How long will the ovens last for?
The key to a long lasting wood fired oven is to make sure the core-oven is well protected from the elements, a surround or housing that is fully weather-proof will mean decades of use from your oven.

What is the housing for the Oven?
This is a key element, every oven needs to have a structure around it to protect it from the elements and increase the insulation, which in turns increases the temperature inside and lowers the amount of fuel needed to create the heat. We have standard designs that are available for you to build yourself or have us build for you. If you have built your own oven why not email the images to us so we can add them to the gallery for others to see?

Can my oven survive the winter?
As long as your oven is correctly installed and the core-oven is well protected from the elements via a surround or housing that is fully weather-proof your oven will need no special treatment during the winter and will cook food just as well, whatever the weather.

Can I have any housing design around my oven?
In a word, yes! A simple image search online brings up many ideas to inspire your unique design, we are also on hand to help and guide you on your proposed design. As long as your housing is waterproof and protects the core-oven from water ingress then you are free to build the surround of your choice.

Can I build the oven myself?
Yes you can, and it’s great fun. We have great assembly instructions to help and guide you, our distributors are always available by email and phone (working hours) to guide you through the install. Click here for distributors.

Where is the best place for my oven?
Customers generally find they use the oven more than they thought so it’s a good idea to install it somewhere that makes it easy to cook, perhaps near the kitchen, or within an outdoor kitchen so you can cook in the colder months too?

Can the oven be installed indoors?
Yes, Many Le Panyol ovens have been incorporated into houses and used in a daily cooking environment.

What type of wood should I use?
We recommend good quality, untreated, seasoned hardwood logs, the drier the log the hotter the oven will be and you will also find they produce less smoke and ash. The best raw material is Ash, Beech and Oak.

How long does the oven take to heat up?
Le Panyol ovens reach 400°C/752˚F in approx. 1 hour

How can I tell how hot the oven is?
We can supply Infrared thermometers which give an accurate heat reading in different areas of the oven, these are available for purchase on our website.

How long will the oven take to install?
The core oven is very quick to install and can be done in a matter of hours, the time to install the base, surround and housing will vary depending on specifications, complexity and site access.

How do I clean and maintain my oven?
Due to the high temperatures that Le Panyol ovens reach they are largely self cleaning, any bacteria, insects etc will be killed by the high temperatures. There is no need to clean the Terre Blanche base stones, they are often described by the French as magic stones as they do not harbour any tastes or residue from food, quite amazing but true. The only other maintenance is sweeping out the ash after use. (Don’t let those sweepings go to waste; wood ash is high in potassium, a vital nutrient for healthy flower and fruit growth so add these to your plants in the garden, keep some of the wood ash in a sealed, dry container to enrich your soil)

Are there any laws against using the oven because of the smoke?
This is only an issue within Smoke Control Areas, we are working towards Appliance Exemption within Smoke Control Areas and will update this page soon.

Is this a green product?
Le Panyol ovens are sold as fully organic for a reason, the clay used in production (Terre Blanche – White Clay) comes from their own quarry in Lanarge, on the doorstep of Provence, there are no explosives used in quarrying and it is simply cleaned with recycled water, traditional craftsmen sculpt each piece before it is slowly dried in the winds of the Rhone Valley, and later fired to very high temperatures. The factory has recently installed large solar panels to power their equipment.

Where can I find recipes for wood fired ovens?
We have several recipes available for download on the website, Le Panyol also recommend http://www.letscookfrench.com, share and trade some great cooking ideas online.

Do I cook in a dish or tray?
No, for best results your Pizzas and Bread should be cooked directly on the stone floor, meats and fish can be cooked in dishes if preferred but the traditional way is still directly onto the floor, don’t worry about fat and juices from your meat, the magic Terre Blanche floor will not take on any flavours. If you are using ceramics please make sure they are suitable for temperatures around 450°C otherwise these will crack. We will supply you with a stainless steel peel to move your food in and out of the oven.

Can I use my oven all year round?
Yes you can, just be careful when there are very high winds (unless installed as part of an outdoor covered kitchen).