Micro-bakery series: which oven is best?
Micro-bakery series: which oven is best?
Your customers don’t care what oven you have.
People in the Facebook group or blog or forum are not your customers.
Your expectations (higher) are different to customer expectations (lower).
Customers want a delicious & practical baked item at a fair price.
Most oven options can achieve a very good baked result.
Remember, a customer purchases and eats what is baked, not the oven.
These might seem an odd place to start an article about which micro-bakery oven is best. But with many years of personal experience and coaching others I’m convinced it’s the best starting point.
This post contains no affiliate links. And no specific brands. The internet is full of specifics.
In fact, baking social media groups/forums/channels are overflowing with what ‘the best’ oven is. Why the other ovens are inferior. Why you must get <insert oven brand here>.
It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the quality of the images and videos, the influencers supporting, and the strong personalities promoting.
But the customer doesn’t see whether the baking process involved several minutes of temperature adjustments and loaf position changes, nearly a few skin burns, and three loaves with a burnt base; or whether it was a relaxing baking session with twelve identical loaves; your customers don’t care what oven you have.
So pause. Take a breathe. Slow down. Avoid the endless scroll. Don’t post the same questions again (use the search function to begin with).
Ask some questions of yourself first. Consider your specific scenario and needs and opportunities. Here are some suggestions:
What type of breads and other baked goods do I make and sell?
Sweet pastries? Biscuits/cookies? Crusty freeform sourdough loaves? Crusty tin/pan loaves? Baguettes? Rolls? Cakes?
Deck ovens with a stone baking surface are great for crusty loaves and baguettes. For everything else convection ovens are often better and more versatile.
What will be most of your baking? What will your customers purchase?
Be aware: most deck-type ovens bake best when at capacity. Four loaves in a twelve-loaf oven often have an inferior baked finish.
What’s my budget?
You do have to pay for the oven. If you have unlimited funds, great. If funds are limited, that’s okay. Don’t feel guilty or inferior for looking at the cheaper options.
Be aware that many micro-bakeries have closed shop. It’s not profitable enough. It’s too complicated. There aren’t enough customers. Life situation changes.
Will you be in financial stress if it doesn’t work out with the oven you purchase?
Micro-bakery ovens generally have a reasonable second-hand resale value—but it’s not guaranteed.
What’s my current and/or realistic baking capacity?
If the goal and realistic outcome is hundreds of loaves each week, buying the premium option may be a good investment.
But if it’s only a hobby or very part-time job a cheaper brand may be fit for purpose.
How large is my space? Are there any spacing limitations (e.g. door opening direction)?
Consider where the oven will fit. And how the door will open. And where the heat and steam will go. Will the oven have a permanent position or need to be on a trolley and moved in and out of the baking area?
Ovens can add a lot of heat to a room, some are better sealed and insulated than others. Consider whether heat is a benefit or detriment.
If 3-phase power and adequate floor space is available, a commercial deck oven could be a good option. The price could be similar to a premium micro-bakery oven; the commercial deck oven may have more baking capacity due to one baking surface rather than three surfaces.
What other priorities are present?
Looking after young children? A more expensive set and forget oven with excellent insulation might be advantageous.
Plenty of time and enjoy the activity of baking? The cheaper oven requiring more management might be fine, even fun.
How soon do you need the oven? Is it stock locally? What’s the actual overall cost (see below)?
Some questions to ask **get everything confirmed in writing**
Is it in stock locally? What’s the wait time? Is GST included?
What’s the total delivery cost? (including GST, including tailift truck)
Can you find actual local reviews/experiences with the seller? (Not just the manufacturer—the payment, warranty and delivery are through a local retailer.)
Ensure all details and costs are clear and in writing.
Other considerations to plan
Do you have a plan to get the oven from the street to your kitchen? Delivery is usually only to the street. Deck ovens are very heavy!
Ventilation is often not required by law for micro-bakery ovens but is a good idea because they do produce a lot of heat and steam. Placement near a screened, openable door or window is ideal.
Speak to your local council food inspector early—they will have the power to shut you down, so better to clarify any expectations upfront and early on. (For example, you may plan baking in the home kitchen; they may assess it as unsuitable for food production. Or it might be approved. Or require modifications to be approved.)
Check oven power requirements and check household power availability (ask a licensed electrician). The risk is spending a lot of money on an oven to then find out a lot more needs to be spent upgrading the wiring.