Advice Please

[Filthymutt]

A few years ago I built a WFO at home for private use, and it certainly was well used by the time I had to rip it up. Anyway, now we are thinking to make a Pizza shop of our own here in Beijing where I live and so I am looking at my options for a new Pizza oven. I have looked at a brand new Cuppone Giotto electric rotating deck oven which is at a shop near me and turns out fantastic Pizza VS a FB WFO with Gas Assist such as the Napoli or Modena.

Trouble I have is with the number of pizzas the FB oven says it can do. The Bigger FB Ovens are saying they can do 12-14 10" pizzas at a time. From my experience with my own WFO which was a 42" Interior dimension where my pizzas were cooking in like 90 seconds I'm wanting to know how on earth is this humanly possible. Even though my oven could handle more size wise, the most I could get in at one time was two 16" pies simply because by the time I could lay the second one in the first was going to burn!

Does anyone here have experience putting multiple pies in a high temp oven? Is this even feasible?

I'm thinking to go with the Cuppone oven simply because its got this wonderful rotating deck which I've been introduced to and it makes multiple pizza cooking so easy. Trouble is I really like cooking with wood. So I am trying to justify the WFO. Comments?

[UtahBeehiver]

Hey Bob,

I remember your first build and now you are branching out into commercial cooking. Can't comment on production numbers but will wood burning in Beijing be an issue vs electric especially with the next winter Olympic games coming there? I remember for the Summer games the government really clamped down on coal and wood burning. Any way best of luck in you project. Are you moving from being a helicopter pilot to throwing dough......LOL

[Filthymutt]

Hi, long time no talk. Well, considering I have not worked for the last two years the decision is kind of being made for me. I'm 55 so my expiration date as a flyable pilot is rapidly approaching as 60 is the limit in China and since I'm not earning anything as a Consultant I'm thinking Pizzeria. We are not 100% decided on a Beijing location just yet. My wife spends a huge amount of time in ChongQing and it is a nice city with a decent sized foreigner population so that is our alternative locale.

I don't think I'd be affected with a WFO. I was not bothered when I operated my home WFO and there was a restaurant near me that had one too and was not given any shut down order but, good point, I'm glad you brought it up thanks! I hadn't thought of that aspect. Regardless, I'm more and more inclined to go with the electric oven.

I'm thinking to attend the International Pizza Expo in Vegas later this month. Was just online checking air fare prices and its not too bad right now. Maybe there I can get a few more ideas and advice.

Meanwhile my old oven is a pile of bricks here at the new home. I was able to salvage the vast majority of the firebricks from the old oven. Once spring has sprung I may start a rebuild. I miss it dearly

Bob