--- title: "Deck or Conveyor for a Pizzeria: Stone, Moving Air and the Upkeep Behind Each" description: "What a stone deck and an air-finger conveyor do to a crust, how much each depends on the crew, the space, gas and hood they need, and the cleaning schedule and…" url: "https://pizzaovenrepair.center/guides/deck-or-conveyor-for-a-pizzeria/" date_modified: "2026-09-26" --- Choosing and comparing # Deck or Conveyor for a Pizzeria: Stone, Moving Air and the Upkeep Behind Each Choosing a deck oven or conveyor oven for a pizzeria comes down to crust, labor and volume. A deck bakes on hot stone, rewards a practiced oven hand and needs pies turned; a conveyor blows heated air through fingers onto a moving belt, so every pie gets the same bake. Their upkeep and their repairs differ just as much. By [PizzaOvenRepair.center technical team](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/authors/technical-team/) Published September 26, 2026 ## At a glance. A deck bakes on hot stone and leans on a skilled hand at the peel; a conveyor bakes with moving air and leans on a belt time set once. Which one fits a shop depends on the menu, the crew and how the Friday rush arrives, and each brings its own list of parts that wear. Read the whole guide ### Pies baked straight on a gas deck At least 550°F Bakers Pride's figure; screens and pans run cooler. ### Gas conveyor warm-up About 15 minutes Middleby Marshall's figure for the PS3240G, plus 10 minutes to settle at setpoint. ### Conveyor belt width 32 inches, or two 15-inch belts The split belt lets two bake times share one PS3240G chamber. ### One 37 x 32 in. electric deck About four 16-inch pies at a time Marra Forni's typical figure; it varies with product and set temperature. In this guide 1. How a deck oven and a conveyor oven bake a pie 2. Which menu suits which oven 3. Crew skill and consistency on a busy night 4. Floor space, fuel and the hood 5. Upkeep and the repairs each one invites 6. Questions ## How a deck oven and a conveyor oven bake a pie On a deck the crust sits on stone or ceramic heated from below, and the top browns from the hot air and ceiling above. Bakers Pride lists three ways its gas decks are used: pies placed straight on the deck at 550°F or more, pies on screens between 500 and 550°F, and pan pizza between 450 and 500°F. A conveyor has no stone at all. Blowers push heated air through rows of nozzles called air fingers, which Middleby Marshall describes as projecting streams of hot air onto the food, from above and below a wire belt. Belt speed sets the bake, so a pie loaded at one end comes out the other end finished no matter who loaded it. ### Countertop and rapid-cook conveyors Smaller countertop conveyors suit a shop with a short counter or no hood. TurboChef lists its HhC conveyors with UL for ventless operation with most foods, excluding fatty raw proteins such as raw bacon, raw sausage or skin-on chicken, and gives oven weights from about 195 to 265 lb. When those foods are on the menu, local ventilation codes still decide what goes over the oven. Source: [Bakers Pride — floor model gas deck oven operation manual (U4114A)](https://bakerspride.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/C_GAS_DECK_OVEN_100_200_300_400_600_800_125_805_2M-U4114A_REV_C_01-22.pdf) — Deck baking needs at least 550°F, screen baking 500–550°F, pan baking 450–500°F; areas next to the walls are hotter; rotate pies 180° once per bake or keep to the center; decks get hotter when idle; flue vent inspected every six months; flame diverters checked and replaced; baking decks are heavy and fragile and must not get water.; [Middleby Marshall — PS3240G series gas conveyor oven owner's operating and installation manual](https://www.middlebymarshall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PS3240G-Series-Gas-Oven_IOM-2-23.pdf) — Air fingers project streams of hot air onto the food; 32-inch belt or 2 x 15-inch split belt; single to triple stacks; 76-1/2 in. long, 60 in. deep, 1,150 lb.; 99,000 BTU per cavity; 15-minute warm-up plus 10 minutes to stabilize; daily, monthly and three-month maintenance; failed cooling fan replaced immediately; blowers run until below 200°F before the breaker is switched off. ## Which menu suits which oven When weighing a deck oven or conveyor oven, start from the pies you sell most, not the pies you would like to sell. Plenty of shops that do both end up running a deck for their signature pies and a conveyor for the rush, and that split is worth pricing before settling on just one. - Thin, blistered or Neapolitan-leaning crusts: a deck or stone hearth, where the bottom sears on contact. - Pan and thick pies with heavy toppings: either oven, a deck run cooler and longer or a conveyor on a slower belt. - Delivery-heavy menus built on many identical pies: a conveyor, where belt time replaces judgment. - Bread, calzones and roasted trays alongside pizza: a deck, which takes pans and mixed bake times at once. Close on pizzas emerging on the steel belt of a conveyor pizza oven. ## Crew skill and consistency on a busy night A deck rewards an experienced oven hand. Bakers Pride notes that the areas next to the walls run hotter, that a patch used again and again cools down, and that pies should be turned half a turn once in each bake or kept to the center; someone has to track all of that while loading more. On a slow afternoon the opposite happens, and an idle stone climbs until bottoms scorch unless the thermostat comes down. A conveyor takes most of that judgment away. Belt time and setpoint are chosen once per product, and a new hire turns out the same pie as the owner. What it asks for instead is cleaning discipline, because a clogged finger or a crumb-packed belt changes the bake for every pie that follows. ### Split belts and stacked cavities Both designs stack to save floor space. Middleby Marshall's PS3240G stacks up to three cavities and offers a split belt, two 15-inch belts in one chamber, so two products with different bake times run side by side. Marra Forni's electric decks stack up to four high, each with its own controls, which lets one deck run pies while another bakes bread. Source: [Bakers Pride — floor model gas deck oven operation manual (U4114A)](https://bakerspride.