FAQs
The answer to all your burning questions about cooking with charcoal and wood-fire in the Charlie Oven.
Is the Charlie Oven usable all year round?
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!
What fuel should I use in the Charlie Oven?
Charlie prefers sustainably-sourced, untreated, lumpwood charcoal. This can be supplemented with wood, or wood-chips, to add depth of smokiness.
Can I use the Charlie Oven in my kitchen at home?
No, the Charlie Oven must live outdoors, on a completely flat, hard, weight-bearing surface, not on a balcony.
Where is the Charlie Oven made?
We only make our ovens in Britain. We're accredited by Made in Britain®. We use steel, advanced insulation and British engineering. Our ovens are built to last. They are designed to maximise heat retention so you don't have to literally burn through all your fuel.
Is the Charlie Oven easy to set up and light?
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.
How do you control the Charlie Oven's temperature?
Charlie’s temperature is primarily controlled by airflow: the more air coming through the bottom vent, the hotter the charcoal will burn. Once Charlie is about 20 degrees Celsius short of the temperature you want, simply close-down the bottom vent, throttle down the top vent to about 1/4 open, and the temperature will climb to your desired temperature - and hold. To increase it again, open the bottom vent and add more charcoal if needed.
How hot does the Charlie Oven get?
You can set Charlie from anywhere between 80 degrees Celsius to 350 degrees Celsius. From slow-cooking and braising to intense searing. The desired temperature can be maintained for hours, with almost no intervention.
Is the Charlie Oven easy to clean?
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.
Can the Charlie Oven move around?
The Charlie Oven is mounted on lockable castors, that can be used to move Charlie on hard, flat/even, weight-bearing surfaces. The castors must be locked when in use and while hot. We suggest caution when movng the Charlie Oven and suggest a minimum of two adults: one guiding the front and one pushing the back. The oven is top-heavy and must be moved slowly with support front and back during the move. The oven must only be moved by adults. The oven should not be moved during use.
What are the dimensions of the Charlie Oven?
The Charlie Oven is 70cm deep, 62cm wide, 180cm tall (including the chimney), and weighs over 180kg.
What financing plans do you offer?
Charlie Oven has partnered with Klarna to offer interest-free credit when purchasing a Charlie Oven. With the Klarna Financing payment plan, you can pay 10% deposit and spread your remaining payment over 6, 12, 24, or 36 months.
Who is Klarna?
Klarna was founded in 2005 in Stockholm, Sweden with the aim of making it easier for people to shop online. Klarna is now one of Europe’s largest banks and is providing payment solutions for 60 million consumers across 100,000 merchants in 14 countries.
How do I place an order using Klarna?
Purchasing with Klarna Financing is simple. Add the oven you wish to purchase to your basket and proceed to checkout as normal. Then select the “Pay Over Time” payment method, once you get to the payment screen. This will start your application with Klarna Financing. You will then be asked to provide some basic details, followed by details to check your eligibility. If you’re approved, your payment plan will be created, and your order with Charlie Oven will be automatically placed. It’s a short application and you won’t have to leave our website.
What details do I need to provide for financing my Charlie Oven purchase with Klarna
You will need to provide your name, billing address, email address and phone number, as well as some basic employment and bank details. Please ensure that the information that you are providing is accurate and that each field in the checkout contains the right information (i.e., street address in the address field).Please note that Klarna assesses all orders individually. The result of a previous credit application with Klarna, therefore, does not guarantee the same result during subsequent applications.
Will I have to pay anything up front when financing my purchase with Klarna?
Yes, you will need to pay a deposit of 10% up front. You will be prompted to make a deposit during the application flow.
How much will I pay each month?
With financing with Klarna, your monthly repayment will depend on the length of the plan you select. Financing plans start from as low as £123.75 per month for 36 months at 0% APR based on full price of £4,950. Remember, you need to pay a deposit of 10% which equals £495.
You can choose the period over which to split the payments: for 6 months pay £742.50 per month; for 12 months pay £371.25 per month; for 24 months pay £185.63 per month and for 36 months pay £123.75 per month.
If I purchase with a finance plan, will I pay more?
Our 0% offer means that you won’t have to pay more.
The monthly instalments will be collected automatically from your bank account via Direct Debit. Please ensure you have enough funds in your account to cover the repayment on your due date.
What if I'm late paying or I miss a financing payment?
Your monthly payment must reach Klarna by the payment due date.
Klarna will also report information to credit reference agencies about the payments you make, and about any payments that you fail to make on time. Failure to make payments on time could have a negative impact on your credit file and applying for future payments.
If you are having trouble making repayments, please get in touch with customer service via the support section of the Klarna app or via Klarna’s customer support page.