Bakery Ovens - Deck Ovens
Gas Deck Ovens
Electric Deck Ovens
Pizza Deck Ovens
Looking for a pizza deck oven? The deck ovens listed above all have steam and are designed to be optimized for bread and pastry. For a deck oven optimized for pizza (no steam, higher temperatures), please click below:
Deck Ovens FAQ
What can I bake in a deck oven ?
That’s the beauty of deck ovens. You can bake almost anything in them! Pastry, panettone, tarts, pies, bread, cookies, cakes, even some styles of pizza. In addition, deck ovens are unbeatable when it comes to producing artisanal or sourdough bread with great crumb and oven spring: crispy outside, soft and airy inside. Just don’t forget, for Panettone, or other high products, you would need to order higher crown decks.
Can I bake pizza in a deck oven?
Yes, it is possible. In fact, many bakeries use deck ovens for baking pizza. However, it’s important to note that not all deck ovens are alike. Some deck ovens are specialized for pizza, others are specialized for bread. While you can make pizza in a deck oven specialized for bread, to make authentic pizza Napoletana, you will need a deck oven specialized for pizza that are designed to reach higher temperatures and with hearth stones designed for pizza.
The proof, that pizza can be baked in deck oven is on the right. And where else, then in Esmach Modular Electric Deck Oven EF-P.
What’s the difference between an electric deck oven and a gas deck oven?
In short, an electric deck oven offers more flexibility: it allows you to set each deck to its own temperature. Whereas, the temperature of all decks on the gas deck ovens are set to the same temperature. As such, gas deck ovens are better suited for baking more pieces of the same product(s). Many gas deck ovens contain more mass than electric deck ovens as well, which allow them to be more efficient and hold temperature better, but they also require more time to cool off or heat up. However, some electric deck ovens are designed to compensate for this, like the Bassanina EcoPower Oven, which is an electric deck oven designed to rival its gas deck oven counterpart, the Bassanina Zoom Oven.
Overall, electric deck ovens are more versatile.
All points aside, we find more bakeries today are also considering the trade-offs between the environmental impact of gas vs. electric ovens. You may also want to consider the long term viability and cost of utilities in your area, or look into any upcoming changes to your local bylaws around gas commercial appliances.
Do I need to use an oven loader with a deck oven?
Yes and no, it depends. An oven loader is highly recommended for deck ovens deeper than a standard bun pan or tray. The bigger your oven is, the more wear and tear on you and your bakers' backs and bodies, particularly over many years of baking.
Oven loaders are also a must if you'd like to achieve more production efficiency when baking in large quantities. Some shallow and smaller deck ovens don’t really need oven loaders, and you will be able to operate your deck oven with oven mitts and an oven peel.
There are different types of oven loaders, typically we suggest considering an integrated loader for larger deck ovens to minimize the space it occupies, while also allowing you to raise it high enough for staff to walk underneath.
Can I control the temperature of each deck independently on a deck oven?
Electric deck ovens allow you to control the temperature of each deck independently. This creates flexibility for your production, allowing you to create different products at the same time by setting each deck to its own temperature (for example, baking sourdough bread on the bottom deck, cookies in the middle deck, and pastries on the top deck).
However, this is not possible with gas deck ovens (which bake all decks at the same temperature and are specialized for higher production output).
Can a deck oven have different heights for each deck?
Yes, some deck ovens allow you to choose the height of each deck. Do you want to offer your customers’ pizza as well? To some models can be added a deck just for baking pizza, reaching higher temperatures than the rest of the decks, Esmach Modular Electric Deck Oven EF-P or Bongard Modular Deck Oven Soleo Evo.
Look at the possibility of different crown heigh in each deck at the previously mentioned Esmach Modular Electric Deck Oven EF-P.
What is a modular deck oven?
A modular deck oven gives flexibility for artisan bakers. It’s designed to be modular, in other words, it can be relatively easily taken apart, put back together, or added to.
These types of ovens are designed to fit through smaller doors or openings, and to potentially add more decks at a future date to accommodate your bakery’s growth. Modular deck ovens typically consist of a few decks, stacked on each other. Each deck has its own heating system, temperature controls and other features.
Does a deck oven have steam?
Yes, many deck ovens come with the option to have steam injection on each deck.
The European deck oven brands we carry (Bassanina, Bongard, Mono, Esmach) all have steam injection systems, and many give you the choice to choose which decks, if any, have steam capabilities. Each deck allows independent control of steam, meaning you can decide during your bake which decks get an injection of steam and which don’t.
What is the baking surface in a deck oven made of?
The baking surface in a deck oven is typically made or super efficient heat-retaining materials. All of our deck ovens have stone hearth surfaces, usually made from food-safe cement, minerals used for pottery or synthetic cordierite. This style of baking surface is designed to distribute heat evenly to the products you are baking.
Do I need venting for my deck oven?
If you have a gas deck oven, then yes, you’ll need venting. Electric deck ovens equipped with an extraction canopies will also require venting. Smoke, heat and steam vapours have to go somewhere, and venting considerations are an important step when planning out your bakery space.
Do I need a commercial exhaust hood above my deck oven?
No, deck ovens are designed to work without needing a commercial exhaust hood above them. Gas deck ovens come with exhaust and canopy fans that must be vented to the outside of the building. Because electric deck ovens doesn’t have any combustion, and because bread has very low fat / oil content, there are more venting options.
Some electric deck ovens can have a condensing canopy that condenses vapours into a drain and recirculates the heat back into the oven. Other electric deck ovens can be equipped with an extraction canopy that needs to be vented outside the building. And in some scenarios where a baker has a very high warehouse ceiling, the oven may not have any canopy at all. The heat and steam rises naturally in the building. However, for production areas with low ceilings, you definitely need to order a canopy (condensing or extraction) from the oven manufacturer to protect the ceiling from damage.
Can a deck oven fit through a standard door?
Yes, some can! It depends on the specific size and model. Modular electric deck ovens are specifically designed for this purpose – they can be affordably unassembled in pieces and brought through a standard door. Other electric and gas deck ovens can only fit through the standard sized door if built piece by piece with a highly skilled technician and a team of helpers.
Understandably, complicated installations like this are usually only considered when no other alternatives would work for your space and the product you want to bake. More often than not, removing glass in a commercial building, or tearing down and rebuilding a wall is less time-consuming and more affordable to allow you to move a fully assembled oven into a bakery space rather than building the oven piece by piece.
The picture on the right shows how one of our clients moves the deck from Modular Deck Oven Soleo Evo through standard-size door.
Can you help me to pick the right deck oven?
Yes, absolutely! We understand picking the right oven is absolutely crucial, and the process can be overwhelming. To ease it for you, we created a handy, clear overview of the deck ovens we offer.
Be sure to Contact Us, and we’ll happily answer your questions and concerns.
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EM Bakery Equipment USA Inc.
6731 Baymeadow Dr.
Glen Burnie, MD
21061
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