Over the years, thanks to considerable investments in research and development, electric ovens have considerably increased their technological level, proving to be the best allies for professionals in the sector.

Thanks to the great adaptability of this type of oven, in fact, the possible preparations that can be experimented are endless.

However, although the list of all the features may be more or less clear, it can be complicated at times, being able to select the oven that best suits your work context.

For this reason, we will analyze all the peculiarities of these machines, first understanding their operation and then identifying the requirements that cannot be neglected in the choice of the oven.

Types of electric ovens

Commercial electric ovens, in addition to being divided according to the type of sector for which they are intended, can be further divided within these categories based on their structure.

With reference to the sector, they can be classified as:

• Electric ovens for food
• Electric ovens for cooking materials.

In the first case we refer to machinery capable of cooking food more or less automatically and which can have structures with multiple trays or tunnels. In the second case, these are ovens which, with different capacities, are able to cook and shape objects made of different materials by means of heat.

Electric ovens for food

The ovens in question can find a place in various activities, from patisseries, to pizzerias, to catering, both at an industrial level and with less extensive productions.

The characteristics to be evaluated are many, in order to select the type of oven that is perfectly suited to work together with the other machinery and to complete the realization of the products.

The main requirements that affect the choice of oven are:

1. Usability and programmability
2. Number of products that are made daily
3. Space available to place the oven
4. Quality of materials
5. Power needed to work in the best way.

Each of these characteristics guides the choice of the best commercial electric oven, not in a general sense but for the one that best suits your business.

Furthermore, it should be remembered that electric ovens for food can be divided into two further types:

• Multi-deck electric ovens
• Tunnel ovens.

Multi-deck electric ovens

These are machines made with cooking chambers in steel sheet, arranged on different levels.

The possibility of inserting a “steamer” provides further help to create a fragrant crust. In fact, thanks to the steam, the heat exchange between the upper part of the dough, to the heart, takes place more slowly, allowing the gases generated by the yeasts to work again, thus favoring greater leavening.

Thanks to the steam, the products will be lighter, therefore easier to digest, in short, your customers’ dream: crunchy crust, intoxicating scent in the air and a soft heart to be discovered.

The cooking chamber is made in such a way as to ensure the greatest possible thermal insulation, thus also facilitating the surrounding work environment and allowing savings thanks to the doors that promote heat conservation.

Multi-level electric ovens find particular application both in pastry shops and pizzerias, helping to cook all baked goods in the best possible way.

Tunnel ovens

Many catering businesses have chosen tunnel ovens because of their versatility and ease of use. Thanks to their structure, in fact, tunnel ovens allow to optimize production, both in terms of quantity and variety, revealing themselves to be the best allies of products such as pizzas, wraps and croutons.

The best tunnel ovens on the market allow you to perfectly adjust the temperature in every position of the cooking chamber, in order to obtain homogeneous cooking. In particular, their operation is based on the belt, which by sliding carries the food from the beginning to the end of the oven, while the temperature and speed are adjusted manually.

In common thought when we refer to industrial ovens we always think of large machinery and suitable only for large companies. Instead, in recent years several compact but functional models have been introduced that can also be inserted in small businesses, giving the possibility of having an incentive in one’s production.

Compared to commercial electric ovens with multiple shelves, when choosing these machines, particular attention should be paid to 4 aspects in particular:

1. Settable programs and automation: having machinery that work in total autonomy, requiring minimal human intervention, is certainly an advantage not to be overlooked
2. Oven size: Compared to traditional ovens, they take up a greater amount of space, due to the length of the conveyor belt
3. Production capacity: the quantity of products needed to meet the demand must also be taken into consideration
4. Temperature regulation: selecting the oven that is able to control the diffusion of heat in the different areas is not enough, it is also necessary to choose a machine that gives the possibility to regulate and differentiate the temperature between the top and the floor.

Let’s now analyze in particular the contribution made by commercial electric ovens for food, within the various catering activities.

Electric ovens for pizzerias

In the case of pizzerias, commercial electric ovens have found considerable use since the 1970s, with the appearance on the market of the first models. The great challenge that these ovens have had to face in the pizzeria sector is trying to compete with wood-burning ovens.

But what strengths should we focus on in this particular case? When can the electric oven be considered the best choice?

