Maintaining your oven.

Following these maintenance and operating tips will help keep your CBO oven looking and performing at its best.

  • The inside of the oven is self-cleaning. If cheese from a pizza or sauce from a roast spills onto the bottom tiles, simply push some glowing coals over the spills and they will disappear.
  • When using any CBO accessory, please do not allow any type of liquid to touch the hearth or dome. For example: When cooking steak on the grill grate, you need to create a bed of coals underneath the grill grate to “catch” the drippings. You could also use the griddle as a “catch basin” underneath the grill grate.
  • Sweeping the flue once a year is recommended and is an easy, do-it-yourself project.
  • Always use dry wood. If you see moisture coming from the logs while they are on the fire, the wood is not dry. Using wood that’s not dry will cause the oven to throw off smoke. The high moisture content can also damage the oven.
  • If the outdoor temperature is cold or below freezing, take extra time to slowly heat your oven. The fire should be built-up over at least one hour. Start with a small fire and carefully add more firewood to gradually raise the temperature.
  • Over time, the metal door may become discolored from oxidation. Once a year, you can scrub it with steel wool to remove the deposits and repaint the door using a high temperature-resistant paint to restore its patina. For aesthetic reasons, some people prefer an aged look to their oven. In that case, leave the door as is — the oxidation will not harm it or affect the oven’s performance.
  • For exposed metal hoods, you can buy an inexpensive grill cover to help protect the oven from the elements when not in use.