"Several years ago I traveled to Italy with a friend to take a course cooking with a wood fired oven. It was about the most perfect vacation a devoted foodie could ever take. I learned so much and knew immediately I was going to have one of these at my home in northern Vermont.
I had the perfect outdoor location and started doing research into what was available. I investigated three companies on line. Forno Bravo seemed to be a nice fit due to the ease of using their web site and appeal of their product line of wood oven inserts. I had some personal criteria about size and ability to hold heat for an extended period of time. One day while daydreaming on their site I picked up the phone and called with a list of questions. George McNeil was on the other end and an enthusiastic exchange of ideas spilled forth. George listened to my questions, offered advice, asked me lots of questions about what I wanted to cook in this oven and the size I thought I might be interested in. At the end of our conversation he said give me a call anytime on my cell. Well, as time went by I took him up on that offer several times. Last winter I placed my order for a Casa2G80 with George. He advised me of the time frame for shipment, what to expect when I received my oven, how it was crated and how to inspect it.
My project started in early summer and now in mid August I have started cooking. My mason, Jason, has done a beautiful job and George has been there by cell to offer encouragement and guidance. The cure firing went off without a hitch. When I discovered I was only going to be able to have 4 full days instead of 5 to accomplish this, George assured me the 5th day firing could indeed start at 3 pm and go into the evening. In the end all worked as expected and I felt sure my first attempt at cooking would be successful.
The Pizza I cooked 4 days later was yummy. My husband and I opened a bottle of Prosecco, ate pizza and enjoyed the fire into the evening. The firing went off perfectly, once banked to the side the flames reached the top of the dome, licked slightly down the opposite side and the dome cleared flawlessly.
This whole experience has been so exciting and rewarding. Georges advice and encouragement were invaluable to a first timer. I appreciated being able to call anytime with a question or concern. There are many helpful items on the web site that both Jason and I used and referred to during the installation process. I downloaded the installation guide and kept it on my desktop for easy reference as well as printing off copies to be kept on the job site. The e-book series with recipes and instructions for the oven are informative and user friendly.
I foresee many meals and gatherings around this wonderful oven. If you have a wood fired oven in your future I have complete confidence in recommending Forno Bravo as your choice…George too.
Irene Nadeau
South Guildhall, Vermont"