Used material

Choosing a commercial electric oven made with refractory stone can be considered the ideal solution to have all the positive elements of the electric oven, without neglecting the rustic look and the crunchy crust obtainable with a wood oven.

Refractory materials are resistant to high temperatures without releasing harmful substances into food and without contaminating them. Their composition varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but generally clay and cordierite, or mortar and terracotta are combined.

Precisely because of the way in which the accumulated heat is distributed, it is possible to cook using the high temperatures, without risking burning the food. Furthermore, the materials of which the stone is composed, resisting high temperatures, are robust and therefore difficult to wear over time.

Hygiene

When we talk about the food sector in particular, this is an aspect that absolutely cannot be left to chance, therefore having an oven that can be easily cleaned is certainly a point to be carefully evaluated. Proper cleaning of a wood-burning oven is much more complex than that required for a commercial electric oven, as the residues resulting from the combustion of wood are difficult to remove completely, without forgetting the time required.

The doors present in electric ovens allow you to keep the surrounding environment in order more easily, without the annoying soot that is dispersed into the environment.

Use of flues

For this type of ovens, the installation of flues is not required, since no harmful gases are released into the environment.

Furthermore, thanks to the doors, it is possible both to conserve the heat inside the cooking chamber, and to prevent fumes from being dispersed in the pizzeria, unlike the wood oven.

The savings in not having to install flues, especially insulated ones, is considerable, without forgetting that, if you want to move the pizzeria to another more comfortable place, all investments will not be lost.

Preset programs

Having a control panel that allows you to perfectly adjust the temperature in each cooking chamber and to avoid constantly checking the progress of the process, is one of the major advantages that derive from the choice of electric ovens.

Obviously, commercial electric ovens with many programs are preferred, capable of making work much more autonomous, even in the case of personnel with little experience in the field.

The biggest advantage of having a control panel is that of not having to turn or change the position of the pizza: the heat is spread evenly by cooking each part of the dough in the same way.

In the event that during the cooking process the set temperature becomes too high, by checking the display it is possible to modify it without any effort, simply by selecting the appropriate keys.

Working times

It is not only the time saved with cleaning that is an advantage, but also that used in a better way rather than having to refill the fuel or waiting for the oven to reach the correct temperature.

The combination of the thermal insulation generated inside the commercial electric oven and the refractory material, manages to allow the maintenance of heat inside the oven, without having to continuously change the temperature and wait for it to stabilize.

In addition, once the program has been set, those in charge of cooking can devote themselves to other activities (for example stuffing the next dough) without worrying that the temperature rises excessively, causing damage.

Size and versatility

The initial investments for a machine must be repaid, so if one day you decide to move the business to a different place, the electric oven, thanks to its extreme adaptability, could be easily transferred and relocated to a new room.

In recent years, in particular, efforts have been made to make these ovens, thanks to the advancement of technology, more and more compact and smaller, without neglecting the quantity of products that can be cooked at the same time.

Electric ovens for pastry shops

The same characteristics identified to optimize the cooking of the pizza and the work of the staff, can also be sought within the pastry shops.

The discussion in this case is more delicate because in the case of baked products, the margin of error is significantly lowered, making it even more necessary to choose machinery that guarantee maximum precision and efficiency:

• Material used: the use of refractory materials becomes even more important, because they help to spread the heat perfectly and to cook products made with sugar in a widespread way, because they are more sensitive to the action of yeasts
• Hygiene: do not have scattered residues and therefore, using an oven that can be cleaned easily, will positively contribute to creating desserts with a unique taste
• Use of flues: as already explained above, avoiding the installation of these mechanisms can prove to be an advantage in purchasing more equipment for the pastry shop
• Preset programs: having a functional display decreases the range of errors that can be made in the regulation of the temperature or in the times dedicated to the process. Having greater precision thanks to the automation of the process is essential in cooking desserts, foods that are much more delicate than pizza
• Working times: also in this sector, with the use of commercial electric ovens, working times are reduced, both in cooking food, since temperature changes decrease, and because of the practicality given by the considerable cooking chambers present
• Size and versatility: as already seen above, investing in an oven that can be considered long-lived and that, in the event that your business is transferred, moves with you, represents a safety.

Electric ovens for cooking materials

Leaving aside the food sector and catapulting ourselves into a completely different reality, we again find different types of commercial electric ovens, but this time, intended for cooking materials.

