Category: magazine

Italforni takes the field!
A big announcement awaits you in Milan! We are excited to announce that our Bull oven has been selected for use in the new Bakery Molino Casillo at the San Siro Stadium in Milan.

Together with Molino Casillo, the new sponsor of AC Milan, we will bring our passion for quality and perfect baking right to the heart of Italian football. 
The new Molino Casillo bakery, located within the Hospitality area of San Siro, will promote the values of healthy eating.

Thanks to the Bull oven, you will be able to enjoy delicious baked goods during the matches,
the result of a perfect combination of our advanced cooking technology and Molino Casillo’s superior quality flours.

It’s a great opportunity for all football and healthy eating enthusiasts.
We look forward to seeing you at San Siro!

We are very proud to announce that we have participated as a technical sponsor in Alessandro Lo Stocco‘s
new editorial project titled “Focacce”, published by Italian Gourmet and already available in the best bookstores and online platforms.

A volume dedicated to the focaccia, or rather, to the focacce. A journey from north to south through Italy, exploring the history, culture,
and traditions with the sole purpose of discovering the world of sweet and savory focaccias, baked in the oven or on a griddle, fried or in a pan.
After the technical introduction, covering raw materials, dough-making techniques, and cooking methods, the volume dives into the heart of the
matter with over 50 focaccia recipes to try!

The great novelty of this book is the “low carb” chapter: recipes developed by the author to meet the needs of those following a low-carb diet.
And on this topic, we will soon have some exciting news that we will share with you shortly!

Therefore, thank you Alessandro for involving us in this beautiful project, and we are sure it will be a success.
Happy reading to everyone!

Ph. credits: Michelangelo Convertino

From 8th to 11th May, Italforni will be the technical partner of #MolinoCasillo and Tradizione Italiana Italian Food Tradition during TUTTOFOOD International Fair in Milan.

With over 1,200 exhibitors from at least 35 countries, TUTTOFOOD is currently the most important platform for the agri-food industry in Italy and one of the first in Europe. It is held biennially in the Rho FieraMilano district. Hosted buyers from all over the world will participate with particular focus on North America, Gulf countries, Europe, and Asia. Among the main target sectors: GDO, DO, and retail; catering, food service, and out-of-home activities, hospitality, catering companies, and import-export companies.

We will be present with our #Windy and #Caruso®️ ovens at the Molino Casillo booth > Pavilion 7 – Stand.09/T10. Along with our Brand Ambassador @alexlostocco, you can discover their unique features and technological plus. Additionally, we will be technical partners of Tradizione Italiana Italian Food Tradition > Pavilion 5 – Stand. L13 N22 with our #Visor oven.

📍 TUTTOFOOD – FieraMilano, Rho
 > Pad. 7 – Stand 09/T10 with Molino Casillo
 > Pad. 5 – Stand L13 N22 with Tradizione Italiana Italian Food Tradition

👉🏻 From 8th to 11th May, 2023
🕤 9.30 am – 6.00 pm

We’ll be waiting for you!

From April 30th to May 2nd 2023 we will be at @foodservice, Australia; the leading food industry event.

Visitors will discover over 450 exhibitors showcasing the latest food, drink and equipment. As well as experience special events including Chef of the Year, National Restaurant Conference, Café School, Aged Care Catering Summit, The Sweet Spot and so much more!

Our Caruso®️, Visor, Tunnel and Euro oven will be the protagonists at Stand J2 with @DynamicCateringEquipment.

👉🏻  April 30th – May 02nd, 2023
📍 Foodservice – Melbourne Exhibition Center – Australia
📍 Stand J2 / Dynamic Catering Equipment

See you soon!

 

From 12 to 13 April 2023, we will be at PARIZZA: the Italian pizza and catering event in Paris!
A reference fair that brings together over 272 exhibitors and welcomes more than 9,000 professionals from the pizza and food industry,
thanks above all to the quality products and innovations on display.

Our Caruso® oven will be the protagonist at Hall 7.1 Stand E47 with Furnotel.
Caruso® is the first electric oven that offers the same performance as a traditional wood-fired oven, with a maximum temperature of 530°C.
The best materials and components guarantee solidity and resistance to high temperatures, maximum performance with minimum consumption.
Baking Neapolitan pizza has never been easier.

We look forward to seeing you in Paris!

> April 12th – 13th, 2023
> Parizza – Porte de Versailles – Paris
> Hall 7.1 Stand E47 / Furnotel

 

From March 28th to 30th, we will be in LAS VEGAS!

On the occasion of the International Pizza Expo 2023, we will bring Made in Italy across the ocean with our Bull, Caruso, and Tunnel Stone ovens, which will be the stars of the event.

Pizza Expo is the most important annual event in the pizza industry in North America, offering an unmissable opportunity to connect customers and suppliers from all over the world,
participate in educational sessions held by the best pizza experts in the world, and witness national competitions.

We look forward to seeing you from March 28th to 30th, 2023, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Visit us at booth 1271 with Italforni America.

VIVA LAS VEGAS!

With great pleasure, we inform you that our Caruso®️ oven has received the prestigious AVPN certification, as a product approved and certified by the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana.

The brand promotes and protects, in Italy and all around the world, the real Neapolitan pizza and certifies that our Caruso®️ oven complies with the international AVPN specification for baking this great excellence of the Neapolitan gastronomic tradition.

Caruso®️ has obtained this prestigious recognition thanks to its characteristics as an electric Neapolitan pizza oven which offers the same performance as a traditional wood fired oven, with a maximum temperature of 530°, as well as:

• use of the best materials and construction components
• maximum performance with minimum consumption
• plus which guarantee better baking efficiency and quality during maximum use.

All of this is Caruso®️, now approved and certified by the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana.

Discover all its features here >
https://www.italforni.it/en/products/caruso/

From 12 to 15 March, Italforni will be Molino Casillo’s technical partner during the Levante Prof International Fair in Bari.

The B2B event dedicated to Ho.Re.Ca professionals, involving all sectors and users of the food world
with the aim of enhancing the technological and eno-gastronomic Made in Italy. The fair brings together the entire grain chain,
the branch of raw material transformation and processing.

We will be there with our Bull oven, a modular electric oven covered completely in glass.
Together with Alessandro Lo Stocco, our Brand Ambassador, you can discover its characteristics and peculiarities.

📌 Building Entrance – Fiera Del Levante, Bari
      12 to 15 March 2023
      Start 10 a.m. – End 7 p.m.

We’ll be waiting for you!
Download your ticket now

Also this year we will be the main sponsor of a great event:

The World Championship of Pizza – Pizza Senza Frontiere to be held in Rimini within the Birra&Food Attraction fair from 19 to 22 February 2023.

Approximately 600 entries from all over the world are estimated. In 10 race stations completely equipped, 16 different competitions will take turns that will test the professionals in the 3 days of competition expected.

Many celebrities from the pizza world will attend the event as Brand Ambassadors, including: Gabriele Bonci, Davide Civitiello, Salvatore Lioniello, Vincenzo Capuano, Paco Linus, Mike Arvblom and many more.

We will also have a dedicated commercial area where you will find our agents who will welcome you to provide you with all the technical and commercial information on our ovens, which you can see in action during the competition.

We hope many of you will come!

Pizza World Championship – Pizza Senza Frontiere
📌 Beer & Food Attraction Fair – Rimini
➡️ 19 – 22 February 2023 from 10:00 to 18:00

We have organized a unique and special event for you during SIGEP 2023.
A round table on the future of pizza with notable guests and an exceptional moderator.

An event you can’t miss!

MONDAY 23.01 H.12.00
ITALFORNI STAND
HALL D7 STAND 150

Round table on the topic:
THE FUTURE OF THE PIZZA
Electric oven: pluses and benefits

Moderator:
GIOACCHINO BONSIGNORE
TG5 food and wine journalist and creator of the GUSTO section

Guests:
FRANCESCO MARTUCCI
1st at 50 Top Pizza World 2022
1st at 50 Top Pizza Italy 2022

ALEX LO STOCCO
Italforni Brand Ambassador

ANDREA RICCI
Italforni Administrator

GIUSEPPE NAPOLETANO
Solania Srl Director

VITO DE VITA
Scuola Napoletana Pizzaioli Director

RENATO ROCCO
LaBuonaTavola Magazine Director

The focus of the discussion will be on the future of pizza and how the electric oven has become a key partner into the production phase today. Both in terms of efficiency and energy saving, the best workload management thanks to technological support, both for cooking quality and environmental sustainability.

Event in cooperation with Solania.

We hope many of you will come!

The strategic partnership between Italforni and Molino Casillo is strengthened and consolidated, they has chosen the quality of our ovens for all the Masterclasses dedicated to the world of pizza during SIGEP 2023.

We will in fact be MAIN SPONSOR and TECHNICAL PARTNER of Molino Casillo.

From 21 to 25 January 2023 you will also find us inside the Molino Casillo HALL B5 D5 / STAND 004, where you can discover and learn about the baking quality of our Visor and Caruso® ovens together with the whole Origine team #pizzeria Live Team! with a rich program of masterclasses.

Don’t miss out and follow us to find out more details.

We are waiting for you!

Italforni
The ideal partner
for perfect cooking

We are happy to share with you a super news for this 2023 in Italforni!

Alessandro Lo Stocco, master pizza chef and internationally renowned consultant, starting from this year will be the new ITALFORNI BRAND AMBASSADOR.

Pizza consultant, with twenty years of experience in the international world of white art, collaborates with the most important companies in the bakery world.
Author of the book “La Nuova Pizza Croccante” (Italian Gourmet), included among the best 5 books of pizza in the world. His mission is to convey knowledge and passion.

Together we will develop new projects and new products, with the shared goal of bringing the cooking quality of our ovens even higher, for a unique and inimitable experience in terms of performance and reliability.

Welcome Alessandro and good luck!

Italforni
The ideal partner
for perfect cooking

 

TODAY IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA

–

ITALFORNI by WAICO

In an increasingly globalized and competitive market, the challenges of the future need to be faced together, through diversified skills: strategic, productive and commercial.

ITALFORNI is passing through a phase of strong growth and the last 5 years have been a succession of goals, excellent results and important projects that have made us understand how much the company can still evolve and face new business challenges, both nationally and mostly internationally.

For this reason ITALFORNI has chosen to join WAICO, White Art Italian Companies, a new group born from the union of leading Italian companies in the bakery, pizza & pastry sector that develops professional equipment chosen by the best white artists in the world.

“ITALFORNI by WAICO is our new challenge for the future.“
“The beginning of a new entrepreneurial path. Innovation, sustainability, efficiency and reliability are, and always will be, the cornerstones to which the company will be inspired in the creation of its products. It will be a new journey that will lead us to improve, grow and consolidate the brand even more, with the common and shared goal of offering all our customers and professionals in the Ho.Re.Ca. world. the best technological, material and design quality ever. “

Andrea Ricci
Partner Waico

The success or failure of a pizzeria depends on many factors: the location of the place, the manager’s ability to organize the work and manage the staff, the skill of the pizza chef, the quality of the raw materials and above all the professional equipment, so-called tools of the trade.

It is true that if the pizza chef does not know how to do it, it will be useless to provide them with the most innovative and performing machinery, but it is equally true that the equipment for pizzerias can make the difference because it puts the pizza chef in the conditions to carry out his work in the best possible way and it also allows you to optimize processing and improve the product itself.

In this article we will focus on the equipment for preparing pizza (also taking a look at the Italforni professional ovens) and we will find out what must not be missing in a pizzeria in order to establish itself as a successful business.

• Open a pizzeria: what equipment do you need?
• Pizzeria equipment: what can change according to the type of place
• What are the costs to open a pizzeria?
• What equipment to buy to open a pizzeria: conclusions

Let’s begin!

Open a pizzeria: what equipment do you need?

What is meant by pizzeria equipment? The first thing that comes to mind is undoubtedly the oven, the undisputed protagonist of the room, but not least is the mixer, which allows you to obtain a perfect dough and speed up processing.

This is followed closely by professional slicers, the pizza rolling machine, any fryer, refrigerators, refrigerated counters, leavening drawers and all the other tools needed in everyday life.

His majesty the oven

Without the oven, the pizzeria does not exist: this is why in starting the business we can only start with him, the cooking tool.

The first dilemma concerns the type: better wood, gas, electric or tunnel?

Regardless of the type chosen, which varies according to specific needs, it is important to emphasize that you should never skimp on the price of pizzeria equipment. It is preferable to save something on furniture (for example), but aim for the highest quality for the professional oven.

The ideal is to have a technologically advanced model, which is capable of containing consumption and optimizing / speeding up processing, but at the same time intuitive, simple to use and with little maintenance.

In this sense, the wood-fired oven should be excluded, as it is the most expensive, the most difficult to manage and requires time and costs for cleaning and maintenance.

Modern electric and gas ovens, on the other hand, are extremely functional and offer superior cooking quality: thanks to the automation of the process and the presence of numerous functions, the new generation electric and gas ovens guarantee very high temperatures and uniform cooking.

Italforni electric ovens

To date, the professional electric oven is the most chosen and used solution in pizzerias.

This is because the electric model, especially if it is innovative and equipped with latest generation technologies, offers many and obvious advantages, including:

• Uniformity of cooking
• Humidity control
• Possibility to customize cooking, since the heat is generated by the resistances and it is possible to have different temperatures between the base and the top
• Production efficiency
• Reduced consumption
• Speed ​​in reaching high temperatures
• Automated management of the ideal temperature
• Ease of use
• Virtually no maintenance (there are no combustion residues)
• Innovative design

Among the most performing Italforni electric ovens we find:

• Caruso, ideal for Neapolitan pizza
• Visor, available in 3 different configurations (basic extraction hood, high-performance design hood and design hood and side covers)
• Bull, in steel and tempered glass
• Diamond, the jewel-oven with an innovative design which, in addition to guaranteeing excellent cooking performance, offers an incomparable scenic impact

For a more in-depth comparison between Italforni advanced technology models, and to discover the rest of the range, you can consult the catalog.

The mixer: another indispensable tool for a pizzeria

We know that for the success of the pizza, the dough is essential. Even when the raw materials are of quality and the pizza chef is good, the mixer represents an added value and a precious help. Not only because it guarantees a perfect result, improves the softness and digestibility of the pizza, but also because it speeds up operations and optimizes production.

As with the professional oven, even on the mixer it is forbidden to skimp on quality: these are equipment that is too important for the result (pizza!).

For a pizzeria, the planetary mixer is not very suitable. Better to focus on the spiral model, which offers better stringing and greater versatility for the various types of dough, or on the fork model, which instead has better oxygenation and guarantees a softer dough.

The pizza rolling machine

There are those who think that the real pizza is only the one rolled out by hand. In fact, nowadays, especially take-away pizzerias, which have to churn out pizzas at the speed of light, cannot give up the convenience of the pizza machine. In fact, there are too many operational advantages to think about giving them up.

First of all, it is a technical aid, because, like all machines, it offers precision and fast “ironing”: the pizza is immediately ready to be garnished and baked.

In addition, it relieves the tension and pressure of pizza chefs, especially on busy evenings, and helps the less experienced.

Tools and accessories that improve the life of the pizza chef

In addition to the main pizzeria equipment, there are many other tools and accessories that can further improve the daily work in the pizzeria, including:

• Aluminum shovels: available in various sizes, they are indispensable tools for putting pizza in and out of the oven in total safety
• Spatula: it is used both to collect (and not disperse) dough and flour, and to handle the leavened dough balls and to start processing them on the counter
• Brushes: used to clean the oven at the end of the working day
• Palino: it is useful for checking and turning the pizza inside the oven

These tools, made available to the pizza chef, can make his work even more precise, effective, fast and safe.

Pizzeria equipment: what can change according to the type of place

The basic equipment, as well as the accessories, may vary according to the type of room. For example, the pizza by the slice uses baking trays, while pizzerias and pizza restaurants do not need them.

What changes is also the size of the oven and the mixer – which varies according to the place settings and the type of product offered – as well as the functional furnishings.

The more the place is “large” in terms of demand, the larger the furnishings will also be (the counter for working the dough, for example); the fridge will be larger, the oven and mixer larger and so on.

What are the costs to open a pizzeria?

Opening a pizzeria means undertaking a potentially very profitable business, if we think that pizza is a unique product loved by everyone: Italians and foreigners.

It is also true, however, that competition is fierce and in order to emerge it is necessary to offer a product of the highest quality and to be able to stand out for a particularity, for something that others do not have.

Why else should the customer choose to come to our place instead of the one in the next street?

In essence, to be successful, you need to invest. The items on which you absolutely cannot skimp, as already mentioned, are: the professional equipment and the staff.

Once you have chosen the type of place – the classic pizzeria with table service and / or take away or a pizzeria by the slice – you can move in two directions: open the place “from scratch” or enter a franchise.

This last option allows you to limit the initial costs, while if we want to act on our own, with our own brand or brand, we will have to take into account the following expense items:

• The bureaucratic costs
• The purchase or lease of the premises
• The compliance of the room
• The oven and other equipment
• The pizza chef and the staff
• The furniture
• Advertising and marketing

Costs vary from city to city and from area to area. However, in general terms, to open a pizzeria we should budget for a minimum cost of between 100,000 and 120,000 euros.

Having your own premises would help a lot to reduce costs, especially in the start-up phase.

Lower investments for a pizzeria by the slice – between 50,000 and 60,000 euros – and for pizzerias dedicated exclusively to take-away, with costs between 35,000 and 45,000 euros.

What equipment to buy to open a pizzeria: conclusions

In this article we have taken a look at the essential machinery to open a successful pizzeria: first of all the professional oven, but also a good mixer, a pizza rolling machine to optimize production and a series of other accessories and tools that facilitate the work of the pizza chef.

To contain the costs of starting up the pizzeria we can save on everything, except on the quality of the cooking tool.

This is why it is essential to choose a high-tech model, such as the electric, gas and Tunnel ovens of Italforni, a leading company in the sector.

Professional electric ovens are obviously fundamental tools for pizzerias, but not only for what concerns the cooking of pizzas. In fact, pizzerias with an open oven have the ability to instantly communicate the quality of the product they make, attracting customers thanks to a simple look at the professional design oven and the work of the pizza chef.

In this article we will talk about the innovations in technology and design of professional electric ovens. We will start by talking about the importance of design in the construction of pizza ovens, to understand how the ability to make excellent cooking in a comfortable way and the aesthetic aspect of the instrument come together, thus managing to make the most of the professional environment.

We will continue by deepening the technological innovations present in professional electric ovens for pizzerias, mainly aimed at saving energy and adding features that facilitate cooking management.

We will then make a brief summary of the crucial factors to consider when choosing an excellent professional electric pizza oven, which mainly concern cooking performance, productivity, energy consumption and ease of use.

Finally, we will take a look at the most innovative Italforni solutions: cutting-edge cooking tools in terms of technology and design, capable of furnishing rooms, facilitating pizza chefs and making the most of the product being baked.

We will therefore try to provide in this short article a guide to choosing the professional oven, trying to understand the importance of the various factors involved, starting with the one that is very often overlooked, the design.

• The importance of design in professional ovens
• Innovative professional electric ovens
• How to choose an excellent professional electric oven
• Italforni solutions for innovative and design electrical instruments

The importance of design in professional ovens

Design is a fundamental aspect in the design of professional tools, since it consists in the art of combining functional needs, to facilitate the work of operators as much as possible, with great care in the aesthetic aspect, essential for creating a professional environment capable of attract customers.

The process of making food is by nature a very powerful magnet for people’s attention, and together with an electric design oven, able to communicate the concepts of power, solidity, sturdiness and excellent cooking, we can give life to real own cooking shows in our pizzeria.

One of the main purposes of the design of professional ovens concerns functional needs, for example in creating solutions aimed at reducing the risk of burns (such as different materials to cover handles and doors), or to work more comfortably (for example in ovens that include the side shovel holder or the leavening compartment under the baking chambers).

The functional aspects are very important because they help pizza chefs directly, but even more important are the design features of the professional oven that affect cooking performance. It is in fact the task of the design to harmoniously combine all the components necessary to create an excellent instrument, choosing the best construction materials and carefully designing every aspect of the professional oven.

To give an example, the construction of the firing chamber in refractory stone is essential to improve thermal performance, or the use of steel armored electric resistances, to avoid the risk of damaging them with impacts from the blade. Other examples of design functional to the thermal performance of the oven are the design of thermally insulated doors or double tempered glass, which limit the dispersion of heat, thus reducing the consumption of the oven.

The functional aspects and those related to thermal performance are the most important to determine the quality of the cooking of our pizzas, while those who choose to work with the pizzeria on sight to offer a complete experience to their customers will also have to take into account the aspect aesthetic design of the cooking tool.

As we mentioned at the beginning of the paragraph, the aesthetics of the professional oven in an open pizzeria also serves as a marketing tool. We can furnish our rooms with a cooking tool capable of capturing attention and communicating to customers the passion we put into our work and the great quality of the pizza they are about to eat.

The design is therefore a fundamental aspect in the evaluation of professional electric ovens, since we must look for a tool that has all the advantages we have just talked about, that is a design that favors the functional aspects, those related to cooking performance and aesthetic ones for the room furnishings.

Innovative professional electric ovens

In modern professional electric ovens there is not only an innovative design but also the evolution of the technologies adopted to ensure excellent cooking performance, aimed at creating more functional and efficient tools.

The main challenge for technological innovations in professional electric ovens is to create cooking tools with excellent thermal performance, but with low energy consumption.

In addition to reducing energy consumption, another important goal of technological innovation is to facilitate pizza chefs in the practical management of cooking. The introduction of digital functions, such as the possibility of controlling the oven with a smartphone, goes in this direction.

Professional electric ovens are also capital goods and can therefore enjoy tax benefits, extended in the case of 4.0 tools up to 50%, as we have detailed in another article of our blog in which we explain how to save up to 74% on the purchase of a new professional oven.

Choosing a professional oven that is innovative in terms of functionality and design is therefore a great way to give your pizzeria an edge, both to create a more welcoming environment for customers and for production efficiency.

How to choose an excellent professional electric oven

We saw in the first two paragraphs that design and technological innovation are two fundamental aspects in professional electric ovens.

Let’s now complete the discussion on the guide to choosing this type of cooking tool, briefly analyzing the other parameters to be evaluated in order to choose a professional oven of excellent quality. The main points concern:

1. Reduced consumption
2. Uniformity of cooking
3. Production efficiency
4. Practicality of use

Let’s see what are the characteristics to look for for each of the points listed.

1. Reduced consumption

The new generation professional electric ovens can outperform gas ovens in terms of efficiency, thanks to the development of technologies aimed at reducing consumption, for example with the stand-by mode, which allows to reduce almost to zero the heat thrust necessary to maintain high temperature.

Until a few years ago, the average high consumption of energy necessary for the operation of the professional electric oven often favored the choice of gas ovens, usually cheaper. However, technological progress has significantly lowered the energy consumption of professional electric ovens, considerably reducing the operating cost of this type of instrument.

Another important variable to take into account for the next few years is the uncertain trend in the price of gas, while it is now clear that we need to push the accelerator more and more on renewable energy sources. Equipping your premises with a renewable energy source is in fact one of the best ways to reduce the operating costs of the electric oven and all other energy consumption of the business.

2. Uniformity of cooking

The second parameter necessary to evaluate the quality of a professional oven is the uniformity of cooking in the various areas of the floor. This factor is in fact very important to always guarantee the best possible quality of the product, since we will have a simpler cooking management for the pizza chef.

In fact, an oven that cooks uniformly in all areas does not have large differences in temperatures between the pizzas cooked in the oven and those at the bottom, which is a typical feature of all pizza ovens but which in some cases has such differences as to become problems.

3. Production efficiency

The third factor that we take into consideration is the productivity of the cooking tool, that is the quantity of pizzas that I can cook in a given period of time, using the same amount of space or using the same amount of energy.

Production efficiency is in fact the most important factor from an economic point of view, since the oven is one of the main fixed costs of the pizzeria. It is therefore necessary to look for a tool that can guarantee a large amount of cooking, without sacrificing a lot of space and without making the bill rise too much.

4. Practicality of use

Finally, the practical aspect is extremely important for those who have to manually cook pizzas. The technology and design of the innovative professional electric ovens allows pizza chefs to optimize their efforts and to cook more pizzas in a more comfortable way, thanks to a simplified management of the cooking process.

