- Superior baking results
- Large baking spaces
- Thick Chamotte stone shelves
- Optional high-output steam trays
- No wood required
- Smokeless
- No venting required
- Rapid heat transfer
- Cabinet steam vents
- Viewing window
- Stainless steel cabinet
- Efficient rock wool insulation
- Compact footprint
- 1 woven glass mat baking sheet
- 1 blued-steel baking tray
- 220V/1-Phase/20amp (6-20P) AC plug
Out of stock ETA is unknown. We aren't accepting preorders at this time. (more info)
Clearance: Rofco B5 Brick Bread Oven
Made in Belgium, Rofco electric stone ovens offer the home baking enthusiast a line of genuine stone ovens with space-friendly footprints, cleanly and conveniently powered by electricity. Available in models with one, two or three baking shelves made of 35mm-thick Chamotte stone, Rofco's vertical design means there's room for a Rofco electric stone oven in your kitchen.
Rofco ovens represent the ancient masonry oven brought forward to the modern age. Also known as retained-heat ovens, masonry ovens store a great amount of heat energy in their stone construction before food is introduced. Energy is then released to the food by conductive, radiant, and convective transfer. A conventional kitchen oven uses only convection (air circulation), which is far less effective than the conductive (direct contact) and radiant (like the sun's rays) heat-transfer modes that a stone oven makes powerful use of.
A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
World renowned restaurants prefer masonry ovens for the depth of flavor they create in foods. Bread and pizza results are simply spectacular.
Once bread dough is slipped into the oven, baking time is typically only half that of a conventional oven. Steam is sealed in by the Rofco’s silicone-gasketed door, maintaining humidity that promotes a rapid dough-rising burst called oven spring, as heat transfers rapidly by direct contact (conduction) with the thick Chamotte stone the dough rests on.
Available steam trays can be used in each baking chamber. Water is poured into these trays. Filled with sections of stainless steel rod, they instantly release copious volumes of supplemental steam exactly as the steam injection system does in a commercial stone deck oven. When dough rising is complete, vents in the Rofco’s door can be opened to allowing steam to escape for the last phase of baking. Penetrating radiant heat combines with the Rofco oven’s perfect humidity, forming a caramelized crust that’s delightfully crunchy with satisfying chew and deep, complex flavor. Meanwhile an open, tender crumb structure is formed throughout the interior of the loaf by the perfectly even heating that only a stone oven provides.
OH THE PIZZA, THE PIZZA!
Do you like pizza at all? We love pizza. Deep dish, or with a thin, crispy crust, we love it all. What we didn't love was the chasm that used to exist between what came from the super-hot stone ovens of our favorite pizzerias, and the sad and soggy facsimiles from our conventional home ovens. That disappointment is in the past now, because the Rofco is full-fledged pizzeria-class. Perfectly crisp thin crusts. Perfectly bubbly cheese. Perfectly roasted meats and veggies. Perfectly awesome pizza.
BEST OF OLD AND NEW
For thousands of years, building up the all-surrounding heat to work such culinary magic meant building a wood fire inside your masonry oven, letting the fire eventually die out, then scraping out the smoking ash and mopping the oven’s floor so you could put your dough in. Also, retaining enough heat to last through one or more baking cycles required a structure that could weigh a thousand pounds or more. Those aren't characteristics that incorporate well into a contemporary home kitchen. The modern conventional oven solved the fire-building and massive bulk problems, but traded away food-heating qualities that mankind had enjoyed for millennia.
Rofco ovens combine modern technology with all the best qualities of the retained-heat stone oven, for sublime baking results without the wood, fire, smoke, ash, soot, and massive surrounding structure. Dough has no idea how the wonderful heat that it receives from oven stones was created, and the Rofco creates its heat with the cleanliness and convenience of electricity. Two thermostatically-controlled heating circuits allow you produce all the heat you want, with all the convenience you need.
Structurally, the Rofco oven gets its form and strength from a robust stainless steel cabinet, and a half-ton of extra stone mass is now replaced by the marvel of rock wool insulation. Made by spinning fibers from molten minerals, rock wool resists temperatures of over 2000° F. (hotter than your Rofco will get!) and has great insulating efficiency. Thick, high density rock wool insulation board fills the walls and door of the Rofco oven, keeping heat contained in the thick stone baking surfaces of the oven where it works its wonders on your bread and other baked goods. And while those wonders are taking place, you can watch the show through your Rofco’s viewing window, illuminated by an interior lamp.
BAKES EVERYTHING BETTER
Speaking of other baked goods, Rofco stone ovens are by no means restricted to use with bread and pizza! Roasts, steak, vegetables, pies, you name it: The omni-directional heating of the Rofco stone oven makes everything superior.
