Measurements of the oven mouth

The size of the oven mouth is a personal choice and depends on the use of the oven. Is it only for baking bread and pies or do you also want to use it for making pizza and roasting meat? In the last case, the oven mouth has to be made wider and higher to be able to put in and take out of the oven, pizza’s and grills.

Yet there are some general rules:

• The width of the oven mouth is always in proportion to the size of the oven floor so that the whole floor surface remains accessible. It is usually between 40 cm and 85 cm;

• The height of the oven mouth cannot be lower than 63 % of the maximum height of the vault. This is to ensure, during stoking, a better smoke duct and therefore a permanent air current, necessary for a good combustion. It is for that same reason that the oven vault’s façade is as high as the oven mouth. If this is not the case, then the smoke in the oven will start to precipitate and it will eventually extinguish the fire. The height of the oven mouth usually varies between 25 cm and 45 cm.