News – 2024-07-01
When the old kitchen equipment has reached the end of its life or is no longer sufficient to keep production running smoothly, it may make sense for restaurateurs to purchase a combi-steamer. Modern cooking systems combine convection ovens and steamers and are often equipped with intelligent features. Mr Tumbrink from RATIONAL explains why the investment is worthwhile.
“An intelligent combi-steamer offers significant savings potential compared to conventional cooking appliances,” says Theodor Tumbrink, Vice President Product Management at RATIONAL. "For example, an iCombi Pro from RATIONAL can roast, grill, bake, deep-fry, braise, steam and stew. This means that restaurateurs only need one cooking system instead of many - eliminating the maintenance and repair costs of different kitchen equipment on top of the initial purchase cost."
When it comes to savings, energy costs must also be discussed: According to ENGIE Impact, almost 80 per cent of annual energy costs in the hospitality industry are due to energy-inefficient food preparation, storage and preservation.
“In addition to the refrigerator and dishwasher, conventional cooking appliances are the main culprits,” Mr Tumbrink. Modern combi-steamers, on the other hand, use much less energy. An iCombi Pro from RATIONAL, for example, saves up to 70% energy compared to conventional cooking systems thanks to its high performance, intelligent cooking programs and maximum utilisation of the cooking cabinet.
Further savings can be made in the use of raw materials. "Cooking in the iCombi Pro requires almost no fat, reducing oil purchase and disposal costs by up to 95%,” says Mr Tumbrink. Restaurateurs can also expect a lower cost of goods with it comes to seafood and meat because the iCombi Pro's precise climate control minimises cooking losses by up to 25%. A third point: If food is always of the desired quality, there is no need to throw it away. "The intelligence of the cooking system is crucial," explains Mr Tumbrink. "The iCombi Pro controls the cooking processes completely independently. All the operator has to do is load the food, select the desired cooking path and be confident that the combi-steamer will deliver the same high quality result every time."
This also makes life easier for the kitchen staff, explains Mr Tumbrink: "Both the cooking and cleaning processes are fully automatic. As a result, staff are no longer required to perform routine tasks such as checking the cooking process or manual cleaning of the cooking system. The time saved ideally adds up to a working time saving of up to 60%."
Thanks to cost savings in energy, raw materials and labour, an iCombi Pro can pay for itself in less than a year, Mr Tumbrink says. Added to this is the high unit quality: All cooking systems are developed, tested and manufactured according to the "One Man - One Unit" principle in Landsberg am Lech in southern Germany, where one employee is responsible for an iCombi Pro from start to finish. All this means that RATIONAL cooking systems often operate for more than ten years - sometimes even thirty to forty years. Mr Tumbrink concludes: "While it may be tempting to go for the cheapest kitchen equipment, it will cost you more in the long run. High-quality, modern combi-steamers, on the other hand, are more durable and cost-effective in everyday use."
Interested parties can find out more about the iCombi Pro at rational-online.com and calculate the individual savings potential for their company at roi.rational-online.com .