Think about how the baking results from a microwave oven compare to those from a conventional oven. Atrocious, right? The reason for that difference is the unevenness of the microwave’s heating action. Now consider the fact that draftiness—a fair description of convection-only heating—is how conventional ovens are actually designed to work. "Drafty" is not "even". A retained-heat stone oven, on the other hand, which bakes mainly with direct-contact and radiant heat, is the very definition of evenness. So just picture an oven that’s as much better than a conventional oven, as the the conventional oven is better than a microwave. That's what it's like to bake with a Rofco stone oven.
A STONE OVEN FOR EVERYONE
Rofco's model B5, B10 and B20 stone ovens have the same dimensions in each of their baking spaces and have one, two, and three shelves respectively. Rofco's most popular model, the three-shelf B40, adds both more height and more width to each shelf space.
ELECTRICAL AND SITING
Rofco ovens use 220V (single phase) power, and come with a 6-20P cord-end plug. 220V power is the same as electric cooktops and conventional ovens use, so all kitchens are wired for 220V power. Depending on how your kitchen is wired now, and where you want to site your Rofco stone oven, you may need to have an additional 220V 6-20R receptacle installed. You're also free to locate your clean-running Rofco oven anywhere else in your home, even including your garage if that works best for you. Rofco ovens do not need to be kept or operated in a heated space. The only siting requirement is that 1.2" of space needs to be maintained between the oven and other surfaces. Rofco ovens require no venting.
ACCESSORIES
Steam trays are the ideal way to introduce steam in your baking process. Not just empty vessels, Rofco steam trays contain heavy stainless rods that store a large amount of heat energy for rapid and complete steam release—order one for each shelf where you want to use supplemental steam. Depending on the kind of bread you're making, using steam at the right stage of baking can deliver the marvelous crust qualities you may have thought you could never achieve at home.
Also, you can put any kind of dough directly onto the stones in the Rofco oven (which is how most owners of stone ovens use theirs) but if you'd prefer to keep oils and sugars off your stones, blued-steel baking trays and woven glass mats (the same type used in many commercial bakeries) do come standard with the oven.
ROFCO OVENS IN BAKERIES
Use of Rofco ovens by commercial micro-bakeries is commonplace, and Rofco recognizes that starting on a shoestring to avoid the high cost of a commercial deck oven can be a very smart strategy for a new business. Please be aware that any breakdowns that may occur under the stresses of commercial use will be out-of-warranty. Pleasant Hill Grain stocks parts for repair and wear-part replacement, and we're here to help with the needs of all Rofco users whether your oven is under warranty or not, and whether you're using it for commercial or personal use. Rofco ovens are simple, well built, and durable. Pleasant Hill Grain is the exclusive U.S. Rofco distributor, and we can attest that service issues are few and far-between.
MOVE UP TO ROFCO
At PHG, experience has shown us that of all the techniques, tools and gadgets available to bakers, none is as effective as a genuine stone oven in producing actual professional bakery-level food in your home. No one ever says they regret getting their Rofco oven, only that they wish they'd done it sooner!
Questions? Please call 866-467-6123. We'd be happy to talk with you about a Rofco oven or any of your baking needs.
Rofco's other models are the Rofco B40 electric stone bread oven, the Rofco B20 electric stone bread oven and the Rofco B10 electric stone bread oven.
Do you need a commercial deck oven? We also offer German-made Häussler commercial electric stone bread ovens: Häussler INO 2004 oven and Häussler's INO 2006-series ovens.
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Shipping
Rofco stone ovens ship by truck and shipping cost to the 48 contiguous states is included. Buyer must be present and sign for delivery. Delivery is to curbside. Please note the dimensions and significant weight of the unit and make separate arrangements to get the oven into your home or place of business.
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1 - 10 of 45 reviews
This little oven hits the bull-eye in all categories for a home baker. Our Rofco’s name is Rufus and he's been in our family for almost a year and a half. Rufus is fired up several times a week for artisan breads and small pizzas. The more I use him the more I enjoy baking.
Easy to use? I turn the thermostat dial clockwise to 200c for pre-heat and a little while later I stuff my dough in him, drop the temp to 180c and about 25min later I extract the bread. How easy is that??
Since 1997 I’ve used several gas fired residential ranges. The first one was an original Wolf Gourmet. The oven was so vented that the only way to achieve any type of crust/crumb was to bake on a 1/4” steel plate and cover the baguettes with a large inverted steam table pan. I got very tired of all the hassle so I fabricated a gas fired brick oven with steam injection and controllable vent. Using both methods I was able to achieve somewhat satisfactory results. Due to our relocation from Baja Sur to Florida I left the stove and brick oven behind and ordered the Rofco from you guys. So since 1997 I've been able to bake with other ovens, but not with nearly the ease or consistent results that I get with mighty Rufus.