To evaluate the practicality of use, we can also take into consideration the presence of accessories useful for managing work in the pizzeria, for example the presence of the leavening compartment under the cooking chambers or the quality of the fume extraction hood in the upper part of the oven.

Choosing a quality professional electric oven therefore means evaluating multiple aspects overall, also considering that needs vary according to the contexts of use.

Italforni solutions for innovative and design electrical instruments

In this article we talked about the importance of design in professional electric ovens, a fundamental aspect for identifying quality tools and very important especially for pizzerias with the oven in sight of customers.

We then saw what are the technological innovations that characterize the latest generation electric ovens, tools that allow you to increase production efficiency, that is, able to guarantee better thermal performance with lower energy consumption and simplified cooking management.

We then explored the parameters to be evaluated in order to choose the best professional electric ovens for pizzerias, relating to low energy consumption, cooking quality, production efficiency and ease of use.

We just have to conclude this article with a quick look at Italforni’s innovative professional electric ovens. The last three models born from our research include the best of the technological innovations we have talked about and have an extremely refined and modern design.

All three can also include the leavening cell and can guarantee great energy efficiency despite the high temperatures they are able to reach (up to 450 ° C), thanks to the construction of the baking chambers in refractory stone.

The three professional electric ovens we are talking about are:

1. Visor
2. Diamond
3. Bull

Let’s briefly explore their characteristics.

1. Visor

The Visor oven is the most widely customizable in terms of production capacity and external equipment. Depending on the needs, it is in fact possible to choose between two different sizes (from 6 or 9 pizzas of 35 cm in diameter per baking) and from 1 to 3 cooking chambers.

Depending on the working context, it is then possible to choose the Visor oven in three different configurations:

• The oven with basic extractor hood
• The oven with a high-performance design hood
• The oven with the design hood and the addition of side covers.

The digital controls on the practical touch screen, with touch keys (easy to clean), allow you to manage the heat boost from the bottom and top separately, as well as to independently adjust the settings of the different cooking chambers, in order to carry out very different firings at the same time in a single tool.

The Visor oven is therefore an ideal professional tool for pizzerias, bakeries and pastry shops that want to focus on flexibility and ease of use.

2. Diamond

The Diamond oven is our most innovative design model, characterized by an external cover in recyclable aluminum which, in addition to giving a remarkable scenic effect with its facets reminiscent of precious stones (available in four different colors), also serves as additional insulation. of the instrument.

The possibility of adding this cover also to the rear of the oven makes Diamond an ideal electric oven for installation in the center of the room, with a panoramic design from all points of view, instead of leaning against the wall as is usually the case. This solution is increasingly widespread and appreciated in exclusive and prestigious contexts, which also focus heavily on the enhancement of the location as an integral part of the customer experience.

As for the production capacity, it is possible to choose from one to three cooking chambers with a capacity of nine pizzas. Each cooking chamber and the leavening compartment have a practical touch screen that allows you to easily adjust all types of settings.

3. Bull

The third innovative electric oven we mention is Bull, the oven in steel and tempered glass, extremely customizable in colors using the special Web Configurator for Bull.

As for the capacity, Bull is available in four different sizes (S – M – L – XL), between 6 and 12 pizzas per batch. The touch screen that allows you to easily manage the settings of the cooking chambers and the leavening compartment is presented as one with the glass coating of the oven, creating an aesthetic effect capable of enhancing the robust lines of the Bull oven design .

The possibility of adding the steamer in each cooking chamber makes Bull an oven also suitable for bakeries and pastry shops, as well as being ideal for pizzerias.

To make a better comparison between Visor, Diamond and Bull it is possible to consult the catalog dedicated to the three innovative Italforni professional electric ovens, in which you will find more information on our three electric ovens with the most modern design and the most advanced technologies, able to facilitate pizza makers and guarantee excellent cooking.

Despite the not exactly favorable economic period and the distrust of the current internal market, there are not a few companies that are born every year in the various sectors. Starting a business of any kind in our country requires a considerable amount of patience because the times and bureaucratic procedures risk being truly infinite, but if the idea is good and the project is thought out in the smallest details, then it is absolutely legitimate to commit thoroughly despite the critical issues that come mainly from the outside.

The same thing happens in catering: pizzeria, fast food, classic restaurant, pizza by the slice, etc., each of these individual realities must be subject to precise regulations to enter the market. The purely bureaucratic part does not sell, however, it only serves to obtain the various permits and to operate in full legality. What is needed to run an activity are a room, the necessary furniture, machinery and equipment of various kinds, to end up with the human part, or the staff.

It is on these factors that the success or otherwise of a place depends, together with a good organization of the individual parts. In a pizzeria in particular, what makes the difference travels together with the fast and professional service, the quality ingredients and what helps the pizza chef to make the latter a final and tasty product: the equipment, the so-called “tools of the trade”.

When it comes to equipment for pizzerias, the discussion is broader than shovels, spatulas or rolling pins, because it also and above all concerns the oven, the mixer, any pizza-rolling machine and all those tools and machinery that are indispensable or even just useful for the job. of those who offer pizza to patrons every day.

• Pizzeria equipment: what you need and what can change according to the type of place
• There is no pizzeria without an oven
• A mixer is forever (and you can’t do without it in a pizzeria)
• Pizza roller or hands? The advantages of the first against the disadvantages of the second
• A “world” of utensils and tools for handling pizza

Let’s go.

Pizzeria equipment: what you need and what can change according to the type of place

Letting a new driver drive a Ferrari involves risks for the car itself (and probably the owner’s wallet) which mainly refer to the inexperience and probable inexperience of the young driver. The latter, in fact, unless he has a natural talent or the surname Schumacher, will hardly be able to survive unscathed from the tour (tourist and / or competitive) or will be able to fully exploit the power of the engine.

The same dynamic corresponds to the pizzeria: it is possible to provide all the latest generation technological knowledge, the most efficient machinery and even supernumerary personnel, but if the pizza chef does not know how to do it (he lacks technique, experience or both), then the the final result will still be mediocre if not bad. The other side of the coin instead places the pizzeria equipment as an instrumental for those who prepare pizzas, as it allows to significantly improve the processing and the product itself.

The pizza chef therefore knows how to prepare the dough, choose the ingredients, juggle the mixer and the oven, but the right machinery and tools are able to optimize the operations. In any case, there may be more or less marked differences based on the type of place being run: it is a fact that restaurants-pizzerias and pizzerias by the slice have (more or less) different equipment as the product is also different. For example, the former do not make use of baking trays like the latter.

The first indispensable machine can only be the professional oven (wood, gas or electric, even in the tunnel version), then certainly the mixer (spiral, fork, planetary), followed with less importance by the pizza dough roller, professional slicers, refrigerated counters for ingredients, leavening drawers and all the necessary utensils, from shovels to pizza cutters just to name a few. The dimensions of ovens and mixers will change according to the size of the room (and therefore to the “size” of customer demand) and the type of product offered, as well as the functional furnishings: counters for dough processing and preparation of ingredients, capacious fridge, blast chillers, etc.

There is no pizzeria without an oven

The oven is the pizzeria equipment par excellence, without it you can not do anything. The choice, regardless of the type of proposal (as always, restaurant or by the slice), brings a dilemma and a question that often leads pizza chefs to confront themselves even in a lit way: wood, gas or electric.

Many prefer the classic wood-burning model more for a vague sense of tradition than for reasons of convenience: in fact, this oven presents many costs for its construction (adaptation to environmental standards for the flue and the like), maintenance and cleaning of the same, purchase of wood, management of temperature and fire during service. The scent and flavor that wood would offer compared to more functional gas or electric ovens fails to tip the scales decisively in its favor in the face of these numerous anti-economic problems. All the more so since the quality of cooking offered by the most modern electric and gas models manages to equalize, and even surpass, without problems those with wood, offering greater uniformity.

• For its part, the professional electric oven offers numerous obvious advantages: speed in reaching high temperatures, stationary management of perfect temperatures, extremely low maintenance (as there are no combustion residues) and ease of use. The heat is generated by the resistances and this allows for different temperatures between the base and the top, allowing you to customize the cooking and control the humidity
• The gas model has similar maintenance needs to the wood-burning ones, as the combustion and its residues must be cleaned often so as not to affect the functioning and quality of the pizza, but it offers ease of use and rapid chievement of high temperatures like the brothers electrical. The heat is generated by combustion thanks to a burner in the lower part and is then distributed by convention throughout the entire cooking chamber.

Regardless of the different way of “forming” the heat, the oven must be chosen with great attention, trying to understand what the needs of one’s pizzeria are, without possibly skimping on the price given its importance. At the same time, looking for a model that allows optimal, simple management, and capable of containing management costs, as well as being as quick as possible to get the pizzas out in the event of a large influx.

A mixer is forever (and you can’t do without it in a pizzeria)

The dough represents the fundamental basis of every pizza and its processing is second only to cooking. If we talk about equipment for pizzerias, we understand well the importance of the mixer and its ability to improve the softness and digestibility of the pizza. It is a machine almost as important as the oven, in fact kneading by hand would be definitely too uneconomical.

On the purely professional market there are two types to consider, the spiral and the fork, with strengths and weaknesses for both processes (the planetary one is not very suitable):

• The spiral pattern generally offers better stringing and is better suited to different types of doughs
• The fork model offers better oxygenation and guarantees better softness

Pizza roller or hands? The advantages of the first against the disadvantages of the second

Among the most decisive machines when trying to increase the production of pizzas to face moments of great influx at the restaurant, the pizza rolling machine is a technical aid that is becoming increasingly popular. There is also a traditionalist fringe on the use of this pizzeria equipment that goes against it, thinking that the real pizza must be rolled out only by hand. But the operational advantages it offers are truly remarkable and allows you to face evenings in which the demand is very large with less anxiety and pressure.

It offers precision and almost immediate “ironing”, thus allowing you to immediately insert the ingredients before baking, avoids the effort and workmanship by hand and can be used without problems even by those who are inexperienced.

A “world” of utensils and tools for handling pizza

Exhausted as much as possible the main machinery with which a pizza chef must or may have to do in the management of his work, there is a “small world” of tools that are an important part of the pizzeria equipment as they allow to handle the product in an appropriate and safe manner. Here are the main ones:

• Shovels and stirrers (strictly in aluminum according to hygiene standards) for example are the extension of the pizza chef’s arm. Available in different sizes and shapes, they allow you to bake freshly prepared pizza and take it out once cooked to perfection
• The palino is a sort of undersized paddle, useful for turning and checking the pizza inside the oven and for dropping the flour stuck to the base thanks to the special holes
• The spatula is used to take the leavened dough balls and to start processing them on the counter, it also helps not to waste dough and flour
• Finally, the brushes are the indispensable element for cleaning. Fundamental especially for wood or gas ovens

A strong idea, a lot of technique, a good dose of passion and a place studied in detail to be welcoming and functional.

These are the ingredients needed to transform an anonymous dinner in a pizzeria or a short break in a pastry shop into a unique experience for your customers.

Given the large number of venues in cities today, the great competition in the catering sector and the constant desire for novelty on the part of customers, the environment and furnishings of your venue are not factors to be underestimated.

Indeed, they can influence the choice of a potential customer and ensure that those who are already loyal come back.

For these reasons, when you decide to open your restaurant or renovate it, you will have to think about what are the trends of the moment and how these can be combined with the type of customers you have, where you are and your vision. of business. The environment in which you work, in fact, must reflect your personality and at the same time be practical and functional.

In order for the place to be different from that of your competitors and easily identifiable and memorable by your customers, it is necessary to immediately identify the focal point of the room. That is, the first place your customers’ eyes should stop when they enter your world. Once identified, you can build the rest of the project around it.

The professional design electric oven is often the right element to highlight, especially in pizzerias it immediately becomes the undisputed protagonist of the room.

But how to choose a reliable model, with high performance during cooking and at the same time able to adapt to the type of furniture you have in mind for your restaurant?

Below we will see which strategy to adopt, what is the current trend and which Italforni proposal can be right for you.

• Open kitchen: when the design electric oven makes the difference
• Industrial: the trend to win over your customers
  • Visor: a hi-tech soul enclosed in an industrial body
• To conclude: uncompromising functionality and aesthetics

Let’s go.

Open kitchen: when the design electric oven makes the difference

As we have seen, the design electric oven is the ideal object to be the focal point of your project.

The entire room, accessories, furniture and furnishings must be organized around the oven in order to complete the decor. The focal point, by its nature, must be able to be grasped from any point of view, thus assuming the role of the protagonist of the space, while having to integrate with the other elements.

The professional oven can be immediately visible at the entrance of the room or not. In the latter case, it can still be highlighted thanks to lights and furnishing accessories or it can be raised above the floor.

The important thing is always to highlight the operator and his gestures, so as to show the customer how to prepare the leavened products and create a more cordial relationship.

Customers love to see what happens in the kitchen and how the food they will enjoy is prepared.

Therefore, setting up an open kitchen has a double advantage:

• Respond to a trend in vogue at the moment
• Build trust in your customers

In fact, having an open kitchen means maximum cleanliness of the environment, order and concentration of the staff.

In addition, especially for pizzerias, having a design electric oven, which is in line with the style of the place, definitely contributes to making the environment a more professional, yet familiar and convivial place.

Remember that customers want first of all to eat well, but also to have a unique and pleasant experience.

This is why making them feel comfortable with an open kitchen can be a good way to encourage them to relax, to stay longer in your place and consequently to consume more.
The complementary elements, which will have to integrate with the focal element, on which you will have to focus your attention to give more character and identity to your place are: the sign, the counter and all those small details that will contribute to making the restaurant unique and recognizable your decor.

Industrial: the trend to win over your customers

In recent years, clean and essential lines combined with a few elements, provided they are linear and design, have established themselves in the field of design and furniture.

Industrial is the dominant style of the moment characterized by shades of gray, exposed bricks and pipes, mechanical elements, pendant light bulbs and worn woods. Industrial furniture with its metropolitan character is characterizing both the new premises and the renovations of old businesses. With a basic and functional design, in some cases minimal, this trend tends to recreate the severe and vintage atmosphere of the factories of the past.

After all, the gastronomic experience in recent years is increasingly linked to the social one. What does it mean? That the more your restaurant is instagrammable, that is, it has a type of furniture suitable for being photographed and shared on social media, the more it will attract the attention of potential new customers.

Each furniture choice can therefore turn into a successful photo of your venue on Instagram and Facebook, giving you the opportunity to get visibility and consequently free advertising. The industrial style, particularly photogenic by its nature, lends itself perfectly to this purpose.

To recreate the perfect factory or abandoned warehouse atmosphere, the ideal would be to have large rooms, where you can insert original elements, perhaps even bulky ones, such as disused assembly lines or parts of gears.

Brushed metal seats, steel beams and leather details are the essential elements to complete this trend.

To impress your customers and insert industrial details you can leverage these three elements:

1. Cement tiles: the insertion of cement tiles on the walls or floor, perhaps alternating with portions of parquet or wood-effect laminate, is increasingly widespread in the furnishing of commercial premises, always creating nteresting contrasts
2. Pendant lamps: the lamps that fall from above and leave the long cables that support them exposed are an excellent solution for lighting the counter, einterpreted in a modern and industrial key
3. Electric design oven: choosing a good professional oven that can offer you quick and perfect cooking is not enough in this case. You will need to consider a freestanding oven that can adapt perfectly to the type of furniture you choose. In the case of the industrial, it must have clean lines and vintage references with elements made of wood and metal.

If to furnish your restaurant you have decided to opt for the atmosphere of the old Chicago and you cannot find the open oven that integrates perfectly into an industrial environment, Italforni has thought of a solution for you.

Visor: a hi-tech soul enclosed in an industrial body

Matt black finish heated by painted wood details. Visor is the Italforni proposal specially designed to integrate into modern, industrial and design contexts. With clean and soft lines, Italforni’s Visor combines aesthetics, power, precision and efficiency.

Available in three different styles, Visor is a modular electric oven for pizzerias, pastry shops and bakeries, extremely versatile precisely because it was designed to transform and adapt to the need.

Starting from the basic model, you can customize it to your liking by equipping it with accessories such as the hood and side covers, so as to adapt it perfectly to your needs.

Thanks to its industrial soul, the user interface is presented as a single surface consisting of a customized display, where design and ease of use play a fundamental role.

A comfortable heat-resistant handle in solid wood combined with a tempered glass that runs through the opening door along its entire length, allow you to always have a complete and practical view of the entire cooking chamber.

Visor therefore presents itself as a single multifunction oven capable of offering you great performance thanks to:

• Cooking chamber completely lined with refractory material
• Hype armored resistances inserted in the refractory surface and visible ceiling resistors
• Separate electronic power adjustment between top and floor controlled and easily set by the operator for flawless cooking with any type of food
• Possibility of reaching temperatures up to 450 ° C
• Ultra heating speed
• Production up to 9 pizzas with a diameter of 35 cm for each cooking chamber or 4 trays of 40×60 cm
• Digital controls designed for the management of the oven and the leavening compartment, with function icons and touch keys
• Possibility to insert the Kit for abatement of vapors and odors

With Visor, therefore, you will have at your disposal maximum aesthetics combined with efficiency.

To conclude: uncompromising functionality and aesthetics

Remember that before starting to design your place and giving free rein to your imagination, it is important to do a study based on the type of clientele you intend to reach, on the place where you are and on the type of place. Based on the results obtained, you can start choosing the right furniture items that will help you stand out from your competitors.

If customization is the watchword to be able to differentiate, it is also true that knowing the trends of the moment is necessary in order to make them your own and reinvent them.

The industrial-style furniture with its exposed bricks, rough furniture and neutral tones can prove to be particularly attractive for customers, especially those who are particularly attentive to trends and involved on social media.

Here the electric design oven is transformed from a simple instrument to a furnishing element that is the protagonist of the room as well as the focal point of the entire room.

Visor by Italforni, thanks to the essential lines, the linear and design elements and the careful planning of every single detail, manages to fit perfectly into different contexts.

Especially in the industrial one where the cold tones of this style are warmed by the mix of metal and wood that make the environment warmer and more welcoming.

Italforni allows you to combine practicality and aesthetics in a single design electric oven so that you do not have to compromise in the furnishing of your restaurant.

The choice of the professional oven for a pizzeria, bakery or pastry shop is essential to create a highly productive and efficient working environment, thus managing to increase the earnings of the business.

There are numerous types of professional cooking tools, due to the great variety of production contexts in which they must be inserted. The variables to be considered are in fact related to the type of product to be made, therefore to the type of cooking required, and to the production scale of the individual reality, that is, if we are talking about an artisanal or an industrial activity.

In this article we will go into the theme of professional tunnel ovens, a type of cooking tool that is very widespread not only in the more structured contexts, such as some types of food industries, but also in many catering activities as well as in bakeries, pastry shops and pizzerias.

We will begin by describing the operation of the tunnel oven, so called because of its structure. It cooks the dishes that pass through it on the conveyor belt. We will see what are the differences between an electric tunnel oven and a gas one and we will also mention the different cooking methods that can be achieved in tunnel ovens.

We will then continue by listing the great advantages of this type of professional oven, which can be summarized in a great simplification of the cooking process.

Finally, we will conclude by mentioning the Italforni professional tunnel oven models, cooking tools with high thermal and production efficiency, capable of improving the operating methods of daily work. We will therefore mention the topic of different production needs based on the size of the business, talking about the differences between compact tunnel ovens and larger ones, custom designed for the food industries.

• How the tunnel oven works
• The advantages of the professional tunnel oven
• The range of Italforni tunnels for all production needs

How the tunnel oven works

Let’s start by briefly explaining how the tunnel oven works, to understand what functional features make it as convenient as we are about to see.

As mentioned in the introduction, the structure of the tunnel oven is characterized by the presence of the conveyor belt, on which the foods are cooked. These are in fact positioned on the belt at the beginning of the tunnel, to be automatically introduced into the cooking chamber.

The product on the conveyor belt crosses the entire structure of the tunnel oven, which constitutes the cooking chamber of this type of oven, and comes out cooked to perfection on the other side, without having to do anything else. The only adjustment to be set regarding the conveyor belt is that relating to its speed, which therefore modifies the cooking time of the food, a factor to be considered based on the type of product to be cooked and the cooking temperature.

The quality of the conveyor belt is also important for cooking by conduction of food, i.e. the heat transmitted by direct contact. The tape can be made using a steel mesh or small strips of refractory stone. The first solution is certainly cheaper and suitable for products that do not require large heat thrusts, while the second allows to obtain ovens with greater thermal efficiency, thanks to the properties of the refractory material.

Turning to the power supply, let’s immediately say that the tunnel oven can be electric or gas. In the first case, two series of electric resistances are positioned inside the cooking chamber, above and in the middle of the conveyor belt and it is usually possible to independently adjust the heat thrust from the bottom and from the top, balancing the cooking by radiation depending on the type of dish we have to make.

Let’s see in the next paragraph how the structure and characteristics of the professional tunnel oven can improve the production efficiency of many types of businesses, from small bakeries, pastry shops and pizzerias to the more structured food industries.

The advantages of the professional tunnel oven

The great practicality of the professional tunnel oven is given by a series of important factors, which contribute to making this cooking tool the protagonist of many activities that work in the food sector.

We can list the most important advantages of the professional tunnel oven in four points, namely:

1. Manual labor reduced to a minimum
2. Easy and always perfect cooking
3. Versatility in cooking

Let’s explore the benefits listed below.

1. Manual labor reduced to a minimum

The first great advantage of tunnel ovens lies in their great ease of use. The operation of this type of tools, which we explained in the previous paragraph, significantly reduces the effort and attention required to complete the cooking process.

In traditional professional ovens there is in fact the need to manually bake and take out each product, using different types of paddles that take up space and can be uncomfortable in confined spaces. Furthermore, cooking in traditional ovens requires an extra step for some dishes, such as pizza, that is, the rotation of 180 ° halfway through cooking to obtain a uniform result.

In the professional tunnel oven all this does not happen, and therefore we have a great advantage in terms of time saved by the operators, since the cooking of the product is extremely simplified and they can devote more attention to other production activities.

It is no coincidence that we have used the term operators, instead of bakers, pizza chefs or pastry chefs, precisely to emphasize the fact that the extreme simplicity of use allows the tunnel oven to be used even by unskilled personnel.

2. Easy and always perfect cooking

The practical operation of the tunnel oven makes it almost impossible to miss a cooking once we have standardized the process based on the type of product we intend to make and how the production activity is organized.

The second great advantage of tunnel ovens is in fact in the removal of cooking differences between the various products (and in avoiding any waste), which instead occurs very often using traditional ovens for pizzerias, patisseries or bakeries.

Once we have found the setting to obtain the perfect cooking of our recipes, balancing the temperature with time (the speed of the belt) and the heat boost from above with that from below, we will have reached the perfect solution to easily obtain always excellent cooking.

The structure of the tunnel oven in fact eliminates the problem of temperature differences in the different areas of a traditional cooking chamber.

3. Versatility in cooking

The third advantage of the tunnel oven lies in its great versatility, that is, the ease with which we can adapt it to different types of cooking. For each of our recipes we can in fact find the perfect cooking setting after a few tests, as we mentioned in the previous point.

This feature makes the professional tunnel oven able to adapt quickly to cooking even very different recipes, making it one of the most efficient equipment for those who have to manage different cooking with a single tool.

The range of Italforni tunnels for all production needs

Having seen the great advantages in terms of ease of use and production efficiency that characterize professional tunnel ovens, let’s now explore the different possible configurations for this type of instrument.

The different needs of the various types of activities have led to the development of specific tunnel ovens for each production need, which depends on the quality of the product we make and the quantity we have to churn out every day.

To simplify, we can distinguish professional tunnel ovens based on size, obtaining two categories, which are:

• Standard tunnel ovens
• Industrial tunnel ovens

Let’s see what changes between the smaller and larger tunnel ovens.

The standard tunnel ovens

The tunnel ovens ideal for craft activities such as pizzerias, bakeries or pastry shops are characterized by a limited use of space compared to ovens with a traditional cooking chamber.

In addition to the large production capacity, favored by the ease of use, choosing a compact professional tunnel oven can allow you to reach a high standard in product quality.

