When Tequila first updated its process in a quest to modernise and scale up production, cooking was changed to involve steam (instead of fire) in above ground ovens made of stone or brick.
While this removed many of the smoky aromas and flavours you can find in traditional earthen pit Tequila, it made it quicker and easier to load/unload the agaves, greatly helping reduce costs. Cooking piñas this way is still a relatively long process though (between 36 – 72 hours) and many of the well-known brands use brick ovens (such as Fortaleza, Patron and Ocho Tequila).