Combi Oven Buying Guide

Combi ovens are ideal for a number of different kitchens. Traditionally, combis are better suited to kitchens that offer a wider range of menu items. Catering and banquet operations, buffets, and institutional cafeterias are among the most common operations that invest in combi ovens, as they tend to offer tremendous selections of food that change on a daily basis. As one of the most versatile machines around, they can roast, poach, steam, grill, bake, shallow fry and even sous vide or smoke food.

Nowadays, combis can be widely found in various chicken roasting operations, bakeries, and other commercial cooking environments. So, how exactly do you decide on which combi oven to buy? 

Size 

Though they were originally only available in large models, combis now come in a variety of sizes.  When trying to size your ideal combi, first decide on a footprint.  Most combis fit pans front to back, and there are four main pan types combis are designed to fit: 2/3 hotel pans, full size hotel pans, half sized sheet pans, and full sized sheet pans.  Though most standard combis have a different shape footprint than standard ovens (which usually accommodate pans left to right), there are a number of combi / hydrovection ovens that are designed to fit in the footprint of full size and half size convection ovens.  It is important to take note of the room available and the desired footprint when shopping, but bear in mind the volume of cooking your combi will be doing as well.  A 2/3 size 6 hotel pan capacity combi may fit on a counter, but it will obviously not cook as much food as a roll-in 20 sheet pan capacity combi oven. 

Boiler Options

Combis are available with and without boiler units.  These boilers keep hot water in steady supply so that steam is continually available, and units without them create steam by injecting water directly on the heating elements.  Most all large models of combi ovens will come with a boiler because of the sheer volume of steam needed, and most smaller units will not require a boiler to maintain proper humidity levels.  Mid-sized combi ovens, can be found in both configurations, however, and businesses that will be using steam more often than not while using their oven or using it for extended periods would be wise to invest in a combi with a boiler.

Available Control Options

The control panels for combis will vary by manufacturer, however most offer two primary control panels.

The first is a manual control panel. Manual control panels are the basic control packages that come with combis, and feature manual knobs to adjust temperature, humidity, and cook function / fan function. These combis usually have a timer, and from time to time will have an optional cooking probe to stop the cooking process when product reaches a specific temperature. 

Digital or programmable control panels operate with a digital user interface, and though the controls can be adjusted manually like with a manual control panel, they also have a number of programmable preset baking programs that can be saved.  Combis with a programmable control panels almost always have a temperature probe for precise cooking, and also have additional features such as a self-cleaning cycle, pre-programmed cook cycles for specific menu items, and even USB interfaces so recipes can be uploaded. 

In kitchens that will be using their combi in a relatively straight-forward manner, a manual control panel may be the prudent choice, but kitchens looking to maximize the versatility of their oven would do well to invest in a combi with a digital control panel.