two smaller ovens v one larger oven

[OzzyB]

Hi. Im about to put an oven on a 20 foot enclosed trailer. I have been agonizing over going a 48 inch (1200mm) floor oven or two ovens with a 36 inch (900mm) wide floor area oven.

I know that in a 48 inch oven there will be more variance in heat zones. But I can have two completely different oven environments in in the separate 37 inch ovens.

I really need someone with real life experience here to help please.

Of course the menu will be a factor. The menu might be more than pizza. But pizza will be the main thing. Will I miss having a larger oven cooking pizza when its busy ? I'm thinking two pizzas in the 900 mm oven will be about it but don't know what's best in a busy period in a commercial pizzeria. I make my own dough so no commercial par baked stuff

[david s]

I’ve often used to wonder about this idea myself and have spoken with three different mobile operators who have opted for two smaller ovens rather than one large oven. They all agreed it was a wise decision, providing a much more flexibile output. If things quieter down, you can let one oven die down and flash it up if things get busy again. It also allows you to rake the coals over the floor to recharge the floor heat in one oven while continuing to cook in the other. It would also be ideal for cooking other foods than pizza that would require lower temps, using the other oven for pizza.

Whatever you decide on, could you post some pics so others can learn from your experience?

[OzzyB]

hi david thanks thats good to know. I will post the build for sure. The trailer base is built already. its structural aluminum. 2.4 m or 8 foot wide

[Pizzarotic]

Two smaller ovens with an operator on each is going to be a lot faster than 1 larger oven. At a function when you need to feed 100 or more people in an hour this is much more practical. If your not catering for functions then a single large oven will cost less to setup and run with less staff required.

[Pompeii Nate]

I would love to see some pictures of your progress.

[MarkJerling]

Two smaller ovens with an operator on each is going to be a lot faster than 1 larger oven. At a function when you need to feed 100 or more people in an hour this is much more practical. If your not catering for functions then a single large oven will cost less to setup and run with less staff required.

Oh, I'm not sure about that. If you're only cooking, someone else is stretching dough and others are doing toppings, then you can, with a 42" oven, easily cook 3 x 12" pizzas at once, and in around 1.5 to 2 minutes per pizza, so, allowing for cleaning the floor and shifting the fire, 100 pizzas in an hour is certainly possible. Having said that, as I don't do large numbers often, and I have to wait for the kitchen to stretch and do toppings, and they do that slower than I can cook, realistically, I can't do more than 1 pizza every 2 minutes, but if I was not waiting for others, it should be possible, if I got some more practice. With my current skill set, I am more comfortable only cooking 2 at the same time.