There are several possibilities to find the ideal tunnel oven depending on the specific context. The characteristics of the tunnel oven must in fact enhance the quality of the product to be cooked, the fundamental variable to consider when choosing the professional oven.

Italforni has developed three models of compact tunnel kiln, thus managing to meet the needs of all types of activities, which are:

1. Classic Tunnel, characterized by a copper-plated steel conveyor belt and therefore suitable for fast cooking products and low leavened products
2. Electric Stone Tunnel, equipped with a refractory stone conveyor belt and therefore more suitable for products that require a more gradual and constant heat boost (such as pizza, focaccia, sandwiches, sponge cake and Arab or carasau bread)
3. Stone Gas Tunnel, also equipped with the refractory stone belt, but powered by gas, therefore with less cooking by radiation and greater by conduction, thanks to the refractory material.

The three models of Italforni compact professional tunnels can satisfy many types of artisan businesses, thanks to their characteristics of high production efficiency and ease of use.

Industrial tunnel ovens

Let’s now move on to the larger tunnel ovens, which are ideal for many types of companies in the food sector. The main feature of these ovens is clearly that of a huge production capacity and the optimization of consumption costs, as they are divided among many products cooked every day.

Over the years, the constant search for improvement has led Italforni to create different models of industrial tunnel ovens, characterized by high performance and specific characteristics developed for certain types of activities.

There are four Italforni industrial tunnel ovens, namely:

1. Desert, the electric industrial tunnel oven equipped with a refractory stone conveyor belt, capable of reaching 600 ° C and perfect for making even large bread products, thanks to the 225 mm high cooking chamber
2. Biscuit, the ideal tunnel for pastry shops and bakeries, with the copper-plated steel conveyor belt
3. Industrial Stone, the ideal industrial tunnel for pizzerias or bakeries, characterized by the refractory stone belt and the 105 mm high cooking chamber
4. Automatic line for pizzerias, developed for the mass production of pizzas and focaccias, with a copper-plated steel conveyor belt and high production efficiency.

All our industrial tunnels have the adjustable speed of the conveyor belt and are powered by high quality armored steel resistors. Furthermore, all models provide the possibility to independently adjust the heat thrust between the ceiling and the floor and can be inserted in any context of automated production, even by designing customized solutions.

For more information or advice on choosing the best oven based on the needs of your specific case, do not hesitate to contact us and we will be able to find together the ideal solution for every professional context.

The world of catering, pastry, street food and everything related to cuisine (Italian and international) has been experiencing for several years a period that we could define as “mediatically overexposed”, in which television programs, blogs, podcasts and video in which food preparation is king. Alongside the most well-known television formats such as Masterchef, Hell’s Kitchen (born under the figure of Gordon Ramsey), dozens of other programs are broadcasted that span the entire food knowledge.

The world of pastry does not lag behind in this television and web visibility, showing on the one hand the commitment to excellence of young pastry chefs as well as the mastery of high-sounding names in the sector (just mention Iginio Massari in this sense), on the other hand educational growth of ordinary people who want to grow from a technical point of view. This last category also includes those who wish to open a laboratory and renounce their study and work path carried out so far, trying to change their life and follow the passion for sweets.

Opening a pastry shop is not easy and requires taking care of many aspects, from the more structural ones, inherent to the place and the equipment, to the bureaucratic ones (the most insidious), without forgetting the technique and skill: inaugurating a pastry shop being able making only shortbread biscuits in the oven is not the brightest idea in the world. Passion must always be combined with a healthy dose of realism and technical training, especially in a country like ours rich in culinary tradition and refined tastes in terms of food in general.

Venturing into the confectionery sector with this goal does not simply mean practicing a hobby or practicing a dream that has been cultivated for years, for that the home walls are enough in which to dabble for friends and family. Opening a pastry shop means starting a business, a commercial activity devoted to sales in which many leaps into the void are not allowed, under penalty of failure and the consequent loss of the dream.

The problems to face when you want to open a pastry shop

Whether in the historic center of Milan or in a small provincial town, inaugurating and managing a confectionery laboratory with an adjoining product sale implies adapting to a series of necessary technical and bureaucratic needs. But together with the legal obligations, there would also be a personal training part to be followed, an adequate budget and the desire to fully commit to quality and communication would be needed. As we have specified above, starting a business is a very serious matter because it involves numerous steps and a considerable investment of money:

• If you have not followed a school path in life such as hospitality or specific schools (unless you decide to hire a pastry chef), you need to train at the various academies and schools: not only for a matter of technique, but it would help to give greater value to the quality of its products
• Investigate the chosen territory and identify which type of pastry could be more successful (classic, American, gluten-free, etc.) because it lacks any competition or is far from it
• Choose the place to open the business and then all the furnishings and above all the machinery and tools useful for the preparation of desserts
• Carry out all bureaucratic, fiscal and hygiene regulations
• Promote yourself, dialogue and aim and become a point of reference

Bureaucracy: the place where the dream risks dying

Every entrepreneurial initiative has its bureaucratic ordeal to carry out, a series of operations that often lead to discourage, at least in our country, potential confectioners determined to open their own laboratory. The procedure necessary for start-up can generally be summarized in the following steps:

• Communicate the start of the activity to the municipality of residence (using the COM1 or COM2 models based on the square footage of the business)
• Communicate the same thing to the ASL (D.I.A. – Start of Activity Report) to obtain health suitability and present the documents relating to the equipment that could pollute through their emissions (especially the ovens)
• Adhere to the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), a series of procedures part of a food self-control program to prevent possible contamination (you will probably need to participate in an inherent training course)
• Registration in the register of provincial companies (at the CCIAA-Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture) and opening of the INPS position
• Request for various authorizations at the municipal offices (sign, possible outdoor area occupation, etc.) and adaptation to safety and fire prevention regulations in the case of dependent employees

From the various steps required, it is clear that opening a pastry shop does not differ much at a bureaucratic level from any grocery store. The permits to be requested and the hygienic-sanitary requirements confer the authorization for production and sale, before them it is not possible to start the laboratory: ASL and municipality will carry out their checks.

Machinery and equipment: the fundamental operational arm of the pastry chef

The production of sweets for a commercial establishment makes it essential to purchase and use a series of professional machinery and equipment that are able to respond to adequate quantitative needs. Obviously, a home oven or the utensils that are used every day in domestic kitchens are not enough. We need mixers, ovens, refrigerators, freezers, blast chillers, deep fryers, tools of various kinds, dough sheeters and crushers, large work surfaces: all of a strictly professional level. Not to mention the corollary equipment to the actual production, such as the cash register, the pos, the display cases, the coffee machine if the bar service is also provided, but we are relatively interested in this.

Regardless of location in the area, the skill of the pastry chef, type of sweets and raw materials, the machinery is the element on which the laboratory is based, the first thing to equip yourself with to open a pastry shop, precedes the idea or the recipes. The professional equipment in fact allows you to speed up the preparatory and cooking processes, helps to keep the ingredients in order and “adapts” them to your needs.

The first need that must be obviated concerns the preparation of various types of dough (pastry, pastry, sponge cake, cream puffs, etc.) for which professional laboratory spiral, fork or planetary mixers are used (also ideal for creams ), each of them able to offer a better yield than the other according to the type of preparation: essential for handling large quantities in a short time. Then there should be machines designed for cutting (the same doughs but not only) and crushing (such as chocolate or dried fruit), a food processor for more specific and particular compounds and recipes.

The preparation of the desserts is completed by the ovens: a static or ventilated electric professional model represents the best solution to be taken into consideration before opening a pastry shop for its usability and its functionality from every point of view. Finally, refrigerated cabinets, chillers, blast chillers and freezers are indispensable for the conservation of raw materials, together with refrigerated display cabinets (therefore not strictly linked to the laboratory).

Lastly, the tools of the trade cannot be missing: molds, pans, pastry bags, syringes, wheels, shovels, rolling pins and all the knowledge for the work of up to hand.

Between training and budget: 2 aspects to consider when opening a pastry shop

To practice the profession of pastry chef, it is necessary to obtain a qualification that can be achieved in many ways. An advantage can be provided by having attended the hotel school, but what really makes the difference are the specialized training courses offered by professional schools and academies (unfortunately very expensive), by institutions such as Ascom-Confcommercio or Cna (just to name a pair) or finally from learning in the field in a laboratory, after activation of an internship by the Region. These are fundamental paths because they teach how to prepare the product, but also how to present and sell it: a utility that goes beyond the simple but inevitable qualification. Training affects, experience refines: they are among the secrets of the success of an activity of this type.

Along with the technical and notional growth of the individual pastry chef, the economic aspects should not be neglected, specifically the budget: opening a pastry shop means starting a business, therefore it implies investing money (in licenses, structure, courses, rent, equipment, etc.). Every aspect, from the bureaucratic one to the tools, must be seriously planned so as not to find itself closing after a few months due to lack of funds. Or even not being able to even open because every single expense has not been calculated.

Some final advice for future pastry chefs

Throwing yourself into the sweet world of pastry is a dream that many have had as children or that perhaps still hatch from the desks of their office, imagining a creative commitment completely free from rigid schemes. The truth is that, we reiterate it with conscience at the cost of being repetitive, it is a serious matter because it means starting a business (with all the needs and consequences related to it).

Having passion is not enough, you have to feel the vocation and be prepared to sacrifice time and effort to emerge in the sector to work even at night and on holidays without being affected on a motivational level.

Feeling the chosen professional path as your own is the only factor that allows you not to give up in the face of the numerous critical issues to be faced when you want to open a pastry shop. Success comes as a consequence of one’s passion refined by hard work, the decisive ingredients for a quality product.

Pastry is not just a “practice” aimed at creating foods with a high sugar content, as it cannot be defined solely by a purely sweet result, as it also includes the production of pizzas, focaccias, savory pastas, breadsticks and more. . In some ways, as can happen for the kitchen itself in general, it can be elevated to the level of art both in terms of the aesthetic result of a dessert and in terms of the taste of a given mix of ingredients.

In any case, to make a good pastry product it is not necessary to be good and creative like Iginio Massari, Cedric Grolet (one of the numerous names of excellence from France) or Ernst Knam: the knowledge and technical skills suitable to be successful in this sector are in a certain sense “modular” because they depend on the target clientele chosen, on the type of pastry (classic, refined, American, gluten free) and obviously on the entrepreneurial choices.

First of all, we must be aware that achieving success in any field of work (but even more so in the culinary one) requires considerable physical and mental effort, responsibility, a constant commitment to excellence and the patience to fulfill all bureaucratic issues, health and administrative in the opening phase. Requirements for which, very often, a strong “passionate” component of affection for the art of pastry is required: if the love for what you do does not exceed the effort required, then not only does it become impossible to be successful, but you reach directly to personal and entrepreneurial bankruptcy.

Among cakes, pastries, chocolate, ice cream, biscuits and savory products (an almost infinite repertoire among the many traditions) there are several factors that can mark the line that differentiates a successful business from one unable to break through people’s stomachs: positioning, location, technical ability, offer in the “menu”, aesthetics of the final product, service, quality of ingredients. Yet all these elements, especially as regards the preparation of confectionery products, largely depend on another factor, capable of improving the quality and quantity of the final product: pastry equipment.

• How a pastry chef operates and works
• What kind of pastry equipment is needed in a laboratory?
  • Pastry equipment used for preparation
  • Pastry equipment used for cooking
  • Pastry equipment used for storage

Let’s go.

How a pastry chef operates and works

Starting a pastry shop means starting a business, with all that that implies at the management level. From another point of view there is the soul of the laboratory, that is the productive work of the pastry chef, the one capable of making the difference, since it is the quality of the sweets prepared and sold that decrees the success or otherwise of the activity. In countries like ours or the French one, where there is a great culinary and taste culture, it might seem easy to earn a living by making desserts, but it is an obviousness that comes from a wrong reasoning, because quality is not easily reachable by everyone. Not to mention the added value of factors such as passion and originality (and therefore the ability to innovate the confectionery product).

The work of a pastry chef is based almost entirely on technique, of which it is essential to be masters in order to manage the many preparations and recipes. Creams and doughs require top quality ingredients and impeccably executed processes, followed by the moment in which the dessert is decorated and finished to entice the customer to purchase. Here also the most creative aspect of this profession comes into play. The point is that being a pastry chef is not as simple as it might seem, even to make a simple cream puff (made up of pasta and cream, multiplied by several units): the recipes are generally complex and require numerous processes to be carried out, cooking and treatments.

The management part of a pastry shop instead includes different tasks (which are not necessarily followed by the same person, but depends on the size of the laboratory and the presence or absence of other staff), some of which must comply with the different hygiene and health regulations: choosing suppliers, ordering raw materials, taking care of procurement and stock storage, guiding activities in the laboratory to optimize production, selecting tools and equipment for pastry, as well as taking care of ordinary and extraordinary maintenance.

To the figure of the classic laboratory pastry chef we add two other figures: the one engaged at an industrial level, dealing with automatic or semi-automatic machinery for the mass production of packaged specialties, and the more specialized one, called Pastry Chef, operating in the catering sector. The second in particular is generally part of a kitchen brigade and is responsible for creating the desserts for the restaurant menu (but can also take care of bread, focaccia, croissants and other typical baked goods). It is a highly sought-after figure at a high level, who in addition to technical ability must be able to work at a very tight pace and with extremely demanding customers.

What kind of pastry equipment is needed in a laboratory?

If the technique defines the quality (together with the raw materials) of the final confectionery product, professional equipment is the tool that allows you to exercise the skill of the pastry chef at the highest levels, improving processing, optimizing times and increasing the production volume. In some ways, the investment in machinery and tools is the most important, not only from a purely operational point of view, but also because it should be suitable for the type of pastry shop you intend to carry out. This is why it is not necessary to have all the machines available on the market to carry out every possible process, but only those strictly necessary for the confectionery offer that you want to offer to customers.

The basic equipment undoubtedly includes ovens and mixers, planetary machines, dough sheeters, but also blast chillers, coolers and other storage machinery. In terms of tools, however, the range of possibilities is extremely wide.

Let’s see what a pastry shop should include overall.

Pastry equipment used for preparation

Professional mixer

It is part of the basic machinery, it has the function of working the different types of doughs useful for the preparation of desserts and baked goods (including pizzas, focaccia, etc.). At a professional level there are different types, each with its advantages and disadvantages: fork, spiral, with dipping arms. They are characterized by tanks of different sizes. For certain processes, including whipping, mixing and whipping (for example eggs), the planetary mixer may suffice.

Sheeter or rolling mill

His job is to roll and roll some types of dough thanks to the two adjustable rollers.

Refiner

The refiner performs several operations: it can crush, grind and refine ingredients such as nuts and sugar, make chocolate flakes and other ingredients.

Mixer

It performs more or less the same operations as the refiner and offers the possibility of kneading, but cannot manage the amount of work of the aforementioned professional pastry tools.

Ice cream machine

A specific electric machine for processing jelly, always keeping it in its ideal status thanks to the regulation of the temperature and for spraying or dispensing it on the product.

Making and processing ice cream

Despite what one might think, ice cream has a very ancient genesis and is very often present in pastry shops, especially in the summer. To make it, several machines are required:

• The batch freezer and the pasteurizer: the first has the function of creaming (i.e. mixing and cooling of the ingredients), the second of pasteurization (sterilization and cooling of the milk)
• Whipping cream: through a system of injecting gas or liquids into the liquid cream, it causes it to be whipped
• Pacojet: used to whip frozen compounds for sorbets and ice creams

Leavening cells

They carry out their function by helping the leavening of brioches, panettone and other leavened doughs. Allows you to adjust temperature and humidity.

Pastry equipment used for cooking

Tempering machine

Temper the chocolate and keep it melted and then ready to be used. It is obviously temperature-adjustable.

Hob

Many pastry ingredients must be cooked on the stove, such as creams, jams, jellies, compotes, candied fruit, etc.

Pastocrem

An alternative to the stove, it is a machine that can cook the ingredients, cream them and pasteurize them (it is also used for ice cream).

Fryer

Gas or electric, perfect for donuts and other fried confectionery products (such as those of the carnival period).

The pastry oven

A fundamental element is then the oven. Gas or electric (more functional and clean), static or ventilated, it is essential for the homogeneous cooking of pastries and doughs, for sauces, fruit, soufflé and other ingredients or elaborate compounds.

Pastry equipment used for storage

Refrigerator

Used to store food, they can be ventilated or static. Static models are generally preferable as they allow for better humidity control. The more advanced models allow you to adjust the temperature differently in the different compartments available, allowing optimal storage of multiple ingredients.

Freezer

With the same “conservation” function as the refrigerator but at negative temperatures.

Refrigerated counter

Useful for storing food close to processing.

Cold room

Prefabricated or masonry, it manages temperature and humidity based on the type of perishable food stored inside.

Blast chiller

Another fundamental element among pastry equipment as it allows hot preparations to be cooled quickly before transferring them to refrigerators, preserves the freshness of the ingredients and prevents the multiplication of bacteria. In various recipes it is a decisive machine to speed up preparation.

Would you like more information about different pastry equipment?

CONTACT US

EAST GATE – Hall D7 – Stand 150

Also this year we will be present at SIGEP 2023 from 21 to 25 of January, with many new features, a rich program of Masterclasses and Showcooking together with the most important master pizza chefs on the national and international scene.

SATURDAY 21.01.23

11.00 am > GENNARO NASTI
2.00 pm > VITO DE VITA

SUNDAY 22.01.23

11.00 am > VITO DE VITA AND MAURIZIO LEONE
2.00 pm > CHRISTIAN TAURISANO

MONDAY 23.01.23

11.00 am > ANGELO MANIGRASSO
12.00 pm > ROUND TABLE: THE FUTURE OF THE PIZZA
2.00 pm > MAURIZIO LEONE

TUESDAY 24.01.23

11.00 am > DOMENICO DE ROSA
2.00 pm > ALEX LO STOCCO

WEDNESDAY 25.01.23

11.00 am > TASTING

We will deal together with various matters related to the world of baking, sustainability, design and Made in Italy. We will discover new recipes and valuable advices for all professionals in the Ho.Re.Ca. field.

Gennaro Nasti, Vito De Vita, Maurizio Leone, Cristiano Taurisano, Angelo Manigrasso, Domenico De Rosa, Alex Lo Stocco and all of us from Italforni are waiting for you at SIGEP 2023 to discover the secrets of perfect cooking together.

EAST GATE
HALL D7 / STAND 150

21 – 25 January 2023
Rimini Expo Centre

–
You will also find us at the MOLINO CASILLO stand (Hall B5 D5, Stand 004) with a dedicated space,
as technical partner for all the Masterclasses aimed at the world of pizza, with Visor and Caruso ovens.

We hope many of you will come!

SIGEP 2022: the event you must take part in

From March 12th to 16th ITALFORNI will participate in SIGEP 2022 – Fiera di Rimini – PAD. D7 / STAND 109 with many innovations, including CARUSO® the new electric oven for the best baking of the real Neapolitan pizza. Together with special guests from pizzeria, bakery and gastronomy field, every day live show cooking and masterclasses to be followed in presence or live from ITALFORNI social channels, to discover new gastronomic recipes and technical product pluses.

PROGRAM

12.03 – SATURDAY

H 11 > Fabio Cristiano – Scuola di Pizzaiolo
H 12 > Cristiano Garbarino – Campione Mondiale della Pizza 2018
H 13 > Alessandro Negrini – Maestro Pizzaiolo
H 14 > Carlo Di Cristo – Professore Università del Sannio – Esperto Lievitista
H 15 > Gianni Di Lella – Pizzeria la Bufala
H 16 > Maurizio Leone – Maestro Pizzaiolo e Tecnologo Italforni
H 17 > Vito De Vita & Massimiliano Costa – Direttore Ass. Scuola Napoletana Pizzaioli & Food Blogger

13.03 – SUNDAY

H 12 > Alessandro Negrini – Maestro Pizzaiolo
H 13 > Vito De Vita & Massimiliano Costa – Direttore Ass. Scuola Napoletana Pizzaioli & Food Blogger
H 14 > Maurizio Leone – Maestro Pizzaiolo e Tecnologo Italforni
H 15 > Cristiano Garbarino – Campione Mondiale della Pizza 2018
H 16 > Helga Liberto – Lievitista – Primo Premio Re Panettone 2021

14.03 – MONDAY

H 10 > Giovanni Senese – Pizzeria Senese Sanremo
H 11 > Paolo Moccia – Pizzeria Da Orlando – Associazione Pizzaioli Tramonti
H 12 > Maurizio Leone – Maestro Pizzaiolo e Tecnologo Italforni
H 13 > Cristiano Garbarino – Campione Mondiale della Pizza 2018
H 14 > Gennaro Primicerio – Responsabile Campania Gruppo Tecnicamente Pizza
H 15 > Alessandro Servidio – Pizza Chef – Italian Tv & Lifestyle Award 2019/2020
H 16 > Alessandro Negrini – Maestro Pizzaiolo
H 17 > Michele Catalano – Pizzeria Annette Mantova – Associazione Manidoro

15.03 – TUESDAY

H 10 > Helga Liberto – Lievitista – Primo Premio Re Panettone 2021
H 11 > Diego Tafone & Fabio Cafiero – Responsabile Pizzeria & Executive Chef Gruppo Don Peppe
H 12 > Maurizio Leone – Maestro Pizzaiolo e Tecnologo Italforni
H 13 > Alessandro Negrini – Maestro Pizzaiolo
H 14 > Marco Quintili – Responsabile Nazionale Gruppo Tecnicamente Pizza
H 15 > Salvatore Kosta – Tecnologo Alimentare
H 16 > Cristiano Garbarino – Campione Mondiale della Pizza 2018
H 17 > Giuseppe Villani – Pizzeria Ristorante Napule’s

16.03 – WEDNESDAY

H 10 > Alessandro Negrini – Maestro Pizzaiolo
H 11 > Errico Porzio – Docente Multicenter School – Pizzerie Porzio e PorzioNi di Pizza
H 12 > Cristiano Garbarino – Campione Mondiale della Pizza 2018
H 13 > Maurizio Leone – Maestro Pizzaiolo e Tecnologo Italforni
H 14 > Luca Piscopo – Anema e Pizza
H 15 > Luca Tufano – PizzArt Battipaglia

Follow us to find out all the updates!
Official Hashtag: #italforni # italfornisigep22

Live streaming on our social channels:
Facebook : @ItalforniOfficial
Instagram : italforni_offcial

What is the thing that makes everyone happier?

Pizza!

It does not depend on the type of dough you choose to use nor on how you decide to season it, this food drives everyone crazy, first of all Queen Margherita, the one to whom the famous mix of ingredients was dedicated.It is therefore natural to wonder how such a simple food has managed to resist over time and still be so appreciated, like the first time someone has bitten into its dough.

The quality of this product is certainly measured both by the ingredients of its dough, but also by the way it is cooked. Each pizzeria relies on different machinery to complete its work, the ovens, for example, must be chosen with care in order to make the most of the dough, make it soft and fragrant, as well as spread that unmistakable scent of freshly baked pizza.

The dream of every pizza chef is to make their customers happy and see them delighted while they taste their pizza. Precisely for this reason, commercial pizza ovens must reflect some fundamental characteristics in order to enhance your dough and make your business more competitive.

The prerequisites for a good pizza: the ingredients

The first concept to consider is that an excellent oven is not enough to make a good pizza, but a soft and pleasant dough is also necessary: ​​at that point the machine can only optimize the composition through the magic of heat. Although this food seems easy to create, making a pizza that makes the taste buds dance is more complicated than it seems. The ingredients that are used must be up to par, in order to accompany proper cooking.

First let’s see which ingredients can be used, how to dose them and what precautions will make the dough for a classic pizza better. The main ingredients, listed in respect of their importance in terms of quantity and functionality, are:

• Flour
• Waterfall
• Yeast
• Salt
• Oil

Let’s now see how to choose the right raw materials and calculate the right quantities so as to avoid excessive leavening of the dough, which would create a series of problems, primarily in the context of handling and consequently with unpleasant variations in cooking.

Flour

For a professional pizza dough, the flour to be used is certainly the long leavening one.

To base the choice, certain precautions are also necessary on the technical characteristics, that is: the flours available to us, or allowed and recognized by the Italian legislation for trade for human consumption, are of the type: “00 – 0 – 1 – 2 – integral”. The difference between these 5 types lies in the organic characteristics called “ashes”, which are retained or excluded in the refining process in the mill. The most used to make pizza dough is still the “00” type flour.

