Comparing Impinger Ovens & Conveyor Ovens

If you look at our commercial oven categories, you'll notice lots of similarities between impinger and conveyor ovens. They're mostly simple-to-use, belt-driven ovens that heat food quickly and reliably.

Each type is prized in pizzeria chains and other high-volume establishments because they're easy for novice cooks to get the hang of and can be used repeatedly with consistent results. Food is loaded onto a moving belt and users set the temperature and cook time. Once that's done, little more attention need be paid to the oven, especially if your kitchen only produces one type of food, such as pizza or baked pasta.

What's on the Inside Counts

While most models look like many others from either category, there are significant differences. They aren't apparent because they're hidden in the cooking chamber. If you were to fire up each unit in your kitchen, however, you would notice the differences pretty quickly.

Traditional conveyor ovens rely on radiant heating, which transfers heat directly from burners or elements to cooking product. That results in a consistently hot cooking chamber that can heat food quickly and gently.

While impinger ovens typically employ radiant heating, they also heat food from above and below with jets of pressurized air. The advantage of impingement is that it can cook food quickly. This addresses the problem of the cold air "halo" that surrounds cooking food and resists heat transfer. In a radiant heating system, this halo gradually disappears as the food heats. An impingement oven uses jets of hot air to break up that cold halo, penetrating food directly and immediately. This speeds up cooking significantly.

How significantly? Well, Lincoln – the brand that pioneered impingement technology in conveyor ovens – found that improved heat transfer cuts bake times by as much as 30 percent. Of course, that means happy customers who get their food faster than expected. More importantly, it means production can be increased, which is huge in high-volume settings.

Which Oven Is Best for Your Kitchen?

Each type is more appropriate for certain establishments. Impinger ovens are ideal in high-volume facilities producing the same type of food continuously for several hours. For example, commissaries that prepare dozens of pizzas for daily lunch can benefit from the high-volume capacity of impingers. Additionally, if your kitchen faces a big lunch or dinner rush, this could help you meet demand without advance cooking and hot holding.

When speed and volume are less critical, a conveyor oven does the job with predictable results. If you bake breads, pizzas, and desserts throughout the day, a conveyor is ideal. It's simple to adjust and is easy on delicate foods. Light foods and batters don't work well in impinger ovens because the jets of hot air blow them around.

While Lincoln was the first to implement impingement technology in conveyor ovens, other companies have followed suit, using it in different types of ovens to expedite cooking. It's used in deck ovens to enhance their ability to cook items such as pizza and bread evenly. It's applied in high-speed cooking pieces produced by TurboChef and Merrychef, paired with other technologies such as convection and microwave. So, when imagining an impinger oven, don't assume that means a conveyor oven, because the technology now meets many needs.