Author Topic: Recommendations for 42'+ mobile oven (Read 1238 times)

polishpizza · « **on:** February 18, 2013, 06:42:31 PM »

I looking for suggestions for a large (42"+), relatively lightweight, trailer mountable oven, with 18"+ wide doors. Looking to get into the mobile business and still on looking into either NH or NP pies. Maybe both!

I am seriously looking into a setup from Antoine but before I make any decisions I'd like to review all my options. Antoine has been awesome to deal with on every level.

TXCraig1 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 18, 2013, 07:11:08 PM »

Quote from: polishpizza on February 18, 2013, 06:42:31 PM

I am seriously looking into a setup from Antoine but before I make any decisions I'd like to review all my options. Antoine has been awesome to deal with on every level.

That would be very high on my list as well. I'm impressed with everything I know about the FGM ovens.

JConk007 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 18, 2013, 08:37:32 PM »

For the size (1030 is 42" interior) weight and $$ Money you wont beat the FGM from Antione ! If money is no object ? yes there are some lucky folk there are other options, and more and more serious mobiles Stefano ... are appearing in the mobile forums all the time. Glad to help if I can
john

polishpizza · « **Reply #3 on:** February 18, 2013, 09:18:37 PM »

Thanks guys. Like I said the FGM is awesome but I'm still looking for the specs I posted. It's possible there are none or they are out of my budget range but I'm still looking to see what my options are. I'm working towards NH pie but also entertaining NP pie as well. I know the 1030 will be fine for NP. NH will be tough for a larger pie and volume.

shuboyje · « **Reply #4 on:** February 19, 2013, 08:48:53 PM »

If New Haven is really your goal I would seriously consider a trailer mounted propane fired deck oven with a high temperature thermostat.

Speaking from experience a 42" wood fired oven is a SINGLE PIZZA oven when it comes to cooking 18" pizzas. No way that will fly for your needs. To do that style in a mobile solid fueled oven I think you would be in no mans land requiring a custom built coal fired oven with a 4' x 4' cooking hearth. I would personally love to see somebody build something like that, but highly doubt that is the type of undertaking you are after....and I doubt it would meet your light weight requirement.

polishpizza · « **Reply #5 on:** February 19, 2013, 08:54:00 PM »

Thanks Jeff. Trying to stay away from propane but at this point I have to consider all options. There are guys that do mobile already in my area. They have 75k to 120k large firetrucks, oil delivery trucks and old vintage trucks. I'm not looking to outlay that kid of cash for this business.

shuboyje · « **Reply #6 on:** February 19, 2013, 09:11:26 PM »

A deck oven rolling down the road certainly lacks a bit of mystique, but it would certainly be the easiest route.

Thinking on my feet I did remember the FGM offers Guillard ovens, and wonder how one of these would work for New Haven style pizza:

http://www.fourgrandmere.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=23_28_31&osCsid=tlv1bi0k2hrpddu0per2cl9651

My gut tells me they would work pretty good, but I'm sure Antoine could get you the info needed to make a decision. My though it you would fire it with wood in the baking chamber to quickly get it up to temperature while also building a coal fire in the fire box. Once the wood fire gets the mass hot you remove it and all the coals, clean the floor and allow the coal fire in the fire box to maintain temperature and provide the dry heat that really sets a coal fired oven apart from the propane fired deck oven for this use.

scott123 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 19, 2013, 10:35:07 PM »

Jeff, are you sure a 42" oven wouldn't be able to fit two 18" pizzas and a fire? Bear in mind, NH is lower temp- 650-700, so you wouldn't need the size of fire you'd need for NP.

The green line in the diagram below is 18" over. Is that not enough for a fire?

shuboyje · « **Reply #8 on:** February 19, 2013, 10:37:19 PM »

The issue is loading. With an 18" peel and an 18" pie going into an 18" door you would be hard pressed to load two pies like that. Even getting one pie in with the fire on the side is a challenge, thats why I bake mine with the fire at the back, so I can go straight in.

scott123 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 19, 2013, 10:45:02 PM »

Jeff, what about having two smaller fires on each side, with two pies straight down the middle?

And I think, if I'm hearing PP correctly, 42 diameter/18 door is the smallest he's thinking about, but I think he'd prefer to go larger (while still being trailer mountable). 42/19 would definitely provide a little more wiggle room, right?

shuboyje · « **Reply #10 on:** February 19, 2013, 10:48:58 PM »

If you got good at it that could probably work. I've tried it and didn't like it, the two fires made it pretty tight and put the pie closer to the coals then I like for a longer baked style(non-neapolitan).

scott123 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 19, 2013, 11:25:12 PM »

Jeff, that's good to know that you've tried the two fire technique and found it tight.

