Toyota and Rinnai Collaborate on Hydrogen-Powered Pizza Oven Innovation
Key Ideas
- Toyota partners with Rinnai to create a hydrogen-powered stone deck oven inspired by the Toyota Mirai sedan technology.
- The oven is designed to enhance food taste using hydrogen's high combustion temperature to make dishes crispy outside and succulent inside.
- Toyota has a history of pizza-related projects, including a modified Tundra truck with a conveyor oven and Lexus showcasing a luxury vehicle with an electric pizza oven.
Toyota has joined forces with Japanese appliance brand Rinnai to develop a unique hydrogen-powered stone deck oven. Inspired by the technology found in the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai sedan, the oven is set to deliver superior taste, utilizing hydrogen's high combustion temperature to create crispy exteriors and juicy interiors for dishes. The collaboration also led to the creation of a small hydrogen-fueled BBQ grill. This innovative project showcases Toyota's expertise in hydrogen technology for non-automotive applications.
The oven, resembling a traditional wood-fired pizza oven with added mobility features, has been tested by Toyota employees who have been experimenting with making pizzas and croissants. Toyota asserts that cooking with hydrogen enhances the flavor of food, particularly vegetables and mushrooms, preserving their moisture and flavors better than traditional barbecuing methods.
This venture is not Toyota's first exploration into the world of pizza-making. In the past, the company teamed up with Pizza Hut to modify a Tundra pick-up truck with a conveyor oven and pizza-making robots. Furthermore, Lexus recently introduced a luxury vehicle equipped with an electric pizza oven at an event in Colorado. These endeavors highlight the intersection of automotive innovation and the food industry, showcasing creative applications of technology.
As the collaboration between Toyota and Rinnai continues to yield exciting culinary advancements, the article humorously speculates on the possibility of other automotive brands venturing into pizza-related projects, like a Porsche designed specifically for pizzaiolos. This whimsical approach underscores the innovative spirit driving these ventures and the potential for more surprising crossovers between automotive and culinary worlds in the future.