If you have an outdoor pizza oven, you know how much fun it is to use. Whether a wood-burning grill, a gas-powered grill, or a combination, pizza ovens are a great way to make delicious pizzas at home. But what if you live where temperatures drop below freezing in the winter?
You can still use your outdoor pizza oven in the winter so long as you’ve invested in an oven that works well in cold temperatures. It’s all about safety and protecting your investment. You need to take the proper precautions.
If you want to use your pizza oven in winter, there are a few things you’ll need to know.
Keep your outdoor pizza oven covered when it’s not being used for cooking purposes. This will help keep moisture out, which can lead to rust on metal parts and moisture build-up for any version. Usually, there is a door for the front of the oven and a lid for the chimney.
It would also help if you protected your pizza oven from snow and ice build-up by covering it with a heavy tarp or other weatherproof material that won’t allow snow, rain, or ice damage. Moisture during the winter can lead to ice, which expands in a porous material like stone and mortar. This can weaken your oven. As you can see, it’s just a good habit to cover your outdoor pizza oven to prevent other problems with long-term use.
Pizza Oven Insulation is Key
Make sure your outdoor pizza oven has been adequately insulated, so it doesn’t lose heat through its walls and roof. If it’s not insulated yet, get some insulation materials from your local hardware store and follow the instructions on how to insulate your oven. The cold is kept out, and the heat is kept in, so long as you purchase an oven with excellent insulation or add good insulation to your oven. That means it’s less likely to be damaged by cracking from intense shifts in temperature when you heat a freezing oven.
Heat the Pizza Oven Slowly in Cold Temperatures
It’s essential to be sure the temperature of your oven isn’t too cold before heating it. If it’s too cold and you apply heat too quickly, the stone or brick will crack or break, which means you’ll have to replace it. And that can be expensive! Even if the cracks are minuscule and don’t break the oven itself, they can allow cold air into the oven and affect the temperature regulation inside. What can you do to lessen this problem? It would help if you gave even the best outdoor pizza ovens more time to heat up during the winter.
Angle Pizza Oven to Prevent Wind from Messing with the Temperature
Another thing that’s not as common during the spring and summer is cold wind. It can cause the temperature inside to fluctuate. So, be ready to deal with cold wind moving past the front of the oven or flue in winter. You may need to experiment with your cook times and fuel needs.
Use Dried Combustible Fuel for Your Pizza Oven
Speaking of fuel, if you use charcoal, hardwood pellets, or wood, ensure it’s dried well before putting it into the oven itself. That way, you don’t end up steaming your food and weakening your oven. If your pizza oven uses propane, be sure you have an oven with a high BTU rating.
In Conclusion
There are so many things other than pizza that you can make in most pizza ovens, so it’s excellent to realize that you can use them during the winter. Just think, once the flame is lit, you can enjoy cozy, warm hands while standing in front of it.
The key to doing so safely is to make sure you protect your oven from the elements. However, suppose you have any concerns about whether or not your outdoor pizza oven would be able to withstand extreme temperatures. In that case, we recommend contacting the manufacturer before using their products outside during the winter months.
"Growing up a country-girl means you enjoy the outdoors as much as possible, and no matter where you go in life, the outdoors is always part of you. I began doing research on things I wanted to do to make my outdoor space my own, no matter where we moved. And that research led me to write this blog to share with you!"