At the end of the 80s in Italy there were about 13,000 milling activities (mills), in 2017 about 280 were registered. The globalization of purchases, the strict health and hygiene rules and the lack of generational changes, have practically nullified the direct relationship between the baker -mill. Of this remaining reality, about 40 have adapted and understood the real market that was developing.

The professional figures: pastry chef, baker and pizza chef still find flours that are calibrated for each type of processing that you want to carry out. We can easily do our job without going into the context of flour blends, a reality that is often empirical even for the millers themselves.

Let’s focus now on the pizza.

When we talk about long leavening doughs, we mean a dough that has, (from the moment the water comes into contact with the flour in the mixer until the moment we put the pizza in the oven) at least 36 hours of leavening / maturation. The abbreviations used in Italy by operators to recognize the identity and correct suitability of a flour for its intended use are the “W” and “P / L”. These values ​​are detected by means of a machine (present in the “40 mills” laboratories) which is called Chopin’s Alveograph. Chopin’s Alveograph detects the strength, extensibility and toughness of a dough.

The ideal flour for making a long leavening pizza dough “at least 36 hours” is W320 and a P / L 0.5.

The water

First of all, the water to be used in a professional pizza dough must be clear, colorless, odorless, in the absence of chlorine, moderately hard from 10 ° to 20 ° French and with a pH of 6/7.

Let’s focus on chlorine. As is well known, it is periodically inserted at the origin of the “aqueduct” water distribution point. The use of chlorine guarantees a water purification action by systematically destroying all the bacteria present.

The use of water taken directly from the tap to package the dough can therefore turn into a serious problem: the yeast used for baking is saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly called brewer’s yeast. Yeast is a microorganism, which we can define as “good”. Unfortunately, chlorine makes no distinctions and therefore already when it comes into contact in the mixer tank, alas, a good part of it is destroyed.

The best way to meet this problem is to fill a canister with water and put it in the fridge +2/4° without a cap. The chlorine will naturally evaporate. With this action we will also have another benefit, the water temperature will be suitable for the packaging of the long leavening dough, that is, it will allow us to control the rapid reproduction of yeasts. This rapid reproduction must necessarily be slowed down to allow maturation to take place regularly.

The yeast

As we said above, the yeast that concerns breadmaking in general is saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly recognized as Brewer’s Yeast. We have mentioned yeast in different contexts when discussing water and we can reiterate that yeast being a microorganism has different needs that must be respected to keep it alive.

First of all, we underline the fact that there are 2 types of brewer’s yeast on the market, although they are always the same strain, namely:

• Fresh brewer’s yeast (containing about 76% moisture) is recognizable as fresh from the ivory color, contrary to the gray color which will be an indication of deterioration
• Dry brewer’s yeast (containing 6/7% moisture).

Consequently, the conservation and the duration will be different: if kept at 0° centigrade the fresh “500 gr block” will have a duration, at the heart of the block, of about 9 weeks. The dry yeast has a shelf life of about 1 year kept in an airtight container, protected from light and heat sources (can be stored at room temperature).

Another difference lies in the amount of use, that is, 5 grams of fresh yeast in the ratio is equivalent to about 2.2 grams of dry yeast. The amount of yeast to add must always be calculated based on the programming of the dough, consequently to the type of flour and not least to the general climatic conditions.

Absolutely to know: once we have finished the dough, we need to check its temperature. It is essential that it does not exceed 24 °. This will allow us to safeguard the correct (and slow) programmed leavening.

On the yeast, however, they really feel all colors! The most striking urban legend is certainly “I ate a pizza that rises in my stomach!” there is nothing more absurd. The pizza cooks by excluding humidity, the temperature passes through the structure that we have baked until it reaches the heart. We can declare that the pizza is cooked when the core temperature has reached 100°.

The yeast being a microorganism, therefore a living being, enters the irreversible phase of death at 45 °. We can safely declare that the yeasts, once cooked, are inexorably dead.

Salt

There are various types of salt for human consumption. Surely the most suitable for packaging pizza dough is iodized sea salt. The recommended amount varies between 1.8% to 2.2% to be adjusted according to the hydrating power of the flour, that is, the higher the moisturizing power, the higher the percentage of salt.

The oil

Lipids are essential for pizza dough. The main reason is dictated by the fact that in the grain grinding-refining process, the only part containing fat is the germ. Originally this part (when it is still a grain) has a value of 1%, so when it is transformed into flour, only a few traces remain. The oil in the mixture has a lubricating and emulsifying effect and not least waterproofing. These consequences result in an excellent guarantee for safeguarding the anticipated natural evaporation during the leavening-maturation phase, therefore the stability of the product. Its waterproofing power takes effect in the firing process, creating a sort of homogeneous moisture retention.

The seasoning

If we were to explain, “to those few who still don’t know pizza”, in other words what it is, there would be no better description than: “disc of pasta useful for cooking other ingredients”.

Using this definition opens up a gastronomic world, however governed by some principles:

• Respect for the identity of each ingredient
• Correct transformation into form or pre-cooking
• Respect for the correct combination
• Adequate quantity and distribution on the disc
• Seasonal and colorful conviviality.

The two ingredients present in almost all the pizzas are tomato and mozzarella, a basic composition famous all over the world with the name of Pizza Margherita.

Tomato

On the market we have the possibility to choose between 4 different types of tomatoes:

• Fresh tomato
• Peeled tomato
• Tomato pulp
• Tomato puree

Among the 4 types, tomato pulp, specifically “fine”, is absolutely the most suitable. Its structure allows us to have an excellent result in the chewing phase and the customer will perfectly perceive the presence of the tomato. It will also allow the mozzarella to bind in some places with the dough disc.

The preparation of the tomato pulp requires only and exclusively the seasoning of salt; the recommended quantity is 9-10 grams per kg, if the density of the pulp is too rigid, we lengthen it by noting the amount of water inserted, this will allow us to make the right consideration of the amount of salt needed.

When dressing tomatoes, it is better to avoid sugar and spices; the reasons are the following: if you have to add sugar to cover a bit acidity and better to change tomatoes, a sour tomato is not a quality product. As for spices, it is known that spices become bitter during cooking, in addition to the fact that some customers may not like or even be intolerant.

The correct quantity of tomato useful for the filling of a classic pizza, with a diameter of about 33 centimetres, is equal to about one hundred grams.

Mozzarella

Without a doubt, the most suitable mozzarella for classic pizza is fior di latte. Over the last few decades, the dairies have developed excellent products that have already been transformed into cubes or julienne strips, which are very effective for immediate use. The shape, already chopped, allows to cover the dough disc evenly. The correct quantity of mozzarella necessary for the filling of a classic pizza is 100 gr. This weight can be ideal for the homogeneous covering of a margherita pizza but it can also drop to 80 g for pizzas with other toppings, such as capricciosa, ham and mushrooms, etc …

Mozzarella is certainly the product that has the greatest weight in the income statement of a pizzeria. I take this opportunity to emphasize how important the choice of a quality product is: each product can in fact be cataloged by quality on the basis of well-defined organic values ​​and awards. We are wary of mozzarella which in the list of ingredients shows these terms:

• Acidity regulator
• Curd
• Waterfall
• Citric Acid or Potassium Sorbate

A quality mozzarella is identified as:

• Fresh cheese
• Created with Milk
• Rennet & Salt
• Lactic ferments (… sometimes)

The analysis that we are going to carry out should be the abc of the restaurateur. In this case we will do it with mozzarella but, adopted to check other products, it can be very useful.

Quality mozzarella has a characteristic that a non-quality product does not have. The quality mozzarella is emollient. Its structure when it receives heat starts with homogeneity on the disc of dough, this process takes place with great moderation using a poor quality mozzarella.

Let’s take a practical example: we recognized that 80 grams of quality mozzarella are needed to fill a pizza. On average there are 120 gr with a non-quality mozzarella. Let’s assume that the purchase of quality mozzarella is € 5.80 and that of the non-quality product is € 4.50. Considering that the average monthly production of a pizzeria, and about 4,000 pizzas, we can note that: the pizzeria that will use a quality mozzarella will need 3,200 kg purchased at € 5.80 x 3,200 kg = € 18,560.00 unlike the pizzeria that uses a lower quality product yes at a lower cost, but with the need of 120 gr per pizza in order to guarantee the adequate filling, therefore: 4,800 kg purchased at € 4.50 x 4,800 kg = € 21,600, 00.

So we can define that: a product purchased “apparently” at an affordable price, not only does not have the quality levels necessary to guarantee us a safeguard of our work, but also makes us spend an extra € 3,040.00.

The last step before the oven

To ensure that the pizza has an excellent cooking, it is also necessary to evaluate the drafting of the dough before it is baked.

A standard weight compared to a single diameter will guarantee a homogeneous and simultaneous cooking of the baked pizzas. The disc needs to be “respected” as much as possible, because the structure that was made up during the leavening-maturation period is already perfect in itself.

Let’s try for a moment to analyze the various drafting methods, starting from the mechanical ones.

• We have the worst drafting result using the hot machines called pizza press, we can define it the worst as the structure of the dough is violently denatured, also creating a sort of burn on the two sides, (obstacle for tying the tomato and mozzarella ) and natural evaporation through the pores, moreover, there is no need to expect the creation of the edge / cornice during cooking
  
  
• Next we have the vertical laminator. This machine is made up of Teflon or steel rollers that rotate simultaneously one against the other, by passing the dough between them we can gradually reach the desired diameter. Being a machine that works at room temperature, we can recognize it as better than the previous one
  
  
• The rolling pin, an object present unfortunately, still in too many pizzerias. The pressure distributed in the rolling pin differs the structure of the dough, distributing it according to the direction and pressure that the operator gives it
  
  
• Drafting by hand, carried out with the hands by applying vertical pressure, someone not happy also gives him slaps. We obtain the best result by applying a completely horizontal hand spread, that is by widening the disc by interacting exclusively on the homogeneous distribution.

Choice of the type of oven

We first listed the characteristics of the dough and now let’s specify how to select the type of oven to use.

This order is not random, as based on the type of product to be cooked, the best performing oven can be chosen, so as to enhance the best features. Each oven has its strengths and weaknesses and for this reason it will give a more specific type of cooking.

The types of oven used for cooking pizza are:

• Electric
• Gas
• Wood fired

The physical process that takes place inside each specific oven has different characteristics, but with a single common denominator: heat. Let’s analyze in detail what these differences are.

Electric oven

The electric oven is known for being the simplest to use, but above all the most versatile. The propagation of heat occurs due to the productive effect of resistances present under the refractory cooking surface, this event is called “conduction” and by the resistances present in the upper part, which is identified as “radiation”.

In the electric oven the chamber is on average 17/19 cm high, this limited height creates the third event, the “convention”. The radiation for about 85% and the conduction for about 15% produce the convention.

Italforni high-end ovens have an extra gear.

The refractory surfaces, of considerable thickness, have internal slits where the “hi-pe” armored resistors are housed. Spiral heaters are now a thing of the past. As a matter of capillarity of heat, energy saving and easy maintenance, the new “pin” resistances really make the difference.

This type of oven has been specially designed for cooking various types of pizzas. The advantages concern:

• Guaranteed hygiene: as it is easy to keep clean, as there are no fuel residues
  
  
• The need for particular flues: for this type of ovens it is not necessary to install special flues, as the extraction system will have the exclusive function of bringing cooking smells outside. However, it remains undisputed that the rule dictated by the physical function of the flue must be absolutely guaranteed
  
  
• Homogeneous temperature: thanks to set and automated cooking programs, it is possible to control the diffusion of heat and make it homogeneous.

Thanks to digital panels with adjustable programs, it is possible to memorize different cooking programs as well as to constantly control the chamber temperatures. The cooking is regulated and made uniform by the refractory plates that are present inside. In this case, the staff who must manage the cooking of the pizza need not necessarily be specialized, due to the ease of use in setting the desired temperature. Obviously, this type of oven also has disadvantages in the case in which machinery is chosen that has been manufactured in an unprofessional way or to which little attention has been paid in the design.

The electric ovens also include tunnel ovens, suitable for pizzerias that have more of an entrepreneurial rather than artisanal format, that is, the “Italforni patent” stone tunnel oven finds its best location in production contexts where you don’t want to leave anything. to chance. Human error has been eliminated with the tunnel stone oven, and it is also an absolutely reliable machine in case you need to meet particular production needs.

Gas oven

The gas oven is apparently similar externally to the electric one, but obviously we enter the world of heat production by combustion. Gas ovens have a burner housed under the hob which creates conduction. Through the heat conveyors positioned in the lateral parts of the oven, the heat is transmitted upwards, which consequently creates radiation. Due to the very nature of the limited height of the room, we consequently have the agreement. Unlike the electric oven, the gas oven tends, even if minimally, to dry the product and in any case does not have the versatility of electric.

Despite the differences that occur during cooking, when the oven is turned on, the heat is pumped at maximum power, while once the desired degrees are reached, diffusion becomes the essential minimum, keeping the heat constant inside. As with the electric oven, the gas oven has a door that must be used quickly to put in / take out of the oven and immediately closed.

Wood fired oven

The wood-fired oven is the oldest of all, it has always been used in pizzerias, the material of which it is composed is refractory stone with the addition of a percentage of silicon that varies between 55 and 58% depending on the techniques of construction. The other very important aspect is the height of the internal dome which varies according to the diameter of the hob.

As the name suggests, the fuel used is wood. This, while being part of the combustion ovens, has a big difference compared to the gas oven. In the gas oven, the power supply is managed by the machine, unlike the wood oven which is subject to the experience of the pizza maker, the type of wood used, the climatic conditions, etc ….

As can be seen, the management of cooking in a wood oven has its difficulties, but it has a great advantage over all other ovens, “the emotional value”. The human being is attracted to the fire, by that unstable almost intermittent light . Even without seeing the flame, we connect a sort of heat to it and if we see this light by peeking inside the pizza chef’s oven, we automatically credit it with countless points of quality. This even before tasting the product, therefore without knowing whether it will be of quality or not.

But let’s see what critical issues we encountered in the use of a wood-burning oven:

Hygiene problems

We know how much wood is appreciated by cockroaches, small animals of all kinds and alas, rats find a brilliant habitat. The operators in the sector know this problem very well and also know that little can be done about it.

The other serious hygiene problem occurs inside the oven. It is well known that not all wood is suitable for use in the oven for cooking food. The use of resinous wood, for example, has very dangerous consequences for the health of the consumer. The resin is what the plant expels because it is not appreciated, therefore impurities. Undergoing a combustion process these impurities are transformed into micro powders which are deposited on the pizza being cooked or on the temporarily free cooking surface.

However good and attentive the pizza chef may be, unfortunately this is inevitable. So let’s see which type of wood must absolutely not be used:

• Scraps of wood previously used. This may have been in contact with harmful substances that have impregnated it. In the combustion process they dissolve in the oven and consequently on the food being cooked
• Wood affected by mold. Absolutely not recommended for consequences related to the harmfulness of the same but also for unpleasant odors
• Painted wood. It is easy to understand what the consequences of burning wood that has been painted or even plasticized can be. The result will inexorably be the release of carcinogenic toxins and toxic fumes.

Additional criticalities of cooking with a wood oven

• Noxious fumes. To comply with the law, it is necessary to install a system that reduces the emission of fumes, resulting in additional costs
• Flues. For its operation, insulated flues are installed, which are particularly expensive
• Need for qualified personnel. To fully understand how to cook pizza in these ovens, it is necessary to use highly experienced pizza chefs since the temperature inside, unlike other types, cannot be manually adjusted to make it constant.

Each oven has its own pizza

It is not enough to know all the characteristics of the various types of ovens, but it is also necessary to know the identity of the products we are going to cook in order to choose the cooking method. Ovens for pizzerias are a critical variable that must be managed with care in order to obtain the best result, so as to enhance the mixture and make it a dream pizza. For example, the static oven, with its constant and regular temperatures is ideal for all cooking, since the heat is capillary and constant inside the chamber, it is possible to manage the process with predefined settings.

If initially the wood-burning oven was the master in cooking pizza, now it has been overtaken by the more comfortable and efficient models of gas or electric ovens. For this reason it is necessary to understand which characteristics possessed by an oven can facilitate the work of the pizza chef, from the most experienced to the beginner.

How to optimize your work with 10 commercial pizza oven requirements

After analyzing how the ingredients affect cooking and how to dose them in order to avoid errors, after studying the various feeding models, including strengths and weaknesses, it is now time to understand what are the trump cards that an oven must own. Here they are listed below:

1. Temperature regulation
2. High temperatures
3. Humidity
4. Refractory stone
5. Cost and time savings
6. Cleaning
7. Programmability
8. Dimensions
9. Thermal insulation
10. Production capacity

Let’s now analyze one by one the factors integrated in a commercial pizza oven that will make your work faster and leaner.

1. Temperature adjustment

Each of the previously listed oven types has a different influence on the heat jet.

We said previously that gas ovens, depending on the mode of heat propagation, affect the product being cooked in a different way, but in any case uniform, giving constant temperatures. It is certainly an advantage for inexperienced pizza chefs to have a class of ovens that can be fed easily and without wasting time.

These machines can be adjusted in order to better manage the temperature and avoid sudden changes in temperature that would risk canceling the proper cooking process, which for some products (not just pizza) must be sweeter.

Electric ovens have the advantage of being able to perfectly control the degrees inside the machine at any time, for this reason they offer perfectly homogeneous cooking.

In the eternal disparity between electric oven and gas oven, in the case of temperature regulation, choosing one rather than the other does not involve large variations in the technique, as long as it is possible to adjust it perfectly.

2. High temperatures

Pizza is the classic food that in order to be cooked in the right way requires high temperatures and for this reason only professional ovens, designed for this, are able to give perfect cooking.

Usually the temperature of an oven to be adequate for cooking classic pizza must be between 350 and 370° C, this will allow the moisture to escape in a homogeneous and capillary way.

It is not enough just to have the possibility to regulate the internal temperature, but it is also necessary that the machine is able to reach certain levels of internal heat in order to cook the pizza correctly. It is true that each food, based on its structure / humidity / size, needs a specific temperature, but considering specifically the Classic Pizza cooked directly on the refractory surface, it needs a high temperature to give the right result.

3. Humidity

Usually the only factor that is considered in an oven is its ability to regulate the temperature, forgetting to evaluate the release of internal humidity and the possibility of inserting a steamer. There are numerous pizzerias that produce bread by cooking it in their own oven. This is essential to allow the bread to grow perfectly as well as facilitate the formation of a crunchy crust.

The steam facilitates this process making it less drastic and allowing the inside of the bread to be cooked as well. For this reason, ovens that allow the insertion of this additional accessory (the “steamer”) or that have already included a steam function in the program, are to be preferred. Usually to have this facility are the ovens powered by electricity, which in addition to perfectly regulating the internal degrees are also able to control the diffusion of humidity.

When 45° C is reached. the yeasts, as previously mentioned, enter an irreversible phase of death, they will die definitively at 55-58° C. extinguishing their function and starting the dough base, towards the solidification of the starch. Starch at 72° C begins to form a resistant network, blocking the creation and development of the alveoli by ethyl alcohol.

4. Refractory stone

To raise the quality level of your pizza, when choosing a commercial pizza oven, different materials and precautions must be considered that can make the product of the highest quality.

Among these there is certainly the refractory stone, which is generally placed inside professional ovens, it is a plate made up of different refractory materials such as clay and cordierite, sometimes terracotta and mortar are also inserted. With the adjective refractory we mean all those materials that are capable of withstanding high temperatures without contaminating the surrounding objects, for this reason the composition must be perfectly known in order to avoid materials that can be harmful to human health.

These plates inserted inside the professional machinery have several advantages for the production of pizza:

• Heat retention: this material is able to incorporate and retain a large amount of heat and release it gradually
• Resistance: inherent in the properties of the material is the ability to withstand very high temperatures without contaminating or causing chemical reactions with the doughs
• Homogeneous distribution: like all stones, it allows a gradual release of heat, helping in the prevention of temperature changes, even with the momentary opening of the door
• Faster cooking process: the consistency with which the heat is distributed and the proximity allow for faster cooking and with higher temperatures.

All these characteristics contribute to creating a quality product and therefore having an oven with this requirement will certainly bring significant advantages, easily perceived by the customer when he bites into a slice of pizza.

5. Cost and time savings

This is not a real requirement, rather an evaluation advice to optimize costs and reduce production times.

Although wood-fired ovens have always been associated with the cooking of pizza, they have currently been greatly reconsidered at the time of their inclusion in the production in pizzerias due to their slowness in cooking and the lack of homogeneity in the distribution of heat. When you have many customers to satisfy in front of you, it is not possible to bake more pizzas than those occupying the top, which is why having a modular oven with more shelves, only possible in the gas or electric version, allows you to have more space where to insert the food for cooking and also have a time saver.

Electric or gas ovens for pizzeria have a better heat distribution, thus allowing faster cooking, moreover having the possibility to pre-set the cooking program, it is not necessary to check the progress of the process several times. Furthermore, with these types of ovens it is not even necessary to have highly trained personnel or tools, which in addition to slowing down the work must also be continually replaced to avoid wear, without considering that professional tools of this type also have additional costs to bear bill.

6. Cleaning

Ovens for pizzerias, as well as all other machinery useful in food production, must comply with strict hygiene and health standards. Every day, the right amount of time must be devoted to the maintenance and regular cleaning of all instruments. Having an oven that does not produce excessive amounts of dirt due to the combustion of materials and that can be easy to clean in all its parts, will certainly facilitate this process.

Gas and electric ovens certainly have an edge in this respect, precisely because of the smooth composition of the internal materials which make it easy to eliminate the residues of the dough cooked during the day.

Otherwise, having a fuel that also produces residues would involve more work in the cleaning phase. This aspect should not be underestimated as spending less time in this activity and still having excellent hygiene of the machinery also improves the image of the pizzeria itself, as well as being more in line with the requirements dictated by current legislation.

Tip: for periodic cleaning of the hob from residues of lipids and fats in general, it is advisable to adopt this procedure at the end of the service. Bring the oven to maximum temperature and leave it on for 25 – 30 minutes. When it has cooled down we will brush it well and pass it a damp but not wet “dedicated” cloth, that is, that does not release water. Be careful because if this should happen, know that the refractory stone will inexorably crack, as a result of the increase in the volume of the water which, not finding an outlet, will create tears.

7. Programmability

Thanks to the advancement of techniques and the development of technologies, even commercial pizza ovens have undergone significant updates. Having an oven in which it is possible to set well-defined programs, as well as allowing perfect cooking, reduces the time spent in production.

Having a machine that is able to cook pizza without having to constantly monitor it helps to devote time to other activities and therefore to make the work processes, which take place inside the pizzeria, faster and smoother. So, to optimize your work, having an oven with a display that can program cooking is certainly a considerable advantage.

8. Dimensions

The spaces dedicated to the various machines in pizzerias are almost always reduced, so having a compact oven that can be easily adapted facilitates the distribution of space. Modular ovens are able to cook a greater quantity of pizzas, but take up much less space, without forgetting that wood-fired ovens, for example, require a large space of movement in order to work with the necessary tools.

The password in these cases is “compact”. An oven that manages to be compact, at the same time efficient and easy to insert inside the structure can be an excellent choice that certainly facilitates the work of the staff. For this reason, the dimensions must be well thought out before purchasing.

9. Thermal insulation

When you work in confined spaces and in contact with an oven, the first thing you think about is that the heat that is given off by the machinery, in the case of some types of ovens, can make the workplace unlivable.

Choosing a type of oven such as gas or electric that is able to make heat dispersion more difficult, also thanks to the doors present, is an extra help that can be provided to make this work faster and more pleasant. Thermal insulation is usually guaranteed by the choice of materials and their composition so as to prevent heat from being dispersed, also increasing the costs necessary to maintain constant temperatures inside the cooking chambers.

10. Production capacity

The machinery present within an activity when they are chosen are also evaluated according to their production capacity, this is easily calculated based on the products needed to be made to meet the demand and an excess of the same.

Owning an oven that is able to satisfy a high productivity and even the moments of low activity is a concrete help in the work. In practice, the choice of the oven must be made considering the production numbers in hyper activity.

