General Safety Considerations.

Overview.

The Charlie Oven is not intended for use by those with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities, or lack of experience or knowledge, unless they have been given supervision or instruction concerning the use of the Charlie Oven by a person responsible for their safety.

Please keep children and pets safely away from the Charlie Oven and any flammable or dangerous materials associated with its use, at all times. The Charlie Oven is not for use by children.

Positioning and moving the Charlie Oven.

• The Charlie Oven must only be used in a safe position.
• The Charlie Oven is for outdoor use only, in an area with unrestricted ventilation.
• Never cover or obstruct the chimney (or any other part of the oven) when in use or while cooling after use.
• It must be positioned on a completely flat, hard, weight-bearing surface.
• The Charlie Oven should sit at least 50cm away from any flammable materials.

Moving the Charlie Oven.

When moving the free-standing Charlie Oven into position, be aware that it weighs over 160kg and can only be wheeled on its castors over flat, hard, weight-bearing sur-faces. Its design means that it is top-heavy: you must take that into account when moving it.

The table-top Cheeky Charlie Oven must be placed on a flat, weight-bearing surface/ countertop that is rated to support its weight of 120 kg. If moving the Cheeky Charlie Oven on its bespoke Base Unit, rolling it on its castors, the oven and base must be securely strapped together, to ensure that the oven does fall off the Base Unit, or topple over. Please observe the same safety considerations as when moving the free-standing oven.

Please ensure adequate safety precautions and equipment are used when moving the Charlie Oven; and it is the user's responsibility to ensure safe manual handling practices are observed. The free-standing Charlie Oven should be moved on its castors by at least two adults, with at least one adult guiding it from the front and at least one adult guiding it from the back.

Do not attempt to move the Charlie oven unless the door is securely closed.

The free-standing Charlie oven must be locked into position when in use, with the locks on its front two castors; and should never be moved when in use, or until it's totally cooled down after use. The same applies to the Cheeky Charlie and its Base Unit.

 

Do's and Don'ts when Cooking with the Charlie Oven.

Always cook with the door shut. 

The door can be opened for short periods while cooking to put in and take out food, check and turn food, and add and/or take away charcoal and wood.

Cooking with the door open (especially at higher temperatures) can damage the door seal and paintwork by exposing it to direct heat and/or flames from the charcoal. For the same reason, and because the smoke will escape from the door rather than the chimney, this can also damage the paintwork around the door.

When cooking, always make sure that the door is firmly latched shut and that the seal is in contact with the frame. Cooking with the door even slightly ajar - especially at high temperatures - can damage the seal and paintwork.

Ensure the door seals tightly and how to adjust it.

There is only one part of the Charlie Oven that requires user adjustment: the door latching mechanism.

This may need small adjustments over time, as the door seal beds in, to ensure that the door seals tightly against the frame to keep the smoke and heat in when cooking.

The door latching mechanism can be tightened or loosened by adjusting the hex head screw on the inner end of the door handle boss. This tensions the latch against the spring on the boss.

Turn clockwise to tighten, anticlockwise to loosen, with the 5mm hex key supplied with the oven.

The correct tightness is achieved when the door seal is snug, with no movement of the door away from the frame, if you tug it gently when in the locked position. If the door has to be forced into the "six o'clock" locked shut position, then the latch is too tight and should be slackened.

Please note that you may still be able to see a small gap (about 1mm) around the door, between the seal and the oven frame. This is not designed to be 100% airtight and you should expect to see a small amount of smoke escaping, especially if cooking with any wood, or if cooking fatty or oily foods.

Check and adjust the door latch regularly, to continue cooking with optimum performance.

Use Lumpwood Charcoal, Not Briquettes. 

The Charlie Oven is designed to be used with charcoal as its primary fuel, with the addition of wood, or wood chips to create more intense smoky flavours. Do not use the Charlie Oven with any other fuels.

The Charlie Oven works best using sustainably-sourced, natural lumpwood charcoal.

 

Don't add already-lit charcoal or wood. 

Unlit charcoal and wood will start to burn very quickly if they're placed on the grate while the oven is already in use.

Don't use deflector plates in the Charlie Oven.

Metal expands when it is heated up and any foreign objects that completely cover part of the oven will cause heat spots, which may damage the sides of the oven by putting too much stress on the oven walls.

Normal use of cooking racks and dishes is acceptable as long as they do not prevent air flow or have been designed to allow for heat expansion.

If you are unsure, please contact us at charlie@charlieoven.com for clarification.

Don't exceed a maximum temperature of 400°C. 

This can permanently damage the oven and the door seals.

Pay constant attention when adding wood to the charcoal, or cooking with wood alone, as this can cause a rapid spike in temperature. If the temperature climbs above 400°C, remove the wood immediately. Be prepared in advance for its safe removal.

