OVENS AND PRODUCTION LINES


Finding your perfect oven


Suzanne Callander looks at the wide range of oven types that are available today to meet the needs of every possible bakery requirement, and which should also help organisations make energy savings.


T


he oven is often considered to be one of the most important processing steps that a product will undergo in a bakery – heat is as vitally important as any other ingredient, triggering chemical changes in the product and giving a finished


product its unique characteristics, which can affect flavour, shelf life, texture, colour and aroma.


It is the oven which usually also controls the productivity within a bakery, with production output often directly relating to the capacity of the oven.


Depending on the mode of operation and heat transfer mechanism, ovens can generally be classified as either batch or continuous equipment and employ either direct or indirect heat exchange. Direct heat ovens have, traditionally, been employed in the biscuit and pizza-making sectors, where high temperatures are required during the cooking process – often above 300°C. Meanwhile, indirect-fired ovens are considered a suitable choice for applications in all types of baked products, usually offering a more balanced treatment of products.


Hybrid ovens are also available, combining different types of heating systems in a single unit in addition to dielectic heating – another form of electromagnetic radiation which includes microwave and radio-frequency heating. Benefits of hybrid ovens are said to include faster baking times due to higher heating rates and faster water evaporation/bake loss.


Energy concerns


Whichever oven type is employed by a bakery, the biggest concern today would seem to revolve around the spiralling cost of energy. “Generally, we get asked about energy consumption, costs to run, and energy saving features of our combi-ovens,” says Steve Hemsil, Sales Director – UK & Ireland at Welbilt. A combi oven is a three-in-one oven that cooks with steam, hot air (convection) or a combination of both.


Highlighting some of the energy saving features to look out for in combi ovens, Steve mentioned the importance of triple glazed doors which can offer higher energy efficiency and improved safety through optimal heat insulation. Welbilt combi ovens also offer a superfast baking function


24 Kennedy’s Bakery Production October/November 2022


“One of the main benefits of combi ovens is that they can cook/bake so many different foods and mixed loads. Temperature, humidity, air movement and time are vital factors in baking so it is important to choose a combi oven designed specifically for baking to ensure that the product absorbs the optimal amount of moisture in the oven to help prolong shelf life by maintaining moisture and helping to prevent crusts from softening due to ambient humidity.” Features that Steve considers to be important to bakeries when specifying an oven include: • Ease of use: A simple to use and intuitive control panel will ensure that anyone can use the oven, which is really important to operators at the moment as they grapple with skill shortages.


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which optimally retains heat and moisture. “This feature sees the temperature rise rapidly so less energy and water need to be added,” explains Steve. “This ensures optimal steam saturation, automatic humidity adjustments for combi-steam cooking, and fast and even heat transfer.” Offering some energy saving advice, Steve says: “Two


of the biggest ways to save energy are to use the correct oven for your needs. Ensuring the correct oven and size of oven for the application will also help achieve the most efficient outcome – a large oven being used for small batches of cooking, is not going to be a good use of energy. When working with a bakery customer to specify an oven, it is important to take time to understand exactly what it will be used for, the capacity needed, where it will be placed, and who will use it.


“Whichever oven type is employed by a bakery; the biggest concern today would seem to revolve around the spiralling cost of energy”


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