Ovens that have several cooking chambers can choose which of these to operate in order to also have a saving in terms of fuel costs and allow to increase the quantity of cooked products thanks to the different shelves present. Ovens such as wood-burning ones tend to be much less flexible and have an unchanged productivity, always consuming the same amount of fuel.

In an activity such as the pizzeria, where there is not a constant flow of customers, having the ability to vary the type and quantity of products made certainly makes work easier.

In conclusion

Although considering all these factors in choosing among the many commercial pizza ovens can be complicated, it is important to evaluate them to make the work as efficient as possible and to have a dedicated place that is absolutely functional.

In summary, all these characteristics can be summarized in 4 points:

• Consider the temperature variable and its regulation
• Choose ovens that allow you to speed up your work
• Know the characteristics of the materials used
• Prefer machinery that can be easily programmed and controlled.

Italforni is available to provide you with all the useful information for a careful choice of the most suitable oven and to advise you on the best performing solution for your business.

Contact us to request an interview with one of our consultants who can answer all your questions regarding:

• Technical product information
• Advice on the most suitable product for your business
• Information relating to the regulations in force
• Adequate connection of the exhaust system
• Testing
• Optimizations on the use of the oven
• Training / advanced / specialization courses
• Improvement consultancy for doughs
• Industry news

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.

Crunchy crust and soft crumb: bread is the inevitable star of Italian tables.

Today, more than ever, the relationship with one’s own baker is being rediscovered who, made up of trust, stories and seductive tastings, manages to convey bite after bite the flavor and consistency associated with a particular grain or leavening.

Each taste professional obviously has his own technique and recipes, perhaps handed down from generation to generation, jealously guarded and improved over the years.

But to obtain good bread, which knows how to tell your philosophy and your values, it is not enough to know how to select the best grains or choose to use more or less natural leavening.

To support the study of accurate processing methods, designed specifically for that given type of grain and grinding, there must be a commercial bread oven specifically designed to enhance the flavors and to ensure uniform cooking of all loaves, regardless of the load.

A good oven, in fact, must be able to meet your needs and facilitate your work, always guaranteeing you a high quality production.

The different models on the market are designed to adapt and respond in the best possible way to different activities in terms of dimensions and processing methods.

For this reason it is essential to understand in the first place what your needs are and what characteristics you are looking for in an oven, focusing above all on your laboratory and on which product you intend to offer to your customers.

Total control of temperature, humidity and steam are just some of the essential features to always obtain excellent results.

Let’s see below what are the other requirements that a good commercial bread oven must possess to facilitate your work and give you the opportunity to experiment with always different ingredients.

Professional bakery oven: better electric or gas?

What mainly distinguishes one oven from another is the system with which heat is transmitted, which can occur in three different ways:

1. Conduction: it is obtained through direct contact with the pan or the refractory surface (floor)
2. Convection: occurs through the motions of hot air present inside the oven, which exchange heat with the product. The heated air expands, decreases in density and rises upwards, where it cools, and then falls again. This physical phenomenon is fundamental in cooking processes in a closed environment
3. Radiation: in this case the heat is transmitted through the resistances of an electric oven or a refractory cover (ceiling).

An accurate and correct combination of these three factors allows you to adapt the cooking parameters for each individual product.

If in the past wood-fired ovens were among the most used in baking bread, today the market offers infinite models and new generation solutions, each with its own distinctive characteristics.

Professional ovens, depending on the type of power supply, offer different qualities in the emission and distribution of heat inside the cooking chamber.

We can therefore find powered bakery ovens:

• Gas: where the heat is produced thanks to the flame placed in the lower parts
• Electrical: where the heat is generated by the overheating of the resistances

Gas cooking is very versatile, while electric cooking conducts heat without significant variations in temperature regulation and manages to keep the degrees constant.

Surely professional electric ovens are the most used and recommended solution for baking bread.

This is both for greater uniformity and quality of cooking and because they allow you to select the mode of heat diffusion: from above, from below or from both sides.

This is why the electric models, thanks to the ability to easily control and set the temperature of the top and the floor, represent a valid solution for bakeries, allowing you to obtain impeccable cooking for each loaf.

Among the advantages offered by electric ovens for bakeries we therefore find:

• The ability to select which resistance to activate
• The option of being able to switch on a single room or more than one
• The practicality of the installation that does not require the implementation of a flue

Furthermore, the continuous investment in research and development in recent years has made it possible to optimize this type of oven from the point of view of energy saving, combining high performance and increasingly reduced consumption.

The most efficient ovens in this category are those designed and built to ensure high thermal insulation.

Thanks to the materials used in manufacturing they are in fact able to exploit heat more efficiently, preventing its dispersion to the outside.

What characteristics must a good professional bakery oven possess?

Choosing the perfect oven from the multitude of models and proposals on the market may seem complicated, at least on the surface.

Surely every activity is different from the other so first you need to understand what use you intend to make of the oven, which products you want to make and how many.

That said, there are some features you should take into consideration when deciding to buy acommercial bread oven. Let’s see some of them.

Extreme versatility of modular ovens

If in your laboratory you have decided to diversify the production and therefore to make different types of bread, and why not even pizza and small pastries, then you should move towards an oven with several cooking chambers.

In this way you will not only have the possibility to bake more products at the same time, but also to always keep consumption low with considerable energy savings.

In fact, it is not necessary to always keep all the chambers with which the oven is equipped on: you can decide to use only one or two of the available chambers, thus reducing consumption.

Furthermore, you can decide to set a different cooking mode for each chamber or choose from your favorite preset recipes. This way you won’t have to set the oven every time for the products you bake every day.

Maximum productivity in tunnel ovens

One of the main aspects to take into consideration when you are preparing to choose the best professional oven for your bakery is undoubtedly the quantity of production you intend to make.

If you think that a modular oven is not enough to meet your needs, as you have a semi-industrial bread production, you can evaluate the purchase of a compact industrial electric oven, but suitable for cooking multiple products such as: common bread, carasau bread, Sardinian esplanade, Arabic bread, unleavened bread and so on.

High quality of the materials used

Choosing an oven made with high quality materials, in addition to ensuring excellent durability and high thermal insulation, affects the quality of the bread produced, especially if it is large in size.

In fact, heavier doughs, in addition to requiring high-power professional electric ovens to be dried and cooked to perfection, need high-performance hobs.

A plateau made of refractory material, combined with a system of armored resistances, allows the heat to be evenly distributed in every point of the chamber offering bread that is always homogeneous and perfect.

Furthermore, from the point of view of consumption, a commercial bread oven made with heat-conducting materials, combined with a system of well-positioned resistances, will be less expensive in terms of consumption than a similar model made with lower quality materials.

Easy programmability of the commercial bread oven

Simple to use and functional. To make your work easier, the oven must be intuitive, simple to program and able to speed up production.

So choose an innovative and technological bakery oven, easy to use and functional, where you can set and program not only each type of cooking, but also switch on at a preset time as you wish.

In this way, when you arrive in the laboratory, the oven will already be hot and you will not have to wait for it to reach the desired temperature

Possibility of inserting the steamer in each cooking chamber

The steamer allows you to conveniently and automatically control the right level of humidity during cooking.

It is especially important for many baked goods with a shiny, smooth finish and allows you to:

• Make the bread crust shiny and thin
• Slow down the formation of the scab
• Increase the amount of bread crumbs
• Increase the volume of the bread
• Slow down the chemical reactions responsible for the browning of the crust
• Speed ​​up cooking
• Create cracks on the surface of the bread if the dough was prepared with a strong flour

Obviously not all production requires the use of the steamer. Homemade bread or all those products with a rustic appearance, with a rough and opaque crust such as Apulian or Tuscan bread, do not require this function.

What is the best commercial bread oven?

As you may have guessed, there is no universal answer to this question.

The choice of oven is linked to your way of working, the production levels of your business, the budget you intend to invest and the type of products you want to offer your customers.

Before tackling the purchase of a new oven, it is therefore important to know what imprint you want to give to your bakery: what products do you want to offer? Do you intend to bake a niche bread or do you want to focus on quantity? Do you need a model that allows you to store different recipes and is technologically advanced or do you prefer a basic but functional oven?

Answering these simple questions will help you to be clear about the functions and characteristics of the new oven, so that you can then evaluate the different options.

Furthermore, knowing the differences and peculiarities of the different types of bakery ovens on the market will allow you to make a careful and conscious choice, which knows how to adapt well to your growth project.

Of course, investing in a model that is simple to use, made with high quality and versatile materials can offer you significant advantages, both in terms of cooking results and in terms of economic and ecological aspects.

Bread and pizza. Two foods that are born poor, but which in recent years are the undisputed protagonists of that gastronomic revolution that seeks to combine tradition and modernity, thanks to the continuous search for new ideas.

One of the most important differences between the many types of pizzas and breads baked every day is related to the variety of native cereals, typical of each Italian region.

From jervicella flour, all from the Marche region, to saragolla wheat, grown between Lucania, Sannio and Abruzzo, there are many varieties of cereals that can be used to create ever new doughs.

Each area of ​​our country, in fact, has its own type of traditional bread, linked both to the purely agricultural factor of the quality of the grain that is grown, and to centuries-old traditions that are handed down from generation to generation.

The pizza for its part certainly does not stand by and watch. While providing for the use of the same ingredients as bread, in recent years it has been able to reinvent itself thanks to the refinement of the technique by pizza makers who, increasingly experienced, have expanded their offer by proposing alternative doughs.

New flavors and combinations of ingredients that tell a territory and require an increasingly professional service.

At the basis of this revolution, therefore, there is undoubtedly the quality of the raw material, the continuous experimentation on dough and leavening, the territoriality of both the ingredients and the traditions and above all the control of cooking.

The world of contemporary white art, in fact, sees an ever greater diffusion of the electric oven, which compared to the wood-burning one is more practical and efficient as well as offering significant energy savings and greater environmental compatibility.

To be able to experiment with doughs made with different flours, to play with flavors and to improve the customer experience in terms of digestibility, it is necessary to have tools that are able to make the most of the leavened product during cooking.

Thanks to the temperature and humidity control, as well as the internal configuration of the cooking chamber, modern commercial electric oven for baking are able to guarantee uniform cooking regardless of the load and type of product.

Let’s see below what are the elements that characterize the most modern electric ovens used for baking bread and pizza and the advantages they offer.

Commercial electric oven for baking: high performance, low consumption

Certainly the greatest challenge that the best commercial electric oven for baking have had to face is that of having to deal with the more traditional wood-burning ovens.

Sometimes, in fact, we are reluctant to let go of old habits for the benefit of progress and technological improvements.

However, there are many professionals in the sector who have chosen to adopt a professional electric oven in their kitchen.

This is because it is an easy to use solution and is able to perfectly meet the needs of the most demanding pizza chefs and bakers.

Not to mention that in the commercial electric oven for baking there is no combustion and consequently there are no residues and ash to clean.

What are the three essential requirements that a good professional oven must possess in order to guarantee flawless baking of bread and pizza?

1. Have an oven cooking surface made of refractory material. The surface on which the bread or pizza rests must have a good capacity to preserve the stored heat. For this purpose, it is useful to have an instrument with a base made of refractory stone, even better if the entire cooking chamber is coated with this material
2. Presence of steam in the cooking chamber of the oven. The electric models allow extremely precise and modular cooking based on the type of dough and its hydration, also thanks to the possibility of controlling the humidity in the chamber. This option is important for baking bread. Steam, in fact, is essential as it allows, on the one hand, the optimal development of the loaf by delaying the formation of the crust, on the other hand, it facilitates its friability, brightness and makes it extremely tasty when tasted
3. Always keep the temperature constant and uniform. The temperature changes, especially during the first phase of baking the bread, irremediably compromise the success of the final product.

Commercial electric oven for baking manage to perfectly meet these three requirements while also offering countless other advantages.

What are the advantages of an electric bread and pizza oven?

Practicality of use, low consumption and always perfect, homogeneous and uniform cooking characterize the new generation professional ovens thanks to the strong technological footprint and the quality of the materials used.

In the electric oven, the heating of the resistances generates the heat necessary for cooking.

This translates into both a high speed of temperature elevation and the possibility of being able to obtain different temperatures between the top and the floor based on the arrangement of the resistances and their setting.

Moreover, thanks to the evolution of construction technologies, the temperatures that can be reached by these tools are now the same as those of the best wood-burning ovens, with the great advantage of being able to be maintained in an absolutely constant and controlled manner, thus allowing considerable savings in terms of consumption.

A professional electric oven made of refractory stone, precisely for the cooking needs of the doughs taken into consideration, can be considered the ideal cooking solution to enjoy all the advantages of electric ovens, without giving up the rustic and traditional results of a classic. wood oven.

The best refractory materials are resistant, difficult to wear over time and specially made to withstand high temperatures. For this reason they are extremely safe and do not release harmful substances into food or contaminate it.

Compared to the wood-burning oven, it should also be borne in mind that for electric ovens, the installation of flues is not required, since no harmful gases are released into the environment.

Thanks to the technology implemented, electric ovens often make it possible to have a digital control panel designed for the management of the oven and the relative leavening compartment, with function icons and easy-to-use touch keys.

This allows you to perfectly adjust the temperature in each cooking chamber, avoiding the staff to constantly monitor the heat inside the oven.

In fact, once the program has been set, those in charge of cooking can devote themselves to other tasks (such as, for example, preparing other doughs or toppings), without worrying that the temperature drops excessively.

The programs that the tool is equipped with make work more autonomous and lean, even if there are newly hired personnel.

Last, but not least, the electric oven if multifunction is designed and built to provide different combinations or programs so as to be able to offer differentiated cooking based on the type of food to be baked.

This represents an undoubted advantage for all those activities that intend to expand the range of products offered.

As we have seen, managing the temperature of an electric oven is much simpler than a wood-burning oven, but there is also another advantage that should not be underestimated.

This type of oven, in fact, is designed to always ensure the maximum cooking surface even in the most compact dimensions.

This feature makes them the ideal solution even for those who have smaller spaces, allowing them to optimize every centimeter of the bakery or pizzeria available.

Thanks to the extreme versatility, given by the possibility of customizing the finish, and the attention to design, the commercial electric oven for baking are able to combine aesthetics and functionality, adapting perfectly to any environment.

It should also be noted that these models can be cleaned very easily. The opening doors made of tempered glass, in addition to allowing a complete and practical view of the entire cooking chamber, also allow you to keep the work area tidy more easily.

The correct hygiene that a wood-burning oven requires, in fact, is much more complex than that required for a professional electric oven, as the residues resulting from the combustion of wood are difficult to remove completely, without forgetting the time required.

Bull: baking has never been so good

Bull is a model of commercial electric oven for baking that manages to combine practicality and high performance without neglecting the reduction in consumption and the different production and space needs of each activity.

In fact, Bull can be requested in different sizes in order to fit perfectly in any room.

The cooking chambers are built entirely of refractory material, with armored resistances of the “hy•pe” type inserted in the high-resistance refractory of both the cooking surface and the ceiling.

The user interface is presented as a single tempered glass surface consisting of a customized display from which you can easily set digital controls designed for the management of the oven and the leavening compartment.

In addition, the differentiated management of the temperature between the top and the hob takes place in a completely simple and intuitive way.

This allows to obtain an impeccable cooking with every type of food: from bread to pizza to desserts.

Bull is in fact a multifunction oven, suitable for optimizing work in pizzerias, but also in bakeries and even in pastry shops as the programs implemented and the addition of the steamer on each module are well suited to uniform cooking of different products.

Thanks to the high thermal insulation, guaranteed by high-performance materials, Bull offers maximum thermal efficiency and work safety as well as ensuring a temperature outside the oven that is around 30° C.

Perfect cooking for every dough

Making a good pizza and crunchy and soft bread at the right point, using flours of different cereals, mother yeast and fresh ingredients requires technique, knowledge of the raw material and an oven that is able to enhance the skilfully worked dough.

A good commercial electric oven for baking, technologically advanced and made with materials with excellent heat capacity, offers total control of the temperature and the ability to adjust it differently between the top and the floor.

This is why it is the ideal solution to ensure the perfect success of all those products which, such as bread and pizza, require uniform and easily adjustable temperatures inside the cooking chamber.

The thermal insulation achieved thanks to careful design and the use of quality materials results in a work environment in which it is pleasant to work and in lighter bills.

Ultimately, once you have chosen the best solution for your laboratory, all that remains is to put your hands in the dough and experiment with the different ingredients: the oven will do the rest.

Pizza has always been one of the greatest Italian excellences. Recently, the pizzeria sector represents the link between the classic and the new trends, especially as regards the novelties in the equipment, and the increasingly varied types of pizza.

In order to create a perfect union between the “old way” and the new, the pizza chefs must be able to satisfy the increasingly demanding clientele, managing to guarantee the perfect quality of the pizzas. With this in mind, the managers of pizzerias should always be careful in arranging their premises with the technological innovations regarding the equipment of the trade, so as to be able to take advantage of the right tools and professional high-tech pizza ovens.

A pizza chef worthy of the name will require an excellent commercial pizza oven, such as to be able to guarantee and maintain the right cooking temperature, without the heat being lost. On the market, the types of commercial pizza ovens are numerous: it is possible to find excellent electric pizza ovens in specialized stores, revisited thanks to recent technological innovations, as well as many types of gas pizza ovens, suitable for all types of pizza.

The choice of the professional pizza oven that best suits your business can depend on many factors: the type of pizza that is produced (whether it is baked in a pan or directly on the hob), the quantity of pizzas baked daily and of course the taste. staff of the pizza chef.

With the aim of obtaining a pizza that does not disappoint the customer’s expectations, equipping your restaurant with an excellent professional oven suitable for different needs is essential. When buying a professional pizza oven, it is good to consider all the news on the subject, so as to be able to obtain excellent final products.

Among the various possibilities on the market, the following description of professional ovens can help the professional in this difficult but fundamental choice.

The great classics revisited: the electric, gas and wood-fired oven

A result of the technological innovations is certainly the improvement of the characteristics of classic professional ovens: the electric oven, in which the heat is released thanks to the overheating of the resistances; the gas oven, which produces heat thanks to the flame placed in the lower parts; the wood-burning oven, in which the heat is emanated from the wood. These different types are characterized by different ways in the emission and distribution of heat inside the oven.

As mentioned above, the professional electric oven is the ideal choice for the professional who is dedicated to preparing pizzas by the slice. The cooking of the product not only responds to greater uniformity, but is also safer than other types of pizza ovens. This oven reaches quite high temperatures (up to 450 °) and thanks to the new temperature control systems, combined with the insertion of heat-resistant handles, the safety of the operator is guaranteed.

Recent innovations in the field of professional electric ovens mean that some models have two or more independently adjustable cooking chambers, with the aim of cooking different types of pizzas at the same time without compromising the final results. Having a state-of-the-art professional electric oven means obtaining exceptional cooking results, without forgetting the ease of use and cleaning of the equipment.

As for the professional gas oven, the choice of many catering activities falls on this type of oven. Generally, the professional who is dedicated to cooking traditional Italian (and Neapolitan) pizzas and focaccias prefers the gas oven, as the pizzas remain crunchy on the edges and soft in the most seasoned part.

Generally, professional gas ovens are designed for LPG or methane systems and reach very high temperatures, around 450° C. To have the temperatures suitable for cooking traditional pizza, this type of oven is, without a doubt, an option to consider.

A commercial pizza oven of this type is equipped with a fireplace for the discharge of fumes, anti-scald handles and a whole series of options that make use really simple and safe. It quickly reaches the optimal temperature for cooking delicious pizzas and focaccias. Consumption is convenient and it is easy to clean after use.

From the point of view of energy saving, continuous technological research has ensured that electric and gas ovens also allow considerable energy savings. In fact, the choice of setting up its own Eco-Friendly oven business is the most popular.

The choice of a professional oven of these types translates into greater versatility of use, reduction of management and energy costs, immediacy of results.

Innovation that does not compromise professionalism: tunnel pizza ovens

Among the recent technical innovations, one cannot fail to refer to tunnel ovens for pizzerias, that is, high-profile electric or gas professional equipment, with truly high performance.

This type of oven is enjoying great success in many catering businesses, as it is versatile and easy to use, even for unskilled personnel. The quality of cooking has nothing to envy compared to other professional ovens, thanks above all to the constant maintenance of the external temperature even when in operation, to ensure the absolute protection of the operator.

With the guarantee of perfect thermal insulation, the tunnel oven for pizzeria allows the professional to expand cooking and products. In fact, these ovens are ideal for cooking pizzas, focaccias, tortillas, wraps, bruschetta, croutons, but also meats, first courses and vegetables.

The material used for the construction of professional tunnel ovens is not only synonymous with sturdiness, but with performance: it is precisely the refractory surfaces and the armored heating elements that create the right thermal performance.

The peculiarity of tunnel pizza ovens is the belt, which acts as a conveyor for the product to be cooked. It is thanks to the presence of the latter that it is possible to do without doors, shovels and other utensils for baking pizza. The width of the oven depends on the models (usually it is between 50 and 80 centimeters) and can vary according to the type of model and system present in the room, as for all other types of professional ovens.

With the tunnel oven for pizzerias the delicate cooking phase will no longer be a problem: just set the time and temperatures of the top and floor; the heat will then be regulated by a double control system inside the cooking chamber. In addition, the possibility of adjusting the speed of the conveyor belt constitutes a further strong point for the pizza chef, who is no longer forced to open and close doors and use shovels or other tools to bake.

Choosing the right oven can literally decide the future of a restaurant business, so the advice is to choose quality also with regard to the belt ovens and not look for savings on equipment as the oven is the real one beating heart of a pizzeria.

Choose the commercial pizza oven: the choice must be made according to needs

Thanks to technological innovations, the possibility of choosing between the various professional pizza ovens is really wide, without forgetting the best materials with which they are composed, which guarantee an ever greater functionality of the final products. When choosing a commercial pizza oven suitable for your specific needs, you must take into account the productivity and efficiency of the product, as this type of equipment was created with the intention of simplifying the life of the pizza chef in a concrete way, in order to ensure greater concentration on the main activities.

The presence on the market of many types of professional ovens means that these equipment (indispensable and fundamental for a pizzeria) are adaptable to the most diverse needs, and it is precisely for this reason that choosing the right oven becomes a crucial and important operation.

Wanting to give an example, it is possible to find on the market professional ovens of all sizes, with a cooking capacity of 8, 10 or even 14 pizzas at the same time, and all in a perfect way. Considering the daily inflows and the type of pizza you want to sell, the size of the oven can give a big hand to the professional, also allowing considerable savings.

A very effective way to measure productivity is to calculate the speed of service of an oven: the more efficiently and quickly the pizza cooks (some ovens are able to guarantee, electric or gas, a cooking in 60 seconds) the more you can increase productivity without compromising on quality. The high service speed of an oven is also the best way to guarantee a high service to the customer, who will be able to receive the pizza a few minutes after order.

The new commercial pizza ovens guarantee increasingly efficient results, as they can always keep the hob hot (in some cases, as we have seen for tunnel ovens, even when the fire is off) thus allowing optimal cooking of the pizzas and savings deriving from the progressive optimization of working times.

In conclusion, the suggestion for professionals in the sector is to check the professionalism and degree of experience of the staff, so as to be able to choose the best oven also according to these two variables.

A good gas oven almost becomes a friend over time. You know it perfectly, because even if to an inexperienced eye it might seem the same as many others, performances or “whims” will never be the same for everyone.

By now, gas ovens for pizzerias, gastronomy, pastry shops or for cooking materials have nothing to envy to models powered by wood or electrically.

They are, in fact, able to satisfy any need of catering professionals or artisans by offering accurate control of both temperature and humidity.

The gas ovens for professional use are designed and manufactured to obtain the maximum in the cooking phase, which can be considered one of the most important moments in the preparation of dishes or in the creation of artifacts.

Among the strengths of this type of ovens, there is undoubtedly the reduction in energy consumption, ease of use and speed in reaching high temperatures.

But what are the qualities and requirements to consider in order to choose the best model, the one that best suits your business and your way of working?

Before answering this question, let’s find out how these tools work and what are the characteristics that a professional gas oven must have to be efficient and last over time.

