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16 FEDA News & Views continued on page 22 Foster Frable The Time for Combi Ovens has Come By Foster Frable Jr., Clevenger Frable LaVallee fosterf@cfldesign.com F irst a bit of history. The combination oven-steamer, or combi as it's often called, is a cooking technology that's been around for almost 40 years—invented in Germany and imported to the U.S. for more than 25 years. The early designs had little or no programming or pre-set capacities and depended on chefs to calculate the right settings to balance convected heat and steam. In the next round of development, more Italian and German cooking equipment manufacturers joined the fray and began producing their own versions of the original combi models, often with lower quality components. A number of these units were imported or licensed for domestic assembly by American manufacturers. However, very few of the units were success- ful in the marketplace because they offered few advantages over separate convection ovens and steamers. The size of the large units exceeded the dimensions of traditional steamers or convection ovens, so they were not practical to use in renova- tions or equipment upgrades. In addition, the limited controls challenged most chefs and operators. In the few applications where chain restaurants adapted combi ovens for specific menus, costly repairs led to scrapping those programs. While the combi continued to replace steam- ers and convection ovens in Europe, the negative experiences in the U.S. led to an almost total lack of interest from chefs or operators. The value of the combination of steam and convec- tion, or "combi" mode, was either too difficult to program or too hard to train chefs to use them properly. At the time, overselling the technology created high expectations that could never be realized. This perception still lingers in today's marketplace even though technology has caught up to those high expectations. The Evolution of the Combi in the U.S. The primary combi manufacturers that are now recognized in the U.S.—Rational, Alto-Shaam, Cleveland Convotherm, Eloma, Electrolux, and Lainox began to develop programmable controls with probes and sensors that would bring greater flexibility. At the same time, they also created accessories so the combi could produce a much wider range of food prepara- tions. Combi ovens could now emulate grilling, frying, broiling, and even smoking. Most important, the new controls allowed the "combi" function to become a true "third cooking" mode. In many operations, this is clearly the primary and most valu- able cooking mode for the combi. Combi manufacturers have also resolved issues with a self-cleaning mode—an important benefit of a combi over most convection ovens or standard steamers. The self-cleaning system eliminates the risks of outsourced manual cleaning that could potentially damage the inside of the combi dur- ing the cleaning process. Unfortunately, one of the larger combi manufacturers developed systems with wash arms and other mechanical accessories that created yet another barrier toward ease of use and reliability. To their credit, the manufac- turer realized their mistake and came up with simple solutions that didn't require external hardware. Cleaning has evolved from manual spray and rinse to remote- ly pumping liquid chemicals, and now integrated cleaning/ rinsing tablets. Today cleaning systems are fully automated and require little interaction from the operator, offering labor sav- ings, consistent cleaning results, and extending the life cycle of the equipment by protecting the operator investment. Many manufacturers offer multiple cleaning modes, ranging from a rinse mode to "extra-heavy-duty" cleaning. Because it can take months before calcium/lime scale build- up creates technical problems, the most modern combi mod- els are now manufactured to recognize the accumulation of soil after a day of cooking and steaming. If scale builds up, the controls show the operator the automatic cleaning level that should be selected, and the combi cleans itself, taking out the scale from the steam generator. A side benefit to this system is that a water-softening process is not necessary for a combi that is used in hard-water areas. Manufacturers are so con- fident about this feature that they offer a two-year warranty and an extended warranty option on the steam generator of up to five years. The trend within the industry is that boilerless technology continues to gain popularity. Early on there were few brands that offered this version of steam generation, but it's now offered by most manufacturers, at least an as option. Some have made it a standard design feature because of concerns