We know there is a lot of information and unsupported claims on the internet. Learn about the key features and benefits of Mugnaini ovens here.

How do Mugnaini ovens compare to the competition?

23 years of Groundbreaking Experience

In the late 1980's, Mugnaini had the opportunity to sell any number of pizza ovens. We chose two models from Refrattari Valoriani in Tuscany, Italy. Today there is an entire pizza oven industry based on the Valoriani modular component system and Mugnaini oven designs. You can see some of our design elements and even our words on other websites but you won't find the same oven or the same company!

Valoriani - Italy's Original Modular Pizza Oven - Classic Design and Timeless Materials!

Valoriani's unique prefabricated oven design was patented in 1946. Today each oven is still hand crafted by artisans in Tuscany. Andrea Mugnaini partnered with Refrattari Valoriani to define a range of ovens for the North American market. The result is the Mugnaini oven incorporating key elements not found in any other oven. We offer three sizes of our residential ovens and two commercial models.

Models: Piccolo 80 Medio 100 Medio 110 Prima 100 Prima 120

DUAL DENSITY MODULAR DOME

The dual density dome was breakthrough technology in the 1940's and still proves to be the best design for fast starts up and ease of use. The dome is 2 1/4" thick with a solid refractory clay base that is layered with clay aggregate. The clay aggregate makes the dome less dense which means it gets saturated with heat faster than a denser or heavier dome.

» Light weight for fast start up

» Expansion joints for long life

» Balanced thermal mass for excellent cooking results

» Dual density for faster saturation

» Piccolo 80, Medio 100 & Medio 110 models only

COMMERCIAL MODULAR DOME

Valoriani developed the commercial oven design in the 1970's with the rise of pizzerias in Italy. The thicker and heavier ovens meant a different assembly technique was needed. Once again, the Valoriani design became the standard for modular pizza ovens worldwide. The dome is 3 1/4" thick, made with a proprietary 45% alumina content refractory castable that has been proven for decades.

» Twice as heavy for long holding times

» Overlapping expansion joints for long life and strength

» Extra thermal mass for incredibly deep even heat

» Prima 100 & Prima 120 only

CUSTOM FIREBRICK FLOOR

Mugnaini is the only pizza oven that offers a purpose built firebrick floor (refractory clay pressed under 8000 lbs of pressure and fired at 3000 F.). Others use industrial bricks and cut to fit. Valoriani manufactures our floors with the perfect balance of porosity and strength for crispy crusts and a long life.

» The Piccolo and Medio floors are 1 3/4" thick to balance the 2 1/4" Dual Density dome.

» The Prima floors are 2 1/4" thick to balance the 3 1/4" thick commercial dome.

VENTURI EXHAUST MANIFOLD & INTERNAL FLUE

One of the hallmarks of the Valoriani design is their strong draft and smoke free indoor performance thanks to a Venturi Exhaust Manifold. The venturi accelerates the air flow up the chimney allowing the fire to breathe better. The Internal Flue sits behind the arch inside the body of the oven. An external flue sits outside and above the arch to catch the smoke. This means it is also open to your room all year long. Also, the room air competes with the oven's exhaust which is not beneficial.

PROPER SIZED ARCHES & ACTIVE DAMPING

The arch plays a crucial role in the performance of any wood fired oven yet some companies haven't realized this yet. If the arch is too large for the bake chamber the oven will cook more like a barbeque. With our internal flue we use our door placed strategically across the arch to damp down the oven for roasting. If you restrict the air coming in or the exhaust going out you can lock a Mugnaini oven into a temperature range. We call this Active Damping and it is an integral part of the Mugnaini Method of cooking in a wood fired oven.

GAS FIRED PIZZA OVENS - NOT THE SAME EXPERIENCE

A gas burner inside a pizza oven simply cannot put off as much heat as a wood fire. The real power of the oven comes from coal bed under your fire which reaches 1200 - 1400 degrees F. No gas burner ever reaches those temperatures nor can it mimic the live flame of wood. Our commercial gas burners come close to wood's performance but at the cost of complexity and a high price. We have taught our wood burning technique to many homeowners and you'll find it second nature in no time.