Every commercial kitchen has unique needs, and pizzerias are no exception. When you have the right equipment, not only can it help streamline your process, increase food turnover and improve the quality of your food - in turn boosting your revenue. Choosing the right pizza equipment for your business depends on what your venue is like, how large your operations are and what kind of maintenance you’re able to provide.
To help you navigate through the huge array of options, explore our guide to commercial pizza equipment. We’ll also cover the upkeep you’ll need to do to keep your appliances in top condition.
What Equipment Do I Need to Start a Pizza Restaurant?
Pizza Ovens
As with any establishment, and especially so for a pizza restaurant, the oven is the heart of the kitchen. Depending on how you like to bake your pizzas and the kind of volume you need to create, there are plenty of options for you to choose from. Each has its own advantages and size options, ensuring you can find the perfect choice for your business. These are our top recommendations:
- Deck Ovens offer a traditional stone-baked pizza experience, delivering that perfectly crisp crust and beautifully melted cheese. In particular, brands like Moretti Forni and BakerMax are top choices in this category for pizzas. They both create high-quality pizza ovens that deliver even, consistent cooking. It’s important to note that if you opt for a deck oven, you’ll need to use pizza peels to insert, rotate and remove your pizzas due to the high temperatures they have.
- Conveyor Pizza Ovens are the perfect choice if you’re working with high-volume turnover and need to maintain a consistent supply. Even without significant supervision, they’ll deliver delicious results.
- Wood-fired ovens can work very quickly and efficiently, delivering a unique flavour from the cooking process. However, they also require more maintenance and skill to operate. They’re a better option for boutique or specialty pizza shops that want a particular edge or unique feature in their menu offerings.
Dough Preparation Equipment
Making dough is a core duty in any pizza kitchen and there’s an abundance of outstanding appliances that can reduce a lot of time and labour costs. These are the two key options to consider that we strongly recommend:
- Dough Mixers are essential, giving you consistent results for a perfect base. Commercial Spiral Mixers from brands like Italmixer and Mecnosud are our top recommendations in this category.
- For the next step in the cooking process, you’ll want to consider Dough Rollers and Rounders. They serve to streamline the prep process, delivering consistent and evenly sized portions of dough.
Pizza Prep Fridges
When your dough has been kneaded, separated into sections and you’re ready to start adding ingredients on top, you’ll want something that can keep everything fresh. Pizza Prep Fridges are a clear choice and are designed with efficiency and convenience in mind. They deliver comprehensive refrigeration with a workspace on top, giving you quick access to ingredients when you’re preparing orders. Our brand recommendations for pizza prep fridges are the models from Skope and Thermaster.
Utensils and Accessories
- Pizza Peels are a basic but essential utensil for any oven, especially for those that require you to place and remove your pizzas manually.
- Pizza Cutters give you that perfect, even and clean slice through your pizzas each and every time.
- Pizza Dough Rollers pair well with pizza rounders, giving you the ability to roll your dough to the desired thickness with ease. They also reduce the amount of prep work, saving time and effort.
Other Essential Equipment
- Commercial Fridges are ideal for storing all of the bulk ingredients you have before you prep them.
- Commercial Dishwashers can get dishes cleaned within a few minutes and ensure everything from cutlery to dishes and equipment are clean and sanitary.
- If you sell pre-made pizzas, Food Displays are an ideal option for your establishment. Depending on the model you choose, they can keep everything chilled or heated to the perfect temperature.
- For things like food trucks, or if you do takeaway or delivery, Food Delivery Bags are another option to consider.
How Do I Maintain My Pizza Equipment for Best Performance?
Keeping your kitchen clean and tidy is an important job for every establishment. Here are a few basic tips we can share in keeping your equipment clean and functional while also extending its lifespan:
Daily Cleaning
- Ovens: Wipe down all oven surfaces inside and out, removing any trays and washing them in warm soapy water.
- Prep Fridges: Check the quality of any leftover ingredients and clean up any spills or stray pieces that have fallen into the fridge to reduce the chances of any contamination.
- Utensils: Wash all of your pizza cutters and utensils after each use and wipe down your preparation table at the end of each day.
Weekly and Monthly Maintenance
- Dough Mixers: Along with regular cleaning, you’ll also need to maintain your appliances. To keep your dough mixer running smoothly, ensure all of the parts are in good condition and aren’t showing any wear and tear. For the moving mechanical parts, check that they’re adequately lubricated and top them up where needed.
- Refrigeration Units: For your larger refrigerators, you’ll want to clean them out and de-ice them periodically.
- Ovens: Perform a more thorough cleaning than your standard weekly clean. Make sure you include the interior and any removable parts. If your oven has a self-clean feature, use it to burn off any residual food and wipe it down after the cycle is done and the oven is cool.
How Do I Choose the Right Dough Mixer for My Pizza Shop?
When you’re looking at the right dough mixer for your pizza shop, consider a few features and decide on your priorities.
Capacity
Start by calculating how much dough you’ll need to prepare on a daily basis. For small or medium-sized pizza food trucks or restaurants, something like a 10 to 20-litre option may be adequate. If you’re operating at a high capacity, or have certain weekdays that are far busier and require more, we recommend opting for something larger, starting at 30 litres and up.
Features
Once you’ve calculated your dough requirements and know the size you’ll need, we recommend looking for a dough mixer with the following features:
- Variable Speed Settings: This allows for precise control over mixing, ensuring you get it to the perfect consistency for rolling out into bases.
- Durability: Dough mixers are an important investment, and you want them to last. Choose a model made from robust materials that can withstand regular, heavy use.
- Maintenance: Cleaning can take up a lot of time, so choosing a model that can be disassembled or cleaned easily is important. Not only does it save you time and money on labour hours, but it also ensures everything stays hygienically clean.
What Safety Measures Should I Take When Using Pizza Equipment?
Training
Make sure all members of staff are properly instructed about using equipment. This is especially important when inserting and removing pizzas from a hot oven. You’ll also want to teach them how to operate your dough mixer and dough rollers and how to clean and maintain them properly after each use.
Protective Gear
Make sure you have heat-protective gear like oven mitts, aprons and pizza peels to reduce their exposure and risk of burns and workplace injuries.
Regular Inspections
As with any electrical appliance, you’ll want to ensure everything is working effectively and safely by conducting regular inspections or having a professional check it for you. On a basic level, you should check that all safety features and guards are in place and fully functional and that emergency shut-offs are operational.
Next Steps
If you’re looking to upgrade your kitchen or add new commercial cooking equipment and want more information or need a personal recommendation, contact Restaurant Equipment. You can reach us via email at sales@restaurantequipment.com.au or give us a call at 1300 35 25 45! Our team are experts in all industries and can help you pick the best options for you and your pizza restaurant to set you up for success.