The oven works perfectly. Not a bunch of bells and whistles, just the needed basics, and it has a small footprint. Considering all the alternatives, Rofco is the most bang for the small family baker. It exceeds what my expectations were and are. Only a steam injected deck oven will outperform the Rofco’s, but hey, do you have the space, power/gas service, zoning, or the $$??
Beyond this, I need to praise my experience with PHG: What a fine ride. Buying a Rofco, sight unseen, was a leap for my wife and I. We worked with Sarah Phifer and Cindy Mingus for the order and follow-up questions. Wow, what a wonderful pair. All questions were answered and great follow-up for all my whining. What a fine operation.
Jan D., FL
Build quality- This is a simple, solid oven. The door gasket does seem a little flimsy, and I can see how it could easily become damaged and require replacing. I will probably buy a spare to have just in case. So far, no issues with a little care on closing the door
Exterior heat- perhaps sightly more heat put off than home builtin oven but not nearly as dramatic as I was led to believe. The door does get a little too hot for a long touch, but sides and top are not a concern.
Uneven heating- Using IR thermometer, the variance between decks is +/- 5 degrees C. I thought this was pretty good. Rotary dial for heat setting is as accurate as any other oven I have used (not particularly accurate, but not crazily inaccurate)
Decks too narrow- They are a bit narrow. That said, I am getting 2x 900 gram boules, or 3x 600 g batards per deck. Baguette I put in lengthwise and do 3x 250g per deck. All in all this is plenty for me and I am quite happy with it.
Using a garden sprayer/insufficient steam retention- The oven seals very nicely, the steam vents work perfectly, the garden sprayer works very well (haven't blown the light yet....), and I am VERY satisfied with the crusts on the bread. I had spoken with one person who warned me that I would still be needing to use a dutch oven to obtain proper crust. No way!
All in all I am extremely pleased with the Rofco 20. It is the right size for what I am doing and turns out great product!
I've had my Rofco well over a year now. I bake with it every weekend, and it performs beautifully. Mainly I bake bread and pizza, but also some pastries and cookies. The Rofco oven has made baking easier and a whole lot of fun—and it's brought my baked goods to a much higher level. Everything actually comes out perfect now. It makes the best baguettes and pizzas, thanks to the thick stones and the steamers. It's beautiful and functional and I'm just very happy with the value I've received. My advice to anyone shopping is to buy the biggest Rofco you can swing! Thank you PHG for the best oven and service!
The Rofco oven is a must-have for those in the artisan baking world, especially for those between the "dutch oven in the home oven" and the "I need an Italian deck oven" phase. The machine does have its quirks, but once you get to know it and understand how to adapt it to your needs, it will provide wonderful, beautiful bread. Highly recommended for the home or professional artisan bread baker.
So glad I purchased the Rofco oven. After one bake session I already had an even crumb and color to all my loaves. Easy to use, easy to set up and happy with the outcome of my bread.
Rofco ovens are a wonderful solution for us bakers who aren't really baking in a commercial setup yet. I recommend them.
It's rare to find such a customer-focused group of folks as Pleasant Hill Grain. My new Rofco stone oven has exceeded my expectations, and the even bigger stars are the folks at Pleasant Hill Grain. I truly thank Sarah, Cindy, and Barb for your assistance during and after the purchase of the Rofco.
The Rofco maintains heat incredibly well. You can leave the door open to load and unload numerous loaves and it does not effect the time to get a nicely baked loaf. However, you must become one with the Rofco. In time you will understand (like any good baker) how to adjust the temperature throughout the bakes in order to get the color that you like. Additionally, the bottom shelf is a major hot spot. In fact, part of my routine is to shift every loaf to the next shelf after 20 mins to avoid burning the bottoms. I also turn the temp down after it preheats. Like I said, you must be one to get the results you want. But for a home bakery, the Rofco is indispensable.
The first Rofco B40 I ordered worked so well, I bought another one for a relative. The B40 sustains a consistent heat throughout and is large enough for 12 loaves at a time.
Pleasant Hill Grain (PHG) is an exceptional US supplier for Rofco. They provide the best, most personalized customer service I have ever experienced, and they test each oven before it's impeccably packed and shipped.
Given both the product and the exceptional PHG service, it's no wonder the B40 is back-ordered.
Don't delay... get on the list--it's worth the wait.
While I had the Rofco B40 for only a short time it has been great to bake in.. The only issue I am having is getting the right amount of moisture in so that my scoring opens and the crust develops properly. So far I have not figured this out! I look forward to continued baking and will. Update this post in a few months. IN ADDITION, I WANT TO GIVE A PLUG FOR THE FOLKS AT PLEASANT HILL GRAIN. THEY HAVE BEEN GREAT AT THE TIME OF MY ORIGINAL PURCHASE AND IN FOLLOW-UP CONVERSATIONS I HAVE HAD.