References & Network

We have been using our two Cetravac vacuum conditioning systems since May 2025.

Every single one of our products can be individually optimized and enhanced with these systems. The crust, crispness, intensity, and aroma improve dramatically. The aroma is a benefit that gets brought up a lot. We have noticed a clear enhancement in flavors, especially with seeds, onions, and olives. Combined with the preservation and stabilization of the baked goods' volume, it is visually obvious that we have taken our quality to a whole new level.

The two application technicians from Cetravac supported us for a week and a half during commissioning. Their expertise was outstanding, and it was an absolute pleasure working with them. Cetravac is highly recommended.

Dear Cetravac Team,

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the excellent cooperation during the installation of our vacuum cooling system. The entire process—from the initial contact and installation to the commissioning of the machine—was carried out with the utmost professionalism and efficiency. The system fully meets our expectations, and collaborating with your team has been a thoroughly positive experience.

We look forward to a continued successful partnership and thank you once again for your outstanding service.

I honestly wouldn't know how we could produce these quantities of premium artisan baked goods day in and day out without our two Cetravac vacuum systems. Their capacity of at least 48 rack ovens per hour has given us the freedom for a massive production increase—without additional investments and, above all, without requiring extra space. Higher revenue, shorter production times, and significant energy savings ensure a rapid return on investment. Thanks to a TopCare maintenance contract with a 10-year full warranty, we also have our maintenance costs completely under control.

In and around Aachen, the name Moss stands not only for spelt baking but also for regional specialties such as Aachener Printen, Streuselbrötchen (streusel buns), or Belgian rice tarts. Moss has always supplied its branches' morning essentials directly from its central production facility. By investing in Cetravac’s vacuum conditioning, they were able to significantly extend the crispness of their products. This applies to all varieties of buns, Danish pastries, baguettes, and, of course, croissants.

The recipes remained unchanged; only the baking time was reduced by an average of 20%. Instead, Moss bakes at higher temperatures, and the products are transferred into the vacuum system straight from the oven. According to production manager Alen Muljajic, production discipline is crucial for optimal success to ensure that baking and vacuum conditioning run perfectly in sync. Their success proves them right. Distribution is handled via nearly 60 of their own branches, which are supplied by the bakery twice a day, and for the past two years, also through Aldi Süd as a regional partner.

Choosing Cetravac was incredibly easy for me: we did a full test week with a mobile vacuum system right here at our production facility, backed by the super-competent support of a Cetravac application technician. After just two days, it was clear: Cetravac and nobody else.

Jürgen Hinkelmann, entrepreneur and Guild Master of the Westphalia-Lippe Bakery Association, relies on forward-looking solutions for the baking industry.

His bakery, Grobe GmbH in Dortmund, has been working with Cetravac’s vacuum conditioning for seven years and is completely convinced: 'Purchasing our third vacuum system was one of the best investments of the past ten years.' Initially, specialty buns were supplied with vacuum conditioning to half of their branches—with great success. Today, all specialty buns, muffins, sheet cakes, and baguettes pass through the system. Production now starts 1.5 hours later, which saves time and significantly increases efficiency.

Cetravac recently breathed new life into our five-year-old Revent vacuum cooler. Only the chamber itself remained; the technology is now 100% Cetravac. We never would have thought that such fantastic results in terms of quality, shelf life, energy savings, and operational reliability were possible.

We have been able to massively increase our production and profit day in and day out from the competent training provided by Cetravac’s application technicians.

Depending on the product, the baking process has been shortened by 30 to 50% for the new method, significantly saving energy while massively increasing oven throughput. And since there is no second baking step at the customer's end, the quality remains exactly as defined by the bakers. Immediately after baking, the baked goods are transferred into the vacuum chamber, where they are stabilized under negative pressure within three to five minutes. During this process, the crust becomes instantly stable, and the moisture that was not driven out due to the shortened baking process remains in the crumb, ensuring freshness and flavor.

Father Hanno and his sons Raphael and Fabian Kraus bake according to the principles of Slow Baking. Thanks to high proportions of pre-ferment and long fermentation times, their products are both visually appealing and a true culinary delight.

They have been using Cetravac’s vacuum conditioning for years. Raphael Kraus states: 'We have significantly improved the volume, stability, and shelf life of our breads, buns, and croissants—without the use of enzymes or stabilizers.' The use of scalded flour (scalds) ensures a juicy crumb, and for their nut bread, the vacuum technology intensifies the rich aroma.

In 2015, Bakery Dries became one of the first artisanal bakeries in the German-speaking region to purchase a new-generation double vacuum system—featuring automatic sliding doors for the very first time.

We have been working with a Cetravac vacuum system for a good 10 years now, and right at the time of purchase, we signed a TopCare maintenance contract combined with a 10-year full warranty on the system. Fixed costs of less than 2% of the invested amount sounded almost too good to be true. But now, 10 worry-free years later (as far as the vacuum system is concerned), I can truly say that we have never had such a positive experience with warranty services.

Of course, there were malfunctions—sometimes technical, sometimes due to operator error—but Cetravac was always there quickly and reliably, whether online or on-site. And it never resulted in any additional costs for us.

Michel Franzes first discovered vacuum conditioning at the master craft school in Olpe and later visited the Grobe bakery in Dortmund with his father.

He has been working with his own Cetravac system since the beginning of 2023. 'The energy savings and a revenue increase of 2 to 5% completely convinced us,' says Franzes.

All 24 types of baked goods were adapted to the new process, using a shorter, hotter baking time, which preserves both stability and crispness. Now, all specialty buns are fully baked, which saves valuable time. Sales figures have increased, and plans to adapt fine pastries to the system are already underway.

The Zenhäusern bakery in Sion, Switzerland, has been working with Cetravac’s vacuum conditioning since September 2024. Marco Zenhäusern (Head of Technical Services and Machinery Procurement) is firmly convinced they made the right choice: 'We have already far exceeded the goals we set before making the investment. The Cetravac application technicians showed us ways to make our operations more economical and reduce baking times by 20 to 30%, resulting in significant energy savings. What is particularly impressive, however, is the improvement in quality aspects such as crispness, freshness, and stable volume. By consistently using vacuum conditioning, we were able to save an hour of baking time during the night shift. The commitment of Cetravac’s application technicians is truly remarkable. Super-competent, open to everything, and accommodating to special requests, they enabled us to operate the system independently within just one week. A second, in-depth coaching week four weeks later was dedicated to perfecting our knowledge, as well as exploring new applications such as cooling scalded flour, Panettone, and Ready-To-Eat products. Choosing Cetravac was exactly the right decision.'

Thirty years ago, Gürol Gür came to Hamburg and founded ‘Der Schanzenbäcker’ five years later—today a highly successful model with around 35 branches. 85 to 90% of the buns are delivered to the branches as unbaked frozen dough (green dough). When building their new production facility four years ago, energy efficiency was crucial, which led to the purchase of a Cetravac vacuum conditioning system.

This system is used for Danish pastries, croissants, muffins, banana bread, and various types of buns. Gür states: 'Today, we bake Danish pastries for 12 minutes at 210°C instead of 18 minutes at 180°C—which saves a significant amount of energy.' In addition, the baked goods stay fresh for up to eight hours longer.