| Two of the most important pieces of equipment | | | | doesn't rout the smoke coming from the fire |
| that a restaurant owner needs for a pizza shop is | | | | through the oven, itself. Although a modern |
| a good pizza oven and a prep station. | | | | pizzeria can use any fuel source for the oven, |
| When it comes to purchasing a pizza oven, there | | | | there are some purists who insist that only a |
| are several models available. The most traditional | | | | wood burning oven can produce the authentic |
| model is a masonry oven, also called a brick oven, | | | | Neapolitan-style pizza. |
| is an oven which consists of a baking chamber | | | | Another very necessary piece of equipment for |
| made of fireproof substances like firebrick, cast | | | | the commercial pizzeria is the prep table. This |
| from refractory concrete, clay, or even stone. | | | | prep table is most often made out of stainless |
| The oldest type in form is a direct-fired masonry | | | | steel making them an easy place to clean that |
| one which uses burning wood to heat it, and this | | | | can be used to roll out the crust or top it prior to |
| oven is often called a "Roman" or "black" oven. It | | | | baking. Depending on the configuration of the |
| was built using plans that date at least as far back | | | | table, it can be purchased with a flat surface |
| as the Roman Republic in Western culture. It is | | | | either in front of or to the side of an |
| referred to as a black oven because the smoke | | | | arrangement of wells where the sauce and |
| from the wood burned inside it often collects in | | | | toppings can be stored. Some of the wells are |
| the form of soot on the roof of the oven. | | | | open requiring that the containers which rest |
| Although most often fired with wood, there were | | | | inside be fitted with removable lids to protect the |
| coal-fired ovens developed and used commonly in | | | | contents from contamination. Others come |
| the 19th century. Today, modern masonry ovens | | | | equipped with a hood to cover the toppings that |
| are often heated with natural gas or even | | | | can be swung open and closed to protect the |
| electricity, and they are associated now mainly | | | | ingredients when not producing pies. This variety |
| with artisanal bread and pizza. | | | | also allows the containers holding the toppings to |
| Those designed to bake bread are most often | | | | be removed for regular cleaning. |
| built with quite thick walls necessary to store heat | | | | Both pizza ovens and prep tables may be |
| for several hours after a load of wood is | | | | purchased as new equipment or as used |
| completely burned inside either on the floor of the | | | | equipment, if you happen to be operating on a |
| oven or in a chamber just underneath it built for | | | | budget. You can find new equipment from |
| that purpose. Those designed for use in baking a | | | | dealers, but used equipment can be found from |
| pizza or doing other live-fire cooking techniques | | | | other sources like newspaper or trade journal ads. |
| may have a thinner construction. The model | | | | Some dealers even offer used equipment to help |
| known as a "white oven" is a little more | | | | potential customers find a reasonably priced |
| complicated design which channels heat in from a | | | | solution to meet their needs. |
| firebox located on the outside. This particular kind | | | | |