GIOTTO PIZZA OVENS - INSTRUCTIONS

Please click the LINK below for IMPORTANT seasoning/curing instructions and handy hints. Please follow the Curing and Seasoning Guide for your new wood-fired oven. It is a VERY IMPORTANT part of getting the oven ready for use and for the long life of the pizza oven. Once the curing is completed, we recommend using quality DRY hardwood as this will help with heat performance and cooking results.

CLICK HERE: Giotto Operations and Instructions

BUILD a tower of kindling and paper in the centre of the oven to start your fire.

ALWAYS start your fire in the middle of the oven, (never at the front), then shift the fire to the side or back. Be mindful to give your oven floor even wear. 

GENERALLY you will only need to cure your oven once. If, however the oven hasn’t been used for a long period, it is advisable to start with a smaller fire beforehand to warm up the oven before you establish a large hot fire.

ETHICALLY sourced ‘dry red gum’ and ‘yellow/white box’ wood is recommended, other woods may be toxic. See www.firewood.asn.au.

When your oven is freshly built, it holds a lot of water and this needs to be dried out before your oven can be put to use. This process is called curing. The first step involves drying the water out of the oven and second is tempering the refractory internal dome and floor. This is achieved by lighting small fires over a period of 20 hours (this can be done over a period of 2-3 days) at temperatures between 50° to 70°.

NEVER throw water into the oven as this could damage its components (thermal shock). GENTLY place fire wood in oven, never throw it. DON’T worry if hairline cracks appear inside the vault and its floor this is completely normal and will not hinder performance. ALLOW the oven to burn away any spills whilst cooking, then gently scrap it away. YOU do not need to clean the oven with cleaning products, just sweep the ashes out when cooled. This does not have to be done after every cook, just when there is a build up of ashes. Cooled ashes can be used as a fertilizer for your garden.

EXTERNAL CLEANING simultaneously using running water over oven and wiping down with a clean cloth to leave a smooth finish. (OVEN MUST BE COLD).

NEVER use high pressure cleaning on any part of the oven, this can lead to paint peeling. If there is any blackness from the smoke around the front of the oven (Arch) this too is cleaned by the same process

The Giotto can take between 30 minutes to 45 minute to achieve 300° degrees Celsius.

One reason for black smoke is the high level of moisture in your firewood, ideal moisture to achieve less smoke would be between 8% to 15%.

The ovens are suitable to let the fire go out by it’s self, please never use water to extinguish a fire in an oven.

Do not touch it leave it alone. Contact us to purchase a spray can of paint to repair.

Reach 200° and maintain for 30 minutes. At this temperature you can cook the following, meat, fish, vegetables & Bread.

Reach 300° and maintain for 30 minutes. At this temperature you can cook the following, pizza, focaccia, stews (slow cook and well covered) & meats.

Reach 400° and maintain for 30 minutes. At this temperature you can cook the following, pizza.

Installing A Pizza Oven

We service most metro areas.

Modular Kit Ovens

We have qualified experienced pizza oven builders that can assist with building DIY modular kit pizza ovens. Please contact us.

Ready Built Ovens

We can recommend experienced installers that can lift and move heavy ready built ovens from your driveway into your garden backyard area. Including lifting and moving equipment, trollies, hoists etc.

All Other Rural Regional Areas:

Modular DIY Kit Ovens

Our modular pre-cast Kit ovens are easy to install. No bricklaying or brick cutting required. The pre-cast refractory concrete pieces need to be assembled on a support masonry base and the concrete render applied to the external dome. You can find a local builder, concreter or brickayer to install the oven. Try https://hipages.com.au/ or Gumtree, Air Tasker

Ready Built Ovens

You can hire lifting and moving equipment from Kennards HIre to lift and move the ready built oven from your driveway into your garden backyard area. Trollies and hoists etc.

Try your local removalists, Gumtree or Air Tasker for labour hire and equipment services (eg. ute with hydraulic crane or Hi-ab crane).

There are a few things to consider when getting a pizza oven.

Does your property have flat, wide, and easy access?
If your property has stairs, narrow pathways, a steep driveway, or gates, be sure to check the size and weight of the oven to ensure that the oven will be appropriate for your property.


To install your new pizza oven, we recommend using a dolly trolley to move the oven to your desired location and using an engine hoist to be able to safely lift your oven.

Check out this video: CLICK HERE

Outside oven dome or hood:

It will depend on the oven model. The concrete rendered heavy duty ovens are normally warm to touch on the outside dome.

Other ovens and stainless steel ovens may reach temperatures approx 50-70c on the outer sides. The base of the stainless steel ovens can reach temperatures of 80c.

