They say that the oven is the beating heart of any bakery, so choosing the right one can be an overwhelming task. Choosing the right baking oven for your bakery is a crucial decision that can significantly impact your business's efficiency, product quality, and profitability. With various types of oven options available on the market, it's essential to understand the different types of baking ovens and their benefits in order to make an informed choice. In this blog, we'll guide you through the key factors to consider when selecting a baking oven, to ensure your bakery's success.

Types of Baking Ovens

  1. Deck Ovens - Deck ovens are a popular choice for artisanal bakeries but have seen a popularity increase in other markets such as pizza and bagels as of late. Deck Ovens utilize a high-quality hearth stone baking surface that gives the product a nice even crust on the bread. Their popularity is mostly due to their consistency. These ovens not only provide consistent heat throughout the product zones, but they retain heat and recover extremely well, making them reliable in a busy bakery setting. Deck ovens come in various sizes, allowing you to choose one that fits your bakery's production volume.
  2. Convection Ovens - Convection ovens are known for their versatility and efficiency. They use fans to circulate hot air, ensuring even baking and faster cooking times. These types of ovens are extremely popular in bakeries that specialize in more delicate products such as pastries, cakes and cookies. These ovens are offered in a variety of sizes and configurations to accommodate various bakery layouts.
  3. Rack Ovens - Rack Ovens consist of a chamber that holds one or more bakery racks, allowing for the baking of multiple trays of products. These ovens are best suited for mid to large bakery production, however they are offered in smaller compact sizes as well. Rack ovens are commonly used for baking bread, pastries, and cakes and provide a gentle and uniform bake on your products.
  4. Revolving Ovens - Not to be confused with rotating rack ovens, Revolving Ovens feature rotating shelves that ensure even baking. The trays of these ovens rotate around an axis and distribute heat evenly and consistently for the best possible results. These ovens are particularly popular in bagel shops and pastry shops as well.
the different types of bakery ovens

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Baking Oven

  1. Production Volume - Assess your bakery's production volume to determine the capacity you need. All bakery ovens are offered in a variety of sizes, so be sure to choose the oven that best matches the type of production you'll be doing in your bakery.
  2. Type of Products - What types of products will you be baking? Breads, cookies, cakes, pizza? Some bakery ovens are preferred for baking certain products so the products you bake often will dictate which oven you need. A good amount of bakeries will need multiple types of ovens to properly accommodate the variety of products they produce.
  3. Space and Layout - Bakeries come in all shapes and sizes, and luckily so do bakery ovens. The size you have available in your bakery will help you make the decision on what type of oven you can fit. If space is limited some oven types offer compact designs that are meant to fit in tighter areas.
  4. Energy Efficiency - In today's world of innovation, oven models are offered with the assurance of energy efficiency that will help limit and lower your fuel costs. For example, Empire Deck Ovens use a single burner system with vapor tube technology. The use of only a single burner drastically reduces the amount of fuel needed to power the ovens.

Conclusion

Selecting the right baking oven for your bakery is a significant investment that requires careful consideration. by understanding the types of ovens that are offered and the many factors that go into choosing the right one, you can make an informed decision on which oven is best for your bakery. By evaluating factors such as production volume, product type, space, energy efficiency, and budget, you can choose a bakery oven that will enhance your bakery's performance and profitability.