What exactly are smart commercial ovens, and which are the best?

A smart commercial oven uses sensors, software, automation and connectivity to monitor what happens during cooking and support the operator throughout the process. The most advanced systems can automatically adjust certain parameters, use collected data and automate tasks that would normally require manual intervention.

But there is an important distinction: a touchscreen alone does not make an oven smart. A digital display can make it easier to select programs, temperature or humidity, but true intelligence comes into play when the oven can use the information available to actively manage the process.

How does a smart commercial oven work?

Unlike a traditional oven, which mainly follows the parameters set by the operator, a smart oven can collect information while it is running and use it to support or automate certain decisions.

Depending on the model and the level of integrated technology, a smart commercial oven can, for example:

• detect cooking conditions and adjust certain parameters;
• recognize food and select the appropriate cooking program;
• use data to monitor water and electricity consumption;
• connect to other devices and share programs or information.

In other words, a digital oven executes. A smart oven interprets, adapts and assists.

And it is precisely this ability to actively manage the process that can translate into tangible benefits for a foodservice business.

In foodservice, demand is growing, while resources such as time, staff, energy and raw materials are becoming increasingly valuable. That is why automation is no longer just a technological advantage: it is becoming an increasingly important tool for working more efficiently.

A smart commercial oven can automate part of the workflow, make results easier to replicate and help businesses make better use of the resources available. Fewer manual steps, fewer errors, fewer preparations to redo and greater control over consumption can help increase productivity without increasing kitchen complexity to the same extent.

And what are the benefits of a connected commercial oven? The difference becomes especially clear for chains and businesses with multiple locations. Being able to share programs and procedures, monitor equipment remotely and maintain the same standards more easily across different kitchens simplifies the management of the entire network.

This is where intelligence becomes truly useful: not simply in doing more things, but in helping people and equipment get more from the resources they already have.

Want to learn more about how automation and modern technologies can help reduce costs and waste in foodservice? Read our dedicated article.

Unox was one of the companies to anticipate the digital transformation of commercial ovens, progressively integrating connectivity, data analysis, automation and artificial intelligence long before the concept of the smart kitchen became central to the foodservice industry.

The journey towards smart commercial ovens began as part of a broader transformation: the Digital Transformation of foodservice. The goal was no longer simply to improve equipment performance, but to make ovens capable of interacting with operators and actively contributing to process optimization.

It was within this context that Unox introduced Data Driven Cooking in 2019, turning the information generated by ovens every day into a practical tool for monitoring usage, improving performance and managing equipment remotely.

The next step was the integration of artificial intelligence, moving from simply making data available to being able to interpret it and turn it into useful recommendations. AI in Unox commercial ovens is therefore not a recently added feature, but the natural evolution of an innovation journey that began years earlier.

With the smart combi ovens CHEFTOP-X™ and BAKERTOP-X™, this approach took another major step forward. More than 50 engineers, physicists, developers and chefs worked on the new generation of combi ovens, developing an interaction increasingly similar to the one we experience every day with our digital devices.

Speaking about the development of Digital.ID™, the advanced operating system installed in Unox commercial ovens, Unox CEO Nicola Michelon explained to Il Sole 24 Ore:

“We took inspiration from our smartphones, the most advanced devices we interact with every day. The Digital.ID operating system brings the same versatility of a smartphone to commercial ovens: a fast, intuitive and customizable interface with hyper-connectivity features enhanced by artificial intelligence.”

And perhaps this is the simplest comparison for understanding this evolution. We are now used to devices that recognize our voice, remember our preferences, communicate with each other and learn from how we use them. So why should the equipment at the heart of a commercial kitchen stop at a touchscreen?

It is this continuous development, from connectivity through to machine learning applied to cooking, that has helped position Unox among the international leaders in commercial oven innovation.

Over the years, this innovation journey has also been recognized with major international awards. In 2022, SPEED-X™ received three Red Dot Design Awards, while in 2024 CHEFTOP-X™ was awarded both Red Dot Winner and Red Dot Winner – Innovative Product, standing out for its integration of machine learning, AI-supported cooking technologies and solutions designed to improve energy efficiency.

Find out more in our dedicated article.

Unox smart commercial ovens integrate technologies designed to connect equipment, recognize what is being cooked, learn from operator feedback, automatically adjust selected parameters, and optimize the use of resources. In the most advanced models, artificial intelligence interprets images, data and feedback, turning them into concrete actions during day-to-day kitchen operations.

It is not about a single smart feature, but a combination of solutions developed to simplify everyday work and reduce the number of decisions operators need to manage directly.

