The Unfamiliar Kitchen Capabilities of Chefs

A combi oven can be one of the most useful pieces of equipment in your entire commercial kitchen. Many chefs rave about using them, but for those unfamiliar with their capabilities, why should you consider a combi oven for your commercial kitchen? First and foremost, a combi oven provides the ability to create diverse menu items with a single piece of equipment. Combi ovens offer the ability to cook using convection heat (dry), steam heat (wet), or a combination of the two. In addition, many models can provide sous vide, rethermalizing, and smoking capabilities to go along with techniques like steaming, blanching, poaching, roasting, broiling, baking, braising, and even frying in the oven. Want to make a variety of menu items with a single oven? Consider a combi ovens. When you can do so many different things with a single unit, you will inevitably save space and maximize the potential of your existing space. The real estate in your kitchen should be used for profit, and the more you can do with it, the more money you can make.

Combi technology has “become more common in the fast-casual and QSR segments as a tool that allows consolidation of the kitchen package, streamlining of production through menu versatility, the speed of production to service and also the reduction of overall space and capital investment.” Basically, a combi oven can be well worth the investment when used to its potential. Combi ovens offer the ability to cook food up to 15 percent faster without compromising quality. In fact, foods cooked in combi ovens tend to be even higher in quality. Meats retain their juices and don’t dry out. Flavors are more concentrated. Yields are higher. You can cook proteins and vegetables simultaneously without flavor transfer. And combi ovens can actually help operators save on labor. Space comes at a premium these days, especially when you start looking at popular CBD areas in the likes of Sydney or Melbourne. In fact, if you want a spot at the heart of the New South Wales capital, you may have to fork upward of $8,500 per square-meter, according to Colliers International, or just under $8,000 per square-meter in Melbourne. As a result, it’s of no surprise to see hole-in-the-wall eateries and other small restaurants popping up in our central cities, and perhaps fewer of their larger counterparts.

But with high-quality commercial kitchen equipment often requiring large amount of floor space (that you may simply not have available), where do you turn? On your hunt for restaurant equipment to suit your space and menu, many will likely tell you to invest in modern combi-steamer ovens. The flexibility of these machines has proven popular among chefs, who benefit from being able to bake, grill and steam with just a few presses of a touch screen. For those operating out of a smaller building, this is where range of mini combi-steamers come into play. These unique ovens sit with a width of approximately 515 millimeters, making them incredibly compact. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to sacrifice tray space, however, as you can still buy a combi ovens in either a six-tray or high-capacity 10-tray size. In addition, there are mobile variants should you need to move about a lot, which come in-built with a Plug and Play feature for speedy setup.

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