The Ins and Outs of Ovens
By Tom Boyles | PMQ Staff

Choosing the right oven is like choosing a spouse. It’s a decision you will have to live with unless you’re willing to deal with the headache of finding a replacement.

Space, fuel requirements, capacity, you concept and pizza style are all part of the decision making process when purchasing an oven. There are several styles of pizza ovens from which you can choose; conveyers, deck, or countertop models. Each one has its benefits as well as its disadvantages. I have heard stories of pizza operators purchasing an oven they decided was the one they wanted, but when it came to their operation, it wasn’t what they needed. “Is there that much difference?” you ask. Yes, there is. We wanted to break down the pros and cons of each style and provide you with the knowledge to make better decisions when it comes to spending your hard-earned cash. We are providing general information and exceptions can be found for each style of oven listed. The article is intended to be a guide to help you understand the basic principles of each type of oven so you will know what questions to ask and what to look for when purchasing an oven. For specifics, we recommend contacting the manufacturers of ovens you may consider purchasing.

Buying a New Oven
What questions should you ask when deciding on what type of oven to purchase? Peter Exton with the Bakery & Pizza Department at Commercial Food Machinery suggest you consider two important factors; 1) Do you require an oven to produce authentic baked pizza, high in quality or high in dollar return or 2) Do you need an oven for fast and easy production of bargain pizzas where junior staff are mainly used so ease of operation is important. “If you answered yes to question 1 then a conveyer oven would suit your needs. If you answered yes to question 2 then deck ovens or wood ovens may be your requirement,” Peter says. “The most common mistake is not purchasing the right oven for the style of pizza you are producing (e.g.: deck vs. conveyer).” Other factors to ask include: Is it a well known reliable brand and are spare parts and service available without lengthy delays? Tim Withers of Spyral Pty. Ltd, says, “Operators should ask themselves what type of pizza operation they are developing (i.e.; take away, eat in or both). They need to decide what volumes they need to produce per hour to be profitable now and in the future. These simple questions will confirm what type or size of oven they require.”

New vs. Used
“There are certainly pitfalls when purchasing secondhand, such as unit history, ongoing parts supply, serviceability, and performance,” Tim at Spyral said. “Although the secondhand unit may be at a discounted price, what are the ongoing costs due to failure going to add up to in the long run. But, not everyone can afford new. It is best to buy a secondhand unit from a reputable reseller as they will have the ability to service and support you in the future. Make sure the oven is clean and has had a full service prior to operation.”

Joseph Pali of ABP Atlas agrees. “Things you must know when buying used are: Where did the oven come from? How much was it used and by whom (a “cowboy” or an artisan?)! Do you get parts and service when you need it? Is the dealer or the importer still around or gone to Brazil?”

“If the budget allows it is always better to buy new,” Peter Exton says. “The oven is your most important asset in the business… without it you are not in business.”

Decks vs. Conveyers
Now, let’s look at the subtle differences that differentiate ovens. What are the differences in deck, wood-fired, and conveyer ovens and the new breed of fast baking ovens that should be considered by owners?

Tony Nicolazzo of VIP Refrigeration Catering & Shop Equipment says, “A conveyer should be considered above all others for delivery and takeaway as it is capable of high volume with no baking skills required. A deck oven is most suitable for a smaller takeaway/delivery outlet or pizza restaurant application. It allows the operator to bake to customers individual preferences. If a crispier base is required the pizza is removed from the tray and placed directly on the baking hearth. A wood fired oven is most ideal for a pizza restaurant application, particularly for gourmet pizzas. The oven adds character and attraction to the premises and has a different baking characteristic to the deck and conveyer to differentiate from the more traditional pizza outlet. The ‘middle eastern’ ovens should also be mentioned in particular for baking Lebanese pizza. The oven has a totally different baking characteristics to the other types. It requires heat predominantly from the side of the oven to achieve the ultimate result.

Peter Exton’s opinion varies a bit. He says, “Without a doubt the woody is the best oven to bake the best pizza, but it is dirty and unproductive for today’s market. The conveyer is good for productivity and operator ease. BUT in my opinion the deck oven is the best oven to use for pizzas. It has the characteristics of a woody without the mess. The deck oven gives a good crust to the product.”

Conveyer Ovens
Most pizzerias do the majority of their business in two 3-hour spans during lunch and dinner. Many pizza operators never reach their maximum potential because they do not produce all they can in the two 3-hour spans. Because of this, conveyer ovens are probably the most widely used style of ovens in the pizza industry. Every pizza is baked the same and consistency is assured.

“Conveyer ovens are either fan forced (impinger) or non fan forced (natural convection),” Tony at VIP explains. “The impinger type to a greater extend will dry out the moisture in the product much more than the natural convection type due to forced air movement. The finished product is significantly different for this reason alone.”

One thing to keep in mind when purchasing a conveyer oven is how easy will it be to clean. The best choice is one with easy access to the internal components through doors or by the removal of panels. Ovens that require major disassembly will simply not be cleaned as often, not to mention parts can be lost or put together wrong when reassembling. If ovens are not cleaned often, as recommended by the manufacturer, the buildup can also cause mechanical failure or premature wear on some of the internal components.

Recent modifications to the conveyer style include the addition of multiple conveyer belts or split belts that allow for varied cook times in the same cooking chamber.

Brick, Stone and Deck Ovens
Producing great pizzas with deck ovens is more of an art form. The way they cook is very different. Inside the oven, you find a large “deck” and the pizza is put in the oven, or “peeled” in, by placing them on large pizza paddles and sliding them inside the cooking chamber to cook.

These styles of ovens require more experience than other ones. First, you need a cook who will know when it’s time to pull the pizza out of the oven. Because most of these ovens provide heat from one or more areas, such as from the bottom, back or sides, the temperatures may vary in different areas of the oven. In addition, each time a pizza is placed on the deck, the surface area where the pizza sits has the heat, which is stored in the cooking surface’s material, pulled away by the product being cooked on it. This is why you need an experienced person tending the oven. Another advantage to this style is that you can get them as wood-fired, coal-fired, gas or electric ovens, depending on what you want. The taste varies from pizzas cooked in conveyers because the pizza is placed directly on the cooking surface and bakes the bottom crust differently. Another difference in the crust is that the bottom is usually coated with flour or cornmeal to prevent the pizza from sticking to the surface, which adds a different texture, appearance and taste.

Deck ovens offer several choices when it comes to the baking surface. Stone baking surfaces have several advantages. Because pizza is best cooked from the bottom up to get a crispy crust and cook toppings, stone works well. Stone holds heat on the surface better than metal, so less heat is lost in cooking. Another advantage to stone is that it absorbs oils and moisture that is released from pizzas making them dryer. Like an old skillet, it becomes seasoned. Metal surfaces work well because they too cook from the bottom up. The key here is to make sure the metal surface is thick enough. Unlike stone, oils and moisture collect on the surface and can end up frying the crust if not cleaned regularly.

Tiles are much like stone. They absorb oils and moisture, but are not as thick. This makes them cheaper to buy, but they do not maintain surface temperatures as well as stone.

So, what are the disadvantages of conventional style ovens? With older deck ovens, as the workday progresses and the doors are opened and closed to insert, shuffle and remove pizzas, the heat is released from the oven requiring longer cooking times as the day goes on. If you have a good quality deck oven which has an extra heating element at the front of the chamber (the air curtain effect ) or a Turbo Function, then the heat loss should never be an issue. You need a good cook who will be with you for a while at the helm because he or she will know how the oven bakes at different times and will also know when the pizzas are ready to be moved or removed.

Fuel Sources for Ovens
Now that you are familiar with the different styles of ovens, let’s look at the different ways you can cook with them. There are several different fuel sources to choose from; wood, gas, or electric.

First, let’s look at wood-fired ovens. Pizzas cooked in wood-fired ovens look and can taste different and are generally darker in color than those cooked in other styles of ovens. Partly because they absorb some of the smoke, depending on the type of wood used, and the bottom crusts tend to be a little crispier because of the intense heat of the cooking stone.

Gas ovens are probably the most popular. Gas burns clean and consistent. They also have faster recovery times. The recovery time is the amount of time it takes to replenish the heat lost from the raw pizza, the door being opened or heat escaping through other areas. Gas also gives off water vapor as it burns, which some operators believes makes a better pizza. There are generally no affects on the taste due to using gas as a fuel source.

Electric ovens, basically, have the same advantages as gas. They do not require additional venting, but can be expensive to operate in high volume operations. Arriving in the pizza industry in 1976, impingement technology is among the newest ideas in pizza ovens. These ovens use high velocity air, which strikes the surface at a 90-degree angle. They allow the product to bake faster because they blow off the moisture and cold air from the unbaked pizza. To demonstrate how much the air helps, look at it this way: If you put your arm in a normal conveyer or wood oven to pull a pizza, your arm doesn’t get burned. If you stick your arm in an impinger oven, you can expect an immediate burn.

Other things to consider: Both gas and electricity may not be available to every location. There may not be enough electricity available to run the oven as 3 phase can be limited and is very expensive to introduce in some shops. Gas ovens require the nominated amount of gas volume and may require a plumber to size the piping up correctly.

New Technologies
While there is some groundbreaking technology with ovens, there are some simple evolutions as well. One Joseph Pali mentioned is “energy saving, also practical inventions, like oven door opening that is controlled with a foot pedal.” But, the new generation fast cooking ovens have pushed the envelope.

These new generation of ovens are able to cook up to 30% faster and with up to30-40% reduction in running costs. Tim Withers says, “This means we can now see high production units encompassed in a smaller floor space and with greater efficiencies. Shorter cook times means faster delivery times and thus customer satisfaction is increased which leads to repeat business. Imagine cooking a pizza in 4 minutes where in the past it has taken 7 minutes. Now imagination is reality.”

Preventative Maintaince
Should owners schedule routine service or cleaning? “Do you get your car serviced regularly?” asks Joseph Pali. “Think about it…the car takes your money and you still look after it. What about the oven that makes your money! Doesn’t it deserve some pampering too?”

“Preventative maintenance should be a prerequisite for every business,” Tim said. “The oven is the engine of the business and when the engine fails the business goes nowhere. Preventative maintenance will reduce and prevent possible breakdowns through the early detection of possible faults. Any operator who doesn’t have a PM program will in due course suffer a failure which can drastically affect their business. If you don’t have a PM program you are at risk of losing profit every day.” Peter says, “Maintenance is VERY important on any equipment. Conveyer ovens require routine maintenance because of all the moving parts and gas supply. A conveyer will run very ineffectively if not maintained in a good operational condition. The deck oven is reasonably maintenance free with the important ongoing maintenance is keeping them clean on a daily basis.”

Don’t Make Mistakes
Tim Withers says most operators try to open their stores with an oven that meets their basic production capacities and budget (i.e.; small oven that produces a small volume). “This is a common mistake as the business will develop and volumes required will change (normally increase).” Tim says. “This means the operator cannot meet demand at peak times and in effect his business will be held back as customers stop coming because of the long wait times. Talking to an experienced sales representative about the business goals and targets will allow the correct oven to be specified for now and the future.” If you are looking at purchasing a new oven, don’t simply go with the fastest, best looking or best price. Our advice is to consider what you need from an oven for your operation, then narrow your choices down to four or five and contact the manufacturers for specific information relevant to your store. Never buy an oven without first cooking one of your pizzas in it. Inquire about the cost of the installation because it is also a consideration. The last thing you want is to be stuck with something you’re not happy with. As Joseph Pali says, “The biggest mistake is to buy it on price! The heart of any pizza operation is the OVEN. If is not functioning on the right way you are gone. Simple philosophy: right tool for the right job.”