As we’ve detailed in a previous post, there are numerous benefits to having a combi oven in your commercial foodservice operation. But even though you may be ready to enjoy the benefits of a combi oven, is your operation actually ready for one?
There are two important factors to consider when looking at combi technology: Is your facility ready to host a combi oven? And is your staff prepared to use one?
Let’s start with the facility.
When you add a combi oven to your repertoire of foodservice equipment, designers and operators need to consider what type of power source the combi unit will have. This can impact ventilation requirements. Or perhaps, the unit is ventless and doesn’t require a hood at all.
Another factor when determining how your combi will be using power is determining the types of food you will be preparing. If the majority of dishes you serve require high steam then a boiler based oven will give you a higher recovery and better steam throughput. If your dishes don’t require high steam all the time then a boilerless combi model is right for you.
Another important facility requirement is water quality. Water can have one of the biggest negative impacts to foodservice equipment, so make sure the water in the facility is properly matched by the type of water filtration and equipment used.
Most importantly understanding the amount of space you have in your kitchen as well as the amount of food you will need to cook at any given time. Blodgett-Combi is designed to accommodate kitchens of all sizes and service needs from countertop ovens to high volume operations. The ovens can also be stacked, mixed and matched to ensure you have the most output in the most minimal space.
The second aspect of preparing for a combi is the people who will be using it.
Combi ovens are not complex pieces of equipment, but training staff on how to use them, how to clean them, and how to properly care for them can be an important part to getting the most out of your combi oven investment.
The good news is innovative units like those created by Blodgett-Combi have intuitive controls that make learning a new recipe as easy as pushing a button; quite literally. Training staff members – and retraining them – are important to preparing your operation for a combi.
The touchscreen control on Blodgett-Combi ovens can be programmed with multiple steps and functions allowing chefs to really hone in and craft their recipes. The control also allows these recipes to be cooked or baked by anyone with recipe storage at a push of a button.
Is your foodservice operation ready for a combi oven? Stay up-to-date with Blodgett-Combi, and we’ll help you answer this question.
