Why the Best Bakeries Stick with Infrared Heating
Most ovens just heat up the air. But if you’re trying to reheat or finish a pizza, waiting for the air to get hot is a waste of time. We do things differently. We use infrared (IR) heating. Instead of warming the room around the food, IR sends energy straight into the pizza. It skips the middleman. The crust and toppings get hit with heat the second they go in.
How it actually works
Think of it like the sun on your skin. You don’t need the air to be 100 degrees to feel the heat; the radiation does the work. Our IR lamps send short-wave energy that sinks right into the pizza. It wakes up the moisture inside while searing the top at the same time. You end up with that perfect, crispy base and gooey cheese, but the dough doesn’t turn into a cracker. And it’s fast. Like, really fast. These elements hit peak temperature in seconds, which means you can push out a ton of pizzas during a lunch rush without the quality dipping.
The gear inside
We use quartz envelopes with a halogen-filled core for our high-output lamps. Why quartz? Because it doesn’t crack when you turn the heat on and off rapidly. The halogen part is just as important—it keeps the tungsten filament from evaporating, so the bulbs last way longer. We usually stick with R7s or SK15 connectors. They’re basically plug-and-play. If a tube burns out, you just pop it out and slide a new one in. No need to tear apart the whole machine or call an electrician to rewire the chassis.
A few things to keep in mind
Now, there’s a catch. High-wattage IR elements pack a massive punch, but they’re thirsty for power. If you’re installing a big array of these, double-check your wiring and breakers. You don’t want to trip the power halfway through a shift because of a surge. Also, since the heat is so concentrated, placement is everything. If the lamps are too close or angled wrong, you’ll burn the pepperoni before the center of the pizza is even warm. It’s all about finding that sweet spot with the spacing.