Portable Charcoal-fed Firebrick Oven
Hi everyone.
Here in the Philippines, there is a company known for manufacturing firebricks and firebrick ovens as well. The inventor made it as a solution for the high cost of LPG-run stoves and gas ovens. They can also be used for smoking meat, one just has to cut the wood to fit in the pull-out charcoal box.
I am planning to get one as my very first oven, the standard for home bakers (the one in the image immediately below) which measures 15x15x14in on the exterior, 12x12x10in interior. It costs less than $400 (converted from our currency), almost the same as getting a La Germania or Elba LPG-fed oven. This company supplies and customizes for almost all of the restaurants of famous chefs here in our country. I can't wait till my order arrives. :)
They can ship to provinces far from the country's capital, so I guess they can ship abroad too, if anyone of you would be interested. Here's their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JyFirebricks. I am not in any way related to them, just a fan of their firebrick ovens. :)
Wow! That looks so cool and I'm so envious of you!
Please post some photos of it in action and your bread and other cooked goodies when you get it.
Thanks for sharing.
Ian
I definitely will! In the mean time I am reading from Peter Reinhart's books and infos here in this forum site as well. I'd like to learn Western bread because I see a small following of your types of bread here. There is a slow growth of foreigners who choose to retire in here, and expats too, because of the warm weather and good people, but they seem to be missing the food they grew up with. I grew up with Asian bread, too, that is why I want to learn its Western counterpart. Wish me luck!
Pantone_0000
The oven looks real good and more affordable then others I have seen.
The email contact address for JY does not work: jyfirebricks@yahoo
Do you have a better address? Thanks,Frank
I have sent a text message to the inventor/engineer himself and is waiting for his response, I will post it here for you when he does. I met the inventor personally last Sunday for a live demo of his brick ovens.
I love the fact that it is portable and I can bring it with me when I have found a place of my own (im still living with at parents' house). But then if I think about it, I would definitely miss making sticky cinnamon rolls and pizzas for my parents and siblings. :)
If you browse through their facebook page, they have other standard sizes for bakeries and for restaurants (every unit includes a heavy-duty thermometer and is self-cleaning at 600-700deg C). But you definitely can have yours customized. I only got the smallest model for home bakers because its what my budget can get right now. The model posted above can fit 3 12inch pizzas in one time, can roast 6 chickens, or 2-3 batches of cinnamon rolls depending on the height. And I believe a pig's head can fit in there. Hahaha.
To Baker Frank and chantm,
I have received a response and it is jyfirebricks@yahoo.com
Have you sirs tried adding a .com after jyfirebricks? That was the same response I got. No alternate email. I will ask again if he can check his inbox.
Just a tip here that I am just a fan and a soon-to-be owner of one of his products, and is not in any way related to his company nor doing this (a rather shameless) plug for their company's purpose. I am just too excited with the fact that I can learn bread-making without worrying too much on the gas or electric consumption (charcoal costs very cheap here and will hopefully help our local charcoal makers). And focus on getting good quality ingredients instead. :)
Thanks pongze. Inventor says it will definitely come with a chimney. And the charcoal pull-out box has adjustable air vents on the left and right. Thanks again! I can't wait to make boules and batards out of this. I still can't just make the purchase now because of a busy weekday work. I've been baking on weekends on a turbo convection oven so prolonging this will definitely cost me a lot just for the electricity alone.
Would a cloche still be necessary for this oven?
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It's finally here! I got it for myself for my birthday. So far so good, I make an average of 3 dishes (either breads or slow cooked meat) for around a dollar's worth of plain ol' charcoal.
I've got one problem though, I haven't tried cranking it up higher than 200C, by that time all the charcoal has burned out. The next time I will bake, I will try using briquettes of better yet, firewood, if I can source out some around here.
Is that a customized brick oven? I noticed that the charcoal box is closer to the food.
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Mine as you can see has a stone flooring that's why pre-heating i suppose takes longer than yours. I think mine needs really nearly an hour to get up to 175C, and then feed it with fresh charcoal every 30min to maintain the heat. Next time I bake, will try if I can remove the bottom stone flooring for faster pre-heating of the brick walls (and hopefully return them back into place without destroying the whole thing. Hahaha.
By the way, you said lechon. Are you a Pinoy? :)
Pork Belly Roast is up next on my list too. And hopefully have the guts to try roasting a whole hog's head! :D
Indeed, sir Jerry's brick ovens are the best! Although my bestest wishlist was a brand new one, but unfortunately I have to settle for a secondhand for now (see the soot everywhere, but don't worry, it doesn't touch the food).
Yes taga-PEx ako, hahaha! Ikaw rin ba? Wala kasi akong makausap sa baking thread doon na nagbebake ng breads, puro cakes cakes cakes. Naa-out of place ako dun. Haha. Do you make breads too?
I will try tanggalin yung stone flooring ng sa akin para mas mabilis rin mag-preheat. Ang tagal-tagal kasi talaga, ang dami rin nacoconsume na charcoal along the way. Although I think they're there for a reason, kasi kung wala, baka yung flames umabot sa bottom tray. Minsan kasi I use all 3 layers lalo na kung pandesal. Para isang salang lang.
Anong stuffing ng pork rost mo? Naka-tikim ka na ba ng batuan fruit (souring agent ng mga taga-Negros)? If you want to try, i'll give you some, may source ako ng batuan fruit dito sa Manila (sa Bacolod/negros lang kasi tumutubo yun.
For the first time in forever in my almost two years of making pizza at home. Finally, sexy airy hole-y open crumbs! Yey!
Keep up the good work JY! :)
Guys outside of the Philippines, if anyone's interested, their website is now up. http://jyfirebricks.com/
I bet they will be kind to assist you with international shipping.
Hi Pantone!
I m considering getting one of these for sourdough breads since my old Glem electric oven is busted. Do these go over 250 degrees? If so how long and how much charcoal is used?
Thanks!