The IRV20 spiral dough mixer adds a variable-speed drive to the IBT50's 22 L raising-head / removable-bowl format. At €2,700 — €450 more than its drive-less equivalent — it is aimed at establishments that make dough quality a selling point: a pizzaiolo trained in the Neapolitan tradition, a pizzeria claiming high hydration, a chef developing their own dough recipes. The variable drive is not a comfort gadget: it is a technical precision tool that changes what is possible to do with the dough.
The variable drive: why it is a real technical difference
A spiral mixer with no drive runs at a fixed speed set by its gear motor — generally between 85 and 100 rpm depending on the model. This single speed is perfectly suited to the vast majority of classic pizza doughs (60-65% hydration). A mixer with a drive lets you vary the spiral's rotation speed continuously, from very low speed up to nominal.
This precise control opens two possibilities absent from a fixed-speed mixer:
- Progressive phased kneading: start at low speed to combine ingredients with no spray or heating (5 minutes), then ramp up gradually for gluten-network development (8 to 12 minutes). This progression respects the flour's molecular structure and produces a dough with a more developed gluten network and better extensibility.
- Mastery of high hydration: Neapolitan doughs at 75-80% hydration (and Roman or pinsa doughs at 70-75%) are hard to knead at full speed — they stick to the spiral, tear, lose their cohesion. At low speed, the spiral lifts and stretches the dough gradually, letting it absorb the water without heating or denaturing it. This slow initial kneading is the key to a successful high-hydration dough.
For a pizzaiolo seeking to faithfully reproduce the result of training in Naples, experimenting with long fermentations (24-72h) or developing several dough recipes at different hydrations, the drive is the first link in quality control — where the dough is built.
230V single-phase: installation with no constraint
The IRV20 runs on standard 230V single-phase. In a professional kitchen with a 230V supply, it plugs into a standard 16 A socket and starts immediately — no three-phase connection, no electrical board to modify, no electrician needed. At 750 W, it creates no overload on a standard 16 A circuit.
This advantage is concrete for establishments with no three-phase board (commercial rentals, shared kitchens, pop-up restaurants), for kitchens under renovation where electrical works are administratively constrained, or for project owners wanting to start with no infrastructure investment. The 750 W power is enough for 22 litres of dough: it is not motor power that determines kneading quality, it is the spiral geometry and speed control.
Compact format + raising head + removable bowl
The IRV20 shares the IBT50's compact format: 390×670×740 mm, 17 kg. It installs on a standard 600 mm-deep bench, can be moved if the kitchen configuration changes, and needs no floor fixing. The raising head fully clears access to the bowl for mid-knead inspection, ingredient addition and cleaning. The removable bowl can be carried straight to the worktop for shaping or placed in cold storage for bulk fermentation with no dough transfer.
For which establishment
The IRV20 is the mixer of the artisan pizzaiolo and the dough perfectionist. The Neapolitan pizzeria that has made dough style its identity — puffed cornicione, high hydration, 48h fermentation — and wants a tool coherent with that ambition. The fine-dining restaurant offering a few exceptional pizzas that cannot afford for them to be less well worked than the rest of the menu. The high-end dark kitchen or pizza counter that offsets a short menu with maximum quality on each product.
If your recipe is standardised at 60-65% hydration and your kneading process never changes, the IBT50 (no drive, €2,250) is enough and saves €450. If dough quality is a selling point and you work (or plan to work) high-hydration recipes, the IRV20's drive is an investment coherent with your positioning.
Technical specifications
| Reference | IRV20 |
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| Type | Variable-speed spiral mixer, raising head, removable bowl |
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| Bowl capacity | 22 litres |
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| Power | 750 W |
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| Supply | 230V single-phase |
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| Drive | Yes — continuously variable speed |
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| Dimensions (W × D × H) | 390 × 670 × 740 mm |
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| Weight | 17 kg |
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| Price excl. VAT | €2,700 |
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What restaurateurs ask
- Does the IRV20's drive replace the 2-speed models (IBT302V, ITR302V…)?
- A drive offers continuous speed variation (from 0 to 100% of nominal continuously), whereas 2-speed models switch digitally between a slow and a fast speed. The drive is technically superior for recipes needing a progressive ramp — high hydration, very dense doughs. In practice, for a standard pizza dough, 2 speeds are perfectly enough. The drive is the perfectionist's choice to control every kneading stage; 2 speeds are the pragmatic choice for everyday production.
- Can an 80% hydration Neapolitan dough be kneaded in this mixer?
- Yes — the spiral mixer is the reference tool for high hydrations. At 80% hydration, the dough is very sticky and needs slow kneading at first so the flour absorbs the water gradually without heating. With the IRV20's drive, you start at low speed for 5 minutes for ingredient incorporation, then ramp up gradually over 10 to 12 minutes for gluten-network development. Without a drive, this fine progression is impossible to reproduce — fixed speed tears very hydrated doughs at the start of kneading.
- What is the difference between the IRV20 and the other IRV models (IRV30, IRV40, IRV50)?
- The IRV20 (22 L, €2,700), IRV30 (32 L, €3,160), IRV40 (41 L, €3,250) and IRV50 (48 L, €3,360) share the same drive technology and the same raising-head / removable-bowl configuration. The only difference is bowl capacity and dimensions. The IRV20 (22 L) produces about 14 kg of dough per batch — suited to 30 to 50 pizzas per service. The IRV50 (48 L) rises to 30 kg per batch for large volumes.
- Is the IRV20 suitable for long bulk fermentation?
- The mixer does the kneading — fermentation then happens outside the machine. The IRV20's removable bowl has a practical advantage, however: after kneading, the bowl can go straight to cold storage for a 12 to 24h bulk fermentation with no dough transfer to another container. The dough comes out of the bowl once fermentation is complete for balling and proofing. This workflow is valued by pizzaioli working long protocols.
Weight: 17 kg — standard delivery applies. Contact us before ordering for lead times and conditions for your area via the contact form.
MFF Guarantee & After-Sales: 1-year manufacturer guarantee, extended guarantee available. MFF technical support and spare parts. Delivery 48–72h mainland France.
