When setting up your commercial kitchen, choosing the best equipment is a huge consideration. Each piece is an investment, and each piece needs to be able to perform specific tasks efficiently to justify the precious space it takes up. Whether you’ve got a food truck, a beachside snack shack or a larger-scale cafe or restaurant, there’s one piece of cooking equipment we recommend giving some serious consideration to: the combi oven.
Combi ovens increase the functionality of your cooking setup with multiple functions, a high degree of control, and customisation when cooking and baking. In our guide, we’ll cover all the key benefits of combi ovens in commercial kitchens and why they might be a better choice over a conventional oven.
Multiple Cooking Modes
One of the most obvious commercial combi oven benefits is that they come with multiple cooking modes. Many models include settings that range from convection cooking and steaming to grill, bake and broil options. This level of versatility and control enables you to cook multiple dishes within one appliance, streamlining your kitchen and saving you space and money.
When it comes to combi ovens vs. traditional ovens, convection ovens can offer solid and reliable performance, but combi ovens are more versatile. With multiple options within one appliance, you’ll also get more control over the final result without needing to constantly monitor your cooking.
Convection Mode
Given its versatility, convection mode is an essential option for most establishments. This mode is used for a range of things, from roasting meat and vegetables to the more delicate work of baking pastries. By circulating hot air around the food with a fan, it ensures even heat distribution and a perfectly browned end result when you take it out of the oven.
Steam Mode
Steaming is another classic cooking method that combi ovens can deliver. Steaming can be used to reheat food more evenly without drying it out, it also results in less shrinkage than conventional roasting or boiling. It’s also the perfect mode for cooking more delicate foods like fish and vegetables.
Combination Mode
As the name would suggest, combi, or combination ovens, can also deliver combination-mode cooking. You can use the fan-forced cooking function while also adding steam, giving you control over both temperature and humidity. This level of functionality is ideal for large roasts that need more refined cooking settings and is also great for perfectly baked bread.
How Steam Cooking Enhances Flavour and Quality
Steam functionality is an underrated option when it comes to cooking in a commercial kitchen and is one of the many reasons we recommend combi ovens. It can help enhance the flavour and quality of food by locking in moisture and maintaining the nutritional content better than boiling does.
Along with better taste, presentation will also improve when you’re steaming vegetables and meat. Veggies will retain their vibrant colour and have a more crisp bite to them, while meat will be beautifully tender and moist.
Technical Commercial Combi Oven Benefits
In addition to their cooking, baking, and steaming versatility, combi ovens offer a number of technical benefits to commercial kitchen setups.
Reduced Need for Other Appliances
No matter the size of your kitchen, space is always at a premium, and combi ovens help to optimise your cooking setup. With all the functionality they offer, they often mean you can go without a few other appliances, including things like oven ranges, bench-top ovens and dim sum steamers.
With combi ovens, you can do everything from steaming, baking, roasting, and grilling in one appliance. You’ll save space by forgoing extra appliances that do the same job. You’ll also be saving money both short and long-term, requiring less equipment up front and saving yourself on energy bills by not needing to run multiple cooking setups.
Automation and Recipe Memorisation
Another technical benefit of combi ovens is that many of them have automation features and recipe pre-sets that you can build in yourself. Once you’ve perfected your recipe, you can get the same result each and every time with the press of a button. Your combi oven will then deliver exceptionally consistent results with the precise cooking parameters you’ve put in.
There is a huge range of brands that deliver this kind of functionality and recipe storing, including Fagor, Hobart, Tecnodom, and Zanussi.
Self-Cleaning Features
Cleaning an oven can be an intensive process, but many combi ovens can reduce the labour required to get the job done with self-cleaning settings. Options like the Fagor iKore 10 Tray Oven can be switched to self-clean mode, heating up internally to high temperatures that burn off any residue. After it’s done, you’ll simply need to let the oven cool, then wipe it out with a damp cloth and some mild soap. This makes for a more hygienic kitchen environment but also makes shutting down more time-efficient and less labour-intensive.
Cooking Speed and Efficiency
Along with the broad spectrum of settings you can use and dishes you can cook, combi ovens are also incredibly efficient in terms of cooking time. Steam cooking, in particular, can be done quickly and efficiently without sacrificing the quality or flavour of the final results.
