garden charcoal tandoor

[George]

You are not the only one who asked the 400C question.  Trust me, it does! and in a matter of minutes! 

I used a round type barbecue recently, a bit like the lower section of your Nipoori oven. I measured temperatures of up to 250C at grille level, just a few inches above the charcoal. If I raised the temperature probe further from the charcoal, the temperature fell away quickly, down to perhaps 150C. I covered the barbecue too, a bit like your tandoor hood. The temperatures I measured are similar to those recorded for charcoal barbecues on various websites like this one:

http://www.kingsgrill.com/innerpages/comparisons.htm

They state temperatures of up to about 440F which is mid 200s Centigrade, like I found. I really will be amazed if your Nipoori oven can somehow get the temperature up to 300C or 400C. I still don't understand how it's achieved with a commercial tandoor. On the one hand, tikkas and naans cook quickly so it must be hot but, at temperatures above 300C I don't see how anyone can reach into the tandoor with their arm, even for a few seconds.

[coogan]

Hi george, I do not know about commercial tandoors but I tried a temperature probe in my nipoori years ago when I first brought it as I could not believe it could produce temps of 400C.
It did and actually went above up to 430C with the hottest area actually being right beneath the top opening not immediately above the coals as you would have expected - it still amazes me today and I was the biggest skeptic in the world. I will see if I can get my hands on another probe and the next time I fire it up I will take some recordings with photos hopefully.

bon regards

[coogan]

Hells bells George! Got my hands on a digital thermometer and an air/gas probe. Fired the Nipoori oven up and the temp shot up to a mind boggling 475C could not believe it - thought I was going to have melt down. Took pics as best as I could to show readings.

I lit one bag of instant light charcoal Barbequick brand - they have changed the bag size from 1 kilo to 1.5 kilos which on reflection is to much fuel the 1 kilo bags I used to use I reckon would have produced the perfect 400c. Once the coals were evenly grey - about ten mins - I located the top cone into the barbecue bottom and started recording. The temperature accelerated up from about 37c to a peak of 475c within 30 seconds. I then recorded the temperature about 12 - 18 inches immediately above the unit and it dropped to 115c.

I then left the tandoor alone to burn off some fuel and cool down. After 35 minutes it had cooled sufficiently to show a reading of spot on 400C at which point I proceeded to cook my chicken shaslik kebabs in a flat six mins to perfection - recipe to follow.

What else can I say the thing really is like a portable bloody rocket engine?

Bon nipoori

[coogan]

Heating up!

[nipoori man]

Hi Coogan,
That is bloody HOT!  please use 1kg charcoal only and add on when required.  We dont want another chernobyl  disaster  ;D ;D

Thanks anyway for your trouble. The Nipoori is a mini power plant!

nipoori man

[George]

Coogan -  Thank you for measuring and reporting the temperatures. Good photos! I must be going wrong somewhere. Perhaps my temperature probe is faulty. Your six minute cooking time would tend to confirm your probe readings, whereas anything I try to cook takes far too long, which tends to confirm my low readings.

[Razor]

Hi George,

I know nothing of tandoori ovens but I'm wondering if the shape has something to do with the high temps?

Ray

[Edwin Catflap]

Did CR0 ever receive the Nipoori sample tandoor for testing?

Ed