When you build a pizza oven, there are other things to consider – one of these is what your wood-fired oven will stand on. It stands to reason that it cannot simply go on the ground, so you will need to think about where you are going to place the oven.
The good news is that there are many ways you can either build a DIY pizza oven stand or buy a ready-made one. Whichever you choose, your outdoor kitchen will certainly benefit!
In this article, we are going to be giving you all of the information you will need to know how to create a beautiful and attention-grabbing wood-fired pizza oven stand at home.
What Is The Best Base For A Pizza Oven?
The first thing you will want to think about is where you plan on building your wood-fired oven – if the ground here is too soft, you will probably need to construct a concrete foundation before you do anything else.
Supporting the brick oven with heavy-duty materials such as railways sleepers, bricks and breezeblocks will be sure to give you the best experience. This is because pizza ovens are extremely heavy once fully constructed and if adequate support is not given, the entire structure could easily crumble.
The base of the oven needs to be able to handle the heat of the fire. There are fire brick blocks available, and these should always be placed on a layer of sand. You must also remember to make sure that the bricks you use are laid flat and flush against one another. If you don’t do this, the cooking surface of your outdoor pizza oven will not be ideal – you need something smooth and even for making pizza at home!
The Best Pizza Oven Stand Ideas
When you are creating an outdoor kitchen, the chances are that you would like it to be rustic yet modern, beautiful yet functional and above all, stable and secure. This combination of requirements for outdoor pizza ovens can be challenging to achieve – but by no means impossible.
We have come up with 11 excellent ideas for anyone looking to make an outdoor brick pizza oven in the comfort of their own home.
1 Make A Log Store
When you are building an outdoor wood-fired pizza oven, you will want to get the most out of your outdoor space, and sometimes this can mean killing two birds with 1 stone.
Many people like to create stands that also double up as a log store. You are going to be using a lot of wood to get your fire going, so why not keep it close to hand?
You would normally create your stand and leave a hollow portion to store your wood – not only is this convenient, but it can be a fun DIY project that will wow all of your pizza party guests.
2 Railways Sleepers
A lot of people will choose to craft the stands for their wood-fired ovens out of railway sleepers. These heavy-duty pieces of timber are great for withstanding the immense weight of these wood-fired ovens, which, since most are made from brick, can be incredibly weighty.
In addition to this, railway sleepers are a great product if you want to get an authentic look for your pizza oven. They are hugely aesthetically pleasing.
If you do plan to go down this route, however, please be careful that you lay the sleepers evenly because stands for wood-fired outdoor pizza ovens must be level so that your oven is not slanted.
3 Steel
There are a wide variety of steel pizza oven stands on the market, and these are an excellent choice if you do not wish to go down the DIY route.
This is a very strong metal that will easily hold the weight of your outdoor oven, whether it is built from brick or metal. However, it would be best if you kept in mind that when compared to stone or brick stands, metal ones may not be quite as pleasing on the eye.
4 House Bricks
It is not uncommon for home-owners to have spare house bricks lying around in their outdoor space and these can come in really handy for an outdoor pizza oven.
In the same way as sleepers, please remember to ensure that the oven stand is built level so that your oven won’t be slanted. You can find a wealth of information online about building and how you can achieve the best results for your outdoor kitchen.
5 Breezeblocks
Breezeblocks are a great alternative if you don’t wish to use house bricks, or can’t for any reason. However, it isn’t difficult to see that this material is not quite as aesthetically pleasing.
With that in mind, breezeblocks are extremely robust and are excellent for an outdoor kitchen thanks to their durability.
6 Mosaic
If you wish to get creative and show a little personality in your wood-fired pizza oven, then creating a mosaic design is a wonderful idea. You can get your hands on various types of brick in different colours and come up with a design that you love.
Since your outdoor kitchen is going to be unique to you, you will likely wish your friends and family to see the time and effort you have put into creating something special to your home.
7 Concrete
If you aren’t bothered about how attractive your wood-fired pizza oven will be, then using concrete is an excellent choice. The base should always be made from this material for a solid foundation, but doing the top of the stand in this way will really add to the support.
8 Shelving
In your outdoor kitchen, you will likely need many accessories and pieces of cooking equipment – pizza ovens are perfect for creating an outdoor feast, but only if you have the right tools for the job.
This type of outdoor kitchen stand will give you lots of space to store everything you’ll be using to cook, so it isn’t hard to see why this is an extremely popular design.
The number of shelves you choose will depend on your needs; some people can work well with just 1 or 2 whereas others prefer plenty of places to keep their kitchen tools – you should find out what works best for you and adapt the oven size accordingly.
9 Small Stands
If you are short on space in your outdoor kitchen, this doesn’t mean that you cannot install an oven for pizza. There is the choice to design a much smaller than usual oven and stand, and when you go for a DIY option, the world is your oyster.
This is your outdoor oven, and if you must have something smaller, rather this than not have the chance to cook pizza in an outdoor oven at all.
