I train my guys to do it like a band-aid - FAST. You place the box on the table with the bottom facing away from you. Put the “nose” of the peel against the back of the box and you use it to push the sides of the box down. Then it’s like pulling a tablecloth out from under a plate. You d it quickly and the whole cut pizza will make the slide into the box. This is the only way I’ve ever seen it done in a Big 3 too.
Also, you want to use round “pressed” peels for this, not the peel you use to take the pizza out of the oven.
When folding, the front flap stays out and the sides are folded into the box. When the oven tender goes for the box he’ll pick it up by the flap and with one flick of the wrist the box is opened and on the cut table in the right position… takes about 1/8 of a second.
Yeah, the boxes that Steve is using look like they would actually be a b***h to work with. The link I posted above is just like the box layout Daddio posted.
This is very interesting to me. I’m glad you guys helped…
Piper, it definitely is no b**** to work with… by any means. But then again I could say the same exact thing about your guys’ procedure. I don’t even think I would entertain the idea to change. I can’t imagine any process any faster.
All of a sudden I’m rethinking my cutting station. Since there is ALWAYS something for the staff to be doing, maybe adding a few seconds to the process and subtracting that time from down-time, could I have a nicer shop? I love this forum.
80% of our pes are cut with a wheel right on the pre-folded box. We use the rocker on the many-toppig pies we bake, and the extra cheese ones often. Makes for a less “Salvador Dalian” looking pizza. Even a sharp wheel will drag/stretch the toppings a bit. BTW, we put some of the cheese atop the pizza. Add the 16" pizza being cut in a 16" box, and it can get awkward for some of the wetter or heavy topped pies.
Our boxes are the classic Starr Pizza box design, like the ones linked above to Smurfit. Mine have a 3/4" to 1" hole in oe end that could be used to suspend on a spike if we wanted to just hang them up like steveo does. In our deck oven operation, I am fuzzy about how to make the fold-around-the-pizza maneuver work for us. It could make a time difference if I could namage it. We have a 30"x48" cutting table. We can have 4 16" pies ready to come out of the oven AT THE SAME TIME. Add a couple 10" dealeeo’s and the whole works get jammed up. Pre-folded boxes give us somewhere to put multiple pies while cutting through them. Leaving in the oven leads to burning, and they don’t stack well on the table without boxes
Folded boxes do take up space and require managing that space since it isn’t ever just not used. The staff can burn through a 50 bundle in 5 to 10 minutes folding in a spare minute. It is a social/bonding time as well as using time not cooking orders. To me, it also reinforces the mindset that I am trying to carry through the entire operation . . . prepare everything ahaed that is possible to prepare, so that the rush is smooth, and there is no wasted effort. I CANfold ahead, so we do.
Besides, gotta have the event in the Pizzalympics for box folding. And the visual impact on customers of 150 folded boxes, neatly stacked, is pretty cool.
We cut in the box with a wheel. Cutting on a peel can be problematic with juices unless you give it a wipe down.
As I said in the other thread, the reason for prefolding is to shift work from busy times to slack times to even out the labor and improve productivity during the rush.
Rocker knives are just faster and I think it is easier for people to line up cuts. Easier to cut a pizza out of the box and slide it in. I suppose it seems awkward for some to slide a pre-cut pizza into a box but it really is easy to do with one hand even. And we do pile on the toppings.
Overall, I think you are saving a step by going directly in a box and using a wheel but I believe the rocker is faster and more accurate. The end result may be the same for both ways in regards to time.
The big advantage I see with a rocker and cutting outside of the box is that you definitely cut through the edge every time. Not so with a wheel and in a box unless you are diligent.
I NEVER have problems not cutting all the way thru. Cutting pizzas is one of my favorite things to do. I can cut it perfectly square with my eyes closed.
Take the box hanging from the wall
the box goes flat on the cutting table,
take the pizza from the oven
then the pizza on top,
cut,
fold,
ticket,
done.
The whole process takes about 11 seconds (with cutting).
and now he can cut it perfectly with his eyes closed!