Cooking Safely With Charlie.

(Picture with symbols)

Season the oven before using it.

Before cooking with the Charlie Oven for the first time, it's wise to season the grill trays.

Just wipe the grill trays with a high-heat oil (like groundnut oil or rapeseed oil), get the Charlie Oven up to at least 250 degrees Celsius, then let it cool down totally.

That's it: the grills are now seasoned and ready to cook

Lighting Charlie.

Lighting the Charlie Oven can be done in three easy steps.

There are only two controls on a Charlie Oven:

• The lower vent control knob (which draws air into the oven).
• The upper vent control knob (which lets air and smoke escape into the chimney).

1. Before lighting, ensure both vents are fully open.

The vents are in their open position when the control knobs are pulled all the way out. Also make sure that the charcoal grates at the bottom of the oven are clean and free from any ashes or debris.

2. Make a shallow pyramid of charcoal on the grates centre.

Leave a bit of room between the lumps for them to breathe. Light one or two natural wood/wool firelighters at the base of the pyramid. Make sure they're properly alight. Don't use lighter fluid or

artificial fire lighters.

3. Close the door securely, and let it get to work.

To close it securely, just rotate the handle an-ti-clockwise from the 9 o'clock position to the 6 o'clock position. The fully open upper and lower vents will naturally draw air through the oven and the charcoal will start to burn.

Then Charlie just needs to be left alone to get up to temperature. It can reach its peak temperature - if you so wish - of up to 400 degrees Celsius, in about 30 minutes or so.

 

 

 

 

Temperature control And Cooking Styles.

Overview.

The Charlie Oven can be set to cook at any temperature, from around 80 degrees Celsius to around 400 degrees Celsius. This gives you flexibility, allowing you to cook low'n'slow, hot smoke, or even sear at intense heat.

The thermometer on the front of the oven will tell you the temperature at the oven's mid-point. That is representative of the heat in the entire oven. But, near the coals at the bottom of the oven, there will be additional radiant, direct heat from the coals themselves - and potentially flame-back—for more intense searing.

How to control the temperature.

Once the Charlie Oven is 10 degrees Celsius short of the temperature you're aiming for, shut down the upper and lower vents to about one inch open (ie a one inch gap between the vent knob and the face of the oven), and the temperature will rise a little - then it will hold - and it will sustain that temperature for several hours.

To increase the temperature again, just open both vents, to draw more air through the oven. If the Charlie Oven has been running for a long time and the temperature starts to drop, simply add more charcoal to the grates and fully open the vents.

Positioning within the oven.

Set your racks in the Charlie Oven to fit the type of cooking you want for each element of your meal. Cook high, cook low.

Remember that there will be a higher temperature, with the possibility of flame-back, immediately above the charcoal. In the top half of the oven, all the cooking will be done by indirect heat, as indicated by the thermometer.

Other tips.

The Charlie Oven takes much less time to heat up than it does to cool down, so plan your cooking accordingly!

If you want to add extra depth of smoky flavour to your food, just add some properly seasoned and dried wood chunks or chips onto the charcoal.

You'll very quickly get used to how easy the Charlie Oven is to use and control.

Cooling And Cleaning Charlie.

The Charlie Oven is very low maintenance.

Once you've finished cooking, just let the Charlie Oven cool down naturally, by closing both the upper and lower vents, which interrupts the air flow to the charcoal. Given the Charlie Oven's heavy-duty construction and insulation, it can take several hours to totally cool.

Whilst the Charlie Oven is still warm, you can brush the cooking racks clean with a wire brush. But wait until the Charlie Oven has totally cooled down until dealing with the grate or ashes or undertaking any other cleaning.

When the Charlie Oven is totally cool, using a wire brush, brush any charcoal residue  that hasn't fallen into the ash drawer. From time to time, lift the grates, remove the ash that has gathered underneath, and push through the lower vent ash shoot. 

Disposing of ash.

To dispose of the cold ashes (ensure they are completely cold), simply pull out the ash drawer completely from the base and empty its contents into a suitable bin.

Make sure the ash drawer is emptied before it gets full, as this could interfere with the air flow through the oven.

Cleaning the exterior of the oven.

The Charlie Oven requires little cleaning. Don't use any cleaning products at all on the interior of the oven. To clean the exterior, just use a soapy cloth or sponge with some warm water. Please don't use any metal polishes, abrasives, or scourers.

Caring for the paintwork.

The Charlie Oven is powder coated over steel. As such, the paintwork (much like a car) can be damaged or scratched by being scraped or hit by sharp or heavy objects.

Please take care not to do this.

Never put hot objects against any part of the paintwork, as this can damage the paint.