Earth Ovens
One of my fields of interest in adobe construction is earth ovens. Traditionally called “hornos” in New Mexico, the ovens are extremely efficient due to the nature of the earthen walls of the oven holding heat for long periods of time and slowly releasing the stored heat to the oven cavity. It is not uncommon for an earth oven to maintain baking temperatures for 3-4 hours on a single firing - even after the fire has been removed! With the rising costs of propane and electricity, one could easily do a week’s worth of baking and cooking in a single morning and on a single firing. In addition to bread and dessert baking, hornos are also great for pizza and cooking meats and vegetables. I always try to use local and natural materials when building the ovens and have adapted the traditionally larger oven size to a smaller design which requires less fuel and time for firing.
Construction Details
- The oven foundation is usually a simple gravel or stone pad.
- The square oven base is made of standard sun-cured adobe bricks.
- The oven floor can either be made of mud or fire brick.
- I use soil taken from the oven site to construct the rings of the oven dome.
- The ovens are usually finished with natural earthen plasters which are strengthened with wheat paste for water-resistance.
Please contact me to discuss a project or get a price estimate on an oven.