--- title: "Curing a New Pizza Oven: Slow First Fires on the Maker's Schedule" description: "Why brick and refractory need drying, the curing calendars from Chicago Brick Oven, Marra Forni and Wood Stone, the break-in for commercial decks, and when to…" url: "https://pizzaovenrepair.center/guides/curing-a-new-pizza-oven/" date_modified: "2026-09-26" --- Maintenance and prevention # Curing a New Pizza Oven: Slow First Fires on the Maker's Schedule To cure a pizza oven is to drive the moisture out of its refractory with small, controlled fires before cooking hot. Chicago Brick Oven holds its ovens near 212°F for two to three days; Marra Forni climbs from 300°F to 700°F over five days; Wood Stone steps its burners up over a day. Follow your own manual, and cure again after long idle spells or soaking rain. By [PizzaOvenRepair.center technical team](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/authors/technical-team/) Published September 26, 2026 ## At a glance. A new oven looks dry and is not. The first fires decide whether the water hiding in its brick, cement and mortar leaves quietly as steam or forces its way out through a crack, and every maker prints a schedule for getting it right. Read the whole guide ### Chicago Brick Oven cure As close to 212°F as possible for 2 to 3 days Never above that temperature during the cure. ### Marra Forni gas cure Five days, 300°F up to 700°F Three hours a day, one step higher each day, run by the controller. ### Deck oven break-in 300°F for 5 hours Bakers Pride's figure, or until the smoke and fumes stop. ### When to cure again After long disuse or heavy moisture Chicago Brick Oven and Wood Stone both repeat the slow start. In this guide 1. Why a new pizza oven needs slow first fires 2. Curing schedules for a wood-fired oven 3. Curing a gas or hybrid oven 4. After the cure: first bakes and curing again 5. Step by step 6. Questions ## Why a new pizza oven needs slow first fires Refractory cement, firebrick and mortar all hold water, even in an oven that arrives looking bone dry. Marra Forni says it plainly: a small amount of moisture remains in the bricks and mortar, and neglecting the cure damages the oven. Wood Stone cures its ovens at the factory and still asks for a slow first startup, because ceramic absorbs moisture again during shipping and storage on site. Heated fast, that water turns to steam inside the material faster than it can escape, and the pressure opens cracks. Heated slowly, it works its way out through the surface. Chicago Brick Oven warns that a big fire at the start can shorten the oven's life, cause permanent damage and void the maker's coverage. ### What you will see during the cure None of these means the cure is going wrong, as long as the heat stays within the day's limit. - Steam or damp patches on the outer shell as water leaves the masonry. - Water dripping from the oven along with an unpleasant smell, which Marra Forni says stops once curing is complete. - Fine cracks in the dome or hearth, which Chicago Brick Oven and Marra Forni both call normal. - A dome blackened by the first low fires; it clears to whitish gray only later, at cooking heat. Source: [Chicago Brick Oven — CBO-500, 750 and 1000 user manual](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2643/6080/files/CBO_500-750-1000_User_Manual_120225_English_V1_-_Digital.pdf) — Cure as close to 212°F as possible, not above, over a 2- to 3-day period; coals from a fire built elsewhere give heat without flame; a large first fire can cause permanent damage and void the warranty; small cracks are normal; never use starter fluids; discard the first two cooks; heat slowly in cold temperatures; re-cure after long disuse or excessive moisture.; [Marra Forni — Static oven owner's manual, Rev 5 2026](https://marraforni.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Static-Manual-Marra-Forni-Rev-5-2026.pdf) — Moisture remains in the bricks and mortar and neglecting the cure damages the oven; five-day wood cure by pieces of wood per day; five-day gas cure at 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700°F for 3 hours a day; do not shut off or unplug mid-cycle; only dry medium or hard firewood, no liquid fuel or treated wood; small cracks, dripping water and odor during curing are expected.; [Wood Stone — Mountain Home and Traditional Home installation and operation manual (M0365)](https://woodstone-corp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/M0365_MANUAL_Install_MH_TH_RFG_IR_W_0.pdf) — Ovens are cured at the factory but absorb moisture in shipping and storage; initial startup of 1 