Care Home Catering, OVENS, COMBIS AND MICROWAVES
1. What are the relative pros and cons for each of these three alternative cooking methods?
A RATIONAL combi steamer is a versatile cooking appliance that combines several cooking methods, such as steaming, convection, and combination cooking. It's designed for commercial kitchens and offers precise temperature and humidity control, making it ideal for preparing a wide range of dishes. While there are pros and cons of each cooking method, using them in combination can offer great advantages, with the latest development by RATIONAL the iHexagon, RATIONAL have succeeded in coordinating steam, hot air and microwave technology so intelligently that the highest food quality is possible in the shortest possible time. The iClimateBoost cooking assistant intelligently adjusts steam, convection, and microwave heat to the respective food. This allows operators to produce the highest food quality in the shortest possible time meaning it may not have to be ‘either or.’
2. What should care home caterers consider before they purchase?
With energy prices still high on the agenda care home caterers should consider energy and cost savings. The RATIONAL iCombi Pro combi-steamer offers intelligence, using 18 %* less energy, reduces cost of goods by up to 15 %* and requires more than 40 %* less working time compared to the predecessor model. All iCombi Pro models are ENERGY STAR certified, ensuring RATIONAL customers purchase energy-efficient equipment surpassing stringent ENERGY STAR targets, achieving significantly higher energy savings than non-certified ovens due to improved insulation and advanced door glass coating.
Additionally, RATIONAL iCombi Pro steamers are the first in the Combi Oven category for Professional Foodservice Equipment on the UK's Energy Technology List (ETL), highlighting RATIONAL's commitment to sustainability. The ETL helps businesses and consumers make informed decisions on energy-efficient equipment, assuring customers of the highest standards in energy efficiency.
What special features should they look out for?
Mixed loading is a particularly useful in care home catering. Signature Care Home Group currently operates thirteen care homes across London and the south of England. Their kitchen features the iCombi Pro combi-steamer. Chris Burdett, Signature’s Group Food and Beverage Manager, highlights the iCombi Pro’s impressive innovations, which boost productivity by 50% while reducing cooking times and energy consumption by 10% compared to its predecessor. “The iCombi Pro has truly revolutionized our operations,” Chris explains. “For instance, we can cook a variety of breakfast items simultaneously without the constant worry of burning them. We can even set it up to slow roast overnight, freeing up valuable time during the day.”
The iProductionManager feature in the iCombi Pro further streamlines meal preparation, allowing different dishes to be ready at the same time. “This significantly simplifies our kitchen workflow,” Chris adds. “Previously, we relied on multiple timers to manage different appliances, but with the RATIONAL cooking systems, once we set the programs, we can focus on other tasks without having to monitor everything constantly.”
4. How important are cleaning and maintenance regimes?
It is essential to have stringent cleaning, hygiene and food safety standards. RATIONAL combi-steamers come equipped with a self-cleaning function that can be programmed to run at specific intervals. This ensures regular cleaning, minimising the accumulation of grease and other contaminants that might compromise hygiene standards and lead to potential breakdowns.
The iCareSystem's intelligent cleaning feature assesses the current level of grime in the iCombi Pro, providing a cleaning recommendation. This includes the optimal quantity of cleaner and descaler required to achieve the best results. Operators can realise up to 50% reduction in cleaner consumption and up to 30% reduction in water usage, eliminating the need for water softening or manual descaling since the iCombi Pro handles descaling automatically. There is even an ultra-fast 12-minute interim clean option, for those busier kitchens needing a quick turnaround in service.
Compliance with legal requirements is essential to the operation and reputation of a care home particularly when catering to vulnerable residents. RATIONAL combi-steamers incorporate features that align seamlessly with the principles of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP). These principles are essential for identifying and managing potential food safety risks. Connected cooking systems facilitate the documentation and tracking of HACCP-related data, simplifying the task of adhering to food safety regulations. HACCP data is automatically recorded and documented up to six months retroactively without any gaps. Controlling and downloading HACCP data: HACCP data can be easily saved with just a click so that you can always have evidence at hand.
