Buyer’s Guide: What is the Best Oven Option for Your Mobile Pizza Trailer?

An oven is the heart of a mobile pizza trailer. With so many different types, sizes, and features to choose from, it is not as simple as you thought to decide which one to buy. There are so many factors you should consider, such as your business sales, power source, and menu. In this blog, we will discuss what oven is the best for the mobile pizza trailer business, and then give you tips on how to choose the right oven that suit your mobile pizza trailer. As a bonus, there is a list of equipment that you should have to create a functional mobile pizza trailer at the end of the blog.


 

Can You Put An Oven in a Mobile Pizza Trailer?

Before going into detail on the topic of what is the best oven for your mobile pizza trailer, let's spend some time on the consideration of whether you are allowed to use an oven in your mobile unit or not. Generally speaking, ovens are regarded as essential food trailer equipment for mobile food trailers, particularly those selling pizza and bakery food. With functional features, they are used in many cooking tasks, like defrosting, baking, and warming food.

Most commercial ovens for mobile pizza trailers are either electric or gas. However, there is a kind designed for wood use, called the wood-burning pizza oven, indispensable kitchen equipment for the pizza restaurant in Naples. Its ability to make authentic flavored pizza with a special smoked smell is beyond any doubt, making the oven a preference for the owners of mobile pizza trailers. So can you have a wood-burning pizza oven in your trailer? It all depends on the local codes and regulations. But, the oven is not advisable even if it is permitted by the local code authorities. The neighbors in the location where your mobile pizza trailer operates may make complain that the smoke from your vehicle adversely affects the local environment and health. So, in this blog, we mainly talk about electric and gas ovens for mobile pizza trailers and how to choose the one that suits your vehicle the best.


 

What is the Best Oven Option for a Mobile Pizza Trailer?

Installing a used pizza oven in a mobile pizza trailer is a feasible solution to help you stay on a budget, but it is not the best. You know, home pizza ovens usually are small which reduces your efficiency when dealing with a high volume of orders during rush hours. Commercial pizza ovens designed for the restaurant have a larger capacity, but they are too bulky for a mobile pizza trailer in which the space available is extremely valuable. So, what is the best pizza oven for food trailers? It should have the following features:
 

• Space-saving Design: The pizza oven is not the only equipment in mobile pizza trailers. Food trailers are a mobile version of restaurants for the takeaway business, so they should have a specific area for preparation, storage, cleaning, and baking. The pizza oven should not take up over half of the kitchen, or the workspace chefs work in will be tight and crowded. An uncomfortable working environment results in low working efficiency and employee well-being.

 

• Fast Speed of Heating: Fast service is the advantage of the fast food business. The long waiting time has an adverse impact on customer experience. Barely can people keep sane when waiting a long time just for a bite of a burger, particularly those who are desperate for something to end their hunger. So, a good oven for a mobile pizza trailer should reach its cooking temperature as soon as possible and keep it stable, allowing you to have a freshly baked pizza come out of the oven within 5 minutes,

 

• Multifunctional Design: Why spend money on extra cooking appliances when a multifunctional pizza oven is able to roast, bake, defrost, toast, and warm? If pizza is not the only item on your menu, a multifunctional pizza oven is the best choice.

 

• Easy Operation: You can not imagine how crazy it will be in a mobile pizza trailer during peak hours. A high volume of orders leads to more workload for each employee, and, oops, something is burnt. To produce pizza with the same flavor and texture efficiently, an easy-to-use pizza oven is a must-have item in your mobile pizza trailer. Electric or gas pizza ovens require no cooking skills. The temperature and cooking time are adjustable. By presetting them before cooking, more time will be spared for you to deal with other tasks when the cheese melts on top. The oven timer will tell you when the pizza is done and turn off the oven.

 

• High Energy Efficiency: Using an energy-efficiency pizza oven is a perfect solution to lower the operational cost of running a pizza trailer business and lessen the strain on your power sources, generators or gas tanks.

 

• Light Weight: The size, power, and BTU of a pizza oven are the most people care about. Well, the weight of an oven should be given the same attention. If your trailer is overloaded, the risk of an accident will increase, putting your health and business in danger. To avoid the excess of the maximum loading capacity of your vehicle, ovens with a countertop design are a highly recommended option.   

 

How to Choose an Ideal Oven Model for Your Mobile Pizza Trailer?

Investing in an ideal pizza oven that simplifies your workflow and satisfies all your needs in cooking will maximize your investment for years to come. The foregoing has defined the best ovens for a mobile pizza trailer. However, it is still a problem for people to make up their minds when facing a multitude of models, types, and sizes. What is the best size for the pizza oven in my food trailer? Are electric trailer pizza ovens better than gas ovens? What type of pizza oven is the best for my mobile pizza business? These are frequently asked questions when we work with clients on their mobile pizza trailers. If you are in the vexation about these questions, here is a buyer’s guide that helps you to determine an ideal model, size, and type that suits your mobile pizza business the best.

 

How Large is Your Mobile Pizza Business?

Sales forecasting is a vital process in making a business plan. It helps you make the right decision for purchasing and be prepared to handle the volume of business. How many pizzas do you sell per day? Do you offer a private catering service for large-scale events? A mini pizza oven is cheap and takes up less space. However, it will become a hindrance to efficiency soon during peak hours. As we mentioned before, fast service is the key to the fast food business. That’s why most mobile pizza trailers are equipped with large commercial pizza ovens that can hold more than one pizza at a time.

