FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers to the questions we hear most about choosing, planning, delivering and caring for a wood-fired oven.
Choosing an oven
Choosing your oven
Styles, sizes, prices and what comes with every oven.
What is the difference between Piccola and Mezzano?
Piccola and Mezzano ovens are made from the same core materials and follow the same construction method. The main differences are their appearance and front profile. The Mezzano extends further at the front, creating a slightly larger usable cooking floor and requiring more material, which is why it costs more. Choose the Piccola for a compact igloo-style form, or the Mezzano for a more traditional extended-front look and additional working space.
Which size should I choose?
Start with the space you have for the base: from 90 x 90 cm for the Piccola 60 to 120 x 130 cm for the Mezzano 90. A larger internal diameter gives you more room on the cooking floor. If you are unsure, send us a WhatsApp with a photo of your space and we will help you choose.
How much do the ovens cost?
Piccola 60: R13,250. Piccola 70: R14,650. Mezzano 70: R15,845. Mezzano 90: R17,945. Delivery outside Cape Town and optional wheeled stands are quoted separately.
What comes with the oven?
Every residential oven comes with an oven door and a pizza spade. The oven has a firebrick cooking floor, insulation around the dome and under the floor, a granite landing and a stainless-steel flue section: approx. 250 mm on the Piccola and approx. 500 mm on the Mezzano.
Can I choose the paint and arch-brick colour?
Yes. Ovens are painted in our workshop in off-white, black, light grey, cream or terracotta. Popular brick-arch colours are red and black, and we can source other suitable bricks on request, subject to availability.
Can the oven be placed on a wheeled stand?
Yes, as an optional extra: approx. R3,500 for the Piccola 60 and 70, approx. R4,000 for the Mezzano 70 and approx. R6,500 for the Mezzano 90. A stand makes the oven movable on a firm, level surface, but the oven is still heavy masonry.
Planning
Base and planning
Bases, placement and building under cover.
What size base do I need?
As a minimum: Piccola 60, 90 x 90 cm; Piccola 70, 100 x 100 cm; Mezzano 70, 100 x 110 cm; Mezzano 90, 120 x 130 cm. The base must be level, made from non-combustible materials and strong enough for a heavy masonry oven. Our Base & Planning page has full straight and corner base plans.
Can the oven go on a corner base?
Yes, for the Mezzano. The corner base is 1200 x 1200 mm for the Mezzano 70 and 1400 x 1400 mm for the Mezzano 90. Ask us about corner placement for the Piccola.
Can I put the oven under a patio roof?
Our ovens are designed for outdoor use. If you would like one under a patio or other cover, speak to us about flue extensions first, and check your local building and safety requirements.
Delivery
Delivery and installation
How your oven gets to you, anywhere in South Africa.
Is delivery included in Cape Town?
Yes. For residential ovens, delivery and installation in Cape Town are included in the oven price, once we have confirmed your address, access and installation requirements.
Can you deliver outside Cape Town?
Yes. Door-to-door courier delivery starts from R2,500, and depot collection from R1,000 in Johannesburg, Durban and Gqeberha. Outlying areas, farms and difficult-access sites are quoted individually.
Does the oven arrive fully assembled?
Most residential ovens are delivered fully assembled on a pallet. Because they are heavy masonry, you will need suitable lifting equipment or professional handling at the delivery address. If carrying by hand, you need at least 4 people for the Piccola 60, Piccola 70 and Mezzano 70, and at least 6 people for the Mezzano 90.
What if the oven cannot fit through my gate?
Tell us the narrowest width on the route when you request a quote. If an assembled oven cannot get through, we can supply it as a kit, and in Cape Town we can assemble it on site.
Can I buy the oven as a kit?
Yes. In Cape Town, we can bring the kit to site and assemble it. Outside Cape Town, a competent builder can assemble a kit, after we have discussed suitability and instructions with you.
Using your oven
Using and caring for your oven
Curing, firewood and what to expect as the oven ages.
Do I need to cure the oven?
Yes. New masonry holds moisture, and heating it too quickly can cause avoidable damage. Cure a new oven with small, gentle fires, increasing the heat gradually. Curing is not the time to chase cooking temperature. Our curing guide explains the process.
What wood should I use?
Use dry blue gum or another suitable untreated hardwood, with a moisture content of no more than 15 to 20%. Never burn treated, painted or laminated timber, refuse, plastics, charcoal, coal or flammable liquids.
Are hairline cracks normal?
Small cosmetic hairline cracks can appear on the outside as masonry heats and cools, and they are not automatically a structural problem. Keep an eye on them, and contact us if a crack widens, moves or affects how the oven performs.
Commercial
Commercial ovens
Restaurants, pizzerias and hospitality projects.
What commercial ovens do you build?
Hand-built brick ovens in two sizes: a 1.2 m internal diameter oven (approx. 1.8 m outside, about 6 large pizzas) for R90,000, and a 1.4 m oven (approx. 2.1 m outside, up to 10 large pizzas) for R120,000.
What is included with a commercial oven?
An oven door, a cowl, three lengths of flue pipe, a steel stand or brick base, and a mosaic finish. Ask us about the mosaic options.
Do you build commercial ovens outside Cape Town?
Yes, throughout South Africa. Outside Cape Town, a travel and accommodation fee applies, from R15,000. Installation takes one to two weeks on site.
Still have a question?
Send us a WhatsApp or call us. You will be speaking to the team that makes the ovens.