FAQ

Alfa was born as a manufacturer of traditional wood-fired ovens and, since the very beginning, has focused on improving refractory materials in order to gain better thermal performance. Today, Alfa produces high-calibre commercial and residential ovens and has renewed the home sector by developing the Forninox™ technology.

So, we have come up with the idea to insulate a refractory wood-burning oven by coating it with layers of stainless-steel. This has enabled us to improve the thermal performances of the appliance, to drastically reduce its weight and to facilitate its mobility by adding high-resistance castors.

Alfa ovens produced with this technology have much lower energy consumption than competing products and take less time to reach the cooking temperature.

Alfa steel ovens are simpler to use than traditional refractory ones as you can manage fire more easily thanks to their compact structure that allows hot air to circulate inside them and to maximise heat while baking. In addition, the low weight makes them suitable for a variety of uses.

Virtually everywhere. The steel ovens come in a mobile version with casters for using them on the terrace, in the garden then putting them indoors during the winter months. Our range also features small-sized models if space is in short supply. With the tiny ONE compact pizza oven, you will be able to bake even on your balcony.

Gas-fired ovens can be connected to the gas supply or to a LPG cylinder.

To install an Alfa steel oven, follow just a few simple steps:

• Place the base of the structure.
• Insert the chimney cowl into the flue.
• Put the chimney cowl and the flue into the dome of the oven.

If you have got a wood-fired oven you can immediately start using it, while if you have a gas-fired (or hybrid) model you will have to make sure to connect it to the gas main or to the LPG cylinder using the supplied hose and fixing it with a clamp. If  you want to make your own traditional pizza oven, things are a little bit more complicated as you will have to build a foundation out of bricks and concrete, to assemble the different parts of the dome and to coat the oven with additional refractory material. To learn more about this, here is the tutorial on how to assemble a traditional oven.

For a gas-burning oven, just turn the knob, push the ignition button and adjust the flame. If you have got a wood-burning oven, build a fire in the centre of the oven using some sticks of dry kindling then add some pieces of hardwood as the fire gets going. Then add some logs of about 5-10 cm in diameter to form enough embers.

Of course, the bigger the oven, the more firewood you will need to reach the cooking temperature. In the larger models, we recommend moving the fire all over the oven floor to heat it evenly. Use dry, seasoned hardwoods to avoid dense, black smoke that could ruin your dishes.

When lighting the wood-fired oven, it is necessary that the heat be built gradually up to a temperature of about 300 °C (570 °F) to dry out the moisture and to gently “season” the oven refractories so that they can deliver superb cooking results.

In terms of heat and aromatic value, the best wood species are oak and beech. Never use evergreen wood that burns fast and can leave heavy deposits of soot and creosote. Learn more about this topic by reading the article in our blog on choosing the firewood with the best heat value.

Pretty much everything. Thanks to the very high temperatures they reach, Alfa ovens are particularly suitable for baking Neapolitan pizza in about one minute at 450 °C (840 °F) but nothing prevents you from using them at lower temperatures to cook bread, roasts, fish, veg, puddings and whatnot. Have a look at the recipes here on our blog. Put a new spin on your dishes cooking with a wood-fired oven.

You can bake any kind of pizza in our ovens. Remember, however, that pan pizza cooks at a lower temperature. Don’t be afraid to try to get a handle on the way your oven works.

Keeping your oven clean guarantees safety and better performances. Between two baking sessions just scrub the oven floor with a brush to remove food residue and burnt flour; for a deeper cleaning, let the oven cool and use a damp cloth to wipe burnt food away. If you have a wood-burning oven, remove the ashes with a metal shovel when the oven has completely cooled down.

Find out here how to properly maintain your oven and extend its life.

Alfa home ovens can be customized by choosing the type of fuel (firewood, gas or hybrid) or available color.

For manufacturing reasons, Alfa can’t make custom-made ovens, but you will certainly find the model that best suits your needs in our wide product range.

When not in use we recommend storing your barbecue in a shed, outhouse or garage, however if this isn’t available you can store the barbecue outside. Wherever the barbecue is stored ensure that you invest in a Landmann protective barbecue cover to shield it from the elements.

It is important to remember with the changing of the seasons comes changes in temperature, and throughout this period condensation can build up underneath the cover on the surface of the barbecue. To combat a build up of moisture which can lead to rust and mold, we recommend uncovering the barbecue on dry days and drying it down with a cloth periodically.

We have a range of protective covers to suit a variety of barbecue types and sizes on our website.

We recommend not to clean your grills in the dishwasher. Investing in a good quality T Brush and Barbecue Cleaning products should keep your grills in good condition if cleaned on a regular basis.

The external parts should be cleaned using a soapy water solution and a cleaning brush or sponge. For enamelled surfaces we recommend our Landmann Power Enamel Cleaner 15801, and for stainless steel surfaces our Landmann Power Stainless Steel Cleaner 15800.

Always ensure that your barbecue is completely dry before storing it away before the next use to prevent the build up of mold or rusting.

With any barbecue, we would recommend it is cleaned soon after cooking so that the food is at its easiest to remove.

For gas barbecues reheat the barbecue for 5-10 mins with the lid closed to burn off any excess food. Then, whilst the grill is still hot, use a wire BBQ brush to remove any food debris from the grill. Once cool, use Landmann Barbecue Cleaning Wipes 13025 to remove any further stubborn stains. For a thorough clean you may wish to remove the grills and give them a wash with soapy water and cloth to soften the tougher burnt-on food remnants, then use a barbecue cleaning brush to scrub them until completely clean. For charcoal barbecues follow the same process but begin whilst the grill is still hot soon after cooking.

We recommend to leave the barbecue the way it was designed, if it didn’t come with lava rocks or ceramic briquettes then please don’t try adding them.

Barbecues which do not come with lava rocks are fitted with metal bars which sit above each of the burners, at Landmann we call these flame tamers. These cover the burners, catching the hot fat dripping from the grill, this not only protects the burners from a build up of grease but the heated flame tamers also vaporise the fat helping to flavour the food. Flame tamers also help to distribute heat throughout the grilling area to ensure no cold spots are present during cooking.

All Landmann gas barbecues are fitted with a 27mm clip on propane regulator and we recommend never changing this to another regulator, as doing so may void your warranty.

If you do not own a Landmann barbecue and you believe it requires a butane bottle, this bottle will be blue. If in doubt please refer to either the manufacturer’s instruction manual or the manufacturer directly for the correct information.

All Landmann gas barbecues are fitted with a 27mm clip on propane regulator, for this you will need a propane gas bottle. There are several brands available in the UK with bottles coming in 5kg, 11kg and 13kg sizes.

For gas barbecues with 4 burners and above we recommend an 11kg or 13kg bottle, this ensures your bottle can power all burners at the same time.

The majority of our units require self-assembly, which is normally completed within 1-2hrs.
Check out our Avalon and Triton ranges, as some of these models are delivered 95% preassembled.