Combi oven’s popularity gains steam
among chefs
May 21, 2007
James Scarpa
Striving for greater
speed, precision and productivity, a growing number of operators are embracing the
combination oven-steamer. While the pricey but
versatile apparatus is hardly standard equipment in most kitchens, it is
increasingly visible everywhere from hotels to college foodservice to casual
concepts and white-tablecloth restaurants.
It’s commonly known as
the “combi” because it has three modes of cooking—convection heat, steam and a
combination of both—in a single unit. Each mode can be applied separately or in
a series of steps programmed into onboard memory. It can steam, bake, roast,
poach and, in some cases, grill, fry and smoke food, typically faster than
using individual pieces of equipment to do those tasks and with lower labor and
skill requirements. The multifunctional
oven replaces other pieces of equipment and saves kitchen space.
“They’re pretty
wonderful machines,” said Joseph Friel, executive chef of the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Miss.,
part of the MGM Mirage group.
When the 1,740-room
luxury property last year underwent a $550 million renovation after Hurricane
Katrina, the food and beverage department received new double-stack Rational
combis.
“I always wanted one,
but until the renovation, it wasn’t in the budget,” Friel says.
One of the things he
especially likes about the combi is its probe-controlled cooking feature. A
temperature sensor probe inserted into a piece of meat halts the cooking when
it reaches a preset internal core temperature. That eliminates the judgment
involved in roasting, cuts down on costly mistakes and enables less-skilled
employees to produce high-quality results.
BR Prime also relies on the combi to steam lobsters, crab legs and
vegetables.
“It’s in constant use
from 5:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. every night,” said chef Anthony Caratozzolo.
He notes that the
combination of moist steam and convection heat cooks proteins with less
shrinkage and more consistency than a traditional convection
oven. The probe has even automated the baking of croutons, which are
prone to burn in a convection
oven if the chef leaves them a moment too long.
“We just insert the
probe into one of the croutons and a buzzer goes off when they’re done,”
Caratozzolo said.
Moreover, the combi is
the fastest way to reheat bags of frozen gumbo, chicken noodle soup and baked
beans from the property’s on-site cook-chill system.
“No one has to stir a
pot,” Friel said. “There’s no burned, wasted food.”
The growing use of
technology to boost efficiency is one of the top industry trends noted in the National Restaurant
Association 2007 Forecast. The association expects full-service
operators in particular to be more focused on raising productivity by
integrating technological solutions.
A new double-deck combi
at Davidson College, near Charlotte, N.C., replaced a faltering steamer and
allowed the move of a convection
oven to the bakeshop, said executive chef Craig Mombert. One of his
favorite applications is slow-cooking barbecued ribs overnight in the combi. He
seasons the ribs, inserts a probe and sets the temperature to 160 degrees
Fahrenheit.
“When it hits that
temperature, it holds the meat perfectly without overcooking,” Mombert said.
The Electrolux combi at
La Goulue in Bal Harbour, Fla., produces moist, tender braised veal, said
Christian Delouvrier, chef and co-owner. He recommends a 75-25 ratio of
convection heat to steam for best results.
The double-stack combi
at Bank of America in Charlotte, N.C., helps the foodservice team prep quickly for its typical
1,250 daily meals. The key uses are steaming rice and vegetables, reheating
frozen soup, and cooking proteins.
“If we need anything
fired off quickly, like grilled chicken or roasted vegetables, we put it on
half-sheet pans
in the combi,” said Benjamin Cadmus, executive chef of the Restaurant
Associates account.
Price may be the last hurdle
for chefs.
“It’s not cheap,” Friel
said, noting that his kitchen’s combi cost about $48,000.
Mombert said: “We paid
close to $40,000 for our two units. But it’s something that could pay for
itself, especially if you can eliminate other pieces of equipment and program
all sorts of dishes for easier cooking.”
