Combi steamer

[5] Combi-steamer technology has fundamentally transformed the industrial-scale food preparation process, as the devices replace around half of conventional cooking appliances.

[6] Numerous other manufacturers have entered this new market segment— today, over fifty companies around the world offer combi steamers, although that number also includes many industrial kitchen suppliers who merely purchase and rebrand the units.

Combining convection and steam heat utilizes the advantages provided by each cooking method, yielding tender meat with a crisp outer crust.

Combi steamers replace practically all conventional industrial-scale cooking appliances, such as convection ovens, stoves, pots and grills.

More and more modern units operate using electronic sensor controls, which provide additional advantages in terms of both food preparation options and time efficiency.

These rolling carts make it possible to transfer entire batches of prepared containers in and out of the combi steamer all at once, which keeps loss of heat through the open door to a minimum.

On most manufacturers' models, the extremely high-output steam generators are at risk of experiencing rapid calcification, so the water connected must not have hardness levels over 6 °dH (107.1 ppm).

The devices also have exhaust-air lines to release steam into the surrounding air; they may also give off aromas and grease or oil, depending on the cooking method being used.

DIN 18866 (Industrial kitchen appliances - fan, steam and combination ovens; German Institute for Standardization, June 2003) specifies the minimum requirements for combi steamers.

The household appliances are largely similar to those used in professional gastronomy, with the following differences: Manufacturers distinguish between combination devices with the same dimensions as standard household ovens (SMS: 76.2 cm, including drawer) and compact half-size devices (SMS: 38.1 cm) that may be either only steam ovens, or combined steamers with baking functions.

The size of the usable cooking chamber space may vary based on the method used to generate steam and the location of the water container.