Winning combinations

01 January 2000
Winning combinations

Most chefs are rapidly overcoming their fears of using combination ovens, and are starting to make full use of the different facilities on offer.

Neil Roseweir, Falcon Catering Equipment's development chef, has trained more than 3,000 chefs and catering staff to cook with combis. "There is no doubt that chefs have traditionally suffered from a bit of techno-fear," he says.

"But they are now moving with the times. While the technology may be advanced, the operation is simple, and any preconceived ideas chefs may have about programming a piece of equipment soon disappear."

It is not always easy to make the mental adjustment to faster cooking times, though. Steve Snow, sales and marketing director of Frialator International, says: "Combination ovens must be pre-heated and loaded correctly to avoid uneven cooking.

"To take their efficiency into account, adjustments need to be made to cooking temperatures when changing from traditional to combination ovens, and air must be allowed to circulate freely around the oven chamber for perfect results."

Combis are often "sold" on their energy-saving attributes, using devices such as Zanussi's Eco-Logic, and Electrolux's Eco-Jet. Both of these monitor the steam in the combis to reduce water and energy consumption by up to 75%.

Hobart has a Radius Plus burner on its 12 series gas combis, which reduces fuel consumption by supplying direct heat to the oven cavity.

Roseweir sums up what he sees as the advantages: "Quite simply, the combi cooks quicker and is more energy-efficient. With steam-injection, the colour, flavour and texture of many food items is much better.

"You get better yield and more portions for your endeavours. It always performs consistently, which gives you more time to attend to other things in the kitchen such as menu planning," he adds.

A number of chefs who have recently bought combis told Caterer how easy they are to use and what difference it has made to their cooking.

Michael Ross, head chef at the residence and catering department, University of Strathclyde, operates five combis in his Glasgow kitchens.

"I couldn't go back to using conventional ovens," he says. "The combi speeds everything up and is incredibly versatile. I can have the ovens split with dry heat for my roasts and steam for my vegetables. I can take my food straight from the combi in bains-marie and plate it up. From start to finish I can now turn around 200 main courses in less than an hour.

"I think once you get the basic principles, they are easy to operate. I suspect, however, that a lot of chefs stick to the basics and don't maximise the potential of a combi.

"It can do so many different jobs, and when you have four or five going at the same time, you can do virtually anything from baking, roasting and steaming to boiling. You name it, combis do it."

Ian Dobson, food production manager of Central Production Unit (CPU) at Birmingham NEC says: "We produce anything from a bun to a banquet."

On any given day, the requirement can vary. For instance, 200 meals may have to be prepared for in-house staff and contractors, or 125,000 exhibition visitors may be clamouring to buy such items as egg and bacon buns from the NEC fast food stands.

There are 80 Convotherm combination ovens at the NEC complex, six 20/20 models were installed in the CPU when it was opened in 1989.

"We have found the combis to be versatile, reliable and user-friendly," says Dobson.

The combis are operated by skilled staff who train alongside supervisory chefs before working alone.

"We prefer to let the more experienced operators use the combi ovens," adds Dobson.

"When you look at the number of different functions on a combi, you would need at least four different pieces of equipment to replace it," he adds. "There is steaming; bio-steam for delicate poaching such as fillet of sole; steam convect; and baking. That would take up a lot of valuable space."

On-site maintenance staff are available at CPU when required, "but, apart from the odd broken thermostat, we have had few problems. They just seem to go on and on. The fact that we have got 80 speaks for itself, we are more than happy."

Mark Gregory, chef at Brocket Hall golf club and conference centre at Welwyn, Hertfordshire, was given the opportunity to design the kitchen for the new clubhouse facility that opened earlier this year. The kitchen had to provide meals for the à la carte club restaurant and the new banqueting facility.

Gregory's aim was to maximise efficiency both in the layout of the kitchen and through the equipment installed. "It is not an original idea," he says, "it is an American concept - you invest in equipment to minimise labour costs."

Working with Hobart, Gregory came up with a shopping list that included a Hobart gas combination oven and central island Comby Chef cooking suite.

"You have to look at your first three years' operating costs. We are serving breakfast, lunch and dinner to club members seven days a week, with banqueting at least five days a week, and we are running the kitchen with five staff.

"We are saving at least one chef's salary a year. That pays for a big chunk of the investment in equipment over the first three years and, of course, the island suite will still be here in 20 years' time."

The combi oven is dedicated to the banqueting area, and can be managed by a single operator. "Kitchens everywhere are trying to de-skill, and the combi achieves just that by using the temperature probe, which is a marvellous invention."

With a probe inserted into a tureen or joint, the combi is programmed to the correct temperature, which is then maintained without over-cooking the food before it is needed.

Gregory is also pleased with the results of using the combined roast and steam functions on the combi. "It reduces shrinkage and gives a much better yield," he says.

One claimed attribute yet to be assessed at Brocket Hall is the combi oven's ability to regenerate pre-prepared meals. "It is possible to remove the cooking trays and insert a plate-stacking system into the combi, which in theory allows one person to regenerate 50 or 60 meals. But I haven't yet seen a system that does that effectively because of the density issue - steak has a very different density to carrots.

"However, Hobart has assured me that the system can work, so we are waiting for the plate-stacking system to arrive so we can give it a try."

Derek Savage, catering and lodge manager at Blue Boar Services, Johnstone Bridge, on the M74, had had no experience of combis when he joined the company earlier this year. Now, with two programmable Falcon combis, he and his team turn round thousands of main courses and vegetables every day.

"We use them for all sorts of things, from fish and vegetables to hot pies, lasagnes, cottage pies and hot pots. I reckon we have cut our costs and time in half by using the combis," says Savage. "That is important in a motorway operation where fast turnover of fresh food is vital.

"It is particularly useful to have a cook and hold facility," he adds. "When trade slows, we can maintain food without losing any quality."

Savage believes the technology is simple to operate and anyone can get to grips with it quickly. "We rotate the staff around different departments - beverage, preparation, baking and so on, and after a very short space of time everybody in our kitchens picked up how to use it and use it to its full potential."

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