Gi.Metal ash shovel for wood-fired ovens
The Gi.Metal stainless steel ash shovel (code AC-PL/180) is a professional tool designed to clean the cooking floor of wood-fired ovens in pizzerias, bakeries and restaurants. With its 22x20 cm stainless steel head and a 1.8 m anodised aluminium handle, it lets the operator collect ash and embers from the refractory deck quickly and safely, keeping the oven ready for the next batch of pizzas or bread.
What it is and what it is for
After every firing, a wood-fired oven leaves a layer of ash and glowing embers on its refractory floor. Removing them is essential: residual ash sticks to the base of the pizza and uneven embers create hot spots that burn the cornicione. The ash shovel works together with the oven rake: the rake gathers ash and embers towards the mouth of the oven, the shovel lifts them out. It is part of the cleaning line that every professional pizzaiolo keeps next to the oven, alongside the brass brush and the cleaning peel.
The manufacturer Gi.Metal
Gi.Metal was founded in 1986 in Montale, in Tuscany, by Giovanni D'Annibale, who applied industrial know-how acquired in the restaurant-equipment sector to the craft of the pizza peel. Today the company is a world leader in professional pizzeria equipment, with more than 800 catalogue items and around 2,000 distributors worldwide, branches in Chicago and Curitiba, and an 8,000 m2 plant in Montale. Inside the facility, the PalaPizza centre trains pizzaioli from all over the world. Gi.Metal tools are a reference standard for napoletana, romana and contemporary pizza professionals.
Technical features
The head is made of stainless steel measuring 22x20 cm: it withstands the high temperatures of the baking chamber without warping and resists the abrasion of the refractory floor. The handle is an oval tubular profile in anodised aluminium, 1.8 m long, which keeps it light while remaining rigid; the oval section improves grip and control. The same model is available with 1.5 m and 2.0 m handles to match different oven depths. The total weight is approximately 0.84 kg, so it can be handled with one hand even at the end of a long service.
Professional uses
1) End-of-service cleaning: rake ash and embers to the mouth, then lift them with the shovel into a metal ash bin. 2) Mid-service cleaning: between batches, quickly remove the ash that builds up at the centre of the deck to keep an even baking temperature. 3) Ember management: in a Neapolitan oven kept at 430-485 degrees, move glowing embers to the side wall to control the flame without putting hands near the heat. 4) Bakery ovens: collect ash before loading bread or focaccia so the loaves do not pick up residue. 5) Morning start-up: clear the deck of cold ash left from the previous evening before relighting.
Best practice and common mistakes
Always pair the shovel with the matching rake: trying to scrape embers with the shovel alone forces the wrist and bends the head. Do not quench a hot head in cold water straight from the oven, as repeated thermal shock shortens its life; let it cool, then rinse. Never leave ash on the deck overnight: it absorbs humidity and marks the refractory. Keep the handle hooked on the wall, not leaning on the floor, to avoid bending the aluminium tube.
Pairings in the oven corner
The ash shovel completes the wood-fired oven station together with the cleaning peel, the brass oven brush, the turning peel and the launching peel. For Neapolitan pizza professionals it works alongside Gi.Metal perforated peels, which drain excess flour during launch, and the napoletana-style spatulas. LAPA stocks the full range of pizzeria tools and the Italian ingredients to go with them: type 00 flour, San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte and extra virgin olive oil.
Delivery and logistics
B2B and B2C delivery throughout Switzerland from the LAPA warehouse in Embrach (Zurich). Direct distribution by the LAPA fleet across Zurich, Winterthur, Uster, Aargau, St. Gallen, Lucerne, Zug, Bern and Basel. For Ticino (Lugano, Bellinzona, Locarno), French-speaking Switzerland (Geneva, Lausanne, Vevey, Sion), Valais and mountain regions (Davos, St. Moritz, Chur), shipping within 24-48 hours via partner couriers (Swiss Post, Planzer, Galliker, Camion Transport). As a non-perishable item, the shovel ships standard with no cold chain required, ideal for stocking up alongside a full pizzeria order.
Who it is for
Designed for pizzerias with wood-fired ovens, Neapolitan STG and contemporary pizza makers, bakeries, focaccerie, restaurants with a wood oven, hotels and agriturismi, as well as private owners of a professional or garden wood-fired oven who want a tool built to last.
