Posted on 20th Dec 2010 @ 3:39 PM

The property boom of the last few years has sent the prices of commercial premises rocketing – particularly on town-centre units. One result of that is that many businesses have found canny ways to get a great deal into a small location, and a particularly effective method of saving space is to invest in a combi-oven. Combi-ovens are masterfully versatile, and can cope with many different kinds of cooking task – they can bake, roast and steam, as well as dry-fry chips and battered or breaded products using their own fat. Of course, this means that one piece of equipment can take the place of two or more. The combi-oven’s multi-functionality enables chefs to put many different foods through it in a single day, making use of several different cooking methods consecutively. For example, meat can be roasted, fish and vegetables steamed and bread and pastry products finished off – all in an afternoon. The power of steam The secret to the combi-oven’s success lies in its design. In common with ordinary ovens, it uses dry heat, which can be still or fan-driven, but unlike conventional ovens it also uses steam, which is injected into the oven whenever the food inside needs it. In fact, an alternative name for the oven is the combi-steamer. Of course, the combi-oven’s unparallelled ability to complete many different cooking tasks one after the other means that it can be filled with just as many different cooking smells, as well as food residue. This means that a comprehensive cleaning routine needs to be instated to avoid the unwanted transfer of flavours from one dish to another. However, this should be no more than any competent catering professional is capable of, especially given the fact that the combi-oven may well be doing the work of two or more alternative pieces of equipment – which would all have to be cleaned separately anyway. And besides, a little cleaning can be a good thing – especially when it means you’ll have more space in your kitchen to be creative in! Do you want to save space and make your kitchen more versatile? Caterquip UK is the nation’s leading expert in reconditioned commercial kitchen equipment – including combi ovens. All our catering equipment is serviced, tested, cleaned and re-tested as new. We offer the highest-quality brands at affordable prices – without the depressing first-year depreciation costs of brand-new equipment. Our highly-trained staff have in-depth knowledge of every piece of equipment we sell, and we’re happy to give free, realistic advice on kitchen-planning and budgeting. Just click on the links to find out more, or call us on 01733 777 778.