Rofco Results and Issues
Hi All
I've had my Rofco B40 for 3 years. I love it, but recently I'm getting strange results.
I find the bread at the back of the oven is not opening up on the score which suggests to me it's either too hot at the back or it's not getting enough steam or both. This has only started happening in the last couple of months and today was very noticeable because I made 6 loaves for a competition and the loaves I really wanted to submit were at the back and hardly opened up - one looks like a rugby ball!
I have always used the steam pods, always use the same temperature settings and always do the same score on the dough, so the only variables I don't have control over are the oven parts.
My initial thinking is that it might be the door gasket/seal. I see a lot of steam escaping when I close the door. Now that could just be due to the amount of steam in the oven, but given the bread at the back is not opening up do you think it might be the seal? Have any of your Rofco B40 owners had a similar issue?
I would go ahead and just buy a replacement seal however the only supplier I can find in the UK want to charge £29 for the part, and an additional £16 to deliver ....a bit expensive especially given these are sold for under $11 in the USA! If the seal isn't the issue it's a big waste of money to me... although if the seal is the issue then it's worth every penny! The problem is that the seal looks ok, but I assume if the seal is the problem it's because it's flattened and therefore not creating a tight seal?
...I think I'm answering my own questions as I type! :D
If you have any insight, I'd be really interested to hear. Thanks :)
If the seal looks good, it may that be the door latch mechanism is not keeping the door shut as tightly. If the door is shut as normal and you see steam escaping, try pressing on the door handle to see if that stops the steam escape. If that seems to solve the problem, you may be able to replace those door parts. We added latches that hold door shut tighter. If you search online for "toggle clamp latch" you may find something useful, like this > Clamp.
Hello there - I'm having some door issues with my B5, and the clamps seem like the best option. Could you please post a photo of how you attached them? Thanks, Eric
We attached it with rivets. Had to buy riveting tool, which was worth the end result. Needed to pre-drill smaller holes for the rivets since the holes on latch were meant for larger diameter screws. Sorry for the crusty close up.
188CF141-1DCC-429A-A1CB-533B99E65888.jpeg
Thank you!
I've only just joined The Fresh Loaf, so hopefully this answer might still be useful to you!
I've three years experience with Rofco B40's in my craft bakery and things I've found that relate to your problem are as follows:
The door seals can definitely go - particularly if you are in the habit of knocking them with, say, a tray as you load the oven. I've had one snap in half as I was loading the oven and nicked it with a tray! From time to time, check that the rubber seal is still seated (particularly on the top side and the left side which you can accidentally collect with your peel), the pins are still in place on each corner and there are no splits. I now keep a couple of spare seals just in case (and I've done a running repair on one using a stapler so that I could the oven going and finish the baking session).
Having said all this, I think your issue might be more related to the door warping. When there is an issue with the seals, it's the loaves at the front that suffer, not the back. After about three years of constant use, my earliest B40 oven door has started to warp a little and what also happens is that the door catch (which is two ball bearings) can start to not function quite correctly. I always run my hand down the door after closing to make sure the catch is engaged correctly.
Re scoring problems, even with the door warping (and I know this will need replacing at some point), and I can still obtain the right "earage" on the loaves as long as the lame blade is sharp, I've held it at the correct angle, I haven't oversprayed the ovenm on loading, and I've preheated it to the right temp for the dough I'm doing (usually 280C on subsequent cycles, which takes about 35mins to cycle).
Hope this all helps.