Instructions
Unpacking Domestic Kiwi Tandoor
Congratulations on buying your Kiwi Tandoor!
Please make sure you handle the Tandoor very carefully while unpacking it due to there being a clay liner inside. Kiwi Tandoor weighs approximately 80 Kg and with wooden packaging it weighs approximately 110 Kg. We strongly suggest against lifting the Kiwi Tandoor from the top of the crate. It should always be inspected by unscrewing the top covering of the box first (while the Tandoor is still in the box) for checking any damage that may have occurred to the clay liner during transit.
After checking the Tandoor, simply dismantle the crate from the sides and move the Tandoor on its castor wheels. Please note that the Tandoor should never be tipped sideways out of Crate. Please do not lift the Tandoor by the handles on the side of the Tandoor. The handles are designed to move the Tandoor on castors only and not for lifting it. Tandoor should be lifted with the help of two adults and support should be provided to it from underneath. Any damage in the Tandoor must be notified to us within 24 hours after the receipt of delivery.
Please be advised that any hairline/minor cracks in the clay oven are normal and should not be considered as ‘damage’.
First Burn and Cooking
Please ensure that the Tandoor is positioned on a flat surface at all times.
Before the Tandoor is used for the first time, please follow the below mentioned process:
- Tandoor should be warmed up on a slow fire.
- Put approximately 2 handfuls of charcoal (please do not use fire briquette for the first burn and for at least 3 sessions thereafter) on to the grate inside the Tandoor and light it with the help of firelighters.
- Leave the lid of the Tandoor completely off and the side vent completely open during the first burn.
- Let the Tandoor cool down naturally.
- No cooking is to be done during the first burn. The first burn process is primarily to remove any excess moisture from the clay and to ensure the longevity of the Tandoor.
- Next time, when you use the Tandoor, fire it on higher temperature with lump charcoal (Please do not use fire Briquette)
- Cooking can be done this time, once the Tandoor has reached at the cooking temperature. It usually takes about 30 to 40 minutes for the Tandoor to be ready for cooking. This is usually when the fuel has turned into embers.
- Use the Tandoor for only cooking the meat on skewers for at least first 3 sessions. Thereafter, the walls of the Tandoor will be ready for making roti or naan.
- Fire briquettes can be used in the Tandoor only after the first 3 sessions.
Use of BBQ Grill
Our stainless-steel BBQ grill fits nicely in the Tandoor. Grill is inserted in the Tandoor by using the back end of the Naan rods provided with the Tandoor.
Please ensure that your Tandoor is heated and has reached a cooking temperature before BBQ grill is inserted inside the Tandoor. BBQ grill should be gently pressed through the hot charcoal so that the legs of the grill rest nicely on the base of the Tandoor. Food should be placed on the grill before it is inserted in the hot Tandoor.
Larger pieces of meat (leg of lamb, rib eye fillet, whole chicken, pork belly and pork ribs) cooked on the BBQ Grill have char grilled flavour as it is cooked over the bed of charcoal, unlike in an ordinary oven.
Use of Pizza Kit
Double Pizza Kit Assembly Instructions (small size pizza)
– 1x Top plate with 6 holes
– 1x Bottom plate with 3 holes
– 1x Wooden handle
– 1x Bracket with Slots
– 2x Small Pizza plates
– 3x Long threaded rods
– Few nuts & washers
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
Tandoor Cleaning and Care
After you have finished cooking in the Tandoor, it should always be allowed to cool off naturally by closing the top lid and the side vent. Water should not be used to extinguish the fire in the Tandoor or cool it off as it may cause damage to the clay liner inside the Tandoor. Once it has cooled down, ashes can be swept off with a brush by using the side vent. Due to the Tandoor being fully insulated, it is not uncommon for small hot coal residues to be found in the ashes even 24 hours after the cooking is finished. Therefore, we advise you to exercise extra caution while clearing the ashes out of the Tandoor.
Tandoor should be cleaned once every 4-5 times it has been used. Do not use any commercial cleaning products to clean the clay liner. However, the stainless-steel outer of the Tandoor can be cleaned by using the soapy water or any conventional cleaning products. Avoid abrasive cleaning products.
To clean the clay liner, use saltwater solution (1 tbs salt in 1 litre of lukewarm water). Apply it with a sponge or a soft cloth. Squeeze the excess saltwater from the sponge or the cloth to avoid making the clay liner too wet and gently wipe the inside of the clay walls of the Tandoor. Salt-water solution will help Naans to stick to the clay walls of the Tandoor. Such cleaning process should be undertaken when Tandoor is cold and not in use.
Store the Tandoor in a covered and dry place i.e. away from rain, snow, ice, sleet etc. Always store it in upright vertical position. If the Tandoor is not used for three months, we suggest that the first burn process as outlined above should be followed to eliminate moisture from the clay liner.
Always keep the Tandoor on an even surface and avoid it being dropped from the height or rolling it on its side as it may cause damage to the inside clay liner.
Some minor cracks may appear in the clay liner and the base of the Tandoor due to heat. Such cracks are normal and do not affect the operation of the Tandoor in anyway. It is only due to the stress of the high temperature that these minor cracks appear. This is not a structural concern.
Gas Conversion Kit
Coming Soon…