Charlie prefers sustainably-sourced, untreated, lumpwood charcoal. This can be supplemented with wood, or wood-chips, to add depth of smokiness.

Yes, it is very easy to light. Simply build a small, loose pyramid of charcoal over a couple of natural, untreated fire-lighters. Light the fire-lighters, make sure Charlie’s top and bottom vents are open, shut the door … and leave it. In around 20-30 minutes, Charlie will be up to temperature.

Charlie’s temperature is primarily controlled by airflow: the more air coming through the upper and lower vents, the hotter the charcoal will burn. Once Charlie is about 10 degrees Celsius short of the temperature you want, simply close-down both vent controls to about 25mm/1 inch open (just put your finger between the vent control knobs and the oven casing as a good guide to this), and the temperature will climb the last 10 degrees to your desired temperature - and then hold. To increase it again, open the vents and add more charcoal if needed.

Charlie is very low maintenance. All of the ash generated by cooking falls through into the ash drawer. Once it’s cool, simply pull it out and empty it into the bin. The racks are easily cleaned with a wire brush. The exterior can just be cleaned with a sponge and soapy water.

The Charlie Oven is designed to be used whatever the weather and whatever the season. It’s weatherproof with stainless steel hardware and a powder-coated finish. Its front-opening design retains the heat when it's opened, and keeps the weather well away from your food! We make a beautiful cover, its primarily function is to keep the oven clean, it will help to prolong the life of your paintwork. One point to note if you cover your oven is to make sure that it is dry when you cover it and ensure the air vents are pushed out to encourage air flow. The cover is waterproof which makes it less breathable which can lead to condensation. Check your oven periodically to ensure it remains dry.

You can set Charlie from anywhere between 100 degrees Celsius to 400 degrees Celsius. From slow-cooking and braising to intense searing. The desired temperature can be maintained for hours, with almost no intervention.

The door always sits slightly lower on the right on every oven, this is because the hinges have a 0.3mm tolerance between the hinge pin and the hinge bracket.This is
because, as with any steel product that is designed to work at high temperature there an inbuilt allowance for expansion and contraction.0.3mm at the hinge translates to 2-3mm at the
far-right hand side of the door.