• Gas powered pizza oven: how do they work?
• 7 characteristics to look for in a professional gas oven
  • Dimensions and capacity of the oven suitable for your business
  • Insulation and cooking stability
  • Cooking temperatures and rapid heating
  • Optional for the oven and availability of spare parts
  • Customized functions and programs for different preparations
  • Production capacity and automation
  • Installation and maintenance of gas powered pizza ovens
• A solution for every need
• Gas powered pizza oven: practical, economical and safe
• Gas ovens for pastry, bakery and gastronomy
• Why choose a gas oven?
  • Static, ventilated or mixed: three cooking options
    • Static cooking
    • Ventilated or mixed cooking
• Professional gas oven for cooking ceramic and porcelain
• Ultimately: what is the best gas powered pizza oven?

Let’s go.

Gas powered pizza oven: how do they work?

Often if the room you have already has all the requirements, and is in compliance with the law to be able to install a gas-fired oven, you are oriented towards this type of instrument.

At first glance they might look similar to electric models, but what makes the difference is the way the heat is generated.

Gas ovens are equipped with burners located below the cooking surface which transmit the heat produced by distributing it in the cooking chamber.

The heat diffusion process takes place both by radiation and by convection, thanks to the movement of hot air that is created inside the cooking chamber.

The temperature is adjusted thanks to a knob or a display connected to a sensor usually placed at half height on the back wall.

When the oven is turned on, the burner works at maximum power, but once the desired degrees are reached, this is decreased with the aim of producing only the heat necessary to maintain the desired temperature constant.

The ability to quickly and quickly adjust and increase the degrees in the chamber, in a simple and immediate way, makes this type of instrument more functional than wood-burning models, especially if gas ovens for pizza are taken into consideration.

In fact, in wood-fired ovens, raising the temperature in the event of a sudden influx of customers would not be such an immediate and fast operation.

Particularly easy to use, gas powered pizza oven guarantee lower energy consumption than all other models on the market.

This, both for the lower cost of the raw material and because the burner after reaching the set temperature keeps it constant throughout cooking by modulating the intensity of the flame, without resorting to continuous, how expensive, shutdowns and ignitions.

7 specs to look for in a professional gas oven

Each activity has its own needs related to the sector, the size of the oven, and the modus operandi of the professional.

Yet there are some characteristics that well-made and well-designed professional gas ovens have in common.

Knowing how to recognize and identify them can prove useful in the purchase phase, so as to be able to make a choice as prudent and aware.

In general, when choosing the oven, factors such as:

1. The size and capacity
2. The insulation and cooking stability
3. The cooking temperatures and the speed of heating
4. The options available and the availability of spare parts
5. Customizable functions and programs
6. The production capacity and the level of automation
7. Ease of installation and maintenance

Let’s see them in detail.

1. Dimensions and capacity of the oven suitable for your business

The capacity of an oven is evaluated based on the number of chambers, their depth and the number of trays they can contain (objects in the case of ovens used for cooking materials that we will see later). It goes without saying that the dimensions will have to vary according to the production to be made.

The height of the rooms can also vary, for example, in the pastry shops, the lower rooms are suitable for baking biscuits, while the higher ones are ideal for leavened products.

In general, it can be said that the height of the cooking chamber must be defined according to the type of product to be cooked.

In evaluating the best gas powered pizza oven size for your business, three variables should therefore be evaluated:

1. Space available in the room where the instrument will be placed
2. Production capacity needed to meet demand
3. Size of the product to be cooked

If you are considering the purchase of a gas powered tunnel oven, calculating the footprint well is essential.

These instruments, in fact, take up more space than traditional models, although on the market it is also possible to find extremely compact gas tunnel ovens that can be integrated into any automatic production line.

In particular, for tunnel ovens it is the length that must be taken into consideration. The difference, compared to normal gas ovens, is given precisely by this characteristic, while as regards the width, there are no significant changes.

Obviously, the larger the kiln, the greater the potential production, as productivity is closely related to the size of the model purchased.

2. Insulation and cooking stability

A non-negligible feature in the choice of any oven concerns the invoice of the insulation.

The materials with which the different models have been made must in fact keep the heat inside the chamber and ensure the stability of the set temperature and uniform cooking.

Having a cooking chamber in aluminized steel sheet, for example, due to the intrinsic characteristics of the material that make it an excellent conductor, will be able to guarantee excellent performance and better manage heat.

A good thermal stability inside the oven allows, in fact, to obtain dishes always cooked to perfection, even during peaks of activity.

Well-designed insulation and the use of quality materials for the coating ensure optimal thermal insulation capable of avoiding costly heat loss.

3. Cooking temperatures and rapid heating

According to the needs of each sector, gas powered pizza oven can reach different maximum temperatures. These can vary from 450 ° C for pizza ovens to 1550 ° C for those used for firing ceramics.

In the later case, the instrument must be equipped with special high-speed burners with turbine and designed to allow adequate pressurization inside the chamber to ensure perfect temperature uniformity.

It is therefore important, before making a choice, to be clear on how many degrees the oven will have to reach during the day and the level of control necessary to obtain excellent production.

Some ovens offer the possibility of regulating the temperature in each zone, so as to give homogeneous cooking to the products, while others allow you to keep the humidity level in the chamber under control.

4. Optional for the oven and availability of spare parts

In the daily management of restaurants, pizzerias, delicatessens or pastry shops, the accessories and products for the care and maintenance of the oven allow you to always get the most from your workmate.

From the wheels equipped with brakes to the accessories for arranging and transporting the trays to be cooked and the plates to be regenerated, there are several solutions designed to make the oven more versatile.

It is therefore worth considering the possible features of the options, and then choose according to personal needs:

• Controls: intuitive and easy to use, they can provide for safe shutdown in case of overheating, hyper-technological functions or easily removable knobs, etc.
• Safety: less heat loss towards the outside, ergonomic and heat-resistant handle, door with quick flag closure
• Exhaust air pipes: good supply and exhaust in the cooking chamber, or vent port
• Special equipment: oven support equipped with tray shelves and comfortable wheels with brakes, heated base, door stop on the left instead of right, window for visual control of cooking, trays of multiple sizes for pastry and bakery, etc.

Finally, it is always good to make sure that spare parts are available should you ever need them.

5. Customized functions and programs for different preparations

Bread, pizza, roasted and braised desserts require different cooking methods, just as ceramic and porcelain products may require control of the cooking cycles with digital instruments and microprocessors.

To get the most out of your oven, you need to make sure before purchasing that the model is equipped with the cooking programs you need and that it offers the possibility of memorizing the most suitable combinations for your production.

Some activities may require heat at specific stages of the process, while others require greater control of the humidity in the cooking chamber in order to obtain the right degree of softness.

Products such as brioches, for example, need a jet of steam in the front part of the oven, in order to give the crust a shine and the right composition.

Consequently, based on your type of production, you need to select the oven that has the most suitable functions, or consider a model that allows you to range in the technique used by offering more cooking modes.

Among the many functions, particularly useful, could be that of the automatic pre-ignition, thanks to which it is not necessary to go to the workplace well in advance to turn on the oven.

In addition, one aspect that is often not paid attention to is that of cleaning. Yet daily sanitizing work tools is an operation that requires time and specific products.

Gas powered pizza oven such as Italforni’s Windy, for example, are also designed to meet this need by offering an effective, fast and ecological car wash system.

However, it is not enough to have many programs and functions: you must also evaluate their ease of use.

Having an oven that is immediately understandable and easy to use offers concrete support during work.

6. Production capacity and automation

Before making any choice, it is good to evaluate the quantity of products that you intend to cook daily or, at least, have a goal of what you would like to achieve in your laboratory or kitchen.

Only in this way, in fact, will it be possible to choose the professional gas oven that has a production capacity suitable for your business. Usually this parameter is also reported in the technical data sheet of the model being considered, so as to be able to compare multiple solutions.

The decision to purchase a gas tunnel oven is generally motivated by the need to increase the quantities of food produced. It may therefore be useful to evaluate the degree of independence that these models can offer, thanks to two fundamental characteristics:

• Adjustment of processing speed
• Temperature control

It will not only benefit the operator, but also the entire production line which will be made more efficient.

7. Installation and maintenance of gas powered pizza ovens

In the case of gas ovens, the time required for installation and maintenance is significantly reduced when compared with that required for wood-burning ovens.

A solution for every need

Professional gas ovens can be used for multiple uses, just like electric ones. Based on the sector in which they are inserted we have:

• Furnaces for firing materials
• Food ovens

The first category includes all those gas ovens specially designed for cooking objects made of different materials such as, for example, ceramics or the processing of glass paste.

While gas ovens for food can be considered all those tools capable of cooking food in a more or less automatic way and which can be multi-storey, or tunnel like in the case of industrial productions.

Ovens intended for food use can be divided into two further types:

• Multi-level ovens: they have cooking chambers arranged on different levels and are made of steel sheet, so as to ensure the greatest possible thermal insulation. This type of tools is mainly used in pastry shops and pizzerias, contributing to the cooking of baked goods
• Tunnel ovens: their operation is based on a belt which, by automatically sliding, carries the food along the entire length of the oven. The temperature and speed are manually adjusted by the operator. Thanks to their structure, tunnel ovens allow to optimize production, both in terms of quantity and variety, proving to be the best allies for products such as pizzas, wraps and croutons.

Let’s now analyze in detail how professional gas ovens fit into different activities.

Gas powered pizza oven: practical, economical and safe

When it comes to pizza, combining tradition and modernity is not always easy. Yet modern gas ovens, designed specifically for this sector, are able to guarantee performance at the level of wood-fired ovens, historically the symbol of Italian pizzeria.

Professional gas ovens for pizza are usually designed for LPG or methane systems and reach temperatures of around 450° C.

The models falling into this type are generally equipped with a fireplace for the discharge of fumes, anti-scald handles and a whole series of accessories that facilitate their use.

The strengths of gas-fired ovens for this sector are linked to energy saving, practicality in use and the ability to reach high temperatures in a short time, allowing the optimal cooking of pizzas.

Robustness and functionality are two other characteristics common to most pizzeria solutions.

The sturdiness is given by the aluminized steel sheet of which the cooking chambers of the oven are made, while the functionality is mainly guaranteed by the counterbalanced opening doors, by the internal lighting and by the independent chambers with electronic temperature regulation.

Also not to be underestimated during the purchase is the ease of cleaning: in fact, gas tools usually do not have resistances that could make the hygiene process longer.

Gas-fired ovens are often thought of as more dangerous tools than professional electric models.

In fact, all Italforni gas powered pizza ovens offer maximum reliability and strictly comply with the European Union directives on safety, hygiene and respect for the environment.

In fact, each instrument is equipped with special safety valves and ensures rapid steam discharge.

Wanting to summarize the advantages offered by professional gas ovens for pizzerias we have:

• Practicality: to turn the oven on and off just flick a simple switch, while to adjust the desired temperature simply adjust the thermometer knob or set the desired program via the display
• Cleaning: thanks to the gas supply (LPG or methane), the installation of soot suppressors is not required or necessary
• Economy: the hourly gas consumption required to power a professional oven is generally low. Furthermore, thanks to the electronic control unit there is a saving in consumption while fully respecting the environment. The modular flame offers the possibility to lower the flame in the absence of orders, thus reducing consumption
• Reliability: all burners respond to strict control protocols. In addition, the tools are tested before being placed on the market
• Optimal cooking: the pizza will be cooked evenly
• Respect for the environment: as for the electric oven, the gas one does not require special filters to be applied to the flue as it does not have the latter. In addition, the particular blown burners of which some models are equipped together with the forced-type air intake, together with the heat exchanger, allow considerable economic and ecological advantages.

For all these reasons, gas powered pizza oven are the best choice for many restaurant activities and in particular for those who prepare traditional Italian pizzas and focaccias.

Gas ovens for pastry, bakery and gastronomy

Gas ovens for bakeries or pastry shops work with a burner placed under the floor that generates the heat and distributes it in the cooking chamber.

The process of temperature diffusion occurs through irradiation, that is when the surface parts of the cakes are exposed to the hot rays of the oven; while, in a second phase, the heat spreads by convection through the movement of hot air inside the chamber.

The gas oven, following its ignition, operates at maximum until the desired temperature is reached, after which it reduces the power and keeps the set heat constant for all the time necessary for cooking.

This type of oven is particularly suitable for taking advantage of two different cooking modes: convection-steam (such as Windy) or static (such as ECOGAS).

Furthermore, the electronic management of the oven allows you to cook in different ways even during the same cooking cycle.

Why choose a gas oven?

Certainly for its convenience, but also because the gas powered models do not require a lot of maintenance.

The gas, in fact, does not need to be controlled while cooking food, offers the possibility of having a continuous flame and does not require a flue.

For this reason, many catering businesses opt for this type of solution, which turns out to be ideal for those who do not have the space or the predisposition to install the flue in their premises.

To orient yourself in choosing the best gas powered pizza oven for your laboratory or kitchen, you must first identify:

• What is the quantity of products that must be cooked every day
• What are the types of food that you want to offer to your customers

Only after having identified these two parameters will it be possible to proceed with the search for the perfect instrument.

A good gas oven for bakeries and pastry shops must have very specific characteristics so that it can integrate with the business structure and meet its growth objectives.

Before buying your instrument, you should therefore pay attention to:

• Versatility and dimensions: the oven must be selected based on the space available and the production objectives to be achieved. Investing in a resistant and long-lasting oven that, in the event that the business is transferred, can move easily represents safety and considerable savings
• Quality of the materials used for construction: the use of quality refractory materials becomes even more important, because they help to perfectly diffuse the heat and to cook confectionery products in a widespread way. Furthermore, the gas models must be equipped with heat exchangers that allow high efficiency and lower energy consumption

• Easy cleaning of the cooking chamber: easily eliminating food residues from the oven saves time and energy that can be dedicated to other activities
• Quantity of products that must be cooked during the day
• Usability of the preset programs: a functional display decreases the errors that can be made in the regulation of the temperature or in the times dedicated to the process. Greater precision, thanks to the automation of processes, is essential in baking desserts
• Presence of a steamer: some pastry products need a high degree of humidity, it is therefore advisable for the oven to be equipped with this accessory. To avoid the accumulation of steam when the door is opened, in some cases it is possible to customize the oven with a forced suction system
• Ease of use: to make laboratory work as easy and convenient as possible, an intuitive and easy-to-use oven is always a good choice.

To ensure a perfect and adequate yield for each type of cake, the oven must be able to handle different cooking operations with a full load of any product.

There are products, for example, which by their nature, especially in the first moments of cooking, require a high percentage of humidity.

Having a professional combi oven, that is, one that offers the possibility of cooking in a static, ventilated or mixed way, is a valid solution.

Static and ventilated or mixed: the cooking possibilities

Some gas oven models for pastry, bakery and gastronomy offer the possibility to choose the type of cooking desired between two different options:

1. Static cooking
2. Ventilated or mixed cooking

To get the most out of your oven, you need to be clear about the characteristics that differentiate them and the peculiarities of each one.

1. Static cooking

The oven, such as ECOGAS, in this case, spreads the heat inside the chamber by radiation, without the air being moved by special fans. This type of cooking is widely used in pastry shops and bakeries because it is particularly suitable for their production.

Static ovens generally consist of relatively low chambers, where it is possible to differentiate and adjust the temperature of the top and floor.

It is also possible to open or close the oven valves to maintain or release the steam released during cooking.

2. Ventilated or mixed cooking

In ventilated cooking, the heat reaches the dish through forced ventilation which allows the oven not only to be much more effective, but also to reduce the time required to take the food out of the oven.

Ventilated gas ovens such as Windy usually have large chambers that can accommodate many pans. Cooking takes place through the heat emanating from the blown burners, combined with air ventilation that favors cooking uniformity.

Unlike static cooking, ventilated cooking tends to dry the products more. However, many of the modern ventilated ovens have the advantage of being able to use functions that exploit steam and offer the ability to control the humidity in the chamber.

In mixed cooking, both hot air and steam are introduced into the chamber at the same time.

This creates an ideal environment for cooking sweets, as, thanks to the high humidity, a high heat transmission capacity and a uniform temperature are obtained.

To make the difference in the cooking phase are also the raw materials used and the recipe you want to make.

For this reason, the gas powered pizza oven should always be chosen that offers the most suitable type of cooking for the kind of desserts or foods that you intend to cook.

Professional gas oven for cooking ceramic and porcelain

Leaving aside the food sector and moving into the world of professional gas ovens for cooking materials, we find tools made to reach extremely high temperatures, which reach almost 1550° C.

The basic operation remains unchanged, but in this case the mounted burners are at high speed with turbine and there is always a double safety system made with approved equipment.

Insulated in ceramic fiber, muffled refractory slab or refractory bricks of the best quality, the models for firing majolica are able to guarantee perfect firings, especially for third fires, applications in gold and lustres or enamels.

Let’s see what are the 4 main characteristics that a professional gas oven must have in order to perform well in ceramic firing.

1. Homogeneous temperature distribution: the ability to manage heat plays a fundamental role in stemming possible errors during the cooking process. Especially since this phase in the realization of ceramic products is very long and delicate. Having a gas oven that allows automatic temperature recovery with pre-programmed gradient in the event of a power failure helps to save time and resources, essential elements for any activity
2. Optimal thermal insulation: in order to fully control the internal temperature, it is not enough to have a perfect mechanism, but it is also necessary that the oven is made with materials that guarantee correct thermal insulation, thus avoiding unnecessary heat loss
3. Adjustment with pre-set programs: the best gas ovens on the market have a control panel, capable of memorizing cooking cycles, easy to use and able to control cooking absolutely free of thermal shocks, with final and descent temperature aintenance controlled
4. Capacity of the cooking chamber and management of the height of the top: the size of the products to be cooked determines the dimensions of the oven. Having the possibility, however, to adjust the hob, helps to make the professional gas oven modular to meet every need.

All the features just seen allow an easy and efficient use of the gas oven for ceramics, regardless of the volume and quantity of charge inserted.

Ultimately: what is the best gas powered pizza oven?

We have seen what are the different types and characteristics to be evaluated in order to choose a professional gas oven made with cutting-edge materials and technology. But which is the best?

There is no single answer to this question. Each pizza chef, pastry chef or artist creates different products both in qualitative and quantitative terms.

Not to mention that everyone has their own technique, has more or less large rooms and can make use of expert collaborators or apprentices.

The perfect oven is the one that is most able to integrate and adapt to your business and your way of working, facilitating the cooking process as much as possible.

Today the market offers gas powered pizza ovens that are increasingly efficient, precise and above all safe, with countless different functions and characteristics that are well suited to meet everyone’s needs.

Bread is the most consumed food in our country, which many of us just can’t give up. Always present in our tables, it is the result of a centuries-old tradition that has been handed down from generation to generation, but today many things have changed in its preparation. For example, if in the past it was mainly cooked in a wood oven, nowadays there are different types of ovens for bakeries, each with different characteristics, so the choice is very wide.

The essential tools for every bakery are, precisely, the machinery and equipment used, first of all the oven. The latter significantly affects the quality of the products and, for this reason, those who manage this type of business will have to carefully evaluate which type of oven is best to use in their premises.

Recognizing and understanding the specifications of each model will allow you to make an informed choice on the type of oven to buy and, of course, should not be left to chance, given the importance of this tool within your business.

First of all, it should be emphasized that any self-respecting oven must enhance the flavors and ensure uniform cooking on all trays. The different types best respond to different needs, so it is essential to understand first of all what your needs are and what you are looking for in an oven, in particular also based on the type of activity that takes place and the product you intend to serve its customers. This will form the very basis of all the work done.

Below we review the peculiarities of the various commercial bread ovens, describing their specific characteristics, so that every professional in the sector can consider the different possibilities and choose the best oven for their work.

Let’s start with the basics.

Heat transmission: how does it happen?

What distinguishes one oven from another mainly concerns the way heat is transmitted inside it. In this regard, we distinguish several types:

• By conduction: when the heat passes from a hot body to a cold one (for example a hand that is placed on a hot radiator)
• By convention: when heat migrates from liquid and gaseous particles to the cold body (for example when we are inside a sauna)
• By radiation: when the heat is transmitted through electromagnetic waves (for example the radiator that gives off heat to the surrounding environment).

Type of cooking: gas or electric ovens for bakeries?

Before even focusing on the range of existing ovens, it is necessary to pause for a moment on the type of cooking to be achieved. This too is a fundamental choice but entirely personal as it depends on the needs.

Nevertheless, in the case of commercial bread ovens there are specific factors to take into consideration. In fact, electric ovens are recommended over diesel ovens since in the former the heat spreads more evenly and guarantees better cooking quality.

Furthermore, there is the possibility to select the type of heat diffusion, whether upwards, downwards or on both sides, thus obtaining advantages not only in baking bread but also for other foods.

Through this type of oven it is possible to alternate the resistance which, in the specific case of bread, allows you to first select a baking on both sides and then change in the final phase, so as not to overcook the surface.

Furthermore, electric ovens for bakeries provide for a lower consumption of energy and heat dispersion, another element that should not be underestimated.

The most efficient are those with thermal insulation, as they are able to prevent heat dispersion. Generally they also have a ventilation system that facilitates the diffusion of heat evenly and preserves the flavor of the food, which is why it will also be possible to cook two different products at the same time, exponentially optimizing production times and costs. In this case, electric ovens are certainly the most used and also the most performing.

The two main types of commercial bread ovens

The most common ovens for bakeries are essentially two: deck ovens and rotary ovens.

The deck ovens are characterized by a variable number of overlapping horizontal chambers and are the most used in professional bakeries. This type of oven allows a fairly rapid cooking and its fundamental characteristic is represented by the intense color that it gives to the baked bread, especially in the upper part, and which is also transmitted in taste and fragrance. The flavor is in fact much more pleasant than that given by rotary ovens.

The only sore point of this type of oven is the fact that, unlike the other, it has a less homogeneous cooking. Specifically, the food is cooked more in the center rather than on the sides.

The rotary ovens, on the other hand, are characterized by vertical cooking chambers. Trolleys with trays on which the bread will be placed are placed on them. The flavor that the rotary ovens give to the products is certainly less intense than that given by the deck ovens, although it allows a more homogeneous cooking.

The substantial difference between the two types therefore concerns the fragrance and cooking and the choice of the oven must be made precisely taking into consideration these two factors as well as the result to be achieved.

How to choose the right oven?

The choice is mainly determined by your specific needs, the type of business (small or large), how much you intend to invest and other factors. Nevertheless, every professional in the sector must be able to know the differences and the characteristics of the different types of commercial bread ovens in order to be able to make an informed choice.

The advice is to focus first of all on what you intend to focus on in your work. What type of product do you want to offer? Do you intend to focus your strength on cooking, fragrance, quality or quantity? These are the essential questions to ask yourself and then evaluate the different options.

In short, the oven really makes the difference and will determine the success and quality of your product, as well as of all your work.

The world of pizza is extremely rich in traditions and more or less truthful clichés that challenge the centuries and now seem incontrovertible realities. One, however, undoubtedly beats them all: the undisputed superiority of the most recent gas or electric ovens compared to other more classic and now obsolete types of oven. Having a state-of-the-art gas or electric oven makes every type of restaurant business better.

Although popular tradition is still fond of the more classic ovens, recent technological innovations have meant that other types of oven (and in particular, the gas or electric oven) guarantee a pizza cooking quality that is truly similar to the more traditional ones, with excellent results and appreciated by many customers.

The presence on the market of many models of gas or electric ovens very often creates confusion in the manager of a pizzeria who wants to prepare their premises with an excellent oven. It also becomes difficult to choose between an electric oven or a good old-fashioned gas oven.

Although electric ovens are now predominant on the market, thanks to new technologies and additional functions, gas ovens can prove to be advantageous in other respects.

Thanks to this guide, it will be possible to consider the salient characteristics of the two types of oven, so as to be able to choose the most suitable professional oven for your business.

The professional electric oven: convenience combined with functionality

The choice of professional electric pizza ovens is increasingly an ideal solution from many points of view. You want for the convenience that this type of oven offers, or for the simplicity of use when compared with the traditional pizza cooking system. The choice of this oven certainly brings a series of advantages for the pizzeria that uses it.

In the 1970s, the first models of square electric ovens appeared with a refractory stone bottom, capable of almost perfectly reproducing the cooking of a wood oven. These were objects very quick to install and with a much lower cost than wood-fired ovens and their success was, also in this case, enormous, with a practically planetary diffusion: many national and foreign companies that produce and export them for everywhere.

