Professional combination ovens—broadly known as combi ovens—offer unique cooking methods and applications. As the most flexible modern machine in the commercial kitchen, understanding its innovative modes and diverse features is the key to helping your business thrive.
Essentially, combination ovens combine several technologies, cooking food via steam, convection, or a mixture of the two. Making the best use of this kitchen equipment requires precise control of its humidity, temperature, and cooking time. With the right adjustments, a combi oven has the ability to become a versatile workhorse that you can use to your operation’s advantage. Read on for a compiled guide on combi ovens explained: tips for cooking applications.
Combi ovens Convection Mode: Baking and Frying
Cooking methods are typically divided into two categories: dry heat or moist heat. One mode showcasing a combination’s customization potential is that of dry convection. For this mode, forced hot air in the oven cavity creates a dry heat environment. Ergo, this cooking environment removes moisture, allowing for frying or baking foods without burning the coating or breading. This type of higher-temp heat works to warm up oils and form a crunchy crust, such as on pizza, french fries, or cookies.
Steam Mode: Poaching and Steaming
Conversely, a combi oven functioning as a steamer creates moist heat. This maintains a product’s moistness during the cooking process, which is perfect for the rapid heating up of vegetables, seafood, and more. Food service operators can use the combi oven to save time, reduce labor, preserve nutrients, and maintain the appearance typically lost by other cooking methods.
Combination Mode: Browning and Broiling
Using a combination of dry and moist air throughout a cooking cycle, this mode produces a variety of popular menu items for your customers, including meats. By initially using programmed dry cooking heat, then gradually increasing humidity levels, operators can ensure food will always come out tender and juicy.
Some choose to utilize combinations ovens as alternatives to standard rotisserie machines. Combi ovens can broil and brown with boosted speed and enhanced taste quality. Not to mention the extended shelf-life advantages when the cooking vessel acts as a holding cabinet.
Combi Re-Thermalizing and Reheating
Before we conclude our combi ovens explained guide,it’s important to know that using a combi oven for re-thermalizingis another tip for cooking applications. Besides using the mechanism as a finishing oven, machine operators can utilize combis to evenly reheat pre-cooked food or safely hold cooked menu items to serving temperatures.
DSL is a trusted supplier of high-quality commercial combi steam ovens from Henny Penny. Browse our superior selection of this beneficial kitchen equipment to deliver high-quality food products for your business. Choose from stand-alone cabinets or countertop models to suit your settings. Feel free to reach out with any questions about the technical differences between each series.