Alfred: Revolutionizing Outdoor Cooking with Design

Outdoor Wood Oven by Benoit Sepulchre - Agence Product

Benoit Sepulchre - Agence Product, the designer behind Alfred, drew inspiration from the shotcrete technique and the works of architects Antti Lovag and Pascal Häussermann. The result is a harmonious shape that blends seamlessly with a simple and functional design. Alfred is not just an outdoor wood oven; it's a modernized version of wood fire cooking, offering ease of use, safety, and a powerful cooking experience.

Alfred stands out for its unique use of materials such as glass, cast iron, welded metal, composite, and insulating materials. Each material was chosen for its best characteristics, resulting in an original and harmonious design. The oven is insulated with high-temperature insulation materials to prevent burns on the outer shells, making it safe and user-friendly.

The technical specifications of Alfred are impressive. With a width of 980 mm, depth of 1000 mm, and height of 2180 mm, Alfred is designed to be robust yet compact. The oven features a glazed cast iron door with an easy locking system and a double skin exhaust pipe to prevent burns. The vault and floor are made of high-temperature refractory chamotte, ensuring true thermal inertia.

Alfred is not just about aesthetics; it's about performance too. The oven offers a low consumption of wood, making it economical and ecological. Its powerful insulation provides exceptional performance, and its wide temperature range allows for versatile cooking, from smoking to drying. Whether you want to cook quickly or slowly, Alfred makes it easy.

The design of Alfred was realized over 18 months, starting in November 2016 in France. The project involved extensive market research and a deep understanding of wood firing in a wood oven. The biggest challenges were minimizing the thickness of refractory fireclay high temperature and maintaining strength, finding materials that could withstand high temperatures, and designing each shell mold in one easily demouldable part.

Alfred's innovative design and functionality have not gone unnoticed. The outdoor wood oven was awarded Silver in A' Garden and Outdoor Furniture Design Award in 2019, a testament to its outstanding design and innovation. With Alfred, cooking outdoors is not just a task; it's an experience.