Not all pizzas are created equal. All three — toppings, sauce, and crust — play an important role. The oven is often forgotten when it comes to making a good pie. The type of pizza you plan to make – New York, Neopolitan or pan pizzas, bake-and-take, delivery – will determine the oven you need.
Your oven is so crucial that many pizza industry professionals recommend you select it last in your purchased equipment package to avoid rushing your selection. Why? The proper range depends on a variety of practical factors.
Types of Oven
Pizza ovens come in different types, with unique qualities influencing the performance of ingredients and crust/dough, preparation speed, and taste.
Deck Ovens have shelves that allow the pies to be placed directly onto preheated stones. Deck ovens have become popular among independent and specialty pizzerias because they offer authentic taste with no complex setup. Deck ovens are great for New York-style pies with hand-tossed dough balls.
Brick-Fired Ovens are constructed of clay or brick and feature an open flame powered by coal or wood. The pies are cooked at temperatures as high as 800degF. This type of oven is popular with gourmet chefs and prep staff because it offers a refined, classic Neopolitan cooking technique and produces upscale results. Due to the high temperatures of this oven and its quick baking times, it is best to use specially formulated dough balls.
Did you know you don’t need a wood-fired oven to make wood-fired pizza? This tip sheet will show you how.
Conveyor ovens are popular in the industry for their versatility and easy use. Pizza is cooked in a forced-air/convection chamber using a chain conveyor. Training time is minimal, and the results are consistent. QSRs, pizzerias specializing in delivery, and venues such as athletic stadiums use conveyor ovens for pies made with dough balls, par-baked or self-rising crusts.
Double-door convection ovens can save money by using less energy. They also bake pies faster but are less crisp due to the forced air technology instead of direct heat. Double-door convection units are easy to use and relatively fast. They are commonly found in commissaries and cafeterias where pies with pre-baked crusts are baked.
Rapid cook ovens combine the advantages of a pizza oven and microwave into one piece. Rapid cook ovens are customizable because they can control the heat setting and direction of heat. Rapid cook ovens, which are small and easy to operate, are used in places where pizza is not a primary product. Pies are usually prepared using self-rising or par-baked crusts.
Home ovens are also available for those offering frozen or take-and-bake pies. Home ovens bake pies on a lower temperature rack, giving them a crisper crust.
It’s hard to believe, but there are still more choices about your oven. You can also read part three of this blog series. We discuss how space and other logistical factors affect your oven choice and examine the effect of your oven on pie texture, quality, and flavor.
Our guide, Selecting the Right Oven For Your Pizza Operation, will give you more information on the different types of pizza ovens, their impacts on your business, and your pies. Click the button below to download your free copy.
