DIY Brick Pizza Oven

June 26th, 2005

Three days ago I got some free bricks on Craigslist here at our new “offices” in Palo Alto, and built a brick oven so we can have totally sweet pizza parties all summer long. I took some pictures – it looks kind of shabby but makes deliciously wonderful pizzas. Adobe mortar used liberally.

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This entry was posted by Jeffrey Warren on Sunday, June 26th, 2005 at 12:46 am and is filed under Design, Vestal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

55 Responses to “DIY Brick Pizza Oven”

mike lin Says:
June 26th, 2005 at 1:37 am
I declare, those pizzas were tasty. The dough was provided by Applewood Pizza in Menlo Park, CA. and the wood came from a nearby trees that either suffered weather or insect dammage.
Jeff Warren Says:
June 26th, 2005 at 1:55 pm
i assume “dammage” is french for “mike can’t type”

no hating here though
Joe Says:
June 27th, 2005 at 10:29 am
impressive
Jessica Says:
June 28th, 2005 at 10:21 am
perhaps to explain to those not immediately familiar with Vestal, we’ve just recently moved in to a place which is now doubling as our office and home (ah the beauties of e-commuting) and you can see what happens when you put 6 incredibly talented but can’t-sit-still engineers in one place for too long.
Anonymous Says:
May 25th, 2006 at 6:59 am
what is this for crap! you actually lost your time on that ugly thing? and your eting thins that are coming out of it? whahahaha! caveman! and your to stupid to make the dough yourself.
Vestal Design Blog » Blog Archive » Solar Oven from Windshield Reflector Says:
August 18th, 2006 at 12:23 am
[...] Related Posts: DIY Brick Oven, Water Filters for the Developing World [...]
Dean Says:
September 17th, 2006 at 10:00 pm
Although ‘Anonymous’ might have been smart enough not to state his name, he should use some of those remaining brain cells to convince him/herself to back to school to learn how to spell. (ie: thoughts run together; ! instead of ? ‘eting’;’thins’; ‘your’ instead of you’re….looks who’s calling who stupid, fool!
Dean Says:
September 17th, 2006 at 10:03 pm
Oops…sorry! I meant ‘go back TO school’...i was laughing so hard typing my reply to ‘Anonymous’ that I forgot to proofread MY post.
Bob from Whitehorse Says:
September 17th, 2006 at 10:30 pm
Great looking oven. I’m suprised Anon. could string that many words together considering the obvious blows life has already dealt him. Don’t ridecule him, pity him and next time you see a poor unfortunate sitting outside an internet cafe offering to do things of a sexual nature for spare change give Anon. some money and wish him well.
Drexler Says:
September 17th, 2006 at 10:43 pm
That looks awesome!
SYN Says:
September 17th, 2006 at 10:46 pm
Wow, That looks like crap and you did not make the dough. Just lazy, I guess. Nice to see your friends patting you on the back for that engineering marvel.
SYN Says:
September 17th, 2006 at 10:51 pm
BTW, http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=2295548
egarrard Says:
September 17th, 2006 at 11:00 pm
Six engineers built this? Where are the schematics so the rest of us can try it out?

Nice job with using the free bricks! One of these would make a good companion to a barbeque grill.
Jimmy Says:
September 17th, 2006 at 11:00 pm
$hit, let’s be honest, my 12 year old daughter could build better than that. That’s extremely poor workmanship, not square, no pointing and obviously done in 10 minutes flat. And someone is proud of the pile of crap?

Where’s the ingenuity and workmanship of the forefathers here?
mr. JAH Says:
September 17th, 2006 at 11:14 pm
Pretty cool but seriously it looks just slightly better than Homer Simpson’s attempt at building his BBQ…perhaps this too might qualify as outsider art.
Paul Says:
September 17th, 2006 at 11:24 pm
I think we should all note that when the word “engineer” is used, it is being used in the computer/website sense of the word. Considering these guys are not brick layers, civic engineers or architects, I think they did a bang up job at making something that works without losing fingers, setting a building on fire or taking a trip to the ER.
andie hart Says:
September 17th, 2006 at 11:33 pm
Looks like it was built by a drunken retard on ridalin
Alex Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 12:04 am
No wonder. The word “engineer” gets used far too liberally these days.
Rob Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 12:42 am
Worst.instructions.evar

/Since when does a picture constitute instructions?

