September 2020

At Pizzeria Farina,
Alessandro Vianello
knows every good pizza
starts with the right
equipment
Pizzas on deck
Deck ovens are considered
the basic workhorses of
the pizza world. “There’s
no crazy functionality for the most
part,” Vianello says. “You just turn
them on and that’s it. The one
difference is, with gas you have
only bottom heat, which requires
a bit more control. Electric is very
good because you have top and bottom heat.
However, they draw a lot of power and not all
buildings have enough.”
Domenic Primucci, president of Torontobased
Pizza Nova, says a vast majority of his
operations use natural-gas deck ovens. “I
prefer gas deck ovens over conveyor or rapid
cook. They might take a little more care and
training, but it’s what we like best. We only
Double-batch pizza oven from
W.D. Colledge
use electric if there’s no alternative,
such as ground-floor operations in
condo complexes where there are
no gas runs.”
While they are workhorses,
the stones in the deck ovens do
require regular cleaning, he cautions.
“You also need to regularly
clean under the decks to keep the
gas valves clean.”
Pizza Nova also has what
Primucci calls a “gluten-free kit”
at every location that includes a
special screen to place under a
pizza while baking in a dedicated
chamber, so it doesn’t make contact
with the stone surface, as well
as separate peels and cutters.
In addition, Pizza Nova has
mobile trailer units used at special
events. The units contain
two Bakers Pride deck
ovens and are powered
by propane gas. “It takes
a bit of time to heat up
the ovens, so we need
to start them up a little
earlier to get to the
right heat.”
Depending on the
brand, a two-deck oven
would cost close to
$20,000, with Bakers
Pride a clear market
From the Supply Side
Marra Forni’s Rotator oven is designed to change the way highvolume
kitchens cook. This smart brick-oven eliminates the need
to hire highly trained chefs to produce creative, healthy and costeffective
food options. The Rotator oven can cook pizzas evenly
in a half rotation, in under 90 seconds. It can also be used for a
variety of applications, including for baking, slow roasting, braising
meats, fire-roasting veggies, and seafood in a cast-iron pan. The
Rotator features easy-to-use touchscreen controls and innovative
forced-air burner technology, which uses only 84,000 BTUs. Four
models/sizes are available in a variety of customized tile options.
Wave oven from W.D. Colledge
To each their own
Wood-fired is Vianello’s pizza oven of choice
from a personal perspective. “I love it — the
flavour is incredible. But they do require a lot
more management when it comes to regulating
the temperature and moving pizzas around
while cooking. If I were to open up another
place with an open kitchen, that’s what I would
go with, although they’re expensive.”
Wood/gas-fired ovens tend to carry a hefty
price, but are well worth the investment for
some operations, Santos says. Leading brands
include Woodstone (Bellingham, Wash.),
Marra Forni (Beltsville, Md.) and Beech
(Eagle Farm, Australia). “Depending on the
leader in the category, says chef Gabriel
Santos, corporate chef for Western Canada
at W.D. Colledge in Vancouver. Countertop
versions of deck ovens from brands such
as Blodgett (Burlington, Vt.), Garland
(Mississauga, Ont.) and Marsal (Essex
Junction, Vt.), cost between $10,000 to
$16,000, depending on the model and
heating method.
size you’re looking at, a minimum of $25,000
to $30,000 when you take into account the
frame, installation and customization.”
A number of larger restaurant chains use
conveyor ovens, Santos says. “You won’t get
the char and crispiness that some restaurants
want, but they’re incredibly easy to use. They
do, however, require a bit of work in terms of
fan power and air-flow adjustments to get just
52 FOODSERVICE AND HOSPITALITY SEPTEMBER 2020 FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM