5 Common Types of Commercial Pizza Ovens
Pizza is one of the most popular foods in America. Pizza ovens are designed to cook them evenly on both the top and bottom, giving a crispy crust. While different kinds exist, some are better than others, depending on various factors such as space and speed of cooking. This article examines the pros and cons of 5 common types of commercial pizza ovens to help you make the best decision for your foodservice operation.
Types of Commercial Pizza Ovens:
Convection Oven
A convection oven uses a fan to circulate the heat all around. This system allows for a more even cooking environment and faster cooking time compared to other types. These pizza ovens are great because they usually have a higher maximum temperature, which leads to efficient cooking.
Furthermore, they can cook multiple pizzas at once, making them great for higher-volume restaurants. However, these ovens are not great if you prefer crispy crusts because they do not allow direct contact between the pizza and the stone. This downside can lead to sogginess in your pizza’s bottom.
- Power Source – Convection ovens for making pizza are available in both gas and electric varieties.
- Temperature – Convection ovens heat pizzas to 460 °F.
- Preheat and Cooking Time – They take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to reach the proper temperature, whereas pizza takes 5 to 6 minutes to cook.
Deck Oven
A deck oven uses the same heating element as your regular home oven, making it very energy efficient. These pizza ovens can cook pizzas at a range of temperatures; 400 °F – 600 °F. Because these ovens use home heating elements, they are small, making them great for modest pizzerias. Their compact size sets them apart from others.
- Power Source – Gas and electric deck ovens are available
- Temperature – A deck oven can reach temperatures of 600 °F when used for correctly cooked pizza
- Preheat and Cooking Time – A pizza baked in a deck oven takes around 6 to 8 minutes to cook if the heat is 500 °F to 520 °F
Conveyor Oven
The design of conveyor ovens facilitates speedy cooking of pizzas. They allow you to cook up to 101 pizzas per hour, which is faster than other types. This speed makes them highly preferable to high-volume quick-service restaurants. Conveyor ovens work by having your pizza slide through a conveyor belt.
Brick Oven
A brick oven is one of the earliest forms of pizza ovens and is still in use today. These ovens use bricks and wood to heat up to extremely high temperatures, usually in the 800 °F – 1000 °F range, and cook your pizzas in a matter of minutes. They also allow you to cook them on one side at a time, giving them a crispy bottom that most people prefer.
Brick ovens typically use wood as fuel. However, you can also find some that use gas and coal. They can reach high temperatures of up to 1000°F. It mostly takes 45 to 60 minutes for the oven to preheat and 1.5 to 5 minutes to cook. However, the size of the crust and how many total pizzas are in the pie impact the cooking time.
Rapid Cook Oven
A rapid cook oven is similar to a conveyor belt oven, but cooks at a very high heat, rapidly. These ovens are very energy efficient and can cook multiple pizzas at once, which is why they are highly preferable to other types. You could also pre-cook an entire pizza, and then use a rapid cook oven for individual slices.
They work by blowing hot air over your pizza to cook it, which lets them cook much faster than other ovens. It makes them perfect for high-volume restaurants where speed is essential.