//Looks really crappy and who knows where the bricks even came from originally.Coulda been an outhouse or an insecticide storage facility for all you know.
tomorrow Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 1:17 am
Now, I know for sure I never want to live in northern california.
DC Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 2:40 am
Wow, there sure are a lot of haters in here. Maybe if you assnecks actually got out and did something on your own you wouldnt be on the internet bitchin’ all day about everything you see that you dont like. Im sure you bunch of supermen are totally handy around the house. Get out and get a life. And before I forget, this isnt a set of instructions for everyone complaining, even though it might have been presented as one on the forum everyone is coming from. Its simply a picture of his DIY project. So everyone can STFU and DIAF. So anyway,nice use of the free bricks man, way to recycle something that was going to waste.
MonkeyBoy Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 4:07 am
As a neighbor who does special order things like cabinet work says: “make sure the project is neat and has details, so it doesn’t look like somebody got drunk and decided to build something”.
Josh Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 4:50 am
I’ve used Photoshop and Premiere quite a bit, but I have never heard of Adobe Mortar. Is it some 3D CAD program for correctly designing brick ovens? Seriously though, that looks good, enjoy your pizza!
Bruce L. Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 6:01 am
Hey… it works, that is what is important… you said “engineers”, not artists, not bricklayers. What counts is that you used something that was going to end up in a landfill somewhere and made something out of it that you can use. Who cares what it looks like, if it makes a killer pizza? And to the guy that was worried about where the bricks came from, I didnt see anywhere where it said peeps were licking them? Get a clue…
Jim N Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 6:36 am
ROTFL at Josh’s response.

The thing is functional, who cares what it look like. If you’re building a pizza oven, isn’t it the pizza that matters?

I wish I had a pile of bricks that can cook a pizza!
Agreed Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 7:18 am
Jim N. I agree. Who gives a crap what it looks like if it works.

Any idea how hot it gets inside? How does the heating work, anyway. Is it only from the bottom, or do you put coals somewhere on top too?
Chris Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 8:13 am
It is true a nicer looking oven could be built from loose bricks but that is not what this project is about. This is about fitting odd shaped wall remnants into a mostly closed, hollow 3D space to make something useful. This is a clever solution given the raw materials. Good job! Time to start looking for some free bricks in my area.

I do agree about the chemical residue issue. Even a section of garden wall from a homeowner could be soaked with pesticides, fertilizer or other chemicals. Even real bbq’s should be heated high above regular cooking temperatures before the first use to burn off manufacturing chemical residue. It would probably be safer to make a bonfire around the oven to burn off any chemicals before cooking it, but I am not a chemical engineer, so this is just informed speculation.
Ryan Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 8:17 am
Agreed – It’s hard to how this oven cooks but it appears as though a rack is lying on top of the oven implying a suspended pizza? Maybe on a pizza stone on the rack? Usually a premium wood fire oven pizza joint cooks pizzas directly on stone with the fire beneath so the pizza cooks from the crust thru. Hot as heck and pizza done in 4-7 minutes depending on temp, pizza, etc. I do mine as high as my oven can get ~550F for about 5 minutes.

Always use less sauce than you think you need when making homemade pizzas esp. if you’re lazy and buy the crust at the local supermart. Too much sauce makes your crust soggy and cheese/toppings slide off with every bite.
j mil Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 8:57 am
It looks like that these are not fire-rated brick. The heat of a fire can expand the air pockets inside the brick and make them explode. I’d be pretty careful. You could get some more brick and build a bunker a safe distance away to hang out in while you’re cooking
Joe Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 9:03 am
Sure, it’s not perfect. This is is something the author proudly made in one try and is deservedly getting some satisying use out of it.

Why formalize it by getting a commercial-quality brick oven which then belongs to the company (who’s turn to clean it, sign-up to reserve it, tables and chairs, etc.)?

Or, you can have a rough-looking one that gives you a satisfying hand-made hot lunch while having you spend some good times with some good friends and co-workers?

I’d rather have the latter.
jock from essex Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 9:26 am
nice 1 gratz looks interesting gonna try make 1 for shits n giggles
Marzio Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 9:41 am
I have to say I had a hard time trying to figure out if the pile of bricks was really an oven! But as mentioned before, what is important is what happens inside!

Been working on an oven myself. Not much but it works. Not quite finished yet though. Pictures are on yahoo:

http://photos.yahoo.com/m_apolloni.
j mil Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 10:02 am
to joe:
I’m not suggesting a commercial oven, just brick that won’t explode. I guess it doesn’t matter if it blows a face off, as long as the pizza is good. Any brick supplier will sell fire brick individually. It is made without air voids. By the way, poured concrete can explode if used in this manner also. I applaud the creativity, just thought I’d highlight a possible hazardous situation.
John Breckenridge Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 11:14 am
Hello,

I apologize for the way that my son, Anonymous, posted on this web blog. Yes I am his father, he was using my laptop without my supervision and again I apologize. However he does make a good point, that brick oven looks like it was put together by a 12 year old mentally challenged individual with very shakey hands. He also brings up another good point about the sanitation issues involved with eating pizza from such a poorly designed contraption like that one, I suggest, for your own good, to stop eating pizzas from that oven, atleast until you can verify its cleanliness. Again I apologize for my son’s actions, his name is Danny by the way, not anonymous.
Whirly Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 11:16 am
I don’t think that he has to worry about anyone stealing his oven.
AnotherAnonymous Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 5:20 pm
Guys, guys, guys, quit knocking the ugly oven, they are engineers! Meaning, of course they can design a nice oven, but when it comes to applying that design with actual tools and work. Well, that’s when somebody else is supposed to step in and build it. =P hahaha
Joe Says:
September 18th, 2006 at 9:55 pm
Ok, what if our Gourmand “burns it in” and uses a cookie sheet? As it is, it looks like the fire goes below, and the pizza rests on the slab on the top.

