289632 Thu Jun 20 16:45:55 -0700 2002 4 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1568981 There was a brief discussion on the Chicago board about coal and wood burning ovens. With regards to restaurants that promote themselves for having such ovens, does it make a lick of difference. I have tried doing searches and asking a few chef-types and there is never really an answer. The food critics always spout something like "the pizza (or bread) is made in a coal oven, which makes it great" but they never say why. It seems to me that this is just a big marketing ploy to associate the baker with old-world astisanship. If a brick oven has a fuel source of wood or coal or just gas jets, since the food does not come in contact with the fuel source, why does it matter? Obviously, I have been obsessing about this. Thu Jun 20 16:45:55 -0700 2002 0 Doublejax 1 1568987 I've worked in several places that had wood-burning ovens, and I think that their use *does* enhance the flavor in a way not possible with gas. (Don't really know about coal). You're right about no contact -- at least, no DIRECT contact; however, the smoke and vapors inside the oven DO come in contact with the food. The shape of the oven and the material of which it's made affect the cooking time and temperature, and the humidity, all of which affect the flavor to some degree; the fuel can have a direct impact on the flavor. Thu Jun 20 17:10:10 -0700 2002 1568981 0 CTer 2 1569036 for pizza and bread, it has to do with the crust. it imparts the crust with a smoky flavor. a good pizza usually has a blackened bottom (not totally but in spots) but it's very hard to find this today. yes, though, there is a difference. Fri Jun 21 12:13:07 -0700 2002 1568987 0 d 3 1569079 In NYC there might be about a dozen places left with coal burning ovens its impossible in todays environmetaly correct society to build one with pizza it blackens the crust but still leaves it moist and chewy wood ovens give more of a crispier and drier crust each type of oven has its own unique characteristics Fri Jun 21 21:10:19 -0700 2002 1569036 0 byrd 1 1569354 Both coal and wood burning ovens are capable of higher temperatures than gas ovens, and the higher temperature means a shorter cooking time, a greater opportunity to have a a crispy crust without overcooking other ingredients, etc. In my experience wood doesn't impart much flavor, but coal sometimes does. As for blackened bottoms, what you are getting are little bits of semolina used to line the oven to keep the crust from getting in direct contact with the oven surface, because the temperature is high enough that the crust will burn. All my favorite places have wood or coal ovens. And, although it's not possible to install a new coal oven in a NYC pizzeria, there might still be a few old ones lying about that could be reinstalled. There's an excellent pie at Lombardi's in Soho that's made in what is likely the first NY pizza oven, dating back to about 1905. Lombardi's owners found this oven a few years ago in a nearby basement and it still makes magic, one of the top five pies in the city. Wed Jun 26 15:01:02 -0700 2002 1568981 0 David Pearlman