Rofco in a flat
I’m about to open up a sourdough micro-bakery from home in the UK, making bread and other sweet treats on a made-to-order basis. I’m a full-time PhD student, so I’ll start slow, and will use a domestic oven and a Challenger Bread Pan to make single loaves, maybe 3 or 4 a day. In the future, however, I’d like to upgrade to a Rofco - probably the B40 but smaller sizes would also work.
The problem is that I’ll be moving into a one-bedroom flat in a couple of months. I’ll be renting from a landlord, and I need to get permission from him for a number of alterations to the flat (such as putting up frames on the wall, painting etc.). I can tell that this might be a problem for a future purchase of a Rofco.
I’d like to ask those who own a Rofco, or who have experience using one, a few questions. What sort of electrical supply do you need? I know it’s a single-phase unit, but does it work with a standard electrical socket, or do I need to bring in an electrician to upgrade my set-up? Also, does it require enough power to possibly cause a trip in the apartment complex?
Does the Rofco produce enough heat to merit setting it up away from a wall, or is it safe to place it against a shared wall? Related to this, is it at all a fire-hazard (of course, beyond it being on the same level as a conventional oven)?
And finally, I’m terrified that every time I open the Rofco door the cloud of steam will set off the fire alarms (or indeed the heat from the Rofco itself). Has this been a problem for any owners?
I guess my main concern, in summary, is that I’m trying to figure out if a Rofco is a viable option to consider in the future for someone living in a relatively small one-bedroom flat.
Any help is greatly appreciated!