hour at factory settings (hearth 100°F, lowest flame), 4 hours at 25% flame, then 50% flame for at least 4 hours or until 500°F; repeat after extended periods without use. ## Curing schedules for a wood-fired oven Makers disagree on the calendar, and the one printed for your model is the one to follow. Two examples show how far apart they sit. - Chicago Brick Oven: hold the oven as close to 212°F as possible, never above it, over two to three days. Coals carried in from a fire built elsewhere give heat without flame and make the low temperature easier to hold. - Marra Forni wood ovens, five days: on day 1 burn two pieces of wood until they fall apart; on day 2 do the same and add a third; on day 3 add a fourth, let it burn down, then a fifth; on day 4 burn two pieces and then one at a time up to working heat; by day 5 the oven is cured. ### Only dry wood for the cure Wet wood works against the whole exercise. Marra Forni accepts only dry medium or hard firewood and bans liquid fuel and treated, coated or laminated wood. Coyote's list of suitable hardwoods runs from alder and apple through hickory, maple and mesquite to pecan and oak, and it rules out pine, fir, cedar, plywood and anything painted. Paper and kindling start the fire; lighter fluid and gasoline never do. Source: [Chicago Brick Oven — CBO-500, 750 and 1000 user manual](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2643/6080/files/CBO_500-750-1000_User_Manual_120225_English_V1_-_Digital.pdf) — Cure as close to 212°F as possible, not above, over a 2- to 3-day period; coals from a fire built elsewhere give heat without flame; a large first fire can cause permanent damage and void the warranty; small cracks are normal; never use starter fluids; discard the first two cooks; heat slowly in cold temperatures; re-cure after long disuse or excessive moisture.; [Marra Forni — Static oven owner's manual, Rev 5 2026](https://marraforni.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Static-Manual-Marra-Forni-Rev-5-2026.pdf) — Moisture remains in the bricks and mortar and neglecting the cure damages the oven; five-day wood cure by pieces of wood per day; five-day gas cure at 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700°F for 3 hours a day; do not shut off or unplug mid-cycle; only dry medium or hard firewood, no liquid fuel or treated wood; small cracks, dripping water and odor during curing are expected. Close on a small first fire burning in the middle of a new wood-fired pizza oven. ## Curing a gas or hybrid oven Ovens with a burner let the controls hold the low temperatures, which makes the cure easier to get right and easier to ruin by impatience. - Marra Forni gas ovens: the controller runs five days on its own, 3 hours at 300°F on day 1 and then 400, 500, 600 and 700°F on the days that follow. The manual says not to switch the oven off or unplug it mid-cycle, or the rest of the cure has to be done by hand. - Wood Stone Mountain Home and Traditional Home: 1 hour at factory settings with the hearth set to 100°F and the dome flame at its lowest, 4 hours at a quarter flame, then half flame for at least 4 more hours or until 500°F. - Chicago Brick Oven CBO-750 Hybrid: hearth burner at 250° for 4 hours with the door open, then the hearth at 400° with the ambient burner also on for 4 more hours, door still open. - Coyote hybrid: bring the oven up to temperature slowly the first time; its burner may need up to 30 seconds of priming on that first lighting. ### Commercial decks get a break-in Deck ovens go through a shorter version called a break-in. Bakers Pride runs a new gas deck at 300°F for 5 hours, or until the smoke and fumes from the deck, the insulation and a light coat of factory oil have cleared, and asks that it be done in a well-ventilated area. Blodgett tempers its Ultra Rokite decks by starting at 300°F and climbing in 100°F steps to 600°F over four hours. Source: [Chicago Brick Oven — How to cure a pizza oven](https://chicagobrickoven.com/blogs/the-hangout/curing-your-oven) — CBO-750 Hybrid: hearth burner at 250° for four hours with the door open, then hearth at 400° with the ambient burner on for four more hours with the door open.; [Marra Forni — Static oven owner's manual, Rev 5 2026](https://marraforni.