Post by jpmort on May 26, 2012 19:57:38 GMT
I would like to add my comments on Bernito ovens. The reason is that I recognise many of the problems that people have mentioned. Yes, Bernard is a difficult man to pin down. He said he would replace my oven, and a year later I drove to his workshop to pick it us. I understand that he has had serious email issues - lost them all, more than once.
For anyone buying or using one, I have the following advice:
1. Fire your oven as soon as you can, and make sure the oven gets really hot - especially the entrance. This seems to harden the material.
2. Never, ever get the interior surfaces wet. It seems to weaken the material and it will crumble. When you fire up the oven, condensation forms at the entrance and I think this helps to crumble the surface.
3. Cracking will probably happen. Use fireproof mortar to fix.
4. If you do have significant floor problems, if you do not live far from Telford, take it there and he may render it for you.
5. I wanted retained heat, so I lined my floor with various tiles at different times. They worked really well, and provided a durable and flat surface. I put a thin layer of sand between the tiles and the floor. Also, you can put a sensor within the tiles, to get a good reading of floor temperature.
6. Bernard can supply corderite tiles to put on the floor. They are specially designed for ovens, and I have jsut got some I want to try.
7. If you think the oven looks rough, then they all look like that. I am not sure what technique he uses to apply the render, but it seems to be an artform I have not come across before! I do not believe that it detracts from the use of the oven.
8. He has changed his design, and the oven you get is not the one in the picture. The new design is better than the old. He also does different versions. I do not believe that the new version has a door, they were useless anyway.
His ovens heat up to 430C in less than an hour. Absolutely great for a few pizzas. They are specifically designed not to retain heat, as they are used for temporary use and transporting around. Use a floor and maybe add mass in the oven to retain heat.
I suggest buying the slightly larger one for ease of burning, and comfortable pizza access without burning the edge of the pizza.
Good luck for those who bought one.
john
For anyone buying or using one, I have the following advice:
1. Fire your oven as soon as you can, and make sure the oven gets really hot - especially the entrance. This seems to harden the material.
2. Never, ever get the interior surfaces wet. It seems to weaken the material and it will crumble. When you fire up the oven, condensation forms at the entrance and I think this helps to crumble the surface.
3. Cracking will probably happen. Use fireproof mortar to fix.
4. If you do have significant floor problems, if you do not live far from Telford, take it there and he may render it for you.
5. I wanted retained heat, so I lined my floor with various tiles at different times. They worked really well, and provided a durable and flat surface. I put a thin layer of sand between the tiles and the floor. Also, you can put a sensor within the tiles, to get a good reading of floor temperature.
6. Bernard can supply corderite tiles to put on the floor. They are specially designed for ovens, and I have jsut got some I want to try.
7. If you think the oven looks rough, then they all look like that. I am not sure what technique he uses to apply the render, but it seems to be an artform I have not come across before! I do not believe that it detracts from the use of the oven.
8. He has changed his design, and the oven you get is not the one in the picture. The new design is better than the old. He also does different versions. I do not believe that the new version has a door, they were useless anyway.
His ovens heat up to 430C in less than an hour. Absolutely great for a few pizzas. They are specifically designed not to retain heat, as they are used for temporary use and transporting around. Use a floor and maybe add mass in the oven to retain heat.
I suggest buying the slightly larger one for ease of burning, and comfortable pizza access without burning the edge of the pizza.
Good luck for those who bought one.
john
as elusive as the pimpernel I'd say