How it Works | Top Tanoor

Top Tanoor - How it works

Traditional Pit Cooking
Enjoy the flavours of underground cooking with Top Tanoor. Here’s how it works—step by step:

Cooking Shuwa in the Al Shatti and Al Sahra models

1. Add Wood
Place 3 pieces of hardwood (like sumr) inside the oven. This gives you that rich, authentic flavour. Alternatively, use natural charcoal and wood chips for a faster experience.

2. Ignite with Gas
Turn on the gas ignition to light the wood quickly and cleanly. No smoke clouds, no waiting around—just fast, easy ignition.

3. Insert the drip pan

Insert the drip pan into the tanoor to remove excess liquid from the tanoor and protect the bottom meat.

3. Load the Meat
Wrap your marinated meat in banana or palm leaves, place it inside, and close the lid. The oven seals completely to trap heat, smoke, and moisture—just like a traditional tanoor.

4. Let it Cook
The oven holds steady heat for hours using electricity (Al Wadi (Portable) uses gas but still completely seals). It cooks faster than a pit, but just as flavourful.

6. Unwrap and Enjoy
Open the lid, unwrap your shuwa, and enjoy meat that’s tender, juicy, and packed with traditional flavour—without the hassle of digging a pit.

5. Monitor and adjust

Additionally, use the smart thermometer or Inkbird controller to track oven and meat temperatures from your phone to cook perfectly every time. Want it smokier? Juicier? You’re in control. Adjust your settings to customise your meal.

How to Cook Other Meals
Our patented Tri-Heat Fusion Technology system combines gas, charcoal/wood, and electricity—giving you flexibility to cook a wide range of dishes.

1. Understand the Strengths of Each Heat Source and our Tri-Heat Fusion Technology - Choose your Cooking Method.

Gas – Fast and efficient, but adds little flavour.
Electricity – Steady and lets you cook with a sealed oven, though slower to adjust the temperature..
Charcoal/Wood – Rich flavour, but slower to ignite and adjust the temperature.

Combine Heat Sources for the Best Results

Gas
Use gas to:
- Cook exclusively on gas with the grill open or closed like an oven. Add wood chips for smoking.
- Use it in combination with wood/charcoal/electricity to achieve the following:
- Quickly ignite wood or charcoal.
- Preheat the oven fast (200°C in 5 minutes, 400°C in 12 minutes),
- Boost heat at the end for reverse searing or crisping.

Electricity
Use electricity to:
- Cook exclusively on electricity like an oven. Add wood chips for smoking.
- Cook with the oven fully sealed, like a traditional underground oven but for modern dishes.
- Retain moisture and prevent drying at high temperatures.
- Keep food warm at 65°C—ideal after shuwa or while waiting for guests.
- In Al Wadi, this is done using our unique gas-based system.
Charcoal
Use charcoal to:
- Cook exclusively on charcoal with the lid open or closed like an oven. Add wood chips for smoking.
- Cook with deep smoky flavour.
- Control temperature manually via vents (90°C to 400°C).
- Automate temperature control using the Inkbird controller (Al Wadi, Al Shatti, Al Jabal—pre-installed in Al Jabal), 90°C to 300°C.
Wood
Use wood to:
- Cook exclusively on wood with the lid open or closed like a tanoor, adding intense, natural flavour.
- Use the Electricity to keep the oven warm for extended cooking times, not required for shorter cooks.
- Open the vents and use gas at the end for a crispy finish.

2. Choose Your Cooking Setup

Open Grilling: Use a cooking grid only.
Short Oven Cooks (<1 hr): Use perforated pans for airflow.
Long Oven Cooks (>1 hr): Use solid drip pans for indirect heat.
Multi-Level Cooking: Mix and match across three levels (e.g. chicken in a perforated pan below, veggies in a solid pan above).

4. Preheat Your Oven

Gas: Lid closed, vents fully open. Adjust temp using the gas knob. Takes precedence over other heat sources.
Electricity: Plug in and set desired temp.
Charcoal: Lid closed—adjust temp using vents. Lid open—use bottom vent. Automate with Inkbird.
Wood: Lid open—control temp with bottom vent.

5. Start Cooking

Place your meat or dish inside and let the magic begin.
Use the Bluetooth or Inkbird thermometer to monitor progress and get notified when it’s ready.