Glass and ceramic are the materials that are mostly cooked with the use of commercial electric ovens. Sometimes there is not such a clear distinction between the types of cooking as there are often machines that can be adapted for cooking both.

Now let’s analyze what are the characteristics that a commercial electric oven must have, in order to be efficient in cooking these two types of materials.

Each glass has its own oven

Glass processing has a very ancient origin, as this material is already present in nature, even from prehistoric times, where it was used to make tools. In recent decades, thanks to the industrialization process, it has also been possible to make the production of this material more automatic and faster.

The glass, through the union with other materials, will generate objects with different shades and degrees of purity. For the creation of this material there are two fundamental phases:

• Merger
• Cooling down

In the first phase, machines are used that are able to bring the glass to the melting point (different for each type of composition). A commercial electric oven can make the difference in creating a quality product, playing with the temperature until it reaches the perfect one for the composition.

All the other operations that are carried out subsequently to work the glass (in the cooling phase), can only be carried out correctly if the cooking has been effective, respecting the correct temperature.

Below we have identified the requirements that a good commercial electric oven for glass processing must possess:

• Temperature regulation
• Speed of elevation
• Floor height level management

In order to select a professional glass firing machine it is necessary to analyze these characteristics in more detail.

Temperature regulation

In glass manufacturing processes, as previously mentioned, to create different compositions and start the material for subsequent processes, machinery is required that give the possibility to modify the temperature until the ideal level is identified.

A perfect temperature regulation accompanied by a machine with a porthole that allows you to view the progress in the cooking phase, represents the ideal condition for an optimal processing of this material.

Speed ​​of elevation

Not only must the temperature regulation be efficient, but the machinery must also be able to reach high temperatures quickly or drastically decrease them as needed.

Floor height level management

Having the possibility to adjust the hob helps to make the commercial electric oven modular according to the structure of the product to be melted, to be more and more precise.

Obviously, its dimensions must also be considered according to the space in which the oven is to be placed.

Each ceramic has its own kiln

Ceramic derives from a composition of inorganic materials that can be traced in nature and absolutely free of metal parts; its peculiarity is given by the fact that, thanks to the presence of water in the compound, it can take many forms.

Ceramics can be classified into two main categories:

• Porous paste: due to its consistency, it is not very resistant and tends to absorb liquids more easily. Examples are majolica and terracotta
• The compact paste: the composition of the material characterized by a low porosity makes it very resistant and also gives it a remarkable impermeability. Examples are stoneware and porcelain.

There are different types of products that can be made with this material and they find considerable application in the daily life of today’s society, from the simplest tiles, to complex and artistic structures such as those of vases.

Unlike glass, however, the clay that will become ceramic once worked is not pure and cannot be worked directly, but requires an adaptation process.

The cooking process must also be carried out with care, as it outlines the final shape of the product and makes it more resistant. The cooking temperature is between 900 ° and 1400 °, reaching it is possible thanks to high-powered electric ovens.

Let’s now examine the fundamental characteristics of an electric oven, in order to select the commercial electric oven that best suits the needs of your company.

Easily adjustable temperature

As we have already seen previously, a machine that is able to perfectly control the degrees present inside is an excellent solution, as it allows you to avoid errors during the cooking process.

This phase, as far as ceramics are concerned, is really long and having a commercial oven that allows you to manage the temperature correctly and therefore save precious time, is not an aspect to be underestimated.

Optimal thermal insulation

In order to fully control the internal temperature, not only a perfect mechanism is enough, but also a correct thermal insulation. In this way, avoiding heat leaks, the cooking process will be much faster and more precise.

It should also be remembered that even if the machinery is designed to retain heat inside, this must not compromise the convenience of opening the oven.

Adjustment with preset programs

A cooking process that takes hours cannot absolutely be controlled manually, for this reason it is essential that the oven allows those who use it to use preset programs.

There is in fact a fair number of commercial electric ovens that allow, after putting the product in the oven, to select the type of program based on the characteristics of the object to be obtained. Being able to work in this way, for the employees, involves an improvement of all other activities and allows to streamline the work itself.

In conclusion

We have explored the main aspects of commercial electric ovens, describing many of their peculiarities, to facilitate their choice. After reading this guide, you will be able to choose with greater awareness the most suitable oven for your business and which, above all, can facilitate the cooking process even for those who work within your business.