How to choose the best bake oven matching your needs 

Do you need a new bake oven to improve the efficiency of your food service business? Or do you need an oven to enhance the quality of your bake products? 

We understand that it is a challenging task to choose the best bake oven that meet all your needs, so we have prepared a quick guide with factors for you to consider in this process.  

1. Capacity

Consider the number of products you need to bake at a time

Choose an oven that can accommodate your needs. If you plan to expand your business in the future, it may be wise to choose a larger oven, such as a 16-grid roll-in model to accommodate for future growth or keep the flexibility open by opting for a 6 or 9-grid oven, which you can stack with another 6-grid oven when you want to expand. Stacking two units is what we call Stackit. Not only do you save valuable floor space, but you also get 33% more capacity from stacking two Invoq Bake 6 EN compared to installing just one Invoq Bake 9 EN – utilising the same power supply (18 kW) and gaining from flexibility in baking modes.

2. Power type

Power source most readily available and cost-effective in your area

Choose an oven that runs on the power source that is most readily available and cost-effective in your area. Options include electric and gas. You should also have sustainability and energy savings in mind when you choose the power type.

3. Control your baking process

Optimum baking environment controlling the air, heat and humidity levels

Ensure that the oven you choose has the optimum baking environment controlling the air, heat and humidity levels so that you can rest assure that your products are always evenly baked. Uniform baking results require evenly distributed airflow and accurate temperature throughout the entire cavity. Check out how ClimateControl can help with oven climate consistency  

Watch Invoq Bake webinar to learn more

4. Type of products

Business solely on bake or also snacking products

Is your business solely focused on bake products such as bread and pastries? Or are you expanding your area to include savoury snacking products as well? If the latter, you need to consider the benefits of being able to use both 400 x 600 EN baking sheet and 1/1 GN trays in the same oven – even at the same time. Choosing a MultiRack for your bake oven would give you exactly that flexibility for boosting your business and broadening your assortment.  

5. Ease of use

Easy operation just like a mobile phone

If an easy-to-use oven is on your top wish list, then you should look for an oven with an operation panel with a UI design like a mobile phone, for example Invoq Bake. The smartphone simplicity ensures intuitive operation by any member of your team, faster baking processes and you avoid complicated instructions and time-consuming training sessions.

6. Brand reputation

A reputable brand with a good track record in the food industry

Choose a reputable brand with a good track record in the food industry that offers reliable customer support and after-sales service. HOUNÖ has been manufacturing industrial ovens for more than 45 years and we are able – and happy – to help you with any question or inquiry. Just reach out: https://dev.houno.com/en/contact/

7. Space

An oven that fits your needs in terms of size and design

Consider which space you have available for your oven and choose an oven that fits your needs in terms of size and design. Maybe you want to exploit the benefits of front of house baking creating theatre effect and enticing aromas to your customers triggering impulse buying? Then you can look for an oven solution with integrated condensation hood. Or you can explore the PassThrough model with doors on two sides which makes it possible for you to either separate loading from your bakery side with unloading from your sales counter placing the oven in between these areas, or place one side up against your shop window drawing in customers from the street.

8. Price

What you would like versus what you can afford

Finally, we need to look into what you would like versus what you can afford. Quality compromise due to budget limitation is a very slippery slope and different factors are to be considered. Make sure to calculate your return on investment (ROI) looking at the oven’s lifespan, the running costs, the water and electricity costs. Let the oven be an extra colleague in your bakery allowing your staff to focus on other tasks.   

After considering all these key factors, do you feel more comfortable to choose the best bake oven for your business? If you have further questions, feel free to talk to us.