One of the secrets behind making the perfect pizza is the way in which it is cooked. A well-baked pizza could leave many with a mouth-watering experience, but what would be better than going to a pizzeria and experiencing an even quicker and satisfying service? One company has done just that.

Using electric heating, engineers at Swedish industrial heating technology company Kanthal managed to reduce the time it takes to bake a traditional Neapolitan pizza from 90 to 37 seconds – without compromising quality.

In a typical home oven, a pizza will cook in around ten minutes at a temperature of 200°C. At a traditional pizzeria, a wood-fired oven can bake a Neapolitan pizza in as little as 90 seconds, at around 430°C. However, a wood-fired oven is typically heated once during the firing stage and temperature is difficult to control.

As an experiment, Kanthal decided to try to reduce that time drastically while still maintaining quality. To achieve this, innovation specialist Björn Holmstedt was faced with the challenge of building an oven that would not only deliver high temperature without burning the pizza, but also be so precise that the whole pizza baked perfectly.

“We put together a simple metal box, and our focus was to get the radiant heat to work in the best possible way,” says Holmstedt. “It works more or less like a toaster.”

Kanthal’s pizza cooker uses electromagnetic radiation to heat up the oven’s contents. The compact element design, often referred to as porcupine elements, makes it possible to pack a large amount of power into a small space.

The oven uses eight of these porcupine elements, four in the upper part and four in the lower part of the oven, which are made from iron-chromium-aluminium AF alloy, created by the company, each running at a temperature of 900°C, the company says.

Kanthal AF alloys were used in this experiment due to their form stability at high temperatures together “with very good oxidising qualities”.

Furthermore, the porcupine design of the spiral element provides good temperature uniformity as the radiant heat together with the larger surface of the coil contributes to a better performance of the elements. “The porcupine-shaped coil increases the amount of surface area that is used,” Holmstedt explains. “It’s a way to get more heat into a smaller space.”

Typically used in applications such as radiators and tumble dryers, the porcupine element heating conductor consists of hairpin-shaped wire bends protruding in all directions, with a hole in the centre. This element is supported by a central insulated rod, or insulating tube, around its circumference.

“We have used a resistance heating solution, where infrared light from heated wires radiates on to the pizza through a glass sheet,” Dilip Chandrasekaran, head of R&D at Kanthal, told E&T. “The high temperature and power of the heating elements glowing on the pizza, combined with reflectors that spread an even heat, heat the pizza in quick time.”

The oven also features several reflectors to aid the even distribution of heat and ensure the food is baked thoroughly. Chandrasekaran explains: “The heating solution has been designed to generate enough power and radiate enough heat to enable fast heat-up times. The glass sheet, which the pizza rests on, also protects the heating wires from any food residues or contaminants.”

There’s a common misconception that you cannot use electric heating for such high temperatures, but Kanthal’s electric heating technology is said to reach temperatures up to 1,850°C and uses electricity from clean sources instead of gas. They claim that this method is more efficient and more sustainable.

Chandrasekaran believes that electric heating can solve a lot of challenges faced by different industries today. “This experiment stands as proof that together with our customers we can come up with innovative solutions to solve most challenges, and the pizza oven demonstrates how Kanthal’s technology and innovative thinking can contribute to any industry.”

One of the secrets behind making the perfect pizza is the way in which it is cooked. A well-baked pizza could leave many with a mouth-watering experience, but what would be better than going to a pizzeria and experiencing an even quicker and satisfying service? One company has done just that.

Using electric heating, engineers at Swedish industrial heating technology company Kanthal managed to reduce the time it takes to bake a traditional Neapolitan pizza from 90 to 37 seconds – without compromising quality.

In a typical home oven, a pizza will cook in around ten minutes at a temperature of 200°C. At a traditional pizzeria, a wood-fired oven can bake a Neapolitan pizza in as little as 90 seconds, at around 430°C. However, a wood-fired oven is typically heated once during the firing stage and temperature is difficult to control.

As an experiment, Kanthal decided to try to reduce that time drastically while still maintaining quality. To achieve this, innovation specialist Björn Holmstedt was faced with the challenge of building an oven that would not only deliver high temperature without burning the pizza, but also be so precise that the whole pizza baked perfectly.

“We put together a simple metal box, and our focus was to get the radiant heat to work in the best possible way,” says Holmstedt. “It works more or less like a toaster.”

Kanthal’s pizza cooker uses electromagnetic radiation to heat up the oven’s contents. The compact element design, often referred to as porcupine elements, makes it possible to pack a large amount of power into a small space.

The oven uses eight of these porcupine elements, four in the upper part and four in the lower part of the oven, which are made from iron-chromium-aluminium AF alloy, created by the company, each running at a temperature of 900°C, the company says.

Kanthal AF alloys were used in this experiment due to their form stability at high temperatures together “with very good oxidising qualities”.

Furthermore, the porcupine design of the spiral element provides good temperature uniformity as the radiant heat together with the larger surface of the coil contributes to a better performance of the elements. “The porcupine-shaped coil increases the amount of surface area that is used,” Holmstedt explains. “It’s a way to get more heat into a smaller space.”

Typically used in applications such as radiators and tumble dryers, the porcupine element heating conductor consists of hairpin-shaped wire bends protruding in all directions, with a hole in the centre. This element is supported by a central insulated rod, or insulating tube, around its circumference.

“We have used a resistance heating solution, where infrared light from heated wires radiates on to the pizza through a glass sheet,” Dilip Chandrasekaran, head of R&D at Kanthal, told E&T. “The high temperature and power of the heating elements glowing on the pizza, combined with reflectors that spread an even heat, heat the pizza in quick time.”

The oven also features several reflectors to aid the even distribution of heat and ensure the food is baked thoroughly. Chandrasekaran explains: “The heating solution has been designed to generate enough power and radiate enough heat to enable fast heat-up times. The glass sheet, which the pizza rests on, also protects the heating wires from any food residues or contaminants.”

There’s a common misconception that you cannot use electric heating for such high temperatures, but Kanthal’s electric heating technology is said to reach temperatures up to 1,850°C and uses electricity from clean sources instead of gas. They claim that this method is more efficient and more sustainable.

Chandrasekaran believes that electric heating can solve a lot of challenges faced by different industries today. “This experiment stands as proof that together with our customers we can come up with innovative solutions to solve most challenges, and the pizza oven demonstrates how Kanthal’s technology and innovative thinking can contribute to any industry.”