For outdoor picnics, many devices have been invented, one of which is a clay tandoor. This technology came to us from the countries of the East and has proven itself well. If you approach the matter correctly and independently make a tandoor from clay, it will last a very long time, delighting the owners with delicious dishes.
Device and principle of operation
Tandoor made of clay is a stove in the form of an egg-shaped flask, working on wood. The culinary structure consists of a building with a firebox and an ash pan, a lid with a hole for smoke outlet. During fuel combustion, the released heat accumulates in the vessel, heats up its walls and reaches its highest value at the upper cut. Thanks to such a device, you can cook a wide variety of dishes in the oven - Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron, barbecue, first courses in a saucepan, flat cakes on the walls, smoked meats on grates.
Advantages of the clay oven:
- efficiency, low fuel consumption;
- affordable cost of materials;
- the relative ease of making with your own hands;
- device functionality;
- interesting appearance of the stove, which fits well into the site;
- long service life.
Having made a budget portable tandoor with your own hands, you can install it in a new place every time, and put it away for storage after use.
The disadvantage of the hearth is its fragility. It is easy to break the vessel by carelessly touching a solid object and dropping it on the ground.
How to make a clay tandoor with your own hands
A step-by-step instruction for the manufacture of an oriental stove involves the manufacture of a body, a cover, cutting out a furnace and chimney hole. Finished structures are covered with a layer of thermal insulation, surface models are decorated. The sizes of classic products vary in the range of 100-150 cm in height, 80-100 cm in diameter, 40-50 cm in the size of the neck.
For work you will need:
- shovel;
- Bulgarian;
- putty knife;
- hacksaw;
- pliers;
- mixer;
- knife.
Protective goggles and gloves should be prepared.
The calculation of the need for materials is done on the basis of the drawn up project and drawing.
To make a tandoor you will need:
- the best fireclay brick;
- fittings or greasy lattice;
- sand;
- crushed stone;
- cement;
- ceramic tile;
- straw;
- iron mesh;
- containers for concrete and clay.
If the product is planned to be used under a canopy or in a gazebo, it is equipped with doors for the firebox and ash pan.
For making the hearth, a special pottery composition must be used. Ready-to-use tandoor clay is sold packaged in hardware stores and on the Internet. Before use, the mixture must be sieved and filled with water. Foreign substances float up, they must be removed with a sieve. River sand is prepared in a similar way. To improve the quality of the vessel, plant fibers are added to the solution, which are burned during firing. Due to this, the walls are porous, there are no internal stresses in them. The finished solution contains 1 part clay, 2 parts sand and 1 part fiber.
The foundation is made 10 cm wider than the base of the hearth. A hole 20 cm deep is dug under it. Its bottom is rammed, covered with geotextiles, and formwork is placed. After that, a cushion of sand and crushed stone is poured, reinforcement is laid and concrete is poured. The ratio of cement, sand and stone is 1: 3: 3.
The base is first marked with a marker, then fireclay bricks are fitted under it. For aesthetics, the fragments protruding beyond the contours of the circle are cut down.After that, the masonry mortar is diluted and stones are laid on it. The remaining seams are carefully rubbed both on top and on the sides.
The best shape for an oriental stove is a classic wooden barrel tapering upwards, although some prefer a ball. This is already a matter of one's own priorities. The inner template is made of waterproof cardboard. After giving it the desired configuration, dry sand is poured into the chamber. For strength, the walls are fixed with tape, after which they are lubricated with vegetable oil.
The kiln body is assembled from pre-prepared clay tubes of appropriate length. They are laid from bottom to top, close to the pattern, gradually removing the walls. After each level, the joints are smoothed out. When the walls of the stove rise flush with the template, form a hemisphere for the top. To do this, pour more sand and give it the desired shape. Cover with newspapers moistened with water on top. Wet newspapers are covered with a clay layer. The product is dried for about a week, after which the lid is carefully cut off. The final step is to make a 15 cm hole in the bottom of the housing and in the center of the upper flap.
After the vessel has completely dried, it must be cleaned of crumbs and dust, lubricated from the inside with vegetable oil. Heating should last at least a day, starting with paper and wood chips, gradually switching to firewood. After that, the cracks that appear are covered with clay, the firing is repeated.
A closed brick wall is laid around the bowl. A hole is left at the bottom and a channel for the firebox is made. Sand is poured into the openings, rammed, after which the gaps are laid with bricks. The exterior is finished with tiles, plaster, natural and artificial stone.
The oven will be exposed to intense heat that regular clay is not designed to handle. If during the drying process the product gets caught in the rain, the walls will simply flow. Therefore, a canopy must be built over the hearth, and the calcination process must be carried out very carefully and consistently.
