Superior MICAELA Installation, Use And Maintenance Instructions page 41

7.10 Use of the oven
For cooking foods, no manual is provided in so far that only experience can make you an expert and this together
with imagination and personal capacities, will allows one to create succulent dishes. The thermometer provided
which indicates the correct time to place food in the oven and, the large glass ceramic door that permits
observation throughout the entire cooking process are, without a doubt, helpful.
Nevertheless a few suggestions will certainly be useful:
initially bring the heater up to temperature starting with loads of small pieces of wood and only afterwards
introduce larger logs and, in any case, not greater than about 2 kg.
the food is not to be put in the oven once the desired temperature is attained, in so far that, most probably, the
temperature will continue to increase, running the risk of ruining the food placed in the oven.
at a certain point, the temperature will start to decrease; the best time to put the food in the oven will be after it
has stabilized for a few minutes.
it is recommended not to exceed a temperature of 250 °C in so far that this limit is more than sufficient for all
types of cooking; reaching a maximum peak of 280-300° is permitted only in the initial phase; higher
temperatures, in addition to not being suitable for proper cooking, can subject the structures to
excessive dilations.
once having placed the food in the oven, it will be sufficient to keep the temperature constant with a calibrated
addition of wood and proper regulation of the air registers; only experience can indicate be the best conditions
for cooking a given type of food, the quantity of wood to be burned in a certain amount of time and the position
of the registers, taking into account that all this also depends on external factors such as draft and atmospheric
conditions.
remember that the thinner the foods are to be cooked, the lesser is the amount of time and the greater is the
amount of heat necessary; for example a chicken requires a long cooking time ( about 3 hours ) at a low flame (
150-180°C ) whereas a pizza cooks quickly ( about 10 minutes ) with higher temperatures ( 220-230°C ).
if the flue causes an excessive draft, the wood burns violently developing more heat and causing difficulty
controlling combustion; the heat is given up to the oven, but rather, passes directly into the flue; it is advisable
to ensure a suitable supply of fuel and regulation of the air intake and only if stricly necessary install a control
mechanism in the pipe.
to cook with a low flame, close the primary air, keep the secondary air opened for about ½ or ¼ of the way and
keep any eventual smoke registers half-closed to insure a suitable draft;
proper cooking also depends on the wood used: hard wood ( ex. beech ) and large logs burn slower and longer,
whereas small logs and softer wood develop a briefer and more intense flame.
when removing the food from oven to congtrol cooking, close the door in order to refrain from lowering the
temperature of the oven itself.
A variation of the oven's hue is a normal characteristic for steel subject to temperatures.
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