Hybrid ovens offer bakers a significant amount of flexibility, both in the products they bake and potentially in the energy savings they generate.

However, converting existing ovens to hybrids might not be economically practical, especially for older ovens.

“New ovens can easily be built with combination gas and electric heating,” said Phil Domenicucci, baking systems specialist, AMF Bakery Systems. “Heating could be switched between fuel sources depending on the product and availability and costs of the fuel.”

At iba 2023, the international trade show being held Oct. 22-26 in Germany, AMF will exhibit a Vesta oven section with natural gas, hydrogen and electric heating along with its BakeTech oven burner set-ups.

Babbco has recently developed the Babbco CleanBake multifuel air-impingement tunnel oven, which can combine natural gas, propane or hydrogen burners with electric heating elements.

Jerry Barnes, vice president, Babbco, said this hybrid technology can run initially on gas, with the ability to switch over to full electric power, achieving zero emissions at a future date.

“This very beneficial feature allows easy migration from fossil fuels to electric as plant power distribution networks are upgraded,” he explained. “In short, the oven is designed as future-proof. It can be purchased now with existing plant infrastructure in place, then updated to maintain regulatory compliance. The core heat transfer methods remain the same, regardless of power source, limiting changes to the bake profiles.”

For Auto-Bake, the Rapid Fossil Fuel Free (RF3) Convection Oven combines convection heating with radio frequency to reduce bake time by up to 50% in products with high fat and high hydration, said Scott McCally, president of Auto-Bake Serpentine, Hinds-Bock and Inline Filling Systems, all part of Middleby Bakery.

He added this hybrid oven technology has the potential to quickly compete at a similar operating cost per unit of production output of traditional gas-fired ovens.

At iba, Auto-Bake will demonstrate its all-electric F3 Convection Oven. Other Middleby Bakery companies like Sveba Dahlen will feature its high-temperature electric Artista Deli tunnel oven, while Baker Thermal Solutions will showcase its Rapid Bake tunnel oven that combines impingement and radio frequency heating.

Meanwhile, Reading Bakery Systems (RBS) will roll out its new Emithermic XE Oven design at iba. Instead of ribbon burners, the Emithermic XE Oven bakes using electric radiant heat elements, high-radiant Thermatec panels and convective heat.

“The Thermatec panels and electric heaters deliver a more balanced heat to the product and impart the high-radiant energy required to develop the flavor and texture of the crackers,” explained Tyler Martin, R&D engineer, baking systems, RBS. “For greater flexibility and control, the Emithermic XE Oven includes a humidity-controlled product zone. Additionally, maintenance is simplified, as electric oven components are easily replaced, eliminating costly downtime replacing, cleaning and tuning gas burners.

Ken Johnson, president, Gemini Bakery Equipment noted Werner & Pfleiderer, which Gemini represents in North America, will display the new Thermador-E electric indirect gas-fired tunnel oven at iba.

The oven’s modular electric heating element assembly is designed to be a replacement for the gas burner and combustion chamber in the current W&P Thermador gas-fired ovens. Electric heat can also be retrofitted in these ovens.

The TP Food Group offers single and dual deck tunnel ovens that are fully electric and come with baking surfaces of up to 270 square meters (2,900 square feet).

Nicola Menardo, president of TP Food Group, North America, pointed out the ovens come with steaming sections, steam regulation systems, reliable belt transmission systems, efficient insulation, air turbulence systems, air/steam recouperation systems and separate baking zones.

For artisan and mid-sized commercial bakeries, sustainable electric rack ovens have been around for a long time. Koenig Bakery Systems offers an electric version of the Roto Passat SE rack oven.

In addition to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the electric rack oven reaches its desired temperature quickly, even when changing programs for different products, said Christian Benedikt, group leader, oven design for Koenig.

“Installation is very simple as compared to oil or gas heating. You do not need a flue gas chimney for flue gas,” he pointed out. “It’s an almost maintenance-free operation because the oven does not contain a burner. This means faster commissioning and no need for annual statutory inspections.”

At iba, Koenig will feature its Roto Passat SE with a “Save Energy” option that offers greater energy efficiency in a smaller footprint. Moreover, several rack ovens can be connected with Koenig’s newly developed Smart Connect system.

“This means that ovens can be controlled digitally, monitored and analyzed in the office by the operation manager,” Mr. Benedikt said.

This article is an excerpt from the August 2023 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Ovens, click here.