotta? they're very expensive and as its only function is to contain the insulation i don't suppose it needs to be. Do you just cover the oven when not in use? to prevent water build up in the insulation layer?
Hi John, yes the external pot is terracotta, and yes it can be expensive. You need to buy it at the right time of the year when there are sales, this one cost me £17. Yes it's only function is to hold in the insulation, and lots of people use metal dustbins. I went for a pot as I wanted it to look nice in the garden. Remember it stays on patio all year round, so you want to be looking at something nice. And yes I do cover it, you can use an upside down pot tray or a bag. I prefer pot tray as that is more pleasing on the eye.
how to put the burning stuff in side of the tandoor?
Hi Sunita check out this video and skip to around 6 minutes - th-cam.com/video/sLHj-2TmFXA/w-d-xo.html
Could you please mention the sizes of the 3 pots that you used.
I can't wait to try this! Thank you!
Thanks Joanne, and you definitely should.
Hey Nick, great video and would have thought it was so simple to do.....
Anyway, I plan on trying this myself and didn’t quite catch the name of the insulation you mentioned, would you care to share again please ?
Thanks 😎
I want to make it. Where could I find the big flower pot?
would if be ok to use pots that are glazed on the outside?
Hi are u using smoll pot baces and big pot top
Hi Amer, sorry I am not clear on the question. The pots sit on a ring which I made from cutting the bottom of an old broken pot. There are no braces holding the pots in place, just the vermiculite. Does that answer your question, if not then please let me know. Thank Nick
Hi, just wanted to ask if the pot doesn't crack, considering you should be reaching 400-500ºc inside. It was surely not made to stand such heat. Thxs.
Yes there are cracks, but it doesn't affect the performance, checkout this review I did some time ago. th-cam.com/video/ZVJ_5TAOIPc/w-d-xo.html . The Oven is now 2 years, 2 months old, and still in working order.
EXCELLENT thank you 🙏
I’m Hindustani and I’m learning from an Aussie Scott’s Irish British guy
Happy smiles🙂😊☺️😀