Industrial electric ovens are literally the centerpiece of your bakery, cookie shop, pizza parlor, or cake store, therefore an industrial oven is likely to be one of your largest budget items, up there with paying rent and labor.

Ultimately, a bakery or pizza joint can survive without fryers, heat lamps, or prep areas but not without an electric oven. The electric oven comes in many different shapes and sizes. When looking to purchase an industrial electric oven to make pizza, you need a conveyor belt oven. Make sure the conveyor belt is big enough for your pizzas and that it moves slowly enough to ensure the pizzas bake evenly.

For baking enterprises, there are different sizes of industrial electric ovens with different numbers of racks and different capacities. Make sure you know how many baked goods you are trying to prepare and how many items you need to prepare in a certain amount of time. This will help you buy an appropriate oven for your business. Here is a quick checklist when purchasing an electric oven:

1. How much food do you need to produce? You will need industrial electric ovens that can keep up with the demand.
2. How much space do you have in your store? Electric industrial ovens are large pieces of equipment. Make sure they fit in your space.
3. Will your industrial electric stove grow with you? How many more baked goods do you need to produce before you need a new oven?
4. If you have a bakery, check to see if your electrical oven has proof setting. This will make the baking process easier.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Price brand new industrial electric ovens

When starting a new baking business or looking to expand an existing one, begin by investigating new electric industrial ovens. This will show you the cost and the cutting edge features available on a new industrial oven. If you can afford it, new industrial electric ovens are the way to go because they should break down less, and they will have a warranty.

I recommend: There are many websites out there that have commercial ovens for sale. BizRate lists different prices on conveyor ovens. Industry Kitchens lists a number of industrial electric ovens for sale.

Look into purchasing used industrial electric ovens, which may be cheaper

Used ovens are going to be cheaper than new ones, but they may not be covered by a warranty, and they are more likely to need maintenance. However, in many cases the steep discount of buying used over new is worth it. Just be sure to examine any used equipment for damage beyond normal wear and tear before buying.

I recommend: Start with eBay when looking for used industrial electric ovens. The number of used electric ovens will vary over time, but eBay does good business providing electric industrial ovens and other equipment to businesses. Also, a website like Northern Pizza Equipment does nothing but sell new and used pizza equipment.

Know your oven business industrial repair technician

New or used, industrial electric ovens are machines, which means that they are going to break. Before you purchase new or used industrial electric ovens, find someone who can fix them when they break, and meet them before making the purchase. If possible, see if they will inspect any industrial oven that you are considering buying.

I recommend: Visit MacRAE's BLUE BOOK, an excellent website that lists electric oven technicians. Call several technicians and find one you feel comfortable with. ThomasNet is another website for finding technicians for your commercial electric oven. Lastly, Mr. Appliance is a franchise of industrial technicians. Use their locator to see if there is an industrial oven technician in your area.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Know what type of power your commercial electric oven requires, and make sure your building's wiring supports it.
• •  If your budget allows, try to find an electric portable commercial oven so that you can make samples at remote locations.
• •  Industrial electric oven technology is constantly improving. Stay abreast of recent trends in electric ovens.