A Closer Look at McDonald's Oven Types

Since opening its first location in the 1940s, McDonald's has become one of the most recognizable brand names in fast food. While McDonald’s isn’t the top-ranked brand for every category, it remains a strong competitor. Nearly three in 10 consumers ranked McDonald’s as having the best hamburger, placing it among the leading fast-food burger chains. Though known for hot, fresh food, McDonald's is most associated with speed and convenience. That speed relies on specialized cooking equipment. McDonalds ovens are designed for efficiency; here’s a closer look at the ovens behind the Golden Arches and how they can enhance your foodservice operation.

A few different oven brands have specifically engineered products for McDonald's restaurants. McDonald's appliances include convection ovens, combi ovens, and bun toasters to prepare food quickly and consistently. Below we'll break down how the iconic brand uses each model.

McDonald's Convection Ovens

McDonald's uses commercial convection ovens such as the Garland half-size electric convection oven¹ for preparing most of its baked products, like cookies or biscuits. Convection ovens are ideal for fast food restaurants because their fans force heated air over the food to break into the "cold halo" surrounding it, cooking the product faster and more uniformly. Multiple racks enable operators to cook several items at once, which can then be placed in warming trays for ready access when a customer places an order. More than a third of consumers said McCafé has the best food options, reflecting how convection and combi ovens support breakfast items, pastries, and warm sandwiches throughout the day.

This Garland model has a small footprint, which helps save space in limited kitchen countertops, and it can be stacked for additional capacity. Its simple-to-operate controls smooth transitions during turnover.

McDonald's ovens feature custom Garland convection ovens, equipped with preprogramed menus for simple operation, though standard Garland models come with a temperature gauge, timer, and high/low fan speed settings, allowing customization to fit your heating needs. Because it has a relatively small size, this kind of oven is also ideal for heating or retherming a few servings of frozen items for immediate consumption.

The Benefit of McDonald's Combi Ovens

Combi ovens combine convection and steam heating, yielding a more versatile cooking method. McDonald's operators use combi ovens like the Convotherm half-size combi oven² or Blodgett mini countertop combi oven³ for heating foods that must remain moist throughout, such as eggs and bacon. Ovens also play a key role in sandwich execution. Nearly one in four consumers ranked McDonald’s highest for chicken sandwiches, highlighting the need for consistent heating and moisture control during assembly.

Combi ovens use a unique heating method that can adjust levels of convection and steam cooking, providing variations of the two that make it easier for operators to maintain humidity levels in foods that can be prone to drying out.

McDonald's Toasters

McDonald's uses vertical contact toasters from Antunes. These countertop appliances accommodate various bun widths and toast up to 2,800 slices per hour. They're top fed and come with an adjustable temperature gauge. The Ideal crispiness on the top and bottom—or crown and heel—of the bun elevates overall customer experience and lets McDonald's employees spread condiments on each burger without the bun becoming overly soggy.

References

1. Garland Half Size Convection Oven Welbilt. Accessed Feb 2025.
2. Convotherm Half Size Combi Oven Welbilt. Accessed Feb 2025.
3. Blodgett Mini Countertop Combi Oven Blodgett. Accessed Feb 2025.