Especially abroad, the demand for electric ovens is much higher than in Italy, where customers are very demanding but, in many cases, unaware of the excellent performance of the new electric ovens. Although this veil of prejudice on the part of customers still persists, the success of the electric oven is constantly increasing and the new models are increasingly equipped with technology and systems of safety, programming and intrinsic comfort that often make them preferable to those of wood.

Two great advantages that can be immediately found in cooking pizza in an electric oven are the speed with which it can reach the temperature and the size. In fact, the temperature management of an electric oven is much simpler and more stationary than those with wood combustion. Furthermore, the electric oven has smaller dimensions which make it ideal even for smaller spaces, so as to make it a useful tool for carrying out the pizzeria service even in that case.

In the electric oven, the heating of the resistances and the consequent crossing of the current generate the heat suitable for cooking. This allows, depending on the arrangement of the resistances and their setting, to have different temperatures between the base of the oven and the top. In this way, the electric oven allows a very precise and modular cooking according to your dough, also thanks to the possibility of controlling the humidity offered by the most modern ovens.

In this type of oven there is no combustion or related residues, as there is no open flame. Thanks to the refinement of construction technologies, the temperatures that can be reached are now the same as those of the best wood-burning ovens, with the great advantage of being able to be maintained in an absolutely constant and controlled manner. The great advantage of electric ovens, therefore, is to be able to maintain a constant temperature better, allowing considerable savings on consumption, especially as regards the latest generation equipment.

Currently, the market is full of different models and brands of electric ovens, but the variety of choice for the user, contrary to what one might imagine, is very often synonymous with confusion. When it comes to buying an electric oven, in fact, you never know which model to choose. Very often, one wonders what are the characteristics between one oven and another, although both are electric, and why one oven costs more than the other. Buying a new professional electric oven is much easier than you really think, since the basic characteristics to be analyzed are few but, in any case, essential: practicality, excellent temperature maintenance and ease of use.

The gas oven for pizzerias: savings that make the difference

Using a professional gas-fired pizza oven saves electricity. Furthermore, a gas oven is characterized by ease of use and the ability to reach high temperatures in a short time, allowing the cooking of excellent pizzas.

The gas oven works thanks to a burner located in the lower part that transmits the heat distributing it inside the compartment through radiation, during which the surface parts of the food are exposed to the hot rays of the oven, while in a second phase the heat spreads by convection. In general, it can be said that the gas oven is ideal for cooking pizza thanks to the two ways of spreading the heat. The gas oven is equipped with static cooking, which is slow and less uniform than that offered by the convection oven, but it is more delicate and allows the food to rise properly.

The strengths of this type of equipment include low consumption, ease of use and speed in reaching high temperatures. Although some less “advanced” models may struggle to keep the temperature constant during cooking, these types of professional ovens work in the same way as wood-fired ovens, but have the advantage of being more practical to use, cleaner and more constant in operation.

Often these pizzeria equipment is equipped with a grill coil positioned in the upper part, while the temperature sensor is normally located in the back wall, at half height. Adjusting the temperature in a professional gas oven requires the burner to operate at maximum power until the desired temperature is reached, then when the sensor signals that it has been reached, the burner starts working at minimum to provide only the heat necessary for maintenance temperature.

Within the pizzerias, professional gas ovens are becoming more and more popular. Very often they represent a solution required by the system available in the room, other times it is simply a free choice of the pizzeria manager who wants to try to save something in the purchase of professional catering equipment, without giving up a product of quality that best satisfies its customers.

Meet the needs of managers and customers without exorbitant costs

Without a shadow of a doubt, the purchase of a good gas or electric oven is the fundamental part for any self-respecting pizzeria. However, we must consider that not all pizza makers are able to prepare their rooms with very expensive equipment. In any case, gas or electric ovens represent a choice in many ways cheaper than a traditional wood-burning oven, considering the presence of many solutions suitable for every pocket and need.

In addition to the classic wood-fired ovens, the market offers a wide range of cheaper ovens, gas or electric, suitable for cooking pizza and finding the perfect one for your business is not so complicated, especially if you already have good ideas. clear on the budget and the type of pizza to be baked.

Another determining factor for the choice of gas or electric oven is the relative cost: as already mentioned, both the electric oven and the gas combustion oven allow a considerable reduction in consumption, especially for their ability to maintain heat, thanks to which annoying dispersions are avoided.

Aware of recent technological innovations, even the most prepared and demanding pizza chefs with particular attention to detail and functionality, opt for professional gas or electric ovens. Cooking pizza requires higher temperatures and therefore more performing ovens: in this regard, the latest generation gas or electric oven represents one of the most versatile and suitable equipment for the purpose.

If you are deciding to start your own restaurant business (a pizzeria in particular) or if you intend to renovate the environment and machinery of your restaurant, you have certainly thought about how to diversify and improve the service, with the clear aim of also increasing the business as well as the image.

If the environment and furnishings represent the criteria with which to renew the “external” appearance of the restaurant, the choice of the type of oven will help to outline the type of cuisine and, often, also its 360° quality: this the oven turns out to be a fundamental element and worthy of attention.

In a pizzeria, whether it is specialized in sliced ​​or round pizza, a primary factor to be evaluated concerns the type of professional machinery to be used for optimal cooking. Gas or electric (even tunnel models), there are several criteria to consider when choosing the oven:

• The ability to meet deadlines in the event of a large influx
• Quality and uniformity of cooking
• The type of product you want to offer to the customer
• The practicality of use (and therefore also the technical skills in reaching and maintaining the set temperature)
• The economy of management

In recent years in the international market of professional machinery, even in a strongly traditional country such as ours, the commercial electric oven for pizzerias is increasingly emerging: a solution capable of guaranteeing considerable practicality and speed of cooking, especially in all those contexts, where performance and quality must go hand in hand to guarantee optimal customer service.

Commercial electric pizza oven: how your way of working changes

Pizza makers need different tools (machinery, tools, etc.) and people (assistants) in the management of their work and therefore in the preparation of the dishes. Together with their skill and experience (and the quality that can characterize the ingredients), there is a third fundamental element that is able to help decisively, namely the professional oven, specifically the electric one.

It should be remembered and emphasized that having the non plus ultra of professional electric ovens currently on the market without manual skill, in-depth knowledge of flours and doughs and the availability of excellent raw materials, does not lead to pizzas being automatically of great taste. Tools and machinery play their part, but picking up Roger Federer’s tennis racket doesn’t get you to the top of the world circuit rankings.

This statement does not mean the opposite of what was explained above, but to point out a fact: a high quality oven does its job at its best, that is cooking, if handled and cared for by skilled hands and if the product / pizza is qualitatively high in terms of ingredients.

Taking these aspects for granted, how can a commercial electric oven change your job? To say it directly and simply:

• simplifies and optimizes cooking
• it can also be used by those who are less experienced
• allows you to modulate and adjust the temperature of the top and floor (in the electric tunnel models it is also possible to set the speed of the conveyor belt)

It also does not require the high level of maintenance and cleaning of a traditional wood-burning or gas oven, but this aspect will be explored further on. Practicality and ease of use are the keywords with which an electric oven for professional pizzeria can change the job in your place.

Cooking quality: the performance of commercial electric ovens

The commercial electric oven is generally more flexible and precise in the cooking phase than the gas or wood counterparts. In the professional field, the models designed for the pizzeria sector are able to reach and maintain the desired temperature in an excellent way thanks to quality refractory materials and technological solutions that are easy to handle.

Beyond its functionality, the result that most interests customers, and consequently the owners of the premises, is the final product, or pizza. As explained above, an oven alone does not make a dish excellent, quality is a mixture of factors in which raw materials, experience and skills enter. Therefore, those who affirm the undisputed supremacy of a wood-burning oven and its tradition are wrong, because if the other elements are missing, a mediocre if not bad result will inevitably emerge. Wood can bring that well-known and appreciated smoke, but it doesn’t work miracles.

The electric pizza oven brings with it numerous advantages: extremely adjustable and modular cooking, it is capable of reaching the same temperatures as its wood and gas “brothers” (pizza requires very high levels). All these types of ovens are able to produce excellent results, but only the cooking carried out by the electric one can be defined as truly uniform and precise, as explained in the following comparison:

• In a wood-fired model, the baked pizza immediately causes a lowering of the temperature of the floor due to the humidity introduced and the interruption of irradiation. This involves, during any evening of work in the kitchen, fluctuating and not always constant performance of the oven (with associated breaks for wood, waiting for the temperature to return, etc.)
• The electrical counterpart, on the other hand, generally consisting of a rectangular cooking chamber, develops the heat through the electric resistances on the base and the top (both adjustable in different ways). In this way, the baked pizza cooks in contact with the refractory stone and by irradiation of the walls and the top, which never suffer drops in temperature.

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The ability to independently adjust the heat of the resistances allows you to standardize and customize cooking, a result that wood or gas ovens are unable to achieve. The goodness of the product does not change substantially compared to the other two (which also have their unique peculiarities), but only the electric pizza oven is able to guarantee optimal and uniform cooking thanks to the ability to manage the temperature.

Professional effectiveness for the benefit of the customer and therefore of the place

Ease of use, practicality and uniform cooking are clear and decisive advantages for any restaurant business, especially for the pizzeria, as the resulting effectiveness and quality can make customers and owners happy. To these is added another factor that can be inserted among the advantages, namely the possibility of customizing the size of the professional oven to meet the numerical needs of the room.

On the market you can find modular professional models, from 1 to 3 or more chambers, in which it is possible to cook up to 10-15 pizzas at the same time and therefore respond quickly to orders even in the case of intense flows. It is not necessary to keep them all on: during the end of the service or on weekdays (usually with a small number of customers) you can use only one or 2 rooms, saving energy (and therefore money).

In this case, the optimization of cooking offered by a professional electric oven also translates into improved productivity and exemplary timing management: all-round efficiency for the benefit of customers, owners and even pizza makers.

Less structurally binding maintenance and installation

Opting for a commercial electric oven for professional pizzeria in your restaurant means discovering that usability does not only concern the simple use of the machine, but also its installation and maintenance. Two aspects that require much less attention and effort than wood or gas models and which fall within the qualities of electric models: practicality and effectiveness.

• It does not burn fuel and there are no residues to collect and throw away (such as ash, sawdust, etc.).
• It does not require the installation of systems to reduce potentially polluting fine dust and to purify soot, fumes and odors.
• As for gas models (and unlike wood-burning ones) it does not require masonry construction or the installation of a flue (which is often not even feasible in certain contexts or can only be obtained at exorbitant costs), but it can be also moved and relocated in case of renewal of the premises or removals.
• It does not need a space to transport and store the wood.

The professional electric oven is always clean, requires minimal and quick care to perform, distinguishing itself for its simplicity and practicality at the service of the pizzeria.

An event you can’t miss

From 22nd to 26th October at Milano Fair

Also this year, Italforni participates at HostMilano from 22nd to 26th October.

Come and visit us at the world fair dedicated to catering and hospitality and discover CARUSO®, our new Neapolitan pizza oven!

 

Where to find us

You will find us in Hall 03 – Stand E34 – E41, where you can see our ovens baking and ask us for all the information you need about the best product for your business.

You will discover the incredible versatility of ITALFORNI products, the high technology behind each machine, the quality of the materials and the fantastic design of our pizza ovens.

Furthermore, we offer you a rich show cooking program with several Pizza Masters from the best Neapolitan tradition from all around the world!

 

From 20th to 24th of October, we are waiting for you at HOST 2017 – Fiera Milano – Rho. Pavilion 03, Stand L43 – M42.

We look forward to welcoming you in our stand, where you can see our new product!

Follow us on our Facebook, Linkedin e Twitter channels to find out more.

Diamond, the new product by Italforni Pesaro, has today awarded at HOST 2017 with “Smart Label”, the prestigious international recognition of innovation in the hospitality sector.

“Smart Label”, promoted by Host Fiera Milano, in collaboration with POLI.design, has selected the best products with the most distinctive features for functionality, technologies and environmental sustainability.

Thanks to its particular cylindrical shape, in fact, Diamond gives prestige to the entire space, becoming the central element of the entire environment. The entire line has been conceived by the designer Matteo Beraldi to satisfy the new trend that is emerging in the world of hospitality: the open kitchen.

Design and technology combined in a single product to guarantee the operator an important reduction in energy consumption and ease of use. In addition to a valuable contribution to the protection of the environment, thanks to the coating in 100% recyclable materials.

The recognition achieved and the participation at HOST 2017, show the growth of Italforni Pesaro, which has always been committed to research, development and respect for the environment.

Innovation also testified by the recent expansion of the Bull oven range, the first oven in the world totally covered in tempered and colored glass. Four new models, “S”, “M”, “L”, “XL” able to meet the needs of any operator.

From 20th to 24th of January, we are waiting for you at SIGEP 2018 – Rimini Fiera – Pavilion D7, Stand 034.

We will be happy to welcome you at our stand with the full range of our professional electric and computerized gas ovens. And with Diamond, the new oven awarded at Host 2017 with the “Smart Label”, the international award for innovation in the hospitality sector.

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SIGEP 2021: an event you can’t miss

On the occasion of SIGEP 2021 – 42nd International Exhibition of Ice Cream, Pastry, Artisan Bakery and Coffee, ITALFORNI, which has always been oriented towards the future and innovation, has decided to participate in the “first digital event for Foodservice”.

SIGEP EXP is the first digital platform dedicated to FOOD and HO.RE.CA sector operators who will have the opportunity to meet industry leaders through webinars, workshops, video-chat and virtual between 15-16-17 March 2021. Meetings during which to discover the latest product and service news.

ITALFORNI wanted to take a further step forward, towards its national and international customers, by launching “INSIDE” the new digital consultancy program during the 3 days of the fair, which will lead to the discovery of the company directly from within.

In fact, it will be possible to virtually visit the COMPANY SHOWROOM and, together with the ITALFORNI Team, discover the latest news through personalized consultancy.

Inside, in the new COMPANY LABORATORY, attend real-time cooking tests with our technologists to discover the performance and efficiency of our ovens for pizzeria, bakery, pastry and gastronomy.

Finally, together with our CHEFs, live the experience of the culinary workshops dedicated to the various regional dishes, in streaming minute by minute.

“INSIDE” the new ITALFORNI digital consulting project.

Come and discover our company directly from the inside, during the 3 days of Sigep 2021, through the SIGEP EXP platform.

REGISTER NOW IN SIGEP EXP

Whether you have had a business for some time, or a project that is about to be launched, some tips on leavening and baking bread help you pay more attention to the quality of the product.

Since prehistoric times, bread has always been present in man’s diet, the techniques used for its processing have changed, as well as a greater understanding of the tricks to make its production perfect.

The main problems in making this food can occur during the cooking or leavening process. In the following article we will analyze the 4 most frequent mistakes that are made during the leavening and baking phases of bread.

Leavened bread: the 4 most frequent mistakes

The yeast is usually made up of fungi, which decompose the starch of the flour and the sugars which, after being broken down, become ethanol and carbon dioxide.

And it is precisely thanks to the heat that carbon dioxide increases in volume, as it remains trapped in the bond of gluten molecules, and gives rise to the leavening of the bread.

To influence the leavening process there is also the strength of the flour which is determined by the quantity of gluten it contains: the greater the quantity of this element, the more the network formed by the molecules allows to trap carbon dioxide so as to increase the volume of the bread. Consequently, the greater the amount of gluten present, the more of the flour is defined as strong.

First you need to understand which types of leavening can be used:

• Chemistry: it is carried out through the use of instant chemical powdered yeast, the reaction is allowed by the contact that occurs between an alkaline and an acid element, ie a simple chemical reaction to heat;
• Microbiological: obtained through the use of mother yeast and brewer’s yeast, both fresh and dehydrated. In the yeast there are microorganisms that feed on flour and which, by reproducing, increase the volume of the dough.

The mother yeast needs some care in order to be kept alive and for this it must be constantly refreshed in order to avoid that it has a sour smell and taste. The positive characteristics of this yeast make it possible to obtain soft, easily digestible doughs and to increase the shelf life of the bread.

The leavening of the dough occurs faster if brewer’s yeast is used, in addition the dough will become very high and soft, but less durable over time, therefore it will more easily lose its crunchiness. In order to be used it must be dissolved in warm water in order to act correctly and to activate it, honey or sugar can also be used.

Now that we have seen how leavening works, we can better understand the mistakes that are made more frequently:

1. Mix of wrong flours;
2. Incorrect salt dosage;
3. Poor dough processing;
4. The temperature of the place chosen to let the mass rest.

Let’s now analyze each mistake in detail in order to create a product that increases its quality from time to time.

1. Mix the right flours

Each flour has a different amount of gluten and consequently some types are preferable to others, so as to allow perfect leavening.

Flour 0, for example, has a low protein index (quantity of gluten contained) and for this reason it must always be accompanied by other types of flour, even if in minimal quantities.

Less refined flours such as wholemeal, on the other hand, allow the bread to be tougher and at the same time more durable, but it loses its softness inside.

For this reason, mixing two types of flours with different characteristics, which compensate for the amount of gluten of each other, allows for perfect leavening. A mix of different flours will make the bread softer and more durable over time.

2. Salt dosage

This ingredient must be used carefully because it could counteract leavening, for this reason it must be carefully dosed, avoiding adding it in excessive quantities, that is the one that allows the right compromise between the creation of the crunchy external crust and avoiding the increase in volume of the dough.

For this reason it must always be added as the last component, away from the addition of yeast. Only after the latter has been well blended can the salt be added to create a soft interior and a crunchy exterior, which lasts longer.

3. Work the dough a little

It is difficult to understand when to stop kneading or what the perfect consistency is for the dough.

The use of a professional mixer allows you to avoid these errors, giving the dough a perfect consistency so that it can be started correctly for leavening.

Properly woven, the dough forms a compact gluten mesh, so as to trap as much carbon dioxide as possible.

4. The temperature of the place chosen to let the mass rest

The dough to rise properly should be left to rest in “leavening cells”, where the temperature is between 28 and 30 ° C and there are no cold currents, but the air is strongly humidified.

In other words, “Bread fears the cold”, this is the classic baker phrase. The dough must also be retouched several times in order to avoid the formation of a crust that is too resistant, which does not allow the microorganisms present in the yeast to continue to reproduce.

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The most mistakes made when baking bread

Before choosing the oven and after understanding how to structure the dough, it is necessary to study how bread is baked.

When the dough is placed inside the oven it goes through two cooking stages:

• First moment that allows the increase in volume;
• Second moment where the division between the crust and the crumb is formed.

The baking of the bread is carried out by the oven in a gradual way, first the crust is formed and then the heat reaches the crumb giving it the soft consistency. Thanks to the evaporation of liquids, a crust is formed when the outermost part reaches 100 ° C.

At this point it begins to release heat to the underlying parts and so begins the cooking process until you reach the innermost layer where there will be no evaporation, but only the condensation will remain since that part will never be able to reach the necessary degrees.

However, let’s not forget that to create a perfect crust it is also necessary to add a natural additive, such as barley malt. Not only does the crust depend on proper cooking, but also on the interaction that occurs between sugars and proteins.

This premise was necessary to better understand the physical and chemical dynamics that accompany the phenomenon. So in the case of baking bread, what are the most frequent errors that occur? We illustrate them below:

1. Ineffective cuts on the surface;
2. Do not use the “steamer”;
3. Too high temperature;
4. Missing the moment to bake.

1. Ineffective cuts on the surface

The crust is formed on the outside when it reaches the necessary temperature by activating the entire chain process, but with the formation of a certain thickness, this will create a kind of barrier that will prevent the bread from growing further.

Precisely for this reason, cuts are necessary on the surface that allow the heat to enter also inside, before it involves only the upper part. The beneficial effects are seen immediately due to the continuous expansion of the mass, without encountering any resistance.

2. Do not use the “steamer”

Another secret well kept by the experts is that, trivially, the steam helps the formation of the crust.

What does this mean? To have a crunchy and crumbly crust at the same time it is necessary to use steam, since it is precisely at 50 ° C that the yeasts and gases continue to expand the mass and if the surface is already rigid, this will stop the increase. of volume.

To accompany this process in an even better way, it is possible to spray the bread with water just before it is placed inside the oven, so having a professional oven that allows the insertion of a “steamer” helps the process.

In addition, it makes the final product of high quality, ready for the knife test, i.e. it will be crunchy and will not crumble when a slice is cut.

3. Temperature too high

If the crust is too hard and the inside is undercooked, this is the clear symptom of having chosen a cooking temperature that is too high.

On average, in a professional bakery oven the baking of bread is set between 220 and 275°C, the advice is to lower it by 20 ° C each time to fully understand what type of adjustment each type of dough needs.

The more the dough is moist, the more it will be possible to play with a high temperature, moreover it is also necessary to evaluate the shape of the bread in order to correctly set the cooking process, the ratio between the external surface and the internal mass indicates the right temperature to be adopted.

4. Wrong time to bake

After giving the dough its shape, the surface is very compact, this is because the gluten mesh at this moment is at its maximum strength and prevents the further development of bubbles that allow the bread to have greater softness.

If the bread were baked at this time, the crust would immediately form and this would prevent it from growing in volume any further, remaining excessively dense.

Otherwise, if it is inserted when too much time has passed and too many bubbles have formed, the yeasts will break the fragile barriers, consequently the bread will collapse becoming excessively stiff and heavy.

So when to bake? The perfect moment is when the volume will be double the starting one, so we will define it as the crucial moment.

Latest tips for leavening and baking bread

After evaluating these mistakes, there are certainly some tricks that can help you create the perfect baked product. As for leavening, the use of a professional mixer certainly contributes to making the job easier and more successful.

In addition, choosing the oven with the right features, such as the possibility of inserting the “steamer” and cooking on refractory stone, help to give the browning and smell of baked bread that everyone dreams of entering a bakery or biting into a slice.

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Pizza is one of those dishes (one of the many actually) part of our local cuisine of which every Italian is incredibly proud and which in many cases leads him to be deeply critical of innovative proposals that undermine tradition (which can come from abroad as well as from our own country). It is not uncommon or strange to find even today pizza chefs or restaurateurs who ideologically oppose the use of machinery such as pizza rolls or cooking using gas or electric ovens, instead of the “celebrated” wood-burning model. In the same way, it is possible to generate endless discussions on the recipe and on the single elements such as tomato, mozzarella, dough, other condiments, etc.

Beyond the easy parochialism and the worldwide success of the dish in its originality, there are techniques, materials and innovative solutions that are increasingly emerging in the world of catering. Not only as regards the machinery, as happened with the emergence of gas and electric models that have conquered numerous premises, but also for elements that in both “dimensions” significantly improve the final result: for example, the refractory pizza baking stone.

Present in numerous new generation professional ovens, it has “positioned itself” with excellent results due to its main quality: it evens out and perfects cooking. It also makes it possible to (in part) obviate the low power of domestic ovens. In fact, if we compare a pizzeria model with a domestic one, the difference is nothing short of abysmal, so much so that with the first, at temperatures between 300 and 400 degrees, you can cook in a few minutes, with the other it takes at least 15-20 at maximum power of 220-250 degrees. The final result of the latter is certainly not equal, but at least it is close.

This deficit can be partially remedied by using a refractory pizza baking stone. Its ability to absorb moisture, store heat and distribute it evenly while maintaining a high temperature are decisive for quality cooking in every area, as well as saving time. Due to these characteristics it has become a supplement (already integrated in many professional models) almost necessary for those who make pizza for work or for their own personal pleasure as it allows high-level results.

What is and how does the refractory pizza baking stone inside an oven

The “secret” of a high-level pizza is made up of several elements ranging from the ingredients to season the perfectly leavened dough with quality flours, from the expert hands of the pizza chef to the tools and machinery in his support, to finish with the oven. which completes the process and brings the delicious food to the table. Among all these “components”, for an excellent result, the refractory stone must undoubtedly be inserted.

But before explaining the advantages and how it “works” to optimize the cooking of the pizza, it is necessary to explain well what it is and its composition. Generally by refractory stone we mean a slab made of refractory materials, such as clay or cordierite (polymorphic rock composed of aluminum, iron and magnesium) which are the most common on the market, but terracotta or even mortar are not disdained. Obviously, according to the type of basic composition, their coloring also changes (stay away from refractories in which layers of other material have been added, they could harm people’s health).

