Alfa Ciao Wood Fired Oven

Light and easy to handle. Large castors designed to conveniently move the oven anywhere.

The oven has a refractory cooking surface with stainless steel dome. It quickly reaches operating temperature, and the progress of baking can be checked at a glance.

Also available in the TOP version. Only Yellow color.

• From the innovative design, the Ciao features stainless steel parts and parts treated with powder coating, resistant to high temperatures.
• The roof of the oven is entirely made of stainless steel, allows it to reach high temperatures in a few minutes with the use of little amounts of wood.
• The cooking floor is made of interchangeable hollow refractory tiles with a thickness of 3 cm, which store heat and transmits it to the food being cooked.
• The ceramic fiber insulation isolates the oven and makes possible the keeping of the heat inside the cooking chamber.
• To all the Alfa ovens there is applied a pyrometer, which indicates the temperature in the combustion chamber, allowing in a simple and direct control.
• The door, equipped with a comfortable wooden handle to grip, permits you to adjust the draft easily by controlling the fire inside the oven.
• The two slots below the mouth of the oven are designed to accommodate the door, making it possible to always have it at hand.
• Our Ciao arrives home ready to be used. Just put in the flue and assemble the legs and wheels with a few screws. Easy!

Heating time: 15 minutes

• Pizza capacity: 2

• Pizzas every 15 minutes: 6

• Bread capacity: 4.4 lbs • Recommended fuel: Max 1.9 in diam, trimmings

• Average fuel consumption: 5.5 lbs/hr

• Max oven temperature: 400oC / 752oF

• Smoke temperature: 395oC / 743oF

• Chimney dimensions: 5.9”

• Cooking Floor W x D: 27.6” x 15.7”

• Cooking Floor Height: 35”

• Oven Mouth width: 19.7”

• Weight 198 lbs - Top only 176 lbs

Questions About Your Oven

How do I clean my wood fired oven?

Good news… you don’t! Once the fire is out and cools, you just sweep it out and it’s ready for the next time!

What is curing and do I need to do this?

Curing simply means removing the moisture in the mortar. Curing will significantly help to protect the cooking ability and the life of your oven.  Just as with the authentic ovens of Europe, it is highly recommended that you “break in” your oven by making a small fire (low heat) to dry out any moisture in the oven.  

So, yes you need to cure your traditional brick and terracotta ovens (not necessary for portable ovens). It is recommended that before you begin you let your oven sit for about a week. You will be starting small fires and repeating daily for 5 days.

Start a small fire and let it burn throughout the day (4-5 hours) maintaining temperature:

Day 1. 140F/60C Day

Day 2. Repeat 215F/100C

Day 3. Repeat 300F/ 150C

Day 4. Repeat 400F/200C Day

Day 5. Repeat 480F/250C

Make sure that you close the oven door each night, which will keep in the heat and protect moisture from getting in until the curing process is complete.  A visual inspection of your oven will provide you with the best clue as to its readiness; the brick surfaces transition from black to white as the charcoal is burned off the oven walls.

Will my brick oven crack?

Sometimes our customers get so excited when their new oven arrives that they immediately create blazing hot fires for their first pizzas.  Unfortunately, this can lead to cracking if the curing process is not done first.   Cracks are completely normal for all hand-made terracotta and brick wood-burning ovens and won’t affect the cooking in any way.   However, you can minimize any cracking by going through a proper curing process as recommended above.

In the future, if you do have any superficial cracking in our brick ovens from Authentic Pizza Ovens, you can cover it with the included patch kit.   Here is a link to our website showing how to use it: https://www.patioandpizza.com/blogs/news/how-to-repair-cracks-with-ultrafire

Where do I start the fire in the oven?

How long does a wood-fired oven take to heat up?

It depends on the oven. Typically, when prepared correctly, the oven will take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half to get to the right temperature to bake your delicious pizzas.

What kind of wood should I use?

Use hard, dry, aged wood such as oak, arbor, walnut, beech, apple, mesquite, maple fruitwood (peach, plum), avocado, olive, pecan, or eucalyptus. Avoid the use of resinous wood such as spruce or pine as they can be dangerous to your health.

Pizza and Cooking Questions

What tools do I need for my wood fire pizza oven?

You will definitely need a pizza peel.  In Pizza aficionado language, a peel is what you use to put your pizza in the oven, turn the pizza while in the oven, and pull it out when it’s done.  They look like a paddle with a long stick attached and come in wood or metal.

Some people like to use a small handled wood peel to prepare and put the pizza in the oven.  Then, they use a long handled aluminum peel to take out and place the pizza back on the wood one to cut and serve it.

There are different kinds of pizza peels. Long, short, wood, metal and combination of both.  If you don’t have a shovel or brush for your pizza oven, you will need them also.

For pizza tools, visit our website at https://www.patioandpizza.com/collections/pizza-oven-accessories 

What else can I cook in this oven?

