Pizza Conveyor Ovens for Foodservice Applications

Pizza conveyor ovens carry food product on a moving conveyor into and through a heated chamber. Gas or electric forced convection, radiants, or quartz tubes may heat the chamber. Top and bottom heat may be independently controlled. Conveyor ovens allow for the rapid cooking of food products with consistency and ease of operator use. This project assesses the energy efficiency level of the Blodgett Model S1828E electric conveyor oven. The long-term goal is to determine an appliance baseline and a minimum energy efficiency level for conveyor ovens to qualify them for the food service qualifying product list. This project examined the Blodgett Model S1828E oven, equipped with an 18-inch wide belt and 28-inch baking zone length, for various performance metrics. A test procedure was conducted to characterize the Blodgett conveyor oven's energy input rate, preheat energy, idle energy rate, cooking energy efficiency, and production capacity uniformity according to the American Society for Testing and Materials F1817-09 Standard Test Method for Performance of Conveyor Ovens. Southern California Edison’s Foodservice Technology Center in Irwindale, CA performed the testing. Cook time, oven temperature, oven power input, and the weight and temperature of the test food were carefully measured. The study used pizzas as the test food. From the extensive measurements collected, oven efficiency and numerous heat rate and uniformity factors were calculated. The test data provides key information to help determine the operational costs and the percentage of total kitchen productivity a single appliance can deliver.