How to Build a Wood-Fired Outdoor Cob Oven for $20

I love pizza. I adore it. Let’s be real, who doesn’t? That stringy, melted cheese holding together a plethora of delicious toppings, all sitting atop a sweet tomato sauce, served on an edible plate of thin, crispy crust. Ahhh. What I don’t love, however, is takeaway pizza with that thick, bready crust that’s made carelessly in a regular oven.

During my quest for the perfect wood-fired oven pizza, I uncovered these fantastic instructions to build my very own cob oven so that instead of relying on someone else to make the perfect pizza for me, I could make it for myself and my big group of family and friends. And of course, I wouldn’t be limited to pizza only, I could bake some mouth-watering bread, pies etc.

You will need:

Clay
Sand
Sawdust, empty beer bottles (for an insulation layer)
Bricks (red and firebricks)
Cinder blocks

The original building couple was able to make this for a mere $20 because they were so damn resourceful with their materials: clay from the ground, bricks from a demolished building site, and they had leftovers from a previous project (you could try to get some from a river) and sawdust from a mill (try a recycling yard). Of course, everything can be purchased, but with a little bit of effort, your project can be as inexpensive as theirs! Using recycled materials to make something that won’t need fossil fuels and can be run with wood truly is a wonderful thing.