Wood-fired pizza ovens are great if you want that authentic and smokey Italian-style pizza. Like all things, pizza ovens do get dirty and you need to clean yours regularly. Using a pizza oven brush will help you do just that.
Before you can brush your pizza oven, you need to let the oven cool down first. Once cooled, you can use the brush to remove the ash, soot, and food debris that has accumulated while it is in use.
If you want to know how to brush a pizza oven in detail, you are in the right place! This article has a detailed guide to help you have a clean pizza oven. We will also talk about some factors you should consider before buying a pizza oven brush, so read on!
What Is A Pizza Oven Brush?
A pizza oven brush is a tool used for cleaning pizza ovens. A wood-fired pizza oven uses wood or coal as its fuel source so it can accumulate a lot of ash, soot, and other food debris if is not cleaned regularly.
Using a pizza oven brush can help you clean the oven’s interior walls and floor easier. A classic pizza oven brush typically has a long handle to be able for you to get into the nook and cranny of the oven easily. With a pizza oven brush, you don’t have to reach inside the oven with your hands. The long handle of a pizza oven brush will also prevent you from getting burnt from a hot oven as pizza ovens can reach high temperatures.
Most pizza oven brushes also have a stainless steel scraper blade attached to the opposite end of the brush to easily scrape off food debris, ashes, and soot from the pizza oven. The bristles of the brush are typically made of heat-resistant brass wire, stiff nylon, or stainless steel. But, there are other brushes made with natural materials such as palm stalk fiber.
The handle of the brush is usually made of beech wood and is typically at least one meter (39 inches) long. If you want to keep your wood-fired pizza oven clean, having a pizza oven brush is a must as it can make cleaning your pizza oven a lot easier.
Is Brushing Your Pizza Oven Important?
Yes, brushing your pizza oven is important as it keeps any food debris, ash, and soot from the oven. Soot and ash can also build up on the walls and the chimney of your oven if not removed regularly. This can block off the air circulation inside the pizza oven and cause the cooking process to slow down.
Not cleaning your oven can also pose a risk of cross-contamination, especially if you cook different types of food in it other than pizza. Scraping off food debris after every use is also essential so it does not stick to the surface and walls of the pizza oven. Regularly brushing your pizza oven is important if you want your pizza oven to be at the top of its performance every time you are cooking pizza.
How To Brush A Pizza Oven
Before you start brushing your pizza oven, you need to have the necessary materials first. Here are the materials you need to brush a pizza oven:
– Pizza oven brush
– Heat-resistant gloves
– Ash bucket
– Clean cloth
– Kitchen sponge
– Warm soapy water (for the pizza oven’s exterior)
To brush a pizza oven:
- Let The Oven Cool Completely
If you just used your pizza oven and want to clean it, you have to let it cool down completely first. Cleaning it right away while it is still hot can lead to burn injuries.
Allow your oven to cool off for about 24 hours after you’ve used it. If you are doing general cleaning, you can start right away if you have not used the pizza oven in the past 24 hours or so.
- Scoop Out The Ash, Soot, And Other Debris
Once your pizza oven has completely cooled off, you can start cleaning it. If it still emits heat, you can wear heat-resistant gloves to be safe.
Use the pizza oven brush to remove the ash and soot inside the pizza oven. If there is any burnt food sticking to the oven floor, use the metal scraper of the brush to remove the food. Make sure not to scrape too hard or you might end up scratching the oven floor.
You can also scrub the walls with the pizza oven brush to loosen up any debris that is sticking to the walls. Scoop the ashes out into an ash bucker to prevent them from spreading everywhere.
- Brush The Pizza Oven
Once you have scooped out all the ashes, soot, and any burnt residue, brush the interior walls again to remove any grease on the oven. When brushing your oven, work your way from the back toward the front so you don’t push any debris away from you. If your pizza oven has a door, clean it with a cloth damp with water and let it dry completely.
If you are using any baking stones or pizza stones, remove them from the pizza oven and clean them with a sponge soaked with warm soapy water. You can also use a pizza stone brush if you have one. Rinse the soap away and let the baking stone or pizza stone dry completely before putting it back inside the oven.
Make sure to also clean your pizza oven’s chimney to prevent the ash and soot from blocking the airflow.
- Clean The Pizza Oven’s Entry
Before you finish cleaning your pizza oven, make sure to clean the oven’s entry as well. Soak a sponge in warm soapy water and scrub the pizza oven’s entry to remove any grease that has built up in it. Make sure to not get any soapy water inside the oven’s interior.
Rinse the soapy away and let the oven’s entry dry completely. Now your pizza oven is already clean and ready for use!
What Makes a Great Pizza Oven Brush?
If you are buying a pizza oven brush for the first time, there are several things to keep in mind before buying one.
Design
When buying a pizza oven brush, get one that has a scraper attached to make cleaning easier. Some models also allow for the bristles to be used on hot surfaces. While it is best to clean a pizza oven that has completely cooled off, you can still use a pizza oven brush to remove logs or coals after use. For this, you need a heat-resistant pizza oven brush. Make sure to also get a pizza oven brush that has a handle long enough for you to reach the back of the oven as well as the oven’s interior walls.
There are also small pizza oven brushes like the Ooni pizza oven brush that can be used for portable pizza ovens. If you have a compact pizza oven, like an Ooni pizza oven, you can opt to buy a small pizza oven brush to clean your pizza oven.
Price
There are a lot of pizza oven brushes in the market and they come at various price points. You can definitely find one that fits your budget but, make sure to get one that is high-quality. Getting a high-quality pizza oven brush will ensure that it will last you for a long time, especially if you will use it all the time.
Wrap Up
If you find your pizza oven full of ash, soot, and food debris, it’s time to get it clean! Using a pizza oven brush will help you reach hard-to-reach places like the back of the oven and the interior walls.
This article has a detailed guide on how to brush a pizza oven so you can spend your time cleaning the oven than searching how. If you have any questions, let us know how we can help via the contact form on our website!