If you can think of it, you can probably cook it in your oven! Naturally, our ovens bake the most delicious home-made pizzas!  But, you can try your hand with breads, fish, steak, burgers, lamb, desserts and more.  Some of our ovens even allow for a rotisserie add-on that allow you to create mouth-watering chicken and turkey! 

Typically, food will cook a bit faster (15 minutes approx.) in a wood burning oven than it does in a regular kitchen oven.

Check out Patio & Pizza's Facebook and Patio & Pizza's Pinterest pages for recipes! 

What kind of flour should I use?

Excellent pizza is all about the crust! We recommend several kinds of flour:

• King Arthur Flour
• Hayden Flour Mills
• Caputo’s 00 (low in gluten)

Questions About Your Oven Delivery

What is the expected delivery time?

Depending upon where you live you should receive it within 4-10 days. We will give you shipping information and instructions once the freight company has confirmed pick up. We usually arrange pick up within 1-2 business days of purchase.

What if my oven is damaged when it arrives?

All ovens will be shipped without any damages and packed securely. It is important that you inspect your shipment with the driver when it arrives. In the rare event that there is damage, please have the driver note it on the freight bill PRIOR to the delivery truck leaving.

Do you offer a warranty?

We want you to be happy with your product!   All of our products come with their manufacturer warranties.  

Regarding pizza ovens, our ovens are quality checked before being shipped to our customers. That being said, traditional wood burning ovens may develop small cracks either inside or outside as described above. This is normal and you should expect it to happen.  As you do your research, you will find that this is the case with all handmade European wood fire ovens. Therefore, there is not a return warranty on our traditional ovens due to any cracking. Personally, we think it adds character and is recognized in Europe as a sign of a well-seasoned oven.

Patio & Pizza's Price Drop Guarantee

At Patio & Pizza, we work very hard to ensure that we offer the absolute best prices (and customer satisfaction!) online.  We are committed to upholding our Vendors minimum advertised pricing and want you to feel confident that you are getting the absolute best price for the product you are ordering.

That's why we offer the NORTON PRICE GUARANTEE!  If our price drops within 30 days after you order, you can receive up to $100 back on the price difference!

We know purchasing a pizza oven, bbq grill, or total outdoor kitchen is a big deal and we want to make it easy for you (and your wallet)!

Effective Date:  January 1, 2016

We hope you are always happy with your purchase from Patio & Pizza. However, if you are dissatisfied with your purchase for any reason, please let us know so we can help make it right.

Return Policy

• We allow you to return all new, unused, and resalable items in their original packaging within 30 days of delivery for a refund (minus the original and return shipping costs incurred by Patio & Pizza).
• If your return is because of our error, you are not responsible for the shipping costs.
• Since most large products are expensive to ship, it is important to measure your outdoor space and order your products accordingly so you don't incur return shipping costs.

Return Condition

• If we determine a return is possible, the returned product must be in the original shipping crates or packaging from the factory. If the returned item is not shipped in the original factory crating, the shipment will not be taken back at the factory and will be returned to sender.

Refunds

• Any refunds will be issued back to the original credit card used in the transaction if the product is returned in good condition. 
• If the return is due to a defective product or you received an incorrect item, we will first work with you to resolve the issue or get the item replaced in which case we will pay the return shipping costs. 
• If the return is not due to damage, you will be responsible for the return shipping costs. The initial cost of the initial shipping and the handling fees will be deducted from the refund or merchandise credit.
• All returned items must be unused, in new condition, and in their original packaging including all hardware and instructional components. Items are also subject to a restocking fee.
• We can not accept items that are not in their original condition, are damaged or are missing parts. Any returned item deemed not to fall within the preceding criteria will be returned, with no credit issued, at the customer's expense.
• All returns are required to have a Return Authorization Number issued within 15 days of the date of delivery unless otherwise stated on the item's page. Once the Return Authorization Number is acquired, you have 15 days to return the item(s).  
• Once we have processed your return, we will issue a credit to the credit card you used to make your purchase from us. You should expect to receive your refund within 15 business days after we have received your return. It may take your bank a few days to post the refund to your account. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed your return.

Custom Orders

• Custom or built-to-order products are not eligible for return. Please ensure that you have consulted with Patio & Pizza and/or your contractor or architect before ordering to ensure you are receiving the proper item.

Restocking Fee

• A restocking fee of 10% may be assessed on any non-custom item returned or exchanged.

Procedure

To request your Return Authorization Number, please follow these steps:

1. Contact us for a Return Authorization
2. You will receive a Return Authorization Number via email. Write this RMA Number on the return package to avoid delays with your refund
3. Please send the item you wish to return, along with a copy of the original invoice or packing slip to the address we provided in your RMA email

If you have any questions, please contact us CustomerService@PatioandPizza.com

Refused Orders 

• If you legitimately ordered from us and then refuse receipt of an item when delivered by UPS, USPS or any other carrier, credit will be issued for the item, minus the initial shipping, return shipping, and a restocking fee.