If you are starting up a new restaurant and plan to have pizza on your menu, one of the most important equipment investments you make will be your oven. There are a several different types of pizza ovens available in a wide array of sizes and capacities. While you will want to consider the heating method, ease of operation, production capabilities, cost, size and other characteristics, you will also want to consider your menu. Will pizza be the only thing you’re cooking or will you be cooking a variety of other foods with pizza only a portion of what you are serving?
Two very popular types of pizza ovens are the deck oven and the conveyor oven. There are also brick ovens and convection pizza ovens, but we want to focus on the deck oven and conveyor oven and how they are excellent for pizza as well as other menu items that often accompany pizza.
A deck oven, like the Comstock Castle PO31, lends itself to a wide variety of menu items. Deck ovens have a simple design and are often a popular choice because they require less servicing than other oven types. It is important to note that a deck oven does require a higher level of skill to operate so staff training will be important. The hearth decks are designed to hold heat so that they produce delicious, crisp pizza crusts and they are excellent for browning bread. Depending on the type of crust and the different combination of ingredients, a pizza will typically cook within 7 to 15 minutes in a deck oven.
The second oven option is a conveyor oven, like the Star Hulman UM1850a. Conveyor ovens utilize forced air to shorten the necessary bake time of items. A conveyor oven will out-product a deck oven because of the reduced bake time. They also provide very consistent output and because there is no tending to the pizza, hot sandwiches, or other menu items, conveyor ovens can be used by less skilled employees and require less training. Conveyor ovens like the Holman Ultra-Max are ideal for placement in quick service restaurants, convenience stores, hotel kitchens, even larger concession operations. They provide flexibility and speed to your cooking operation.
With pizza ovens, as with all other types of cooking equipment for restaurant or foodservice operation, it is important to review your menu when making your selections.
