Are Commercial Ovens Gas or Electric? Here’s How to Choose the Right One
Commercial ovens can be gas or electric. For a restaurant serving pizza, wood-fired and gas-and-wood Hybrid ovens are also worth considering. The right choice depends on what you cook, how your team works during a rush, and what your location can support.
Start with the menu and the kitchen, then compare specific ovens. A fuel label alone will not tell you how well an oven will handle your service.
Start with your busiest service
Write down your pizza sizes, dough style, other oven dishes and the orders you need to handle during your busiest stretch. Include the space needed for pans, turning pizzas and moving food safely. A cooking surface that holds your pizzas on paper may leave too little working room in practice.
Then ask for a demonstration with your menu. Watch what happens through repeated loads, not just one finished pizza. Can your team load, turn and remove food comfortably? Does the oven fit the pace of the kitchen? Treat advertised capacity as a starting point to investigate, rather than a promise for your particular operation.
Compare gas and electric by the actual installation
| Decision | Gas oven | Electric oven |
|---|---|---|
| Utility check | Confirm the specified gas type, supply capacity and pressure. Check electrical requirements too. | Confirm voltage, phase, amperage and available electrical capacity. |
| Kitchen fit | Review the exact model’s clearances, ventilation and service access. | Review those same requirements. Electric does not automatically mean ventless. |
| Operating budget | Obtain local fuel pricing and model-specific consumption information for your expected use. | Obtain local electricity pricing, including applicable demand charges, and model-specific consumption information. |
| Cooking decision | Test your menu and workflow on the model under consideration. | Use the same menu and service expectations to make a fair comparison. |
Commercial pizza ovens are available in different formats, including deck and conveyor designs. Keep oven format separate from fuel choice: an open-hearth cooking routine and a conveyor routine ask different things of the person running the station. Choose the workflow you want before assuming that one fuel will make every oven faster or easier.
Price the complete project
Ask for an installed-cost estimate, not just an equipment quote. Depending on the project, that can include utility work, ventilation, fire-protection provisions, structural support, delivery access and the enclosure or counter around the oven.
For operating costs, compare the same service hours and workload. Include preheating, idle time, cleaning, maintenance and staff time alongside energy use. A lower purchase price or a cheaper fuel rate does not establish the lower total cost for your restaurant.
Resolve ventilation and approvals before ordering
Have your kitchen designer and qualified installers review the exact oven manual and the proposed location before you commit. Confirm the ventilation design, clearances, support, utility connections and access for maintenance with the appropriate local authorities.
Do not assume that an electric oven can go anywhere without ventilation. For example, Middleby Marshall’s gas-or-electric PS640 specification requires installation under a ventilation hood. Requirements must be checked model by model, including any conditions attached to a ventless listing.
Also separate equipment certification from approval of the finished installation. A listing applies to identified equipment and standards; your project still needs to satisfy the applicable installation instructions and local requirements.
Where Chicago Brick Oven fits
CBO’s commercial pizza oven lineup focuses on wood-fired and Commercial Hybrid cooking. If your plan requires an all-electric pizza oven, this lineup is not the electric alternative.
A wood-fired setup is worth considering when tending a live fire is part of the cooking experience you want to offer. Plan for wood storage, fire management and cleanup as part of the station’s daily work.
The CBO-750 Commercial Hybrid offers gas, wood or both. It has separate gas burners for the hearth and cooking chamber, with natural gas or propane configurations. Explore the Commercial Hybrid options if that fuel flexibility fits your menu and operating style.
Model designation matters. The CBO-750 Hybrid-C is listed for commercial gas cooking equipment and has an ETL Sanitation listing to NSF/ANSI 4. Its manual permits indoor or outdoor commercial installations, subject to the installation requirements; it is not intended for household use. The Hybrid-R is a separate residential model, not a substitute for the Commercial Hybrid.
Check the exact model in the Intertek directory and use its current CBO installation manual. Do not extend one model’s listing or installation permissions to another.
Bring a clear brief to your oven comparison
Before requesting a recommendation, gather your menu, busiest-service expectations, location, available utilities and a rough kitchen layout. Include whether the oven will be indoors or outdoors and whether wood-fired cooking is part of the concept.
For a wood-fired or gas-and-wood project, explore CBO’s commercial ovens or share your project with our team. Start with the way you need to cook, then confirm the model and installation that support it.
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