Wood-Fired Ovens: Is a Barrel Oven for You?

By Max And Eva Edleson
Published on July 24, 2013
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"Build Your Own Barrel Oven" is a guide to selecting an efficient wood-fired oven with instructions on how to build a Barrel Oven.
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The Barrel Oven is great for people who are interested in baking more often and for those who are likely to want to use wood as a primary fuel source.
The Barrel Oven is great for people who are interested in baking more often and for those who are likely to want to use wood as a primary fuel source.
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People interested in a Barrel Oven may or may not already have a gas or electric oven, so the wood-fired oven can either be complementary or provide new baking possibilities.
People interested in a Barrel Oven may or may not already have a gas or electric oven, so the wood-fired oven can either be complementary or provide new baking possibilities.
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Mother and daughter share the joy of pulling a pizza out of an oven they built.
Mother and daughter share the joy of pulling a pizza out of an oven they built.
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The Barrel Oven from Friespeaking includes the barrel, an insulated door with custom hinges and two oven racks. The “kit” option includes a firebox door, ash grate and ash drawer which doubles as an air register.
The Barrel Oven from Friespeaking includes the barrel, an insulated door with custom hinges and two oven racks. The “kit” option includes a firebox door, ash grate and ash drawer which doubles as an air register.
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The Barrel Oven offers surprising convenience because it is hot and ready to bake in within 15-20 minutes of lighting a fire.
The Barrel Oven offers surprising convenience because it is hot and ready to bake in within 15-20 minutes of lighting a fire.
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This Barrel Oven design features a built-in counter, room for wood storage, and cover
enough for the baker.
This Barrel Oven design features a built-in counter, room for wood storage, and cover enough for the baker.

In Build Your Own Barrel Oven (Hand Print Press, 2012), Max and Eva Edleson offer a comprehensive guide for planning and building a practical, efficient and affordable wood-fired oven. The Barrel Oven offers surprising convenience: It’s hot and ready to bake in within 15-20 minutes, and maintaining it at a constant temperature is easy. In this excerpt from, “What Is A Barrel Oven” and “Is the Barrel Oven for You?,” you will learn the advantages and disadvantages of the barrel oven.

You can purchase this book from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS store: Build Your Own Barrel Oven.

What is a Barrel Oven?

A Barrel Oven is a versatile wood-fired oven that is relatively easy to build and easy to use. It can be the seed for a small-scale baking enterprise or the heart of a community’s wood-fired cuisine. All kinds of food can be baked in the Barrel Oven including bread, roasts, pizza, cookies cakes, pies, casseroles and stews.

The Barrel Oven offers surprising convenience because it is hot and ready to bake in within 15-20 minutes of lighting a fire. Another great feature is that it is easy to maintain at a desired temperature for long periods of time. This type of oven is often called a “mixed oven” because it has the capability to cook with direct as well as stored heat.

The Barrel Oven can be built almost entirely out of recycled, re-sourced and local materials It can also be made with brand new, manufactured and bought parts. At its center is a metal barrel, of which there are many in the waste-stream. One or more racks to bake on are constructed inside and a door is fashioned at one end. Wood-fired cooking enthusiasts appreciate the capacity that two deep shelves offer, allowing the ability to bake eight to ten 2 lb (1 kg) loaves of bread, four 12” (30 cm) pizzas or four cookie sheets at a time.

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