What's the smallest you'd go for two 18" pies? Would a 44" diameter/19" door cut it?

shuboyje · « **Reply #12 on:** February 19, 2013, 11:29:54 PM »

I'd really have to think about it Scott, as I haven't given it a ton of thought simply because I don't think a traditional wood fired oven is the right oven for this type of pizza in a commercial environment, and outside of a commercial environment where do you need to produce more then 1 18" pizza per 4 minutes? When I have thought about producing this style pizza in commercial quantities it is always with vastly different oven designs.

scott123 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 20, 2013, 12:11:23 AM »

Jeff, the original poster spoke of getting 'into the mobile business,' so that's why I'm thinking about commercial quantities.

It would probably require smaller sized parties, but, I think a WFO that can handle two 18" pizzas could support a New Haven style mobile pizza business.

Edit: I just did a quick search and it looks like most of the NH mobile businesses in CT are using WFOs. The Mugnaini's seem popular- which makes sense, since we know that they're not ideal for NP, but, as you work at lower temps, the heat tends to balance out. If I'm hearing the OP correctly, it sounds like he wants something like this, but on a trailer, not on a far more expensive truck.

shuboyje · « **Reply #14 on:** February 20, 2013, 06:55:02 PM »

Did you find any doing 18" pies Scott? I did a quick search and did not. I assumed that was the goal here due to the 18" door, but maybe it isn't.

scott123 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 20, 2013, 07:27:36 PM »

Jeff, I saw the 18"+ door request and, along with my heavy anti-small pizza bias, jumped to the conclusion that PP was looking for 18" pies, but perhaps he's not.

Although I can find photos of pizzas from these NH mobile operations, I can't find any references to sizes. Even if they aren't doing 18" pies, it looks like some of them have ovens that are big enough to be able to handle them.

If the competitors aren't doing 18", maybe that could be something the OP could use to differentiate himself. From the photos I'm seeing, the NH mobile outfits seem to be putting out some very respectable looking pies, so anything that might make the OP more competitive could be profitable. Bigger is better

shuboyje · « **Reply #16 on:** February 20, 2013, 07:48:58 PM »

The Green Truck is doing 16", I was able to find that info.

polishpizza · « **Reply #17 on:** March 05, 2013, 07:10:01 AM »

Not sure why I haven't been getting auto reply on this but I haven't been checking either. Thanks for all the responses. So, I've somewhat down graded my "wish list" to 17" or 16" pies trying to be more reasonable. I made a card board cut out of what I think I am dealing with assuming 1030c with 40.5" hearth, 17" mouth, etc. Any feedback?

scott r · « **Reply #18 on:** March 05, 2013, 08:36:17 AM »

I am in the same boat as you.... looking to buy an oven this year. I have been holding out.... I almost pulled the trigger on a four grandmere, but Terry at blazing ovens is working on a new oven mold with EXACT neapolitan dimensions. A few of our members have been having really great luck with his original design (higher than neapolitan dome). He has been working with matthew (our forum member) and the price of the ovens is very reasonable just like four grandmere. The only question is wether or not he is going to make the door opening large enough for 17-18 inch pizzas. I know that throws off the "neapolitan" dimensions, and his goal was to make a cast oven with no deviation from the neapolitan design at an incredibly low price point. I sent him an email asking him to try to do a larger door with an insert... or a bell shaped door with the same opening size as a neapolitan oven (just wider at the bottom and a little smaller in other areas to make up for that). I would definitely give him a call and see if thats actually happening.....At one point he liked my ideas, but if others talk to him about needing a wider opening I think it would help him to realize that there are a lot of us out there that like both neapolitan AND the possibility to do larger pizzas. I have to admit that while the Four grandmere ovens seem like excellent options... im not sure about wanting a dome THAT low. Of course there is the raised option as well, but I just feel a little safer buying an oven with time proven neapolitan dimensions. From what I have learned, just about any WFO can do a new haven speed bake, but once you start trying to do 1 minute pizzas, the men are separated from the boys! I personally think that a perfectly executed neapolitan pizza is no better than a perfectly executed new haven style pizza, so for me its important to have both options.

scott123 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 05, 2013, 09:48:05 AM »

Scott, the bell idea sounds great. I'm not oven shopping at this moment, but if I was, a Neapolitan spec oven with the bell shaped door would be a big selling point.