Differences

This shows you the differences between two versions of the page.

--- eaov:earth_ovens [2025/12/05 10:08] – created - external edit 127.0.0.1
+++ eaov:earth_ovens [2026/03/26 18:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-# Earth ovens
+This topic is part of [[gt:food|Food & drink]].
+====== Earth ovens ======
@@ Line 10: / Line 11: @@
-## What are earth ovens?
+===== What are earth ovens? =====
 Earth (or clay or cob) ovens are traditional retained-heat ovens that have been used in many different cultures for millennia. Earth ovens use non-fossil fuels – sticks, wood, grasses or brash faggots (bundles of small-dimension twigs). The heat generated by burning the fuel is absorbed into the thermal mass of the oven, and the food is then cooked by radiation (heat radiated through the air), conduction (heat transferred directly from the body of the oven) and convection (the circulation of hot air), all of which comes from the heat of the fuel stored in the thermal mass of the clay. Gas or electric ovens don't have the thermal mass, and cook mostly by convection.
@@ Line 18: / Line 19: @@
 ![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/P1010025.jpg)
 <caption>
- Mixing the clay and sand, and practicing salsa dancing at the same time.
+ _Mixing the clay and sand, and practicing salsa dancing at the same time._
 </caption>
 </figure>
@@ Line 29: / Line 30: @@
 ![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/earth-ovens-base.jpg)
 <caption>
- Laying fire bricks for a large earth oven with a log for a base.
+ _Laying fire bricks for a large earth oven with a log for a base._
 </caption>
 </figure>
@@ Line 42: / Line 43: @@
 ![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/earth-ovens-dragon.jpg)
 <caption>
- 'Dragon' earth oven fired up and ready to go.
+ _'Dragon' earth oven fired up and ready to go._
 </caption>
 </figure>
@@ Line 49: / Line 50: @@
-## What are the benefits of earth ovens?
+===== What are the benefits of earth ovens? =====
 - It's a way of building an oven and cooking in it that has a low impact on nature.
@@ Line 65: / Line 66: @@
 ![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/earth-ovens-dome.jpg)
 <caption>
- Covering a dome of damp sand (with wooden door attached) with wet newspaper; the oven will be built around this, and then the sand scraped out to form the chamber.
+ _Covering a dome of damp sand (with wooden door attached) with wet newspaper; the oven will be built around this, and then the sand scraped out to form the chamber._
 </caption>
 </figure>
@@ Line 84: / Line 85: @@
-## What can I do?
+===== What can I do? =====
 Building an earth oven can be a great community event, and so can cooking in it. It's a good idea to invite some people round for both.
@@ Line 96: / Line 97: @@
 ![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/earth-ovens-layer.jpg)
 <caption>
- Building up an oven around a dome of sand.
+ _Building up an oven around a dome of sand._
 </caption>
 </figure>
@@ Line 109: / Line 110: @@
 ![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/earth-ovens-insulation.jpg)
 <caption>
- Adding a clay-straw mix insulation layer.
+ _Adding a clay-straw mix insulation layer._
 </caption>
 </figure>
 </WRAP>
-If building a one-chamber oven, there is a precise relationship between the size of chamber and the size of door. More details can be found in Kiko Denzer's book, or you can attend a [course](http://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/directory/categories/earth-ovens-courses) for more information and practical experience.
+If building a one-chamber oven, there is a precise relationship between the size of chamber and the size of door. More details can be found in Kiko Denzer's book, or you can attend a course for more information and practical experience.
 NB: earth ovens don't like rain, and so you will need some sort of basic roof, or it needs to be covered when not in use.
@@ Line 122: / Line 123: @@
 ![Beautiful plastering details can be added](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/earthovens6.jpg)
 <caption>
- Plastering details can be added to the final, sieved layer.
+ _Plastering details can be added to the final, sieved layer._
 </caption>
 </figure>
@@ Line 137: / Line 138: @@
 ![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/earth-ovens-fire.jpg)
 <caption>
- Earth oven fired up.
+ _Earth oven fired up._
 </caption>
 </figure>
@@ Line 146: / Line 147: @@
-## Further resources
+===== Forum =====
+This topic belongs to the section [[gt:food|Food & drink]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/food).
+===== Further resources =====
-## Specialist(s)
+- [Appropedia](https://www.appropedia.org/Category:Earthen_ovens) - case studies of earth ovens
+- [How to build a cob oven](https://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/how-to-build-a-cob-pizza-ovenpart-i/)
+- [Building a clay oven - the basics](https://clayoven.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/1-building-a-clay-oven-the-basics/)
+- [The Cob Oven Project](https://thecobovenproject.blogspot.com/)
+- [Gallery of earth ovens](https://insteading.com/blog/outdoor-earth-ovens/)
+- [Dirt Queen](https://dirtqueenarchitect.blogspot.com/2011/10/earthen-oven-breads-curried-veggies.html) - earth oven recipes
+- [Wood-fired cooking](https://www.wood-firedoven.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/wood-fired-cooking-web.pdf)
+- [The Cob Oven Project](https://thecobovenproject.blogspot.com/)
+===== Related topics =====
+- [Breadmaking](bred:breadmaking)
+- [Cob building](cobb:cob_building)
+- [Firecraft](fire:firecraft)
+- [Low-impact cooking](lico:cooking)
+- [Low-impact food & drink](lifo:food)
+===== Specialist curators of this topic =====