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Static-Manual-Marra-Forni-Rev-5-2026.pdf) — Moisture remains in the bricks and mortar and neglecting the cure damages the oven; five-day wood cure by pieces of wood per day; five-day gas cure at 300, 400, 500, 600 and 700°F for 3 hours a day; do not shut off or unplug mid-cycle; only dry medium or hard firewood, no liquid fuel or treated wood; small cracks, dripping water and odor during curing are expected.; [Wood Stone — Mountain Home and Traditional Home installation and operation manual (M0365)](https://woodstone-corp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/M0365_MANUAL_Install_MH_TH_RFG_IR_W_0.pdf) — Ovens are cured at the factory but absorb moisture in shipping and storage; initial startup of 1 hour at factory settings (hearth 100°F, lowest flame), 4 hours at 25% flame, then 50% flame for at least 4 hours or until 500°F; repeat after extended periods without use.; [Coyote — 30-inch hybrid multi-fuel outdoor pizza oven manual](https://coyoteoutdoor.cdn.prismic.io/coyoteoutdoor/aBI0p_IqRLdaBwa8_Coyote_Hybrid_Multi-fuel_Outdoor_Pizza_Oven_Manual.pdf) — Bring the oven up to temperature slowly the first time to drive out moisture; prime the burner for up to 30 seconds on first firing; use dried hardwood such as alder, apple, ash, hickory, maple, mesquite, pecan or oak, never pine, fir, cedar, painted or engineered wood. ## After the cure: first bakes and curing again Chicago Brick Oven suggests cooking something simple the first two times, such as a plain pizza shell, and throwing it away, then eating from the third firing on. From then on it asks for fires built up gradually, and more gently still in cold weather. Curing is not a once-in-a-lifetime event. Chicago Brick Oven calls for a new cure after a long spell without use or heavy exposure to moisture, and Wood Stone repeats its startup schedule when the oven has not been used for an extended period. An uncovered dome through a rainy week counts. Source: [Chicago Brick Oven — CBO-500, 750 and 1000 user manual](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2643/6080/files/CBO_500-750-1000_User_Manual_120225_English_V1_-_Digital.pdf) — Cure as close to 212°F as possible, not above, over a 2- to 3-day period; coals from a fire built elsewhere give heat without flame; a large first fire can cause permanent damage and void the warranty; small cracks are normal; never use starter fluids; discard the first two cooks; heat slowly in cold temperatures; re-cure after long disuse or excessive moisture.; [Wood Stone — Mountain Home and Traditional Home installation and operation manual (M0365)](https://woodstone-corp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/M0365_MANUAL_Install_MH_TH_RFG_IR_W_0.pdf) — Ovens are cured at the factory but absorb moisture in shipping and storage; initial startup of 1 hour at factory settings (hearth 100°F, lowest flame), 4 hours at 25% flame, then 50% flame for at least 4 hours or until 500°F; repeat after extended periods without use. ## Where to stop Stop the cure and book a visit if a crack opens to 1/8 inch or wider, if pieces fall from the dome, if smoke pours from the mouth or through the shell instead of up the chimney, or if a gas or hybrid burner will not stay lit. Shut the gas supply, keep hands off fittings and panels, let a wood fire die down on its own with nobody reaching in, and keep off the roof by the flue. Written by [PizzaOvenRepair.center technical team](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/authors/technical-team/). Technicians servicing backyard pizza ovens and pizzeria deck and conveyor ovens, drawing on field visits and oven manuals. Sources: [Chicago Brick Oven — CBO-500, 750 and 1000 user manual](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2643/6080/files/CBO_500-750-1000_User_Manual_120225_English_V1_-_Digital.pdf) · [Chicago Brick Oven — How to cure a pizza oven](https://chicagobrickoven.com/blogs/the-hangout/curing-your-oven) · [Marra Forni — Static oven owner's manual, Rev 5 2026](https://marraforni.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Static-Manual-Marra-Forni-Rev-5-2026.pdf) · [Wood Stone — Mountain Home and Traditional Home installation and operation manual (M0365)](https://woodstone-corp.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/M0365_MANUAL_Install_MH_TH_RFG_IR_W_0.pdf) · [Coyote — 30-inch hybrid multi-fuel outdoor pizza oven manual](https://coyoteoutdoor.cdn.prismic.io/coyoteoutdoor/aBI0p_IqRLdaBwa8_Coyote_Hybrid_Multi-fuel_Outdoor_Pizza_Oven_Manual.pdf) · [Bakers Pride — floor model gas deck oven operation manual (U4114A)](https://bakerspride.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/C_GAS_DECK_OVEN_100_200_300_400_600_800_125_805_2M-U4114A_REV_C_01-22.pdf) · [Blodgett — 1048 gas deck oven installation, operation and maintenance manual](https://middleby-cdn.com/usermanuals/Blodgett_1048_DeckOven_Manual_1.pdf) ## Step by step. Five steps, in the order worth doing them. 01 ### Find your model's schedule Before you cure a pizza oven, open the curing or initial startup page in the manual for your exact model and keep it beside the oven; temperatures and days differ by maker. 