Can a smart commercial oven be controlled remotely? With Digital.ID™, yes. Through the app, compatible ovens can be managed even from a distance, while programs and preferences can be saved and shared across multiple units.

Digital.ID™ also makes everyday interaction with the oven easier thanks to an intuitive, fast and customizable interface, designed to keep the most frequently used functions within easy reach and reduce the number of steps required during daily operations.

For a single kitchen, this means greater simplicity and flexibility. For a chain, it means being able to align recipes and procedures across ovens installed in different locations, making it easier to maintain consistent standards throughout the entire network.

With OPTIC.Cooking, available on X™ smart combi ovens, an optical sensor recognizes the food placed inside and can automatically match it with the correct cooking program.

It is a concrete example of how artificial intelligence can be applied to a commercial oven: the operator simply loads the food, while the oven recognizes the product and recalls the associated cooking process, reducing manual steps and the risk of selecting the wrong program.

Intelligence goes beyond product recognition. With Individual.CHEFUNOX, the feedback provided by the operator at the end of the cooking process can be used to progressively fine-tune the result.

This means the smart commercial oven does more than simply execute a recipe: it can use the chef’s experience to get closer and closer to the desired result and make it easier to replicate consistently.

The most advanced smart ovens can automatically manage different cooking parameters. Unox combi ovens go one step further: they can do this with different products, in the same oven, at the same time.

With MULTI.Time, you can manage up to 10 cooking programs simultaneously. You select the preparations, and the oven keeps track of the different cooking times, alerting you when each tray is ready.

The benefit? More products managed at once, fewer manual checks, and smoother service even during the busiest periods.

With HEY.Unox, certain commands can be given by voice without interrupting your work to use the display. In a commercial kitchen, where your hands are often busy and every step matters, being able to interact with the oven through voice commands makes the workflow more immediate and natural.

This means managing certain operations without stopping, helping maintain the pace of service and reducing interruptions during the busiest moments.

A smart commercial oven should not only help you cook better, but also make better use of resources.

SMART.Energy analyzes how the equipment is used and helps optimize water and energy consumption, giving kitchen operators greater visibility into oven performance and potential savings.

This way, consumption becomes part of a more controlled process, making it easier to identify where and how to work more efficiently.

Are there commercial ovens with intelligent automatic cleaning? Yes — and today automation can go far beyond simply starting a preset cycle.

In Unox smart commercial ovens, cleaning is not only automated: thanks to the integrated SENSE.Klean function, the oven assesses the level of dirt and automatically suggests the cleaning program best suited to the equipment’s actual needs.

This helps avoid unnecessarily intensive cycles and use time, water and detergent more efficiently. Cleaning therefore becomes part of a smarter process too: fewer resources used when they are not needed, fewer decisions to manage, and greater simplicity at the end of service.

The principle is always the same: not to add technology that gives operators more functions to manage, but to use technology to remove complexity from everyday work.

The best way to understand just how far a smart commercial oven can go? See it in action.

Discover CHEFTOP-X™ and see how artificial intelligence, automation and connectivity can transform everyday kitchen operations.

The best smart commercial oven is not necessarily the one with the most technology. It is the one where that technology best meets the real needs of your business.

To choose the right smart commercial oven, you therefore need to start with what happens in your kitchen every day: what you produce, in what quantities, how much space you have available, and how quickly you need to serve.

CHEFTOP-X™ and BAKERTOP-X™ smart combi ovens, designed respectively for foodservice and bakery applications, represent the most advanced expressions of Unox cooking technology today. In restaurants, CHEFTOP-X™ helps manage different preparations and demanding service periods while maintaining consistent results even when loads and operators change. In bakeries and pastry labs, BAKERTOP-X™ brings the same level of automation to processes where precision, humidity control and repeatability are essential to achieving the same standard, bake after bake.

But Unox intelligence also adapts to other service models. The wide Unox range includes commercial ovens developed for different volumes, spaces and service requirements, from equipment designed for high-volume production to accelerated cooking ovens, created for businesses where reducing service times is a priority. One example is SPEED-X™, the first self-washing combi speed oven, also featuring Digital.ID™ and designed to combine speed, automation and connectivity in a single solution.

So how can you understand which oven is really right for you?

A technical data sheet can help you narrow down the options. But seeing the oven work with your own products, recipes and real production volumes can tell you much more.

That is why the decision can start with a practical test in your own kitchen: the most direct way to understand which technology can genuinely simplify your everyday work. With Individual Cooking Experience, you can test the product free of charge directly in your kitchen or bakery, with no obligation to purchase. Simply choose the date and time, and one of our experts will come to you with a Unox smart commercial oven ready to be put to the test.