Take a look at a pizza concession trailer we created for a client who had a plan for the pizza takeaway business in a community with decent foot traffic. It is equipped with a 3-deck pizza oven, and each oven has a large cavity size. According to the feedback, the client felt satisfied with the oven and the trailer, of course. “ Some bursts are ineluctable on Friday and Saturday. Luckily, we have this perfect oven in our trailer, so everything is under control.” The client told us. For small food trailers, having such a large trailer pizza oven is a pure waste of money and space. If you sell less than 20 pizzas a day, we recommend countertop pizza ovens that only cover a small area on the countertop.



 

What is the Power Source of Your Pizza Concession Trailer?

Mobile pizza trailers are electrical. All cooking appliances can be run as long as the trailer is powered by a generator. Therefore, electric ovens are regarded as must-have food trailer equipment. However, they are neither the only nor best choice for food trailers that have gas piping because they are highly energy-demanding. So, does it mean that gas pizza ovens are better? Before paying extra for the installation of gas piping to have more choices on trailer pizza ovens, familiarize yourself with the following pros and cons of electric ovens and gas ovens.
 

Electric Pizza Ovens
Pros: They produce drier heat, making the pizza crust crisper They are safe to use You can regulate the temperature more precisely	Cons: It may be a burden to your generator They do not distribute temperature evenly They are the reason for higher fuel costs
* The voltages and outlets differ internationally, so please tell us the location where your business will be operated. The electrical system will be designed to meet the standards and requirements of your city when we work on your build.

 

Gas Pizza Ovens
Pros: Their operational costs are much lower due to the price of propane and natural gas They are a litter cheaper than their electric counterparts They are suitable for making customized pizza with a specific taste and flavor	Cons: The vehicle needs to have a hookup to propane/gas tanks There is the possibility of gas leaks They are complex to operate for beginners
* Please consult with the local authority about the regulations of the gas system on food trailers first, so we can ensure the gas piping in your vehicle will confirm specific build requirements.

 

What Pizza Do You Sell in Your Mobile Pizza Trailer?

To make the best pizza, it is important to use the right oven. So, which types of ovens should you use? Figure out your menu first. There are various styles of pizza, and their preparations and cooking temperatures are quite different. Take domestic ovens as an example. With a maximum temperature of 250℃, these ovens are able to heat up all types of frozen pizza quickly. However, they are not an ideal choice for making authentic Neapolitan pizza. A thin pizza without too much cheese and toppings needs to be baked at a higher temperature faster to have a crisp and charred crust. So, which ovens fit the style of pizza you sell?
 

• Frozen Pizza: As a kind of processed food, frozen pizza is easy to cook. You can even make the best pizza without an oven. The microwave in your kitchen is a good alternative. If you insist on having a new oven for your pizza concession trailer, any kind of oven, even if it is not designed for making pizza, can be the best option for you on the condition that it has the features you need and is within your price range.

 

• Neapolitan Pizza: High temperature and short baking time are two factors in making quality Neapolitan pizza. The best temperature for Neapolitan pizza ranges from 430-500℃. So make sure the commercial pizza oven you choose can reach the preferred range. A gas pizza oven is recommended because of its fast ability to heat up.

 

• Chicago Deep Dish Pizza: This type of pizza is thicker, with a large amount of cheese and toppings. It should be baked for a long time at a low temperature to make sure it is fully cooked. The pizza oven probably operates for hours in a row, resulting in high fuel consumption. Therefore, the cost of the fuel source is a vital factor you should take into consideration if deep-dish pizza is your specialty. In most countries, propane, as an efficient power, is cheaper than electricity. Using a gas pizza oven saves a lot on the operational costs of running a mobile pizza trailer.

 

• Pizza Cone: As a unique and profitable street food, pizza cone, a kind of pizza in a cone shape, is a top item on the menu of most mobile pizza trailers. It looks like an ice cream cone filled with cheese, sausage, bacon, and other toppings you can see on a regular pizza, A pizza cone machine streamlines and automates the food processing.

 

What Kitchen Equipment Should Your Mobile Pizza Trailer Have?

The pizza oven is just one of the items in the kitchen equipment package for mobile pizza trailers. To complete your vehicle and build a functional kitchen in a trailer, the following kitchen fixtures should be taken into consideration if your budget allows:
 

• Pizza Prep Table
• Under-bench Fridge and Freezer
• Deep Fryer
• Food Warmer Display
• Drink Dispenser
• Soft-serve Ice Cream Maker
• 3 Compartment Water Sink  and a Hand Sink with NSF Certification

 



Read this blog for more available choices on food trailer kitchen equipment: How to Choose the Right Kitchen Equipment for a Food Trailer?



Are you looking for a reliable mobile pizza trailer builder for your project? ETO is a leading manufacturer of custom pizza trailers that are built to the highest standards and your requirements. Working with us makes the food trailer design an easy and enjoyable process. Our design team of professionals will give useful suggestions and help you to make wise decisions on the pizza oven, kitchen layout, and trailer design. Check out our gallery to get some inspiration for your mobile pizza trailer.