Angela Slater

12 July 2016

Daughter of a farmer and market gardener so have always had a connection with the outdoors, whether it was keeping animals or producing fruit, vegetables and cut flowers. Along with my work at Hayes Garden World I also have a smallholding, mainly breeding rare breed pigs. I gained an HND and BSc in Conservation and Environmental Land Management, as a result I am an ardent environmentalist and have a keen interest in environmentally friendly gardening. In my time at Hayes I worked for several years in the Outdoor Plant and Houseplant areas

How To Light An Alfa Pizza Oven

Light your Alfa pizza oven easily with eco-firelighters and hardwood logs

Lighting the Alfa pizza oven is really easy but a lot of people are puzzled by the fact that there is only one cavity on the oven; they expect one opening for the fire and a separate one for cooking the pizzas; but they all happen in the same place. The fire heats the ceramic plates in the bottom of the oven and once the fire is well and truly ablaze and has produced glowing embers it gets swept to one side of the oven and the pizzas cook where the fire has been.

We have used the Woodson Firestarters to start the fire as they are really easy, just drop a match down the centre of the little pyramid then stack some kindling around it. Once it is well ablaze push it to one side and add your logs. Use good quality ethically sourced kiln dried hardwood; kiln dried logs produce less smoke and the hardwood burns longer. Unseasoned soft wood will produce a lot of smoke, burn away really quickly and can leave sticky resin on the base of your oven. Don't use normal household firelighters as they can give off a toxic smoke which could taint your food.

Woodson firestarters in an Alfa wood-fired pizza oven

Let the logs burn and once they are well alight and have stopped producing a lot of smoke you are ready to cook. If you use your oven frequently you will soon get the hang of how much fuel you need to reach the desired temperatures for your pizzas, bread or Sunday lunch. Not only does this stylish wood-fired oven cook fantastic food but it can also just be used to heat your outdoor space on a chilly evening.

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For more BBQ recipes, hints and tips just click the links to read the blog articles:

What accessories do I need need to cook in the Alfa wood fired oven?

How to dispose of the ash out of the Alfa wood fired oven

How to store the Alfa wood fired oven over winter

Can I cook anything other than pizza in my Alfa wood fired oven?

Can the Alfa wood fired oven stay out all year round?

Is the Alfa wood fired oven portable?

Is the outside of the Alfa wood fired oven safe to touch when lit?

How long does the Alfa wood fired oven stay hot for?

How much wood do I need to cook on my Alfa wood fired oven?

What kind of wood does the Alfa wood fired oven take?