Heat Transfer to bench:

The temperature under the cooking floor of the oven will vary, depending on the size of the fire and the oven however, approx. 80C degrees is common.

Our ovens has been designed for outdoor use. However ovens require “all-weather” protection from rain and the harsh elements when not in use.  We supply high quality, weatherproof, UV resistant, custom-made covers.  Please contact us if you would like to order one.

It is reccomended to be placed away from any flammable material. It is important that there are no obstructions and that there is free space around the oven of at least 20 centimetres.

You can install or build your wood fired oven outdoors or in an alfresco outdoor area under a roof.

We find that many local councils do not have an issue and generally do not have any specific rules in regards to having a pizza oven at home. However to avoid any issues, please feel free to contact local council to confirm this is the case for your area.

Install your oven on a flat, level surface. Ideally Hebel or concrete bench top is preferred on a Brick or Besser Block or a steel metal stand.

Ensure that the support base or bench structure can hold the weight of the oven and the bench dimensions suit the oven size. (please refer to product description).

For most family size pizza ovens a support base bench 1200Wx 1200D x 1000H will suit. For our XL ovens please check our product FAQs document.

Using the dimension specifications found in our product descriptions, draw a full scale outline of the particualr oven on a large piece of paper or cardboard. This way you can see if the oven will fit in the desired location.

Recommended Support
Base Bench Construction:

Masonry & Concrete Base Bench:

Block walls in a U shape (open at the front for wood storage)

Besser 200mm block walls core filled (with a 100mm thick reinforced concrete slab top or Hebel Power Panels for the top)

Hebel Base Bench:

CSR Hebel 200mm block walls (with CSR Hebel power panels
on top of the block walls).

Contact CSR Hebel to find your local supplier:

https://hebel.com.au/find-a-supplier

See our base design drawings (with measurements) under our product FAQS document for each oven model.

Metal Stand: we offer several pizza ovens with a metal stand option. Some ovens may need a stand custom made to order (by a metal fabricator). For heavy duty Pre Cast Modular Kit ovens we recommend laying CSR Hebel reinforced power panels into the angle frame top of the metal stand.

View Support Bench Drawing [CLICK HERE]

BENCH TOP MATERIALS & OUTDOOR KITCHEN BENCHES

You may consider bench top materials that are non combustible and heat resistant
for example tiles, natural granite stone or Dekton (type of porcelain).

We recommend you speak to your benchtop installer so they are aware of your intended oven installation.

We cannot recommend mounting ovens onto engineered (man made) stone benches. However, some clients successfully mount light-weight smaller ovens (with bench mount
short legs) on to this type of engineered stone bench tops with no issues. These
ovens with bench mount short legs allow air flow and help raise the oven cooking
floor off the bench surface. You can also lay a sheet of non combustible 6mm cement
board sheeting under the oven for added insulation and protection.

Cement board sheeting: for example Villaboard James Hardie
from Bunnings.

INSTALLING THE PIZZA OVEN UNDER A ROOF:

Do I need to extend the flue through the roof?

You may not need to extend/divert the flue or install a flue roof kit If the pizza oven is located in a well ventilated outdoor area with open sides and a high roof. There may be no issues if the outdoor area under the roof is well ventilated. We suggest that you initially install the pizza oven and use the oven a couple of times to determine the smoke output. If smoke is an issue you can use 45o degree bends and extensions to divert the flue out of the area past the roof or nstall a flue system through the roof.

We recommend that you can contact your local fireplace shop or flue chimney supplier for Flues and Triple Skin Insulated Flue Roof Kits. We highly recommend that the flue is installed by an experienced, qualified flue chimney installer (licensed plumber or builder) to meet Aus. Standard AS291.

You may need a double or “Triple Skin Insulated 4 x metre Flue Kit” to meet Aus Standard AS2918 if the flue is going through an insulated roof or within 25mm of combustible materials (e.g., plaster, timber frames etc).

If your flue chimney is not going through a roof, you may only require “Single Skin” extra lengths of flue pipe (and bends) to extend or divert the flue.

If you need further assistance and advice feel free to email us info@pizzaovensrus.com.au
with the oven model, photos/details and dimensions of the proposed installation
location, the ceiling height measurements and external roof photos (tiles, colorbond etc). 

STAINLESS
STEEL OR BLACK FLUES:

The stainless steel flue pipes can be spray painted black easily with Stove Bright Black Fireplace Heatproof spray paint.

Giotto
• 200mm flue pipe: 8 inch flue kit

Customer support

1300 032 822

Email Us

info@pizzaovensrus.com.au