10 Go Big Or Go Home!
In some cases, outdoor ovens can be huge and again this relates to how much space you have. This is definitely something for the DIY enthusiast since it can be a large job so you will are going to have to find the time to do it.
However, if you really wish to impress your pizza party guests, then constructing a massive stand is a good idea. You are also free to mix it up however you like.
Some people will also create a large worktop made from stone next to the oven where you can prepare the pizza and have space for when the pizza is ready to be served.
Furthermore, you are getting a much more detailed outdoor kitchen with everything that you might already have in the home, just outdoors!
You can let your creative juices run wild and come up with the ultimate DIY project for that upcoming week off work!
11 Mix Up Your Materials
If you aren’t sure where your oven should sit and what materials you wish to be using, then there is the option of mixing it up and using a wide variety of materials.
You might construct the base from concrete, add in some house bricks with a railway sleeper support and fit a stone counter-top. This will help if you have a lot of spare materials lying around that you wish to be using but will also give a very appealing appearance thanks to the mixture of textures and colours.
Many garden ovens are a focal point and are the first thing that people notice when they enter your garden, so it is important that these ovens are well put together.
What Can I Use For Pizza Oven Floor?
A common mistake that is made by many pizza fans when making a brick oven is that they do not install a floor that is thick enough. The purpose of the floor is that it will heat to extreme temperatures, and this allows the pizza to cook quickly. The main reason for using a pizza oven like this is for quick baking that gives an authentic taste and a delicious crispy crust.
If the oven floor isn’t able to retain this heat, then your pizza simply won’t cook in the way that you would expect a pizza to cook.
Therefore, it is important that you source materials that are thick enough for the job. You will often see an oven floor made from thin baking tiles, but these won’t keep hot enough for long enough, and your pizza won’t come out as expected.
Try to source tiles or stone that is thick so that once you light that fire, they will stay hot until you say its time to cool down!
What Else Can I Cook In A Pizza Oven?
The beauty of these ovens for pizza is that pizza isn’t the only food that can be made inside them. They might be famous as being an oven for pizza, but if you fancy a spot of meat or a loaf of freshly baked bread, then you have the option to do this.
Let’s take a look at a list of other foods you might wish to cook in your garden oven – and there won’t be a pizza in sight!
- Slow-cooked meats
- Vegetables
- Jacket potatoes
- Steak, ribs and other faster-cooking meats
- Bread, rolls and other baked goods
- Seafood
- Casseroles
- Warm desserts
Your choices are limitless – if you can cook something in a normal oven, then it can be cooked in your outdoor pizza oven too.
The important thing to remember is that the kind of food you will be baking will depend on how hot or cool you must have the oven. Pizza should always be baked in an oven that is very hot – this is 1 of the main reasons that this kind of equipment gets so hot in the first place – that and the fire, of course.
However, for other foods, you might have to have the oven much cooler than when you bake pizza – this is especially true for slow-cooked meats which should be cooked slowly, over a longer period and in lower heat.
You can find a lot of information about this on this web page so you can be sure that whatever you have decided to cook up; it will be perfect!
Other Tips For Creating A Pizza Oven
If you have never taken on this kind of DIY challenge before, oven stands may be the least of your worries. Once you have erected this part of the structure, there are plenty of other things to consider, so take a look at our handy tips for constructing your pizza oven right in your own back yard.
- A key aspect of a good oven for pizza is that it should be very well-insulated. If the heat can escape from the top, then the device simply won’t stay hot enough to cook the food as it should. You can source a variety of things to insulate the oven, including ready-made materials that are specifically designed for the purpose of insulating a pizza oven. It would help if you remembered that there is no such thing as too much heat – when you are baking your pizzas, you will do so with the door open, so it is vital that everywhere else is designed to keep the heat in.
- Just because a door will not be needed for pizza, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t install a door for when you are putting other types of food inside. Things such as bread must be baked with the door closed and will bake from the residual heat once the flames have died down.
- Similarly to above, the flue should have a damper inside so that you can close it off when you wish to keep the heat inside.
- Some people are worried about constructing the dome since this shape looks as though it would be difficult to create. However, this is actually 1 of the easiest aspects of crafting your own oven for pizza. Often, they can be laid without any support, or you might employ wet sand for support underneath.
- If the thought of constructing the arch fills you with dread, then you will be pleased to hear that you can buy these already crafted and it is merely a case of fitting it. However, there is the option to do this yourself with rectangular bricks – but this may be a job for a more seasoned DIY enthusiast who has had plenty of experience as it can be tricky.
Conclusion
If you love homemade pizza, then the natural thing to do would be to install a specially made oven in your very own back garden.
Lots of people do this and whilst it may seem as though it is a trying task – constructing your very own pizza oven isn’t that complicated if you have the right tools.
Of course, your oven must have something to sit on and this is where you can become really creative. There are so many options for materials and ideas that choosing your favourite can be a bit overwhelming.
For this reason, we have put together this fun list of ideas for stands for pizza ovens; whether you want something that is practical and will meet all of your baking needs or something that is a little more original and pleasing on the eye – there will be something for you!
