30

Aug

Restaurant Pizza Oven Maintenance Guide

Owning a restaurant requires hard work and dedication. Ensuring the best quality and maintaining it is not that easy. Part of that is directly related to how you maintain the kitchen appliances. With the oven being the most important factor, you need to keep it maintained to offer your customers mouth-watering pizzas. However, not many restaurant owners are aware of the fact that pizza ovens need to be maintained regularly by the commercial appliances repair services apart from the daily cleaning done by the staff members. So, let’s take a look at some tips that will help you keep your investment protected.

Clean The Exterior

The first and most important factor you need to keep in mind when it comes to maintaining a pizza oven is cleaning the exterior. Restaurants that specialize in pizzas tend to have open or live kitchens in most cases. This means the customers can see that the pizza is being prepared.

If the oven happens to be in bad shape i.e. covered with stains, oil, grease, etc. it will give a negative impression. Customers will think that the oven is not cleaned and maintained. Hygiene goes a long way in terms of making regular customers into loyal ones.

Plus, cleaning the exterior is not complicated either. You might think that it is an overwhelming task but you can train one of your employees to clean the exterior at the end of the working day. All you need to do is purchase a chemical and use a soft brush and cloth to make it squeaky clean.

The problem with a dirty exterior is that the pizza quality might be affected as oil, grease, dirt, and dust stick to the dough as it is placed inside the oven. This might influence the taste and also the outlook of the pizza. If you have loyal customers, they will be able to quickly point out the issue and might even leave if you do not work on it.

Check Gas Lines

Another noteworthy factor you need to keep in mind while maintaining your pizza oven is checking the gas line. Unfortunately, business owners are neither aware of nor check the gas lines out of sheer ignorance. Gas lines tend to become clogged due to dirt, dust, and other accumulations as well.

A tell-tale sign that there is a problem with the gas lines is if you observe that the oven is struggling to receive some gas. Although you will need to check the valve first, if the issue is not resolved, you will need to check the gas lines. Ensure to turn off the main gas supply before checking the lines.

Plus, do not keep any flammable items during the process as the gas can catch fire and lead to an explosion. For safety, wear gloves and other safety equipment to prevent injuries or burns.

Check The Burners

Ensuring the burners are clean is equally important. Without the burners, your oven will simply not work and you won’t be able to prepare the pizza. If there is a problem with the burners, you most probably notice the flame to be yellowish. In normal cases, the color of the flame tends to be blue.

Plus, if you observe that the gas supply is normal but the burners are struggling to produce flames, you will need to open the covers and inspect them. In most cases, the issue comes out to be debris and food leftovers. That said, you will need to put in a bit of effort and time to clean the burners if they have not been cleaned in a while.

Cleaning The Cooking Surface

The baking area or the plate happens to be the most important component in a pizza oven. This is where the pizza is placed in raw form and is prepared. You have come across employees using a metal scraper to remove any leftover food items from the baking plate. This is done to ensure the taste and quality are not affected.

Moreover, you can employ a wire brush as well to remove stubborn stains and leftovers. However, keep in mind that you will need to do this at the end of the day. You should not try to clean the baking area immediately after making pizzas. This is because the area happens to be hot and could cause injuries.

Check For Cracks Or Damages

Because pizza ovens can reach extreme temperatures, it is normal for ovens to experience cracks or damage. You might also observe gas leakages and other similar issues. Such issues can quickly turn serious and you need to be a step ahead to prevent complications.

Checking for cracks or damages helps you prevent issues that might halt your business in the coming days. Making a pizza is a very intricate process and every minor detail matters. So, if there is an issue and you haven’t observed it yet, it might affect the final output.

So, it would be a smart move for you to keep a check on the oven for even the most minor issues. Pizza ovens are not cheap and are meant to last several years. But, you can prolong their lifespan by putting in some time and effort.

Get It Maintained By A Professional

Getting it maintained by a professional is key to ensuring your pizza oven works in perfect condition for years to come. Most business owners believe they can train their employees to maintain the oven and end up saving money. While that is a risk in itself, professional maintenance goes deep inside the oven and not only thoroughly cleans but also looks out for potential issues.

Instead of considering it expensive, professional maintenance is an investment you make to keep complications away. This way, you can run a worry-free business without having to think about the oven malfunctioning anytime soon.

Professional maintenance is done by using special tools and expertise. You can invest in such tools but your employees might not be able to clean the oven like the professionals do. So, make sure that you follow the user manual and schedule expert maintenance.

Follow The User Manual

There is a reason your oven comes with a user manual. A common misconception surrounding ovens is that every oven functions and needs the same maintenance. While that might be a usual case, but that does not hold true for every oven out there. You will need to follow the manual religiously and ensure you employ the right techniques and tools

For instance, your oven might not be compatible with certain types of detergents on chemicals. If you were to use them, the finish of the baking plate might be compromised. Therefore, you need to be educated about your oven and keep a balance between maintaining the pizza quality and oven maintenance.

Conclusion

Maintaining a pizza oven is easy as long as you follow the tips mentioned above. It is all about using the right techniques and following a schedule that ensures your oven receives the care it needs. Do not shy away from consulting a commercial oven repair Northern VA technician or giving it some personal time and care to keep it running smoothly until a replacement is due.