From Convection to Combi: Which Commercial Oven Do You Need?

A mainstay in many traditional commercial kitchens, convection ovens have a fan to help circulate air inside the oven chamber. As a result of this fan technology, heat flows more evenly through the oven, resulting in faster cooking times and improved consistency among finished products. Full-size and half-size floor models are available, as are "bakery-depth" units to accommodate large pans and countertop convection ovens for compact kitchens.

Conveyor ovens offer consistency and precision in cooking, as the belt speed and cooking temperature can be adjusted to ensure each product that passes through is cooked identically. Ideal for high-volume locations and especially popular in pizzerias, operators can simply place the product at the opening of the oven and wait for finished food to come out the other end of the unit. These are available in either countertop or floor models. Ventless units are built with technology that eliminates grease-laden vapors and, depending on local ordinances, the need for it to be installed near a hood.

Impinger ovens may look similar to conveyor ovens but they use jets of pressurized air in conjunction with radiant heating to significantly speed up the cooking process. This technology makes impinger ovens an excellent choice for high-volume operations that must quickly cook food to shorten wait times or meet production demands during peak hours.

Often called pizza ovens, deck ovens have a wider array of available designs than some other types of commercial ovens, with aesthetically pleasing units meant for front-of-house use or visibility in open kitchens. Commercial deck ovens use a natural convection airflow and cook items on a "deck" usually made of ceramic, metal (such as stainless steel), or stone.

As their name suggests, high-speed ovens rapidly cook food using one or more types of heat, such as convection, impingement, infrared, or microwave technology. These are often used as supplementary ovens in larger operations or as the primary oven in cafes and other low-volume operations that produce snacks, appetizers, pastries, and other quick meals.

With cook-and-hold ovens, operators can cook food and then hold it without worrying about it drying out or falling below safe temperatures. These ovens can be switched to the holding function once the cooking stage is complete, but for hands-off convenience, most units can be programmed to automatically change the operating mode.

Combi ovens – also known as combination oven/steamers and convection steam ovens – combine steam and convection heat to offer the best of both oven and steam cooking. This type of commercial oven can be a versatile, powerful cooking option for preparing vegetables, rice, seafood, poultry, and other popular meal components. These can contain a built-in boiler, called boiler-based units, or create steam with an open water reservoir or spritzer, known as boilerless units.

Commercial toaster ovens are suitable for coffee shops, healthcare facilities, hospitality businesses, and other low-volume foodservice concepts needing to melt, toast, and warm appetizers and snacks such as sandwiches, finger foods, and pastries. This quintessential piece of countertop cooking equipment is available in single- or double-rack designs.

When outdoor cooking isn't feasible, smoker ovens are used to give proteins, vegetables, and other meal components a familiar barbecued flavor. These come in a wide variety of styles, from floor models designed for roasting pork to portable units that infuse smaller batches of ingredients with a smoky flavor. Full- and half-size smoker ovens may also be programmed to hold food after it's finished cooking.

Rotisserie ovens are frequently used in grocery stores and convenience stores to easily cook moist, flavorful chicken in an eye-catching display. Available in floor models and countertop units, this type of commercial oven is sized by the number of birds it can cook at one time.

Proofer ovens conveniently combine a convection oven with a proofing cabinet in a single footprint. These all-in-one solutions are great for sandwich shops, bakeries, and other foodservice operations that serve freshly baked bread, but aren't necessary in businesses without in-house bread products on the menu.

High-volume kitchens may benefit from the production capacity and versatility of a rack oven. These large units provide both steam and dry heat, making them suitable for baking, browning, and cooking. They ensure food cooks evenly by moving pans around the cabinet on rotating racks.