ovens

Pizza Shop Talk The Think Tank
1

Hi,
I am opening a pizzeria this spring and am looking at ovens. I would appreciate some feedback on ovens that have the heat source under each deck as compared to ovens that have two baking surfaces with one heat source under the bottom. I hope this question makes sense.

Does anyone have a Peerless oven?
Any other oven advice would be appreciated. I am doing NY style pizza and would like 8 - 16 inch pizzas capacity.

Thanks from a Newbie!

2

We drive a Blodgett 981 in our shop. Two decks with one 50,000 BTU burner. It lacks muscle to keep at its peek during crunch time on Friday. It slows way down and drags the finish times. I suspect that some ovens are engineered to overcome the deficits of having one burner, but you HAVE TO make sure you have enough power to keep it hot. I’d say that 50K btu PER DECK would make more sense. I am shopping for deals on stacked decks with one burner per deck.

3

Thanks for your reply. I am concerned about keeping up with orders when it’s busy.

4

then consider a conveyor…can’t beat 'em IMHBAO

5

I just don’t think a conveyor oven will give me the taste and texture I’m looking for. I’m doing a thin crust style, pretty high water content in the dough. Thank you though for the response.

6

funny…that’s what I serve…in a conveyor…imagine that……its all a matter of how the oven is set up & the disks used…many say it “can’t be done/authentic” but then some folks also said man would never fly…

7

I’d love to try it. OK, maybe I just have a bias against the conveyors because I have never had a great pizza experience from a restaurant that uses them. Granted, there are many different tastes and preferences of pizza around the country.

8

yes they are, and a good pizza can be baked in any oven…

if you are only doing pizzas, conveyor is practical choice, if doing additional dishes like lasagna, the deck oven is more versatile for that…
Marsal makes a good deck oven, less rotation of what you are baking I understand,

Otis

9

Susan,
I openned my store with blodgett 981’s, used recon. ovens.I had a double stack, I could cook 12- 16" pizzas at a time.
The would not kept up in a rush. After 5 years & looking at all kinds of Deck ovens, I got a new set of Baker Pride Y802’s.
If you can afford 802’s, over 602’s I would do that. 602’s are great ovens ,too. I had the room for the 802’s & for the extra money I can cook 16- 16" pizzas at a time & my oven kepts up with $1500 hours.
What

10

will a pizza taste just as good cooked in a lincoln 1301 versus a larger capacity 1600, 1116, or 1450 model, for example?
understanding that both ovens are configured properly, and temperature, time through are not inappropriate…does the bigger baking chamber effect taste in a postive way somehow, making the 1301 inferior in quality?

11

Susan
I just don’t think a conveyor oven will give me the taste and texture I’m looking for. I’m doing a thin crust style, pretty high water content in the dough. Thank you though for the response.
GM
To quote Tom;
I just recently returned from working with a new store concept using the XLT double deck oven in conjunction with the Hearth Bake Disks and we were making absolutely fantastic New York style pizzas and both dinner and berakfast calzones, in addition to dessert pizzas, all from a single deck of that oven. The second deck will come into play when the store opens and the additional production capacity is needed.

Tom Lehmann

Susan
I’d love to try it. OK, maybe I just have a bias against the conveyors because I have never had a great pizza experience from a restaurant that uses them. Granted, there are many different tastes and preferences of pizza around the country.

GM
Buddy’s restaurant chain in Metro Detroit uses them. Buddy’s is rated as one of the top 5 pizza restaurants in the US.

George Mills

12

Hi Pizza Boy

I do not think there is a discernible difference in product, from the same make ovens of the major manufacturers, despite having differing length or width of baking chamber.
george Mills

13

My suggestions are;
Get a Bakers Pride bigger than you think you will need. Your business will grow into it.
Hand toss all your dough and dock it in coarse ground cornmeal.
Smile @ your customers.
Good Luck

14

Thanks. I just looked at a Vulcan Hustler. It is bigger than I thought I wanted, 6X4 foot outer dimensions, double deck. It is in good shape for what must be a pretty old model.

15

I have double stack of Liincoln conveyors and I’m opening(8 weeks or so) 2nd place w/Rotoflex. Been playing with it and for me , bake is WAY better than conveyors. I have my conveyors set at 6 min. bake at 490 thin crust NY style. We sell alot of pies but it to me bake doesn’t compare. I’m shooting for "Best Of " at new place with Rotoflex. It’s alot more work to get that better bake though so you better account for that.