Steam also doesn’t transfer flavour, meaning you can swap quickly between dishes without compromising the integrity of the second dish you’re cooking. You could go from steaming vegetables to fish without cleaning or shutting your combi oven down between, giving you faster meal prep time for a more efficient kitchen and happier customers.
Ease of Use
Many combi ovens have multiple settings that you can choose from, even without creating custom cooking instructions yourself. For ease of use, many models come with touch screens you can easily scroll through, like the Hobart Combi Plus Convection Steamer.
Getting your next dish cooking is as simple as pressing three buttons:
- Select what you want to cook
- Choose how you’d like it cooked, whether that’s steam, convection or both
- Press start!
This user-friendly interface makes it easy for any member of your team to achieve consistent cooking results. It’s even better when you have your own pre-sets, meaning anyone can get things started at the beginning of the workday.
Why Your Commercial Kitchen Needs a Combi Oven
You may wonder how combi ovens improve commercial cooking, especially in comparison to something like an oven range. There are a few key factors that make these options a stand out worth considering:
- By providing precise control over temperature and humidity, with pre-set options and the ability to swap between dishes quickly, combi ovens help chefs achieve perfect results every time. This precision leads to better consistency in dishes, enhancing the overall dining experience for customers.
- Along with the broad spectrum of functionality and improved food quality, they’re also easy to use and are great space-savers in busy kitchens.
- With their advanced features and capabilities, combi ovens can transform how you cook, improve efficiency, and reduce labour costs. You’ll be able to make it easier for all staff to get food going, optimising time in the kitchen and turning meals over more quickly, boosting productivity and revenue.
Transforming Commercial Kitchens with Combi Ovens
The use of combi ovens for commercial cooking has revolutionised how professional chefs approach their culinary tasks. Anyone who’s worked in a commercial kitchen knows that efficiency and quality are top priorities, and combi ovens help to deliver both of these factors.
With greater functionality, most customisation in how you can cook, bake, steam and grill or combine a multitude of cooking methods in one delivers superior results. Whether you own a bakery that creates delicate pastries or are in a fast-paced restaurant with a broad menu, combi ovens can offer a more custom solution to your needs.
Investing in your own combi oven can improve more than just the quality of cooking and baking in your own establishment. They’re genuine time savers thanks to the ability to switch between different dishes without flavour transfer during steaming.
Cleaning and Maintenance
For the models with self-cleaning, you’ll also need to do less ongoing upkeep and maintenance between shifts, and they’re more intuitive to use for newer kitchen hands. At the end of each shift, wiping down the interior of your combi oven to remove any grease or residual moisture is all that’s required between deeper cleanings. You’ll have less time spent tidying up at the end of the shift, along with happier employees who don’t have to spend extended periods scrubbing out the oven.
Advantages of Using Combi Ovens in Restaurants
The advantages of using combi ovens in restaurants extend beyond their multifunctionality and efficiency. Combi ovens are also designed to handle the rigorous demands of a busy commercial kitchen, meaning they’re built to be durable, reliable and consistent.
When you invest in a combi oven, you’ll be gaining a useful and versatile piece of equipment that can handle everything from fast-paced shifts to menu changes over the years. Whether you’re cooking on rotation or have multiple dishes simultaneously, combi ovens are up to the task.
The combi oven advantages for professional chefs are clear: more control, better results, and a more streamlined workflow. By understanding how combi ovens benefit commercial kitchens, you can make an informed decision that will positively impact your business.
Next Steps
You can explore the broad range of combi ovens online, with models ranging from compact options to large, 20-tray models for serious cooking. We stock all of the top brands, including Fagor, Hobart, Tecnodom, and Zanussi. Investing in the right commercial cooking equipment is crucial for the success of any café, restaurant, hotel, bakery, or food truck, and we can help you with all kitchen appliances. We’ll deliver Australia-wide, no matter where you are, we can get your new combi oven delivered to your door.
If you’re ready to upgrade to a combi oven, need more information, or would like a personal recommendation, the team at Restaurant Equipment is happy to help. You can email us at sales@restaurantequipment.com.au or give us a call at 1300 35 25 45.