Knowledge Centre · Using your oven
How to cure your new pizza oven
A new masonry oven needs to dry out and be brought up to temperature gently before you cook at full heat. Here is the curing method we recommend for every Eco oven.
Why curing matters
A newly built or delivered masonry oven still holds moisture, even when it looks completely dry. If it is heated too quickly, that moisture turns to steam inside the dome and floor, which can cause avoidable damage.
Curing drives the moisture out slowly, with small, gentle fires over about two weeks. It is not the time to chase cooking temperature. Be patient now and your oven will serve you for years.
Before you start
- Use dry blue gum or another suitable untreated hardwood, with a moisture content of no more than 15 to 20%.
- Use small amounts of wood, adding one log at a time.
- Never use firelighter fluid, petrol, paraffin or other flammable liquids.
- Never burn charcoal, coal, treated or painted timber, laminates, refuse or plastics.
- Do not try to force airflow through the oven, for example with a fan.
- Wear protective gloves, and keep children and pets well away from the oven.
The curing method, step by step
Stage 1 · Days 1 to 7
Let the oven dry
Do not light a fire for 7 days from the day of installation. This gives the oven time to dry out naturally.
Stage 2 · Days 8 to 14
Small curing fires
Light a small fire every day for 7 days, increasing the size of the fire gradually from day to day.
For the first 3 to 5 fires, keep the fire small and let it burn slowly for 1 to 2 hours, adding just one log at a time.
Stage 3 · After curing
Build up to cooking heat
Once the curing week is complete, keep building up the temperature of your fires gradually each day until you reach full cooking heat.
Hairline cracks are normal
Small cosmetic hairline cracks can appear on the outside of the oven as it heats and cools for the first time. This is normal and is not automatically a structural problem. Our care and maintenance guide explains how to finish and paint the exterior after curing.
Once your oven is cured
Paint the exterior only after curing is complete, because the oven still has small pockets of moisture even when it looks dry. Keep firewood stored under a non-combustible cover, keep anything combustible away from the oven, and remove ash only once it is completely cold.
Questions while curing?
If something does not look right, send us a photo on WhatsApp. We are happy to help.