Finding the curing steps in your maker's manual

The manual is open on your knee, and you can't find the word "curing". Don't guess. The steps are often there under another heading, and if they aren't, the maker can tell you.

Why your manual beats any chart

Every schedule you'll see online belongs to someone's particular oven. One maker's page opens with an instruction to follow its steps to cure its own wood-burning oven¹. Another guide suggests a first day of nothing higher than 300°F for 6 hours, longer being better². The first maker asks for at least 5 hours at 300°F on day one¹. Close, but not identical.

So copy numbers from your own paperwork, not from a forum or a page like this one.

Where to look

Try these places, in this order.

• The printed manual that came in the box. Check the contents page for "first fire", "first use", "curing", "seasoning" or "break-in".
• The maker's website support or downloads page, in case there's a newer version.
• The papers that came with a kit or a set of plans, if you built the oven from one.

What to write down

When you find the section, copy these details onto one sheet before you light anything.

• How long to wait after installation. One maker asks you to let the complete oven sit for 5 days before the curing starts¹. Another guide says to give the masonry time to dry out and cure naturally before the heated cure².
• The target temperature for each day, and how long to hold it.
• Where to measure. One maker says to measure at the dome, not the side wall or floor¹.
• Which fuel is allowed. The same maker says solid wood fuels only¹.
• What the maker forbids. For example, that maker says space heaters should not be used to cure an oven¹.
• Anything about the door, the vent or the cover during the cure.
• What the maker says to do after the last day.

If the manual says nothing

First check that you have the right manual for your exact model.

Next, write to the maker or the seller. Ask for the curing steps for your model in writing, and keep the reply. Include the model name and the date you bought it.

While you wait, don't light a hot fire "just to see". The sources agree on one idea: new ovens hold water that needs to leave slowly. One clay oven maker advises curing a new oven, or one that's been unused or is damp, so that any humidity can disappear before use³. A reply from the maker is worth a few days' wait.

If you built the oven yourself from a plan, the plan's author or the supplier of the parts is your "maker". The same advice applies.

Gas, pellet and portable ovens

Everything above is about wood-burning masonry ovens, because that's what the saved sources cover. A gas oven has a burner and often its own start-up steps. Follow the maker's instructions for that burner, and call a licensed gas fitter for any gas connection or change. Never alter a gas line yourself.

Next steps

Once you have your steps, a sample schedule shows how one runs in practice. Before you light a match, read the outdoor safety rules.