If the bricks and mortar are prone to failing, perhaps it should have asploded by now. Since it hasn’t, I figure the worst it would do now is gradually crumble, giving way to oven 2.0. I trust our host had already considered where the bricks came from anyway.

I recall some rather unsafe and unsavory (toxic smoke from exotic woods) field-cooking methods in the military…But that was another lifetime ago.

I wouldn’t worry about this oven. I’ll bring the Olio and some Santa Ynez wines
chad Says:
September 20th, 2006 at 12:25 pm
I like it. It is certainly a statement.
Here is mine. I just poured my concrete counters and will top out the dome soon.
chad Says:
September 20th, 2006 at 12:26 pm
http://myweb.facstaff.wwu.edu/chad/oven20with20counters.jpg
Oops, there it is…
Erin Says:
September 21st, 2006 at 3:52 am
I found it. How long have you been working on it? I see you already been using it. And I like the fantasy design
Erin Says:
September 21st, 2006 at 3:56 am
http://myweb.facstaff.wwu.edu/chad/
swamprat Says:
December 31st, 2006 at 8:43 am
the only thing i see that i dont like is you have to lay down to opperate. utter than that if it works use it. i would like to have one big enough to put a turkey in also, that just sounds tasty to me. as for all you haters prisons are made of brick also. and bubba is a twin loaf master baker….
Timsully Says:
January 8th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
I once decided in a deluded and stoned mindstate to dig a hole in the backyard of the rented house i lived in and build a makeshift fire pit for roasting meat in. I was 19 years old, drunk and high, made a helluva mess and burnt a 3 ft. by 3ft section of lawn but i’ll be damned if that wasnt one of the most satisfying meals i’ve ever eaten. I didn’t get my security deposit back but then again i didn’t really expect to =-D The moral of the story is: when you have an idea, go with it, leave aesthetics to the nancys on the sidelines, and ROCK ON!
Bernard Says:
March 19th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
I was surfing the net to DIY a Pizza oven at my Beach House…wow tis is a real short cut and will put the manufacturer of Beach ovens to shame with your contraception hahahaha! i try it out
jim Says:
March 27th, 2007 at 12:49 am
I loved it…...simple yet gives some kiss ass pizza. what more you need? Beer
Bob Says:
March 30th, 2007 at 11:00 am
It’s not bad for your first oven, Wally!

– The Beaver
Cheshy458 Says:
May 5th, 2007 at 3:52 am
Awesome work, for anyone wanting more details on just how it was built check out this link, it has step by step pictures of taking it from bits of old wall into a pizza oven of pure kick-assery. =D
http://www.vestaldesign.com/brickoven/
Cheshy458 Says:
May 5th, 2007 at 3:54 am
Also he actually states that they are fire-bricks, so suck on that.
Once again, awesome work.
looking for pizzaldaigle Says:
May 6th, 2007 at 12:47 am
Man stepped out of the widerness and built the first pizza oven in a hollowed out termite mound, using hand picked grain ground between stones to produce the first pizza dough. Select herbs, lizards, bugs and whatever commeth bye maketh the toppings, cheese came milleniums later. No dought the first pizza oven was a huge hit and advanced culinary and dietary technology by quantum leaps.

We have come a long way with pizza ovens and have even added cheese as an essential ingredient. Although this DIY oven on display is a step up the ladder from a termite mound, it falls into the category of Dark Ages technology and would certanly not win any contest (unless nobody else showed up). However, I applaud the creative use of refuse to manufacture a means to a meal. Enjoy your pizzas and may your next pizza oven be a step up the evolutionary ladder.
Aaron Says:
July 19th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Very interesting. Do you deliver?
Manuel Says:
July 24th, 2007 at 6:26 am
Not to pretty but as they say FORM follows FUNCTION and if it was FUN more power to you.
I wish I had more creative people like these ‘engineers’ around me!

BTW, I work as an engineer for the largest US aircraft maker.
Paul Says:
July 26th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Hey you guy’s did well on this project. To the people that are saying that it’s a pile of crap and that their 12 year old daughter can do better WELL WHERE ARE THE PICTURES????

I love it when people think they are smarter than others and then they show their intelligence nationally for all to see. For all of you dumb asses out there one way you can look at this is that you are not eating some damn good pizza!!!!!!!
CrazyLarry Says:
September 8th, 2007 at 10:58 pm
ROFLMAO
AlanL1945 Says:
November 15th, 2007 at 5:11 am
I agree with Paul.
Its clear that those who complain have never built a rough prototype of anything. For an easy to build full-size bake oven try http://www.traditionaloven.com
There are pizza recipes too…
Sheila Says:
May 9th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
So you built your pizza oven in June 2005. It’s May 2008, almost 3 years later. Are you still making pizza with it? I think it’s cool that you made your own. I would love to have an outside oven, but would be afraid to make my own. Good for you! Hope you are still enjoying your pizza oven and the pizza you make in it. Have you tried to make breads?

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