Apr
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Top Tips When Using Your Igneus Pizza Oven for the First Time
Using your Igneus pizza oven for the first time is exciting, and with the right preparation, you’ll be on your way to creating perfect wood-fired pizzas in no time. Once you’ve assembled the oven, before you can crack on with launching your first pizza, there’s one vital step you cannot afford to skip: blind firing. This essential process ensures your oven is seasoned, ready for high temperatures, and won’t damage the firebricks. In this blog, we’ll guide you through the best tips when getting started!
The Importance of Blind Firing
Blind firing helps season the firebricks and ensures they can handle the intense heat needed for cooking authentic Neapolitan pizzas. The process of blind firing involves heating the oven without any food inside, allowing the firebricks to gradually adjust to the high temperatures. This helps prevent cracking and ensures that your oven will perform at its best for years to come.
First Blind Fire
Begin by lighting a small fire in the front half of the oven with kindling. Allow the fire to burn for about 10 minutes, spreading the fire and embers across the firebricks. After this, let the oven naturally cool down.
Second Blind Fire
Repeat the first process, but this time, let the fire burn for 20-30 minutes. This extended burn ensures the oven reaches the necessary high temperatures and fully prepares the firebricks for cooking.
By taking the time to complete the blind firing process, you’ll ensure your oven is seasoned and ready for cooking, helping to prevent any damage to the firebricks while also enhancing the overall performance of your oven.
Preheating the Oven
Once your oven has completed the blind firing process, it’s time to preheat it for cooking. The key to a perfect pizza is reaching the right temperature, and for Igneus ovens, this means hitting around 450°C. It’s important that after your second blind fire that you allow the oven to cool down before beginning the preheating phase, ready for cooking.
Preheating should take about 12-15 minutes to reach the optimum temperature. On every Igneus Oven (except Minimo), there is a built-in thermometer, so assessing the temperature is easy. We also recommend purchasing an infrared thermometer for checking the temperature of the firebricks/stone, helping to ensure you’re at the ideal heat for cooking a crisp pizza with no soggy bottoms! Proper preheating ensures your pizza cooks evenly and achieves the perfect crust.
Keep an Eye on the Temperature
Monitoring the oven’s temperature throughout the cooking process is essential for achieving the best results. Once the oven reaches around 450°C, it’s ideal for cooking Neapolitan-style pizzas in as little as just 60 seconds. However, pizzas with thicker crusts or deep pan pizzas may need slightly lower temperatures and more time in the oven.
If you’re cooking a large number of pizzas, it’s key to ensure that both the temperature of the oven as well as the firebricks are in the perfect window. This helps prevent overcooking or undercooking, ensuring that your pizza’s crust is perfectly crisp and the toppings are just right. Aim for 450°C on the built-in thermometer and around 350°C for the firebricks/stone. It goes without saying that as the fire burns down, the temperature will start to drop slowly. The insulating qualities of an igneous oven mean that this drop isn’t too dramatic, but it’s still good to keep on top of the fire to keep a consistent burn.
Equip Yourself with The Right Tools
To make the pizza-making process easier and safer, it’s essential to have the right tools on hand. We recommend the following tools and accessories to get you started, which are available as a bundle depending on which oven you buy, for example, as part of our best-selling Igneus Classico Ultimate Bundle.
Final Thoughts
Preparing your Igneus pizza oven properly is key to making delicious, perfectly cooked pizzas every time. By following the blind firing process, preheating your oven, and using the right tools, you’ll ensure a successful first cook and extend the life of your oven. As ever, if you require any information about any oven in the Igneus range or our vast range of accessories, you can contact us on 01423 575885 or browse our full range of products here.