We are confident that Mugnaini ovens are the finest wood-fired ovens you will find anywhere. All ovens are constructed from a special clay only available from the hills above Florence, a naturally quarried material that has the characteristics of absorbing heat, evenly distributing it and then retaining it for long periods of time.

There are many reasons to choose a Mugnaini oven. Below are just a few:

Cotto Refrattario

Cotto Refrattario is Tuscan “refractory terra-cotta clay.” For superior thermal efficiency, Mugnaini ovens are made of 100% naturally quarried cotto refrattario.

Balanced Alumina Percentage

The alumina content of an oven’s components should be a percentage that provides a balance between functionality and strength. While a level greater than 40% may produce a stronger building material, it does not provide for a better cooking surface. Percentages over 40% decrease the floor’s porosity thus preventing the immediate absorption of steam from raw pizza dough. The fine layer of steam trapped between the dough and the floor produces a soggy, undercooked bottom crust - something that never happens with a Mugnaini oven.

Mugnaini ovens are perfectly balanced, always giving pizzas and rustic or flat breads a wonderfully crispy bottom crust. Baked and roasted dishes are also consistently perfect. Mugnaini oven components feel naturally porous and slightly rough to the touch. This is exactly how a real Tuscan clay wood-fired oven should feel.

Contained Oven Floor

The floor elements of the oven should fit inside the surrounding walls and overhead crown elements. With a Mugnaini oven, this ensures that the heat in the floor remains within the oven and is not lost through the floor and surrounding structure. Otherwise, it is like leaving the air conditioner on with the windows open! A “contained” floor design provides for a consistent and predictable floor temperature. Also, if it is ever necessary, the floor pieces are easily replaced through the mouth of the oven.

Curved Interior Wall

The interior oven walls and overhead crown elements should have no flat surfaces. Flat surfaces cause a “destructive interference”, or interruption of the otherwise natural convection airflow pattern necessary for excellent cooking. Mugnaini ovens have perfectly curved interior wall which facilitate ideal convection airflow.

Functional Flue Location

The flue of a Mugnaini oven begins from just inside the oven, never outside of the oven opening. This important design feature captures all the smoke, never allowing it to roll out the oven mouth, and maintains clear visibility through the oven opening at all fire stages.

Appropriate Size Oven Opening

Mugnaini’s oven opening size balances the needs for visibility, functionality & thermal efficiency. Excessively large oven openings are thermally inefficient and require more fuel.

Appropriate Thermal Mass

Mugnaini has predetermined the appropriate thermal mass for each oven. Larger thermal mass is not always better! What really matters is how you intend to use the oven. Greater mass requires longer startup time, which is generally not an issue for daily users such as in a restaurant. However, random or sporadic oven use requires less mass for a quicker startup time. This is why we have designed specific ovens for both residential & commercial use.

Acid Resistance

Some naturally occurring acids are generated as wood burns and they quickly vaporize off the porous surfaces and escape through the flue. Acids don’t linger in a hot oven. There is no concern about “acid resistance” in the Mugnaini oven. Even in very heavily used commercial ovens it is not an issue on the oven floor, or any of the oven’s other parts. It would take longer than the life of the oven to even generate enough acid to penetrate Mugnaini’s unique, naturally textured, slightly rough surface.

The Mugnaini Lifestyle

In addition to all of the reasons above, purchase of a Mugnaini oven includes membership in Club il Forno, Mugnaini’s exclusive club which offers special classes, events and recipes to help you make the most out of your wood-fired cooking experience.