Some people long for designer kitchens, with stone countertops, glazed hardwood cabinets, and a huge collection of burnished copper pots. Or a hangar-sized dining room, big enough to seat twenty, and enough sterling flatwear for the whole crowd. Or hand-forged, hideously expensive Japanese cutlery.
Not me. I want a wood-burning pizza oven. I don’t want a built-in oven–that’s sheer lunacy in our climate. What I want is a Forno Bravo Primavera beehive oven. The Primavera oven is delivered to your doorstep, fully assembled: you just need to set it in place atop the metal stand, and you can build a fire inside it immediately.
It’s a nifty way to spend $3,000, should you have it lying around to blow on culinary toys. I don’t, so I’ll have to entertain myself by scrolling through Forno Bravo’s 27-page online oven photo archive; it’s fun to see all of the outdoor oven installations around the globe.
Bouillie 
Have you thought about building your own? I’ve been thinking about doing this based on information gleaned from this article:
http://small-scale.net/yearofmud/2009/09/12/build-your-own-20-outdoor-cob-oven-for-great-bread-and-pizza/
I can’t find any evidence that this type of oven is illegal in the city; are you familiar with the laws concerning outdoor cooking in New Orleans?
Also I think it would need to stay relatively dry, so that will be a challenge.
And lastly, it might not be practical for just cooking dinner for two. But it’s pretty cool nonetheless!
I have looked at lots of plans for building earth ovens, free-standing brick ovens, etc. Mud ovens in wet climates must be covered/enclosed or they’ll quickly destabilize (or need to be periodically rebuilt). Regarding such an oven in the city, I don’t know of any prohibitions: they’re subject to the same sorts of issues as built-in BBQ pits….must be located away from other structures & the property lines, etc.
I’m hooked on the pre-cast, refractory ceramic oven because of its efficiency–the principal complaint about mud ovens is the potential inefficiencies (size, shape, design, mineral content of the mud used, and so on). Some can take forever to heat up and consume LOTS of wood. Plus, the Primavera is portable….with a built-in-place oven, you’re stuck with it. A couple of people can lift the Primavera and move it around the yard.
do you really want one????
I want one, but I don’t think it’s going to happen any time soon. Unless I find a pot of gold behind the azalea bushes in the backyard, or suddenly the government starts buying cat hair at premium prices to soak up oil.
Yeah the mud is probably too inefficient. I don’t want to spend a ton on fuel. And the instability of the building material factor is a big minus. I don’t have the luxury of a yard large enough to move an oven around anyway, so portability isn’t one of my criteria. Maybe something more like this for me:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Build-An-All-In-One-Outdoor-Oven-Stove-Grill-And-Smoker.aspx
Not that I don’t WANT a Forno Bravo. Maybe our fairy godmothers are reading…
I’m fine on the grill/smoker front, thanks to my duo of Big Green Eggs. And technically, I don’t NEED a Primavera, as I can use the Egg as a pizza or bread oven quite easily. So it’s pure want, not justifiable in any way. They just look –so– cool, and this oven form is all over Italy…you see similar ovens in so many Italian backyards, courtyards, etc.
Before you drop the dough on cinderblocks, mortar, and tools, check out the prices on small and medium Big Green Eggs. You might just discover that they’re more cost effective (and certainly are portable).
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