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/C_GAS_DECK_OVEN_100_200_300_400_600_800_125_805_2M-U4114A_REV_C_01-22.pdf) — Deck baking needs at least 550°F, screen baking 500–550°F, pan baking 450–500°F; areas next to the walls are hotter; rotate pies 180° once per bake or keep to the center; decks get hotter when idle; flue vent inspected every six months; flame diverters checked and replaced; baking decks are heavy and fragile and must not get water. ## Floor space, fuel and the hood The hood, the gas meter and the electrical service are usually the costliest and slowest parts of the decision to change, so a site survey belongs before the order. - A full-size gas conveyor such as the PS3240G measures about 76.5 inches long and 60 inches deep, and a single cavity weighs about 1,150 lb. - Its rated input is 99,000 BTU per cavity, which the gas line and meter must carry for every stacked cavity at once. - Gas decks connect to a flue that Bakers Pride wants inspected and kept clear every six months. - Electric decks need a dedicated connection for each deck and venting sized for the whole stack. Source: [Bakers Pride — floor model gas deck oven operation manual (U4114A)](https://bakerspride.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/C_GAS_DECK_OVEN_100_200_300_400_600_800_125_805_2M-U4114A_REV_C_01-22.pdf) — Deck baking needs at least 550°F, screen baking 500–550°F, pan baking 450–500°F; areas next to the walls are hotter; rotate pies 180° once per bake or keep to the center; decks get hotter when idle; flue vent inspected every six months; flame diverters checked and replaced; baking decks are heavy and fragile and must not get water.; [Middleby Marshall — PS3240G series gas conveyor oven owner's operating and installation manual](https://www.middlebymarshall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PS3240G-Series-Gas-Oven_IOM-2-23.pdf) — Air fingers project streams of hot air onto the food; 32-inch belt or 2 x 15-inch split belt; single to triple stacks; 76-1/2 in. long, 60 in. deep, 1,150 lb.; 99,000 BTU per cavity; 15-minute warm-up plus 10 minutes to stabilize; daily, monthly and three-month maintenance; failed cooling fan replaced immediately; blowers run until below 200°F before the breaker is switched off.; [Marra Forni — ELST37-32/1 stackable electric oven specification sheet](https://marraforni.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ELST37-32-1-spec-sheet-030526.pdf) — Decks stack up to four high with independent controls; typical capacity per 37 x 32 in. deck of four 16-inch pizzas; each additional deck needs its own dedicated electrical connection and additional ventilation. ## Upkeep and the repairs each one invites Deck upkeep is simple and physical: scrape and brush the stones, keep water off them, and check the flame diverters under the deck, replacing any that are damaged. The costly surprise is a cracked deck stone, and Bakers Pride warns that the decks are heavy and fragile. Conveyor upkeep runs on a calendar. Middleby Marshall asks for daily brushing of the belt, the cooling fan grills and the crumb trays, monthly removal and cleaning of the air fingers, and work every three months on the blower compartments and conveyor shafts. A cooling fan that stops has to be replaced right away, and belts, drive motors and blowers are the usual reasons for a call. ### Why the conveyor shutdown order matters After the heat is switched off, the PS3240G keeps its blowers turning until the chamber drops below 200°F. Cutting the breaker before then leaves that heat sitting around the motors and controls, which is why the manual has staff switch the breaker off only after the oven has cooled and the blowers have stopped on their own. Source: [Bakers Pride — floor model gas deck oven operation manual (U4114A)](https://bakerspride.