Pellet-fed pizza oven

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for pellet-fed pizza oven are described. In some examples, a pizza oven may include a hopper for storing a combustible fuel, such as wood pellets. The wood pellets may be transferred to a burn pot by an auger. The rate at which the auger transfers the wood pellets may be managed by a controller and may be adjusted based on an ambient temperature of the oven and a desired temperature for cooking a food item (e.g., a pizza). In some instances, the pizza oven may include a cooking surface, such as a pizza stone or a pizza steel, for cooking the pizza at a desired temperature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a hopper configured to store a combustible fuel;   an auger configured to transfer at least a portion of the combustible fuel from the hopper;   a burn pot configured to receive the combustible fuel from the hopper and to ignite the received combustible fuel, wherein the burn pot is configured to maintain the received combustible fuel in an ignited state based at least in part on the auger transferring the combustible fuel from the hopper to the burn pot;   a cooking surface configured to be heated based at least in part on the burn pot maintaining the received combustible fuel in the ignited state;   a temperature sensor configured to monitor an ambient temperature associated with the cooking surface; and   a controller coupled with the auger and the temperature sensor, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a rate that the auger transfers the combustible fuel from the hopper to the burn pot based at least in part on the ambient temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a housing comprising at least a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion at least partially surrounds the burn pot, the cooking surface, and the temperature sensor, and wherein the second portion at least partially surrounds the hopper, the auger, and the controller.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first portion of the housing comprises a deflector above the cooking surface; and   the deflector is configured to deflect at least a portion of smoke generated by the burn pot away from the cooking surface and deflect heat generated by the burn pot toward the cooking surface.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein a temperature of the cooking surface is based at least in part on the deflector deflecting the heat generated by the burn pot toward the cooking surface. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a vent located in the first portion of the housing, wherein the deflector is configured to deflect at least the portion of smoke generated by the burn pot toward the vent.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an interface coupled with the controller, wherein the interface is configured to receive a desired temperature of the cooking surface, and wherein the controller is configured to adjust a rate that the auger transfers the combustible fuel from the hopper to the burn pot based at least in part on the desired temperature of the cooking surface.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a transmitter coupled with the controller and configured to transmit at least an indication of the ambient temperature to a user device.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the combustible fuel comprises wood pellets. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cooking surface is removable, and comprises a stone or a metal plate. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the burn pot comprises an igniter for igniting the combustible fuel. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cooking surface is configured to rotate. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the cooking surface is configured to rotate at an adjustable rate; and   the rate is adjustable based at least in part on the ambient temperature, the rate that the auger transfers the combustible fuel from the hopper to the burn pot, an input selected by a user, or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first fan assembly, wherein the first fan assembly is configured to maintain the combustible fuel in the burn pot in an ignited state.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second fan assembly located proximate to the controller, wherein the second fan assembly is configured to maintain the controller at or below a threshold temperature while the cooking surface is heated.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an insulative housing surrounding at least a portion of the controller, wherein the insulative housing is configured to shield the controller from a thermal output of the burn pot.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a drip pan located proximate to the cooking surface, wherein the drip pan is configured to collect one or more food products from the cooking surface.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a motor; and   a drive shaft coupled with the motor and the cooking surface, wherein the drive shaft comprises a first portion coupled with the cooking surface, a second portion coupled with the motor, and an insulative portion coupled with the first portion and the second portion, wherein the insulative portion is configured to shield the motor from a thermal output of the burn pot, the cooking surface, or both.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the insulative portion comprises a silicate material. 
     
     
         19 . A method, comprising:
 transferring, by an auger, a combustible fuel from a hopper to a burn pot;   igniting, by the burn pot, the combustible fuel based at least in part on transferring the combustible fuel from the hopper to the burn pot;   maintaining, by the burn pot, the combustible fuel in an ignited state based at least in part on igniting the combustible fuel, wherein a cooking surface is heated based at least in part on maintaining the combustible fuel in the ignited state;   monitoring an ambient temperature associated with the cooking surface based at least in part on maintaining the combustible fuel in the ignited state; and   adjusting a rate that the combustible fuel is transferred from the hopper to the burn pot based at least in part on the ambient temperature associated with the cooking surface.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 receiving a desired temperature of the cooking surface, wherein adjusting the rate that the combustible fuel is transferred from the hopper to the burn pot is based at least in part on the desired temperature of the cooking surface.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 determining that the ambient temperature associated with the cooking surface is less than the desired temperature of the cooking surface; and   increasing the rate that the combustible fuel is transferred from the hopper to the burn pot based at least in part on determining that the ambient temperature associated with the cooking surface is less than the desired temperature of the cooking surface.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 determining that the ambient temperature associated with the cooking surface is greater than or equal to the desired temperature of the cooking surface; and   decreasing or maintaining the rate that the combustible fuel is transferred from the hopper to the burn pot based at least in part on determining that the ambient temperature associated with the cooking surface is greater than or equal to the desired temperature of the cooking surface.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising:
 receiving a second desired temperature of the cooking surface; and   adjusting, for a second time, the rate that the combustible fuel is transferred from the hopper to the burn pot based at least in part on receiving the second desired temperature and the ambient temperature associated with the cooking surface.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 transmitting an indication of the ambient temperature to a user device based at least in part on monitoring the ambient temperature associated with the cooking surface.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 rotating the cooking surface based at least in part on igniting the combustible fuel.   
     
     
         26 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a hopper configured to store a combustible fuel;   an auger;   a burn pot;   a cooking surface;   a temperature sensor; and   a controller coupled with the auger and the temperature sensor, wherein the controller is configured to:
 initiate transferring, by the auger, a combustible fuel from the hopper to the burn pot; 
 initiate igniting, by the burn pot, the combustible fuel based at least in part on the combustible fuel being transferred from the hopper to the burn pot, wherein the burn pot is configured to maintain the combustible fuel in an ignited state, and wherein the cooking surface is heated based at least in part on the combustible fuel being in the ignited state; 
 receive, from the temperature sensor, an ambient temperature associated with the cooking surface; and 
 adjust a rate that the combustible fuel is transferred from the hopper to the burn pot based at least in part on receiving the ambient temperature associated with the cooking surface.