The Difference Between a Deck Oven & Wood-Fired Oven

Structural Differences

• Deck ovens are rectangular and have up to six separate oven chambers with short, wide oven doors that fold down. The oven's exterior is made from stainless steel. Food cooks directly in the chamber on flat decks made from ceramic, stone or brick. The exterior of wood-fired ovens is also steel, but unlike deck ovens, they do not have a separate baking chamber. The chamber is made from stone, brick, clay or concrete. The typical shape of wood-fired ovens is a rounded igloo-shaped dome with an open doorway.

Temperature Differences

• Deck ovens use one of three types of systems to heat the baking chambers: combustion, steam or oil. They cook food at a temperature of 500 to 650 degrees and often require a preheat time of an hour. Unlike deck ovens, wood is used to heat up wood-fired ovens, burning vigorously at temperatures of 700 to 800 degrees. The oven retains heat inside and often requires a preheat time of one to two hours.

Differences in Cooking Options

• The shape of a wood-fired oven allows smoke to exit while the food continues to cook. You can tend to food while the door is open without losing heat. On the contrary, deck ovens cook best when the doors are closed. Heat escapes from the oven when you open the door, adding to the cook time.

Food Results

• Deck ovens cook food from the bottom up, giving a golden brown color and crispy bottom crust. Foods are rotated during cooking for a more even bake. Food cooked in a wood-fired oven absorbs some of the smoke produced during cooking. As such, the food has a smokier flavor and darker color, with the food browning evenly on its own, so you don't have to rotate the food.