Stack Up Orders With Deck Ovens

Deck ovens offer high-quality results that operators find hard to turn down when DSRs know how to sell their best features.

Foodservice Equipment & Supplies - February 2002

The Editors

As the name implies, deck ovens, also called stack ovens, are units with multiple decks placed one on top of the other, each activated by separate controls. Though they've been somewhat pushed out of the spotlight by combis, convection and conveyor ovens, deck ovens provide a high level of quality and respond to an artisan's touch, making them hard for many operators to resist.

The decks on deck ovens are generally between 80 and 120 high. DSRs should ascertain exactly which foods customers plan to cook in their ovens in order to specify deck heights that will allow clearance for cookware.

DSRs should also communicate that many deck ovens allow for temperatures to be controlled from top to bottom and left to right within each individual deck. This feature allows more control over how foods are cooked than can usually be offered by a convection or conveyor oven, a prospect that many operators who particularly pride themselves on their cooking skills and the quality of their food find appealing.

The deck that will be most utilized should be positioned at shoulder-height, since it will be easiest to access.

However, because they require more skill to operate effectively, deck ovens may not provide the same level of cooking consistency and are typically more labor-intensive than convection and conveyor ovens. For multi-unit operations or programs with high employee turnover, these are serious concerns, and managers of such facilities may be better served by an alternate piece of equipment.

One of the primary applications of a deck oven is baking pizza. The decks in an oven used for pizzas should generally be less high than other decks - around 70. In addition, many pizza makers prefer the interior of their deck ovens be lined with stone. This is because stone acts as a heat sink, regulating the temperature and enabling faster recovery times, an important feature in a pizza restaurant. Another main application of deck ovens is baking bread. Such units should include a water injection system for better crusting.

Operators of high-volume facilities, such as large bakeries, will need to know the exact capacity of a deck oven. Such information varies from oven to oven. DSRs would be well-served to speak with their manufacturers' representatives about the capabilities of the particular units that they carry.

When customers purchase ovens with different sized decks, they should be encouraged to give careful consideration to the locations of the decks. Heavier dishes, for instance should never be placed on a high deck because of possible spills and resulting employee burns. The deck that will be most utilized should be positioned at shoulder-height, since it will be easiest to access.

Triple-deck ovens typically have one deck, the lowest, that is hard to reach and, thus, may not be cleaned as thoroughly. DSRs should make customers aware of this possible problem. In addition, burner boxes in deck ovens should occasionally be opened and vacuumed of any food particles that have fallen into them and each deck needs to be swept out at least once a day to prevent food from turning them into "smoking decks."

Some deck ovens have separate utility hookups for each deck. While this most often increases the installation costs, DSRs should stress that separate hookups also provide for greater up-time. That is because if one deck or utility line needs servicing, other decks and lines can remain in operation.

Some operators prefer combi ovens to deck ovens because of their faster cooking times. One of the new innovations in some deck ovens, though, is the introduction of circulated air into the cooking cavities, a feature that time-conscious operators may find appealing.