Igneus Guide for Outdoor Cooking

With the warmer weather approaching, we all can’t wait to get back to relaxing in our gardens in the cool spring air! Whether it be with a cold one at the end of the day, tucking into BBQ season or setting up your own outdoor pizzeria, there are many reasons you might be thinking about setting up or revitalising your outdoor space for cooking. Here’s our top considerations on how to make the most of cooking outdoors.

Aesthetics

Wherever your outdoor cooking area is situated, it needs to be aesthetically pleasing both for you and anyone you plan to cook for. Is it time to build a veranda or decking to overlook the grass, flowers and wildlife on a cool spring or summer evening? Do you have a patio area at the top of the garden which overlooks the rest? Do you have an area that allows you to appreciate the unobstructed night sky as a fire roars away? Of course, you’ll also need to consider the practicality of where your outdoor cooking area is situated for ease of access etc.

Other factors to consider are the proximity to water, gas and electric supply. You could however, navigate around this by investing in a wood fired pizza oven to really go back to basics!

Placement

Regardless of what you intend to cook on in your outdoor space, it’s important to consider incorporating at least partially covered spot. Not only will this protect from the rain if the typical British weather takes a turn on a hot summer’s day, it can also help prevent the wind from causing pizza oven or BBQ flare ups, which can affect the temperature of your outdoor oven or be a safety hazard. Also consider sun/shade placement for when the summer temperatures kick in.

You will also need a level surface, so a patio area or decking can be an ideal spot to enjoy the most of eating outside. Our pizza ovens can be accompanied by pizza stands so you can raise this off the ground if you have younger children and pets.

Size

When you’ve taken into account where best to situate your outdoor cooking area, you’ll need to look at appliance options that fit into your desired area. This is why versatility is so crucial. Of course as a pizza oven retailer, we’re a little biased but what’s not to love about a pizza oven that not only cooks pizza but so much more? You can sizzle steaks. Slow roast a brisket. Have a Mediterranean evening by grilling fresh fish, vegetables and meats in our cast iron cookware.

You need to be able to make the most of your space, so a pizza oven gives you almost unlimited cooking options, leaving you free to focus on your outside décor. Don’t worry if you only have a small patio or decking area. We have pizza ovens ranging from the Minimo which can be easily cleaned and stored in the shed to larger ovens such as the Classico which can become a permanent feature of your garden.

Decor

Aside from lighting, a seating area and drinks station you may also want to think about how best to decorate the cooking area itself. You could opt for topping stations which will help keep your food fresh even into the heat of summer, keeping any pesky insects away.

Designed in stainless steel, they will blend seamlessly into most outside décor themes and beautifully into natural surroundings. This also allows everyone to choose their own toppings or pick beautifully seared BBQ food themselves, taking the strain off your hosting. As we specialise in wood fired pizza ovens, we can testify to how beautiful a rustic pile of kiln dried silver birch adorns any setting where a pizza oven is placed.

Versatility

Whilst not normally part of an outdoor guide, another factor you should consider is how you can use your outdoor cooking equipment elsewhere! Whilst it is true that the Classico which is one of our more permanent, larger pizza ovens would be quite heavy to move, we do have smaller options that you can take anywhere! The Minimo weighs in at just 20kg, so if you were looking for a more versatile option you could mount this on an outdoor countertop when at home and easily fold it down for beach trips, camping or festivals! Similarly at 35kg, but broken down to 20kg when removing the firebricks, the Bambino is also portable. If you want to be outside and enjoy the warmer weather, why not enjoy outdoor cooking anywhere?!

There is a lot to consider when it comes to creating the perfect outdoor cooking area, so when it comes to your outdoor cooking appliance at least, we’re here to help. You can visit us in store, ring us on 01423 575885 or use our contact form.