I need an outdoor oven. DIY idea

[k15n1]

I built an outdoor oven, so I'll share a few thoughts.

0. Gas-fired ovens are a pain in the neck because the fire is over 1,000 oF,
which is just too hot for baking. And the burner is on or off, so you get
a lot of fluctuations, which is annoying and bad for your bread. Instead, use
something that will hold the heat, like stone. Heat it up, then turn off the gas.
Or, be SS and use wood. It's easier to find than you think and, if you must
buy, it's cheaper than propane.

1. Just use regular bricks. It'll last for decades instead of centuries. Old dense
over-fired bricks are best, but anything will do so long as they're actually fired
clay bricks and not just concrete that's been colored

2. Use lime-based refractory cement. The commercial stuff is 80 $ for a 50-lb
bag. A bag of slacked lime is 5 $ or so.

3. Use vermiculite or rock wool for insulation---they're cheap. Don't use fiberglass,
which will flatten after the glue (holding those little glass fibers together) melts.

4. Minimize features, like a roof, and outdoor electric wiring, because they add
a lot of expense.

5. Make the oven tall enough for the cook to see the back of the oven without
bending over. Sounds unncessary, but you'll thank me.

6. Try to make it look nice. An oven is somewhat permanent, so either put it
out of the way or try to make it look good enough that you don't constantly
feel like you should be making excuses for it.

 

[Gypsi]

I may not be providing the right visualization. It would be great if I could get an apartment sized free standing stove with range top, but the odds on that aren't good. Most homes around here are in the vicinity of 50 years old or less, and were built by developers. Which means what is likely to be pulled out and sold would be like the oven I took out of my shed and put at the curb 9 years ago. No enameled finish, an aluminum rough finish intended to be built into cabinetry. Cooktops often replace the countertop, the oven is small and up fairly high in an adjacent cabinet. Those can be found separately. I don't find outdoor burners to be practical, had one on my old grill, tough to keep lit in the wind, and there is usually some wind. I just need an oven, and cheap or free isn't likely to be apartment sized.

(apartments around here have full size ranges - very few independent non-apartment complex apartments. A long long time ago I lived in an area with older homes and 4 or 5 apartments to a 3 storied old house. My children who grew up here, would not know what an apartment range is...)

 

[Marianne]

I built an outdoor oven, so I'll share a few thoughts.

0. Gas-fired ovens are a pain in the neck because the fire is over 1,000 oF,
which is just too hot for baking. And the burner is on or off, so you get
a lot of fluctuations, which is annoying and bad for your bread. Instead, use
something that will hold the heat, like stone. Heat it up, then turn off the gas.
Or, be SS and use wood. It's easier to find than you think and, if you must
buy, it's cheaper than propane.

1. Just use regular bricks. It'll last for decades instead of centuries. Old dense
over-fired bricks are best, but anything will do so long as they're actually fired
clay bricks and not just concrete that's been colored

2. Use lime-based refractory cement. The commercial stuff is 80 $ for a 50-lb
bag. A bag of slacked lime is 5 $ or so.

3. Use vermiculite or rock wool for insulation---they're cheap. Don't use fiberglass,
which will flatten after the glue (holding those little glass fibers together) melts.

4. Minimize features, like a roof, and outdoor electric wiring, because they add
a lot of expense.

5. Make the oven tall enough for the cook to see the back of the oven without
bending over. Sounds unncessary, but you'll thank me.

6. Try to make it look nice. An oven is somewhat permanent, so either put it
out of the way or try to make it look good enough that you don't constantly
feel like you should be making excuses for it.

Good common sense information, thanks. I have wondered about some pictures of cob ovens that have them sitting a foot or so off the ground. Can't say I'd want it that low. I'd love to have one eventually.

Gypsi, I have seen apartment stoves before, so I know what you're talking about. Have you checked any appliance repair shops? Doubtful, but you never know. Or what do places there do with old gas stoves that they haul off when the customer buys a new one? Friends of mine bought a new stove just because the old one was showing some wear. It still worked perfectly. They just had the delivery guys haul the old stove off. Maybe if you just put out the word, they'd call if they got something...for cheap or free.

 

[StupidBird]

Craigslist
Garage sales
Thrift stores (call around to save gas and time)

Google to DIY
Rocket stoves
Cob ovens - I want one of THESE!
Solar ovens

 

[Gypsi]

Most of the hauled off stoves end up with local charities, and most homes built in the remodeling craze age group are all-electric. (which Texas then generates with dirty coal, go figure) I gave away one electric range, don't want another one. I will look around as I have time, I have put a request for a gas oven (not range) on my local free-cycle group. I'll look around as I have time. I like the Earth ovens. I bake bread a couple of times a year. I have grandchildren that would definitely go for pizza. I have wood for my woodstove that I heat with. I really don't need a gas oven, except for those nice square shelves that hold my nice metal loaf pans for my traditional cinnamon raisin bread, which is a rolled up loaf. Maybe a tall earth oven?

 

[rathbone]

I have an outside oven also, and I love it. People around here have old gas stoves...and many have the apartment size. My stove in my house is an old O'Keefe and Merritt...and we found another in a house someone was abandoning (couldn't make the payments) so we asked and they let us take the stove. It also is an O'K & M.
I do a lot of cooking outside. It helps tremendously with not heating up the house, and SOOOO helpful when I have a houseful of people to cook for. I can bake in two ovens at a time.

You have already put out feelers. At some point, the right stove will fall into your lap.

 

[Beekissed]

A very simple shelter could be constructed with the use of cattle panels, T posts, tarping and zip ties. It can be put up in season and taken down as you please and quite quickly or you can leave it in place and just refresh your tarping now and again or just invest in the waterproofed canvas tarp.

nmred had the right idea about switching the jets on a natural gas stove to turn it into a propane burner. These old stoves can be found easily at auctions, free ads, free day at the dump when the construction boys come and dump out perfectly good household appliances and plumbing fixtures.

If you wanted to make the cattle panel shelter into something pretty, you could turn it into a pergola instead and plant vines to cover the arched panels, brick in your stove, stone flag the floor and you have an outside cooking/grilling situation that still looks attractive.