When opening a pizza shop, normally the largest equipment investment will be the ovens. This is the center of the entire kitchen and the necessary engine to complete all of your work. With ovens being such a large investment, it is often good to investigate the availability of either used or reconditioned ovens. These ovens can be purchased at a fraction of the cost of new ones. Here are some things you should consider when making your purchase.

Conveyor ovens are available in many difference sizes and cooking power. From countertop electric ovens (ie: Lincoln Impinger 1301) to triple and quadruple deck gas fired ovens (ie: Middleby Marshall PS570), there is a wide range of cooking power available. One of the first considerations is to determine whether you will cook with gas or electric. In larger ovens, more ovens are available in gas fired. In smaller countertop units, most of the available ovens will be electric. You will need to know if you have 1 or 3 phase power available, and if using gas ovens if they need to be LP (propane) or natural gas. Most gas ovens can be converted to either type of gas reasonable inexpensively. You will also need to know how much space you have, if there is an exisiting hood how large is it, and how many pizzas you plan to cook per hour. This will help you determine what oven or ovens best meet your needs. Conveyor ovens are reasonably simple to operate. Once the time and temperature have been set, you put the product in one end and it comes out the other ready to serve. This is a very efficient method for busy locations or where help is limited.

Some things to be aware of when looking at conveyor ovens are the operation of the temperature and speed controls. Listen for noise in blower motor, conveyor motor and burner blower. These are repairable, but you will want to consider this prior to purchase. Many of the repairs on these ovens can be done in house. Parts are available from many dealers as well as on Ebay.

For deck ovens, the same space, power or gas requirements and # of pizzas per hour need to be considered. Deck ovens require a little more attention to make sure the pizzas are removed timely. Deck ovens, particularly with stone decks, tend to be preferred by many people looking for a certain style of pizza or certain crust. Deck ovens are very simple to operate and have very few parts that can go wrong. The key elements are the thermostat, safety, burner and door springs. All are very reasonable to repair and simple in operation. For pizza shops, stone decks are usually preferred. Though most people want the stones in one piece, cracks or broken stones that still fit together will operate just fine. Broken or cracked stones should not be the "determining" factor for purchase above the other items. On the frame of the oven and "skin" you want to make sure there is no rust or corrosion. Surface rust can be cleaned. Corrosion cannot. Gas burners wil tend to get surface rust while sitting up and this can be taken care of, however if the burner is "eaten through" it will need to be replaced soon.

Don't be afraid to save some money with used pizza ovens. You will find that the savings will certainly outweigh any "elbow grease" you use.