Curing Your Oven

How to Cure Your Chicago Brick Oven

Curing gradually removes moisture from your oven’s refractory components before high-temperature cooking. Even an oven that looks dry can retain moisture. Begin gently and follow the current instructions for your CBO oven; a large first fire can cause permanent damage.

Choose your curing method

For CBO-500, CBO-750 and CBO-1000 wood-burning ovens, follow the wood-burning manual’s low-heat curing guidance. CBO-750 Hybrid ovens can be cured with gas or by the charcoal/coals method. The Residential and Commercial Hybrid manuals both describe these options; choose the manual for your oven’s application and configuration.

Wood-burning ovens: low-heat cure

The current wood-burning manual calls for a temperature as close to 212°F as possible, without exceeding it, over a 2- to 3-day period. Keep the initial flames low. As an alternative, the manual describes preparing a fire separately and transferring its coals into the oven to provide heat without a large flame. Read the complete Curing Your Oven section before starting. Do not replace this procedure with an arbitrary one-day cure or a final high-heat fire before curing is complete.

Hybrid ovens: gas curing

Follow the lighting instructions in your Hybrid manual and keep the doorway completely open whenever gas is operating.

1. Run the hearth, or bottom infrared, burner at 200°F for 3 hours.
2. Run the hearth burner at 300°F for 3 hours.
3. Run both burners together for 4 additional hours.

These are the current manual’s steps. If the oven was exposed to rain during installation or is in a high-precipitation area, follow the manual’s extended-curing guidance rather than assuming the basic schedule is sufficient.

Hybrid ovens: charcoal/coals curing

If you choose the non-gas method, follow the Hybrid manual’s charcoal procedure. It specifies a charcoal chimney starter and a 15 lb bag of charcoal. Ignite batches in the starter; once the coals are ash-white, transfer them using a steel peel and distribute them evenly in the oven. Let each batch burn out, then repeat as directed until the bag is used. This can take more than one day. Keep fuels away from the ambient burner and follow the manual’s fuel, handling and ventilation precautions. Never use liquid accelerants.

Watch the curing demonstration

Use the current written instructions and the applicable manual linked below for curing temperatures, timing and safety precautions. If the demonstration differs, follow the current manual.

Before your first cook

Do not rush to high-temperature cooking. Small thermal-expansion cracks can occur; the manuals distinguish these from damage caused by improper firing. Re-curing may be necessary after extended disuse or excessive moisture exposure. If you are unsure whether your oven is ready or see damage that concerns you, contact CBO before proceeding.

Manuals for your oven

• CBO-500, CBO-750 and CBO-1000 wood-burning oven manual
• CBO-750 Residential Hybrid manual
• CBO-750 Commercial Hybrid manual

Find more installation and operating documents on our product manuals page.