02 ### Check the flue and the weather Make sure the chimney is clear and capped, rain is not forecast for an uncovered oven, and you have an infrared thermometer for the floor and dome. 03 ### Start small and hold it low Light a small fire of dry hardwood, or set the burner to the first stage, and hold the first day's temperature for the full time the manual gives. 04 ### Step up only as written Raise the heat one stage at a time as the schedule says, and do not skip ahead because the outside of the dome already looks dry. 05 ### Watch, do not patch Expect steam, some dripping and fine cracks; note anything wider and leave it for an inspection instead of filling it halfway through the cure. For the heart of your home. ## Questions owners ask. ### Can I skip the cure if the dealer says the oven was pre-cured? Check the manual first. Wood Stone cures at the factory and still asks for a slow first startup, and Marra Forni waives its cure only for ovens delivered pre-cured. ### Why is my new pizza oven dripping water? During the cure it is moisture leaving the masonry, and Marra Forni says the dripping and the smell stop when curing is complete. Water that shows up after rain on a cured oven points to a missing cover or rain cap instead. ### How hot is too hot while curing? Anything above the stage you are on. Chicago Brick Oven caps its cure at 212°F while Marra Forni climbs a step a day to 700°F, and going past the day's number is how the damaging cracks start. ### Does the oven need curing again every spring? Only if it sat unused for a long stretch or took on water, which is when Chicago Brick Oven asks for a new cure. When you are unsure, a slow first fire of the season costs nothing. ## The problems behind it. Each has a page of its own: what it usually means and the causes in the order worth checking. [All 17 problems](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/problems/) Problem ### Pizza Oven Dome Cracked Inside or Out After Rain or a Big Fire 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Pizza Oven Floor Cracked: Split Tiles, Lifted Bricks, Crumbling Stone 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Wood-Fired Pizza Oven Smoking Heavily Out of the Chimney Top 6 causes, cheapest first Gas, fire or smoke at the oven ### Pizza Oven Smoke Filling the Room Instead of Leaving by the Flue 6 causes, cheapest first ## When it needs a technician. The repairs on the right are where this guide ends when the checks do not settle it. ### Pizza oven floor and dome repair Cracked or spalled hearth bricks and stones reset or replaced, dome and arch cracks packed and sealed, and the oven cured back up slowly. ### Pizza oven cleaning and safety inspection A full cleaning of the pizza oven's burners, floor, fingers, chimney path and vents, with a gas leak check, flame check and written safety report. ### Pizza oven diagnostic visit One visit to learn why the pizza oven will not light, heat, hold temperature or draw: gas, flame, stone, chimney, belt and controls each checked. ## More in maintenance and prevention. The routines that keep a pizza oven off our schedule, from curing it with small fires and burning dry wood to sweeping the floor, clearing the chimney and rotating deck stones. [The whole section](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/guides/maintenance-and-prevention/) Habits that keep an oven baking evenly ### Cleaning the Pizza Oven Floor and Chimney Without Water on Hot Stone Letting heat burn off spills, brushing the floor during service, carrying out cold ash in a lidded can, lifting floor bricks where the maker allows it, and how often the flue and cap need a look. Habits that keep an oven baking evenly ### Keeping a Deck Oven Baking Even: Dampers, Stone Care and Where the Pies Land Why a deck bakes pale in one spot and dark in another, how dampers and top and bottom settings balance it, the scrape-and-burn-off routine for the stones, and the checks that stay with a technician. Guides ### All 18 guides Six sections, by what you are trying to find out. --- **[Read on the site: Curing a New Pizza Oven: Slow First Fires on the Maker's Schedule](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/guides/curing-a-new-pizza-oven/)** **[Book a visit with PizzaOvenRepair.center](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/schedule/)**