Coal-fired pizza is a pizza style in the United States. New York–style pizza and New Haven–style pizza are often cooked in coal-fired pizza ovens. A coal-fired oven can reach 900 °F (482 °C) and cooks a pie in two to five minutes.[1][2]

The coal-fired pizza oven at Lombardi's Pizza in Manhattan
New Haven-style pizza cooked in a coal-fired oven at Sally's Apizza

Pizzerias outside of the Northeastern United States that feature coal-fired ovens are uncommon enough to be noted in travel guides: for instance, Black Sheep Pizza with the first coal-fired oven in Minneapolis,[3] or URBN in San Diego.[4] As of 2007, coal-fired ovens were quite uncommon in the Western United States with only five others west of the Mississippi: four in an Arizona chain and one more in Las Vegas.[5]

The growing popularity of coal-fired pizza in the 2010s was identified as a major market for anthracite coal suppliers, most of whom are in Pennsylvania's Coal Region and generally see a declining market due to demand for alternate industrial and home heating fuel sources.[6]

Health concerns

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Concerns have been raised about particulates, sulfur dioxide and CO2 emissions from coal-fired pizza ovens.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Interest in coal-fired ovens heats up", Pizza Marketplace, Networld Media, May 4, 2009
  2. ^ Anya LITVAK, "Pennsylvania's tiny anthracite coal industry finds a specialty: pizza oven fuel", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
  3. ^ Cornell, Tricia (2016). Moon Minneapolis & St. Paul. Moon Publications. Avalon Publishing. p. 91. ISBN 978-1-63121-273-4.
  4. ^ Fodor's California 2015. Fodor's. 2014. p. 151. ISBN 978-0-8041-4298-4.
  5. ^ Adam KUBAN (November 2007), Coal-Oven Pizzerias Nationwide, Serious Eats
  6. ^ Mario Parker; Leslie Patton (September 22, 2015), "Coal's Carving Itself a Bigger Slice of America's Pizza Market", Bloomberg Business
  7. ^ Umbra Frisk (November 24, 2014), "Should I feel guilty about eating coal-fired pizza?", Grist

Further reading

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