# Has anyone used Deck or Pizza oven for Muffins or Cupcakes?



## tmon (Mar 17, 2015)

I need to purchase an additional oven as mine is an old gas one and it's very unreliable (hot/cold spots, can never get the temperature right, even with a thermometer). From my research I understand that convection ovens are not ideal for muffins and cupcakes as the strong fan can cause them to turn out lopsided or prevent them from rising. So, I now started looking at deck/pizza ovens, which some users find good for cakes and pies (especially with limited kitchen space).  Has anyone used such oven for muffins or cupcakes?

Any advice will be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!


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## rlyv (Oct 28, 2005)

I worked in a restaurant where a three deck oven was all we had in the pastry department. We baked wedding cakes, cupcakes, everything and it was fine. I use a convection oven now, and cakes bake fine in it as well. But, it has a control for the fan to be on low, so I use that and have no issues.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Hold on there! A deck oven is not a pizza oven. Pizza ovens are designed to work at temps above 450F, and they are downright sh*tty for baking at temps lower than this.

A good deck oven has separate controls for top and bottom heat, you can bake a quiche with a crispy bottom and just-done top, or a lemon meringue pie with golden top and cold bottom.

Hope this helps


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## tmon (Mar 17, 2015)

Thanks for your replies! The issue is that they use the terms interchangeably, so it is quite difficult to determine if it is a deck or a true pizza oven. The one I am looking at has separate controls for top and bottom heating elements.The sales rep ensured me that it cooks well on lower temp too..


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Stop right there and get yourself to a bakery equipment supplier NOT a general food equipment supplier.  A bakery equipment supplier will not use deck ovena and pizza oven interchangeably, because they know there is a big difference.

A food equipment supplier will first try to sell you a convection oven.  it's not that they don't know better, they just don't want to know any better.  Convections make great general workhorses, but are less than perfect if all you are going to do with them is bake.  Failing that, the food equipment guy will try to sell you a pizza oven.  It looks the same, well..kinda/sorta..  The reason for this is simple.  The food guys can't or won't get factory reps from the bakery equipment dealers, mostly because there isn't much demand for a true dedicated baking ovens.

So, liike I said, check out the bakery equipment dealers they know a lot better, and will probably have a much better selection of new and used ovens.


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## tmon (Mar 17, 2015)

You have a point. He was a general cooking equipment supplier. I'll find one that specialises in bakery equipment to make sure. Thanks for your help


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