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/C_GAS_DECK_OVEN_100_200_300_400_600_800_125_805_2M-U4114A_REV_C_01-22.pdf) — Deck baking needs at least 550°F, screen baking 500–550°F, pan baking 450–500°F; areas next to the walls are hotter; rotate pies 180° once per bake or keep to the center; decks get hotter when idle; flue vent inspected every six months; flame diverters checked and replaced; baking decks are heavy and fragile and must not get water.; [Middleby Marshall — PS3240G series gas conveyor oven owner's operating and installation manual](https://www.middlebymarshall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PS3240G-Series-Gas-Oven_IOM-2-23.pdf) — Air fingers project streams of hot air onto the food; 32-inch belt or 2 x 15-inch split belt; single to triple stacks; 76-1/2 in. long, 60 in. deep, 1,150 lb.; 99,000 BTU per cavity; 15-minute warm-up plus 10 minutes to stabilize; daily, monthly and three-month maintenance; failed cooling fan replaced immediately; blowers run until below 200°F before the breaker is switched off. ## Where to stop Book a visit when a conveyor belt stops or jerks with nothing jammed in it, when a cooling fan or blower goes quiet, when a deck stone cracks through, or when a gas deck's pilot will not hold. Anything behind a control panel is handled with the power locked out by a technician, and a gas smell means the oven's supply valve closed and no open flame anywhere near it. Written by [PizzaOvenRepair.center technical team](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/authors/technical-team/). Technicians servicing backyard pizza ovens and pizzeria deck and conveyor ovens, drawing on field visits and oven manuals. Sources: [Bakers Pride — floor model gas deck oven operation manual (U4114A)](https://bakerspride.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/C_GAS_DECK_OVEN_100_200_300_400_600_800_125_805_2M-U4114A_REV_C_01-22.pdf) · [Middleby Marshall — PS3240G series gas conveyor oven owner's operating and installation manual](https://www.middlebymarshall.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/PS3240G-Series-Gas-Oven_IOM-2-23.pdf) · [TurboChef — High h Conveyor 1618, 2020 and 2620 owner's manual](https://middleby-cdn.com/usermanuals/TurboChef_HhC_Conveyors_OwnersManual_1.pdf) · [Marra Forni — ELST37-32/1 stackable electric oven specification sheet](https://marraforni.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ELST37-32-1-spec-sheet-030526.pdf) For the heart of your home. ## Questions owners ask. ### Can one oven cover everything in a small pizzeria? A deck is the more flexible of the two, since pans, screens and bread all fit on it. A conveyor wins only when most of the menu is one or two pie styles sold in volume. ### Is a conveyor pizza worse than a deck pizza? It is different. The crust dries and browns in moving air instead of searing on stone, and many chains are built around that result; your menu and your customers decide which one is better. ### Which oven keeps baking if a part gives out mid-shift? A multi-deck oven can carry on with the decks that still heat, and a stacked conveyor with its other cavity. A single conveyor with a stopped belt is out of service until the belt, drive or motor is repaired. ### Do conveyor ovens need a hood? Full-size gas conveyors are installed under a hood as their manuals and local codes require. Some countertop models, such as TurboChef's HhC line, carry a UL ventless listing for most foods, and local codes still have the last word. ## The problems behind it. Each has a page of its own: what it usually means and the causes in the order worth checking. [All 17 problems](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/problems/) Problem ### Conveyor Oven Belt Not Moving or Stopping Mid-Bake 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Conveyor Oven Uneven Bake Across the Belt or From End to End 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Deck Oven Temperature Drifting Away From the Dial Setting 6 causes, cheapest first Problem ### Pizza Oven Uneven Bake: Burnt Edge, Raw Middle, Pale Bottom 6 causes, cheapest first ## When it needs a technician. The repairs on the right are where this guide ends when the checks do not settle it. ### Conveyor oven belt and motor repair Conveyor oven belts, sprockets, drive motors, gearboxes and speed controls repaired, so pizzas ride through the tunnel at the set speed and never stall inside. ### Pizza oven blower and fan repair Impingement blowers, cooling fans, bearings, belts and air fingers repaired or replaced, so hot air reaches every lane of the pizza oven evenly. ### Deck oven element and deck repair Burned-out deck oven elements, contactors and wiring replaced, and cracked or rocking deck stones changed, so every chamber bakes evenly from front to back. ### Pizza oven diagnostic visit One visit to learn why the pizza oven will not light, heat, hold temperature or draw: gas, flame, stone, chimney, belt and controls each checked. ## More in choosing and comparing. Wood, gas or electric, deck or conveyor for a pizzeria, and when an aging pizza oven is worth repairing and when a new one makes more sense. [The whole section](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/guides/choosing-and-comparing/) Wood or gas, deck or conveyor, fix or retire ### Wood, Gas or Electric Pizza Oven: How Each Heats the Stone and What It Asks of You How a wood dome, a gas burner and an electric deck each heat the floor, how long they take, what the spot needs in pipes, flues and wiring, and which parts each one wears out. Wood or gas, deck or conveyor, fix or retire ### Fix It or Start Over: Weighing a Tired Pizza Oven Part by Part Which dome cracks makers call normal and which width deserves a visit, the parts designed to be swapped, when a new oven wins, what the limited coverage leaves out, and the facts to gather first. Guides ### All 18 guides Six sections, by what you are trying to find out. --- **[Read on the site: Deck or Conveyor for a Pizzeria: Stone, Moving Air and the Upkeep Behind Each](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/guides/deck-or-conveyor-for-a-pizzeria/)** **[Book a visit with PizzaOvenRepair.center](https://pizzaovenrepair.center/schedule/)**