Starting a pizzeria requires numerous big and small things to be considered and tools to be bought. The most important device among them is a commercial pizza oven that you will use every day non-stop. The modern market offers you a wide range of models of ovens. However, there are only 5 types of them: countertop, convention, deck, conveyor, and brick. Each of them has its own unique features, pros, and cons. Before choosing the oven you need, you have to understand how these tools operate, their production volume, possible dimensions, heating method, and the price difference.
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5 Types of Commercial Pizza Ovens
These types of ovens were distinguished by three major criteria: the operating process, the space that is required, and the price. Here you will find a description of each type with attention to important details. Based on it, you may choose various models that are more suitable for your pizzeria.
Brick Oven
Brick ovens are probably the most classic of them. This type of oven appeared thousands of years ago and was updated during the time. Yet, it has saved one main feature, which is the wood that must be burned to heat the oven. The wood provides your pizza with an outstanding smoky flavor. Many clients prefer one pizzeria over another because of this aroma and unique taste. Modern brick ovens cook the food evenly and slowly. Yet, they are much faster than their ancestors.
You may order brick ovens in different designs. If you don’t have enough space in the kitchen, you can choose an outdoor model. Many pizzerias with outdoor ovens arrange specific beautiful patio places where clients can watch the process of pizza-making and drink wine.
Features:
- Its production volume is not the biggest one, but you can still cook up to 12 pizzas at a time. One pizza can be cooked in 5 minutes. You can control the time by adding the wood or removing it;
- Most ovens made of bricks have similar dimensions and range from 150-160 cubic ft to 400-500 cubic ft. Yet, you can order different models that will suit your kitchen. Developers may offer you even the oven from the floor up to the ceiling of 30 sq ft.
Main disadvantage:
- Bricks take more time to heat, and you have to make sure that you will not run out of wood during the day. You will also need to keep the wood somewhere in a safe place, far from the rain or moisture.
Conveyor oven
This oven is considered to be one of the fastest among others. You can bake pizzas non-stop with it. Once you place all the toppings on the dough, just put it on the conveyor belt, and it will move to the oven. Some of the models offer 4 conveyor ovens, which are placed in a row. If you open a big pizzeria which you consider to be crowded every day, you can buy a conveyor oven.
Features:
- The production volume of this oven is amazing. It is limited only by your productivity. You can bake up to 100 pizzas in an hour. Medium size conveyor offers 75 pizzas per hour. One pizza can be cooked in 4 minutes;
- The dimensions of this oven can be changed. You may order a standard conveyor of 100 cubic ft or 180 cubic ft.
Main disadvantage:
- It requires lots of space you may not have in your pizzeria. It has conveyor belts that also need space, which makes the oven extended in the exit and entrance areas. The standard conveyor oven needs at least 150 cubic feet of space.
Deck oven
If you want to bake pizza pies with a delicious crispy crust, you can choose this type. It perfectly heats the crust and the dough without burning the topping inside. You are in charge of the heat the oven produces. The oven emits radiant heat that goes through the pizza, melting the cheese without any additional time, and bakes the dough evenly.
They are great for long-time use. Such an oven can work for decades. However, you still need to clean it before you go home, scrubbing the burn marks on decks.
Features:
- Its production volume is less powerful than in previous ovens. This type allows you to cook up to 50 pizzas per hour. One pizza deck can have up to 6 pizzas. The baking time varies from 6 to 8 minutes. One oven may have from 1 to 6 decks;
- This oven does not require much space. It needs from 100 to 180 cubic feet. These devices are great for medium pizzerias with tiny kitchens. Their design needs vertical space and not horizontal.
Main disadvantage:
- You need to constantly watch the pizzas while they are being cooked so that you can move them around. It may be time-consuming, and there may not be enough space. This is why you have to take care of it in advance.
Convection oven
The convection oven cooks the entire pizza at once by circulating the hot air around it. Since it releases the heat evenly, you may receive the brown cheese at the top of it in the end. Such ovens are the cheapest among others, and many pizzerias prefer this type. They are also simple to maintain by everyday cleaning.
Features:
- The production volume of the oven is not big and is advised to small pizzerias. You can cook 40 pizzas per hour. One oven may have up to five racks in a chamber and can contain 1-2 pizzas of 16 inches on one rack. You have to spend 5-6 minutes baking a pizza. The time varies based on the temperature inside;
- It does not require much space. You need to have 15-60 cubic feet in the oven. If you are limited in place, you can try this option.
Main disadvantage:
- This oven is great for small pizzerias, but you need a bigger capacity for a restaurant.
Countertop oven
There are countertop versions of the deck, conveyor, and convection ovens. This type saves you both space and money. Yet, this oven produces fewer pizzas than full-sized versions. Most of them are electric, and you are in charge of the heat. You may buy several ovens and stack them on top of each other.
Features:
- It takes up to 12 minutes to preheat the oven;
- A countertop oven does not require much space.
Main disadvantage:
- It is less powerful than other ovens and requires electricity to work.
The Best Pizza Oven for Commercial Use
Before you decide which oven to buy, take the measurements of the space you have for the oven. Calculate your possible audience and decide whether you need to buy a big or small oven. Pay attention to the features each manufacturer provides.
