customer spotlight

DIY is more complicated then it looks

We all know that projects tend to get bigger. What began as a fire pit for grandkids to gather around and roast marshmallows grew into an outdoor fireplace with a pizza oven. Scott and Jackie Lease’s completed fireplace is a stunning centerpiece on their patio, and the Forno Bravo oven performs beautifully, providing delectable food for their many dinner parties. 

       The Leases have lived in the Bozeman, Montana area since the 1960s, both growing up in the Gallatin Valley. Scott is the general manager at Harrington’s Pepsi Cola, a position he’s held for thirty-five years. Jackie owns and operates a sign business, Signs Here. 

       Initially, Scott planned to build his own pizza oven. He did a lot of research one winter, learning through several pizza oven companies that the science of building an oven was complicated. He kept coming back to Forno Bravo and was pleased to find that WarmStone Fireplaces and Design in nearby Livingston was a dealer for the California-made ovens. Scott built the fireplace and installed the Forno Bravo Casa2G80 model pizza oven himself. 

“I’ve discovered that the oven can be used as a smoker too. I collect apple, cherry, oak or mesquite and soak the wood in buckets of water. I add the wood as I’m cooking.” He regulates the amount of smoke by adjusting the door of the oven.”

Relaxing with cooking

       Scott enjoys the “old school” philosophy of baking and roasting by building a fire directly in the Forno Bravo oven that quickly heats it up to 700 to 800 degrees Fahrenheit. He then lets it settle down to 550 or 600 degrees. By pushing the embers back to the rear of the oven, it’s ready to bake or roast. The even, “surround” heat easily holds for six to seven hours. The refractory clay that absorbs and retains heat and the oven’s superior insulation keeps the heat in the oven. 

       Scott does most of the cooking in the pizza oven and considers it a very relaxing way to cook. He has made bread, roasts, prime rib, turkey, salmon and trout on cedar boards, breakfast quiche, appetizers, and more in the oven. He commented, “I’ve discovered that the oven can be used as a smoker too. I collect apple, cherry, oak or mesquite and soak the wood in buckets of water. I add the wood as I’m cooking.” He regulates the amount of smoke by adjusting the door of the oven. 

     Forno Bravo has designed different ovens to suit the varying needs of families and commercial businesses. Warmstone Fireplace and Design plans to display some of the pizza ovens in the future.

Karen Reinhart has published books and articles about the natural and cultural history of Yellowstone National Park and the surrounding area since 1999. She has written articles for Warmstone Fireplaces and Designs since 2001.