We are therefore talking about compounds cooked at remarkably high temperatures, thanks to which they become ideal for cooking. If for professional reasons it is enough to look for ovens equipped with the same refractory inside the cooking chamber, for domestic use it is possible to indulge in different shapes and sizes, to be chosen based on the use you want to make of them and the size of the oven or barbecue ( one of the most recent growing trends).

The refractory pizza baking stone slabs for pizza allow, thanks to the porous material with which they are made, to achieve almost perfect results and much better than a cooking without them: a well-cooked, soft and fragrant dough, the sauce still moist and not dried.

• The refractory stone is capable of storing a significant amount of heat
• Withstands very high temperatures without causing chemical reactions with food
• It absorbs all the moisture present in the dough to achieve fragrance and crunchiness
• It is capable of evenly distributing the heat stored on the entire surface of the pizza
• It helps the oven to maintain a constant temperature even if the door is opened
• Speed ​​up the cooking process

All these qualities of the refractory stone are strongly found in the final yield of the pizza product, so much so that no one, once tried, would dare to go back given the excellence of the result.

Structural differences and advantages of refractory stone

As we briefly mentioned before, the ideal cooking of a pizza should take place at such a temperature (between 300 and 400 degrees) that domestic ovens are unable to reach, while wood, gas or professional electric ones have no problems. to reach those levels of heat.

Using the refractory in both cases, the result improves in a decisive but at the same time different way: in the home environment it brings the final quality closer to that of pizzeria models, enormously speeding up cooking (from 15 to 3-4 minutes), in the professional field , what most pertains to us, more “simply” optimizes cooking according to all the qualities highlighted above.

In any case, beyond the scope, it also becomes important to understand what can change between the structure and thicknesses of different sizes of the refractory stone, while the best yield compared to a metal pan remains established. The stone can in fact be compact or perforated, thick or thin, with its differences:

• A compact structure offers all the highlighted qualities of the stone without “proposing” anything different.
• A perforated structure, on the other hand, with longitudinal channels, helps the convective movement of the heat, offering a decidedly faster heating.
• In terms of thickness, the advantage of a thin stone settles in the greater speed to heat up and in the best absorption of humidity, but at the same time it will tend to cool down sooner since it stores less heat.
• A thicker thickness will take longer to heat up but will be able to absorb more heat and keep it longer.

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Ovens equipped with refractory stone for pizza (including tunnel ovens) can also be safely used to cook other dishes, acting almost as a plate: bread and other leavened compounds, meat and fish, vegetables and other dishes. The only thing to take into account are the condiments that must always be added afterwards.

Cooking with a refractory pizza baking stone

In reality, cooking in the oven with refractory stone for pizza does not present particular “problems” compared to cooking carried out with types of oven without it. What changes is “only” the final result which, for the beloved pizza, reaches quality levels that are often unmatched. It is not the only way to cook pizza, but in some ways the possibility with the higher quality yield.

At the operational level the same statement applies, at least in the professional field. When the necessary temperature is reached, it is possible to bake as it happens for any other oven. At that point the pizza will cook using the heat generated by the cooking chamber (based on resistances or combustion), while the refractory surface will help make the base less humid, more fragrant and homogeneous, making even the most demanding Neapolitans happy.

As for the preparation, the process and the tools are the same: wooden or metal shovels, the skilled hands of the pizza chef or any pizza maker.

Cleaning the pizza refractory stone: precautions

The refractory slabs present in the ovens do not require specific measures or treatments for their cleaning and maintenance of the hob in its integrity. However, there are some small precautions that should be taken into account because the material is fragile, especially in the event of sudden temperature changes or incorrect maintenance products.

Being characterized by a certain porosity, it does not require a large use of water, much less to be oiled or sprinkled with detergents: the excessive use of water could compromise the resistance of the stone as it would be absorbed, while the oil would cause unpleasant odors. for the same absorption capacity (moreover it is not useful as it is already naturally non-stick). The same is true for cleaning products which in turn could add harmful effects.

The overall indications for its maintenance are instead simple and immediate and must be carried out once the surface has cooled:

• Remove any food residues left over during cooking with a brush and spatula
• Give a quick wipe with a wet but well wrung abrasive sponge
• Rub with salt to remove the last traces of food
• Finally, it can be wiped again with a cloth moistened with water and vinegar

Some stains and residues may remain on the shelf, but will not affect subsequent cooking in any way.

Pizza is an integral part of our culinary history, a 100% Italian symbol that has been able to cross the oceans and be appreciated all over the world. Its “ability” to globalize is counterbalanced by a tradition in its preparation, in the ingredients and in the recipe book of which we have always been very jealous. To the point of generating contrasts on every innovative aspect that oscillates from the choice of flour to the use of tools other than one’s own hands, to end with the cooking ovens: a war between those who still cannot break away from the idea that pizza can be cooked only with wood and those who have found their new dimension in electric solutions.

The truth, as often happens, has not settled alongside a single faction, but it is undeniable that the best commercial electric ovens currently in use or on the market are able to equalize (if not exceed) the qualitative yield of a wood-fired oven while bringing unparalleled ease of use and practicality. To these advantages we also add another factor: it does not pollute with emissions deriving from combustion.

The electric solution is therefore an opportunity to be seized on the fly for those who intend to enter the restaurant business or more simply for the pizza chef who wants to renew their fleet of machinery / equipment. Not only for the advantages already mentioned, but also for the potential they can offer to the business of a pizza maker. In this sense Italforni offers a wide range of electric ovens, even tunnel models (ideal in certain fast food pizza contexts): discover with us why choose them to give a positive turn to your place.

The Italforni electric proposal: ideal from different points of view

Opting for an Italforni commercial electric oven means giving greater importance to all those aspects useful for improving the work of the pizza maker without losing points in terms of product quality, which is the only real reason why a restaurant is successful or not: customers like the pizza that is produced. If, however, quality food is contrasted by bad service, too long times or other inefficiencies, it is useless to be able to offer the best pizza in the world.

In this interlude the functionality of the commercial electric oven is inserted, which guarantees a management practicality capable of organizing cooking in the best and most stationary way (as well as allowing the temperature to be reached more quickly), with consequent optimization of the whole process, from order to delivery to the table. A mix of technology, safety, programmability and qualitative performance that makes them preferable to the wood-fired “brothers”.

At the end of the evaluations, choosing an electric model therefore means aiming to satisfy all the criteria that are normally taken into consideration in the search for the best oven for your business:

• Time optimization
• Uniformity and quality of cooking
• Convenience
• Economic management

How a commercial electric oven works: cooking and management

Before discovering which are the best Italforni commercial electric ovens, it is necessary to understand and analyze how they work, the management advantages during cooking and how they can implement the pizza maker business. Let’s point out a fact: we are talking about tools, machinery. Ultimately, what makes the most difference is the technical skill of the pizza maker, his knowledge and the ingredients available (quality must concern every aspect, not just a few). Often, however, these aspects alone are not enough, and vice versa: Michael Schumacher would not have won any car title driving a city-car, as in the same way giving a racing car to a 6-year-old child does not mean having victory in his pocket. These are all complementary factors for the realization of an excellent pizza: skill and knowledge of the pizza maker, professional electric oven, flours and first choice ingredients. In the right hands the oven can perform at its best and cook perfectly.

From a purely technical point of view, a commercial electric oven works very simply. Electricity generates heat through the resistances placed between the floor and the ceiling (which can also be adjusted separately and therefore differently), allowing extremely uniform and precise cooking thanks also to humidity control. In the electric tunnel models the factor inherent to the belt is added, of which the speed can also be managed. The fact that the heat is not generated by combustion helps the cleaning and maintenance work at the end of the service: in fact there are no residues of soot or inherent in the burning of wood or gas. For the same reason it is not necessary to buy firewood or to equip oneself with systems for the abatement of fine dust, whose polluting factor is really too high.

Practicality and functionality are the watchwords when it comes to electric ovens, but it should not be overlooked that these qualities also correspond to a high precision in cooking due to the possibility of adjusting the temperature with flexibility (differentiating the floor and ceiling as already specified) and to keep the heat level always constant, without therefore suffering drops (a level that the wood and gas models are not able to reach equally). From these functional peculiarities the final product is cooked to perfection, uniform and, if all the factors are of the same level (including the oven), of high quality.

The peculiarity of electric tunnel ovens: innovation servicing of the pizza maker

Among the best Italforni commercial electric pizza ovens there is also an innovative and useful type in different contexts, especially for pizzerias by the slice or more generally with a fast food vocation: the tunnel oven. Versatile and easy to use, it is characterized as mentioned above by the belt that carries the product to be cooked (which can be pizza but also main dishes, second dishes, vegetables, etc.).

Beyond the belt, it maintains all the positive features of electric ovens in general: practical and functional, capable of keeping the internal temperature stable and obtaining uniform cooking. The belt can be composed of a refractory surface or a metal grid (in this case the pan is essential), it is speed-adjustable and thus adds an extra variant to obtain a perfect professional cooking. It also prevents the pizza chef from using shovels or other utensils to bake.

The best Italforni professional electric pizza ovens

Once the overview is proposed, all that remains is to discover a selection of three electrically powered ovens from the Italforni product range. We present the Bull, Euro and Tunnel Stone models.

Bull

The Bull electric oven is one of Italforni’s flagship products. Assembled in steel with tempered (and colored) glass coating, its linearity offers a remarkable aesthetic effect. It is available in sizes S, M, L and XL, and can be composed of up to 3 cooking chambers (adjustable separately), all in refractory material (both top and floor) characterized by hy•pe armored heating elements. It has a large leavening cell and reaches a maximum temperature of 450 ° degrees. The thermal insulation guarantees an external temperature of 30 degrees Celsious. The innovative digital Touch control offers an interface with an intuitive and easily manageable customized display.

Euro

The Euro professional oven is available in two versions:

1. Stand has an aluminized steel baking chamber with refractory floor
2. Classic is completely made with refractory material (with hy°pe armored heating elements inserted inside).

Perfect for pizzeria, pastry and bakery, this modular oven has a large leavening compartment, while the control panel can be chosen digital or electromechanical, according to the preferences of the pizza chef. Available in two aesthetic versions, rustic or stainless steel, it reaches the maximum temperature of 450 ° degrees and guarantees excellent thermal insulation.

Stone tunnel

The exclusive commercial electric tunnel oven with conveyor belt in refractory material (there is also the version with steel belt). Compact and easy to use, it allows you to adjust the temperatures of the top and hob separately to optimize the cooking of different foods (in addition to pizza, also bread, meat, etc.). It offers exceptional thermal insulation, outside the temperature never exceeds 30 ° degrees, guaranteeing operator safety. The Encoder Kit allows you to manage temperatures, cooking times and belt speed, and also makes it possible to program 25 cooking cycles. Maximum achievable temperature of 450 ° degrees.

Far from the old traditional vision of the pizza maker capable of elaborating every step of the pizza production process only with his own hands, his own technique and his own knowledge, restaurants and small takeaway pizzerias (or by the slice) now operate using designed tools to optimize their work.

Dough, leavening, drafting, preservation of ingredients, cooking: for each of these processes there is an ad hoc machine. The commercial dough mixer machine specifically helps the ideal formation of the gluten mesh, necessary to obtain a tasty product, light to digest (in collaboration with the leavening) and easy to handle.

At a professional level we are talking about fundamental machinery for a commercial operation, available in 3 different types, namely plunging, spiral and fork (the planetary mixer is generally suitable for the domestic market), each with its specific advantages and technical characteristics, capable of conferring different results. According to the type of arm, the capacity of the tank and the amount of dough to be worked, the thermal variation that the latter can generate changes, times and speeds change and the temperature of the water to be added changes.

These differences that exist between the types of mixers are fundamental in the final yield of the pizza product and can decisively determine its quality, its consistency and softness. The same differences mentioned also allow us to state 4 critical issues of strategic importance for the use of mixers.

The types of mixers: know them to understand how processing changes

The commercial dough mixer machine helps speed up the preparation of the dough, allowing the pizza chef to save time and energy, even when working on large volumes. As specified above, there are three types of machinery that are mainly used in pizzerias (but also ovens and pastry shops) and which, depending on the type of arm, can significantly change the final result. From a certain point of view there is no machine that is clearly better than others, the choice is mainly based on the working preference of the pizza maker and on the type of result you want to obtain.

• Fork mixer
• Spiral mixer
• Twin arms mixer

The importance of the dough temperature

Observing and cataloging the specs that the pizza mixer have and based on the type of operating arm equipped, it’s natural to wonder what changes in the final result the temperature of the dough during mixing and how it reacts to the increase or loss of temperature.

The dough obtains the best results when it’s able to remain around 24° degrees. Regardless the used ingredients, what therefore allows you to adjust and optimize temperature of the dough and of the water must be introduced into the mixture considering the type of mixer used and how many degrees it “lost” during the process. The water must therefore be more or less hot based on how many degrees the machine releases to the dough.

• Spiral mixer: 18°
• Twin arms mixer: 9°
• Fork mixer: 3°

Fork mixer: advantages and features

This mixer is characterized by the fork-shaped working arm (nomen omen) which operates inclined with respect to the rotation axis of the bowl. In comparison with the other two models it offers a slower processing which therefore requires more time, but for this reason it is able to convey less heat to the dough (which thus offers a better seal) and to handle it longer. Its characteristics make it ideal for all doughs with a low percentage of water (essentially the driest).

• It yields to the dough by 3 to 6 degrees based on the motion and speed impressed
• Perfect for mixing compounds with water below 50%
• Its slowness inevitably causes low levels of productivity
• The mixture is less oxygenated and therefore not very voluminous

Spiral mixer: advantages and features

The spiral pizza dough mixer, on the other hand, is the fastest of the three machines. The steel spiral rotates on the vertical axis, while the bowl is able to rotate clockwise and counterclockwise. The size and length of the spiral can change the final result. Its speed allows for a decisive reduction in production times and is ideal for long processes (soft doughs and more), even if it generates a lot of heat (for which the temperature of the water to be inserted must be taken into account). Generally it proposes two speeds of execution, the first to amalgamate, the second to form the compound.

• Fast processing and reduced times
• It offers well-homogenized and soft doughs, yes excellent quality
• Generates temperature rise to be kept under control

Twin arms mixer: advantages and features

The model with dipping arms is so called because it simulates the movement of human arms in the act of kneading. The working organ is in fact composed of two elements, the spatula and the fork, which rotate in the opposite direction and at the same speed. Faster than the fork mixer, but slower than the spiral mixer, it offers a lower heating than the second one and guarantees excellent oxygenation due to the movement from top to bottom that involves the dough when it is taken by the “arms”. Due to its characteristics it is perfect for large volumes, for the most delicate compounds (especially in pastry) and for those very hydrated.

• High oxygenation
• Stimulates leavening very well
• Ideal for working with bulky doughs
• Doesn’t excel in productivity

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Importance of the temperature of the dough

Observing and cataloging the characteristics that the pizza mixer possesses based on the type of operating arm it is equipped with, it is natural to wonder what changes in the final result the temperature of the dough during processing and how it reacts to the increase or loss of temperature.

The dough in fact obtains the best results when it manages to remain around 24° degrees. Regardless of the ingredients used, what therefore allows you to adjust and optimize the temperature of the same is the water, which must be introduced into the mixture thinking about the type of mixer used and how many degrees the latter “gives” during processing. The water must therefore be more or less hot based on how many degrees the machine releases to the dough.

• Spiral mixer: 18°
• Plunging mixer: 9°
• Fork mixer: 3°

How important is speed in a commercial dough mixer machine?

In many “entrepreneurial” cases, especially at an industrial level, companies live and progress by focusing above all on the speed of production or service. The same thing can be reflected in part in the world of pizza: being able to prepare large quantities of dough in a shorter time can be decisive in certain contexts, helping to save time and manpower.

However, speed is not everything for a restaurant, at least in the preparation of pizza dough, a job that is practiced well before serving and which therefore does not depend on the pressure of the hungry customer (as instead happens for the rolling out and cooking afterwards. of the order). First of all, there is a qualitative discourse to take into consideration and product development: the result offered by the spiral is different from the fork or the dipping arms, and vice versa. Furthermore, these mixers offer the best for certain products and doughs, which is why the choice for the best option always falls on the pizza maker and his personal pizza recipe.

The speed of the mixer therefore counts sufficiently, but only on an individual level because it must reflect the qualitative need of those who prepare the pizza.

Tall tub or low tub? The temperature still has something to do with it

Having seen and understood how the speed, the temperature and the type of operating arm substantially change the final yield of a dough, it remains to understand how and how much the tank can make a difference. In fact, its height becomes a further criterion to be taken into account when calculating the temperature of the dough.

If it turns out to be low and wide, the temperature will tend to remain more stable, in the case of a tall and narrow tank, on the other hand, the risk is an excessive rise (which can however be compensated by a smaller amount of dough).

As for the type of commercial dough mixer machine itself, also in this case the purely operational choice depends on how the pizza maker is used to working and on his preferences in terms of dough. After all, balance is played out on many things: flour, water, salt, speed, time, type of tool and temperature.

The tricks to understand when the gluten mesh has formed correctly

We have identified every useful feature of the different types of mixers and the aspects to be taken into account in the processing phase, but after all, how should a perfect dough be? Everything is played out in the proteins of the flour, gliadin and glutenin: the first confers extensibility, the second toughness. Combined with water and set in motion by the commercial dough mixer machine, they are able to form a sort of elastic network, gluten, which during the leavening phase helps to retain the gases produced by the yeast, while at the time of cooking it favors spill.

To achieve this ideal result, it is sufficient to observe and note the various physical and mechanical processes that allow us to understand when the gluten mesh is fully formed (i.e. the flour has absorbed every other ingredient) and the dough is finally ready.

• The dough begins to bind and wrap around the arm, generating pops resulting from the greater compression of the gases
• The dough is lighter and more shiny from a visual point of view, while soft and smooth to the touch
• Attention: processing times depend mostly on the amount of water present (as well as on the speed of the mixer) and when they are exceeded the gluten mesh begins to wear out
• Depending on the water temperature, the mesh forms earlier (if high) or later (if cold)
• If at the end of the process, after a short rest, the dough is pulled with wavy movements and is still extensible, then the result is almost perfect.

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The world of pizzerias is currently experiencing a situation that we could almost define “conflictual” (at least from an ideological point of view), in which the proponents of gas and electric ovens are increasingly opposed to the deep-rooted tradition of cooking on a wood oven.

Making a bold but very exemplary comparison of this contrast, it seems nice to recall the history of imperial China when, following some rebellions against the Han dynasty (which was in office from 206 BC to 220 AD), the great battle of Chibi, or of the Red Cliffs (208 AD), between the imperial army and the warlords Liu Bei and Sun Quan. A battle that led to a historical interval in Chinese history known as the Three Kingdoms period.

In the same way as what happened in China, we could speak of the period of the Three Ovens, with the contemporary and conflicting presence in the sector of wood, gas and electric ovens. But beyond the historical parenthesis and the narrative by contrast, it should be specified that there is no better type than the others for cooking pizza: each of them boasts its advantages and disadvantages that are canceled or enhanced based on how the pizza maker works and the product he wants to create. The distinction is therefore in his hands and in his head.

A good restaurant pizza can therefore come from any professional oven, regardless of the type, because it is a combination of dough, ingredients, “labor” and finally cooking. The oven itself is just a tool to finalize a preparation that begins with the dough, continues with the leavening, resting and adding the ingredients. We are not underestimating the importance of cooking, far from it, but we simply want to highlight how the use of a gas pizza oven, a wood-burning one or an electric one makes the difference only as part of the entire production process of a pizza.

So what criteria do you need to choose the right machine? It is sufficient to simply analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each cooking, trying to understand which one best suits your professional skills and your idea of ​​pizza. Tradition only counts from a mental and ideological point of view, it is the final yield of the product that marks the quality level.

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Wood, gas or electricity: an eternal challenge?

Pizza is an all-Italian excellence that has successfully crossed national borders, becoming a food appreciated all over the world. This “globalization” has led the product of homegrown origin to be continually poised between traditions and new trends, not only as regards the type of ovens, but also for the different flours, ingredients and the use of more or less equipment technological, capable of improving the speed of the service by facilitating the work of pizza makers.

This balance between tradition and innovation materializes in the choice of the type of cooking, that is, among the former who see no other option than wood and the latter who prefer gas and electric functionality. From an operational and result point of view, however, the traditionalists are left with only a qualitative grip to which they can link their convictions, that is the unique taste that fire and wood are able to give to the final product. A factor that the most modern professional models can easily overcome, offering in addition a simpler, faster and more functional management of the machinery: there is no longer any need to feed the fire with wood, it is no longer necessary pollution on the chimneys and cleaning remains much easier to perform.

Having eliminated the “wood” factor due to the evident operational disadvantages and having ascertained the qualitative parity of its gas and electric “brothers”, what distinction would remain for a pizza chef to choose a professional oven? In reality, it is just a matter of balancing the advantages and disadvantages of the two models, looking for the most appropriate solution to one’s modus operandi. And if you don’t want to give extreme emphasis to functionality (and therefore to electric), but prefer to find a compromise with the production yield that can be found from wood, then you should look with greater interest at the gas oven for pizza and the heat it generates by combustion.

Gas pizza oven: what it can offer and its advantages

A professional gas pizza oven offers several functional advantages, paying attention to some factors necessary to maximize its use. It is a choice that has become common to numerous restaurant businesses in recent years due to its balance between practicality and the final result deriving from cooking. In any case, if we were to list the advantages that this model offers, we could summarize them in a short but exhaustive list:

• The great convenience of being able to turn the oven on and off by operating a simple switch, together with the possibility of adjusting the heat thanks to the special tools
• As the gas (LPG or methane) feeds the combustion and therefore not the wood, the flue remains considerably cleaner thanks to the absence of soot
• Consumption is generally low and therefore very economical and little methane or LPG is needed to power a professional oven
• Optimal cooking is remarkably similar to that of a wood-burning model, but also tends to be more uniform
• Together with its electric “brother”, the gas pizza oven is more ecological and does not require special filters on the flue.

These peculiarities make this professional oven an ideal “ally” even for the more traditionalist pizzerias, and therefore more linked to the “Neapolitan character” of the product, which seek a cooking for pizza (or focaccia) similar to that with wood, capable of guaranteeing a high and crunchy cornice and a soft and light seasoned part. The fact of being able to reach very high temperatures, up to about 450 °, finally makes cooking quick, even under a minute depending on the thickness of the dough.

Its practicality does not derive solely from its management during the preparation of pizzas, which is easy and safe, but also concerns the maintenance and cleaning of the cooking chamber, the smoke outlet and the whole “structure”. Combustion certainly generates residues and easily washable stains, unlike the black of soot in wood-burning ones. Furthermore, it is not necessary to remove the residual ash.

How to cook optimally with a gas pizza oven

A professional gas model offers several advantages, as we have already seen, in the daily management of a restaurant-pizzeria as well as a small room for pizza by the slice: ease of use, high temperature, uniform cooking, easy cleaning, lower emissions, etc.

Its operation is quite simple and infinitely less cumbersome than wood-fired ovens. The burner, located in the lower part of the chamber, transmits the heat and initially distributes it by conduction and radiation, then it propagates and diffuses by convention, smoothing the pizza cooking in a delicate way and letting it rise correctly. The temperature regulation is very similar to what happens in domestic kitchens: the burner acts at maximum power until the desired degree is reached, and then continues its work in minimal mode while maintaining it.

As those in the trade know, pizza is cooked by dehydration, or loss of moisture due to the heat that spreads in the oven chamber (by convection, radiation and conduction). Once the temperature has been established and the product has been placed in the gas oven for pizza, some chemical-biological phenomena begin to occur immediately as the temperature of the dough rises.

• At about 30° the gases generated by leavening expand
• At 100°, water vapor develops and a crust begins to form
• The Maillard reaction takes place around 200 ° C, an interaction of sugars and proteins that gives the dough its burnished color
• At about 250° the crust becomes crunchy
• At about 280° there is the optimal cooking point, beyond which (already around 300°) the carbonization process begins.

With these notions, it is up to the skill and experience of the pizza maker to know how quickly his product reaches the optimal and uniform cooking point, perhaps recording an average time facilitated by the practical management that a professional gas oven is able to provide.