The foodservice industry has changed rapidly over the past several years. The cost of everything from rent to utilities to food to labor continues to rise.
Labor is also an increasingly complex challenge. At the same time, consumer tastes continue to change, with new flavors and menu items increasingly in demand.
How is an operator to navigate these rapid changes? Ventless, easy-to-use, consistent and multifunctional ovens are the future of kitchen operations. Multi-cook ovens check off all these needs and more.
What is a Multi-Cook Oven?
At their core, multi-cook ovens do what the name implies: combine multiple cooking functions into a single unit. Alto-Shaam created the category in 2017 with the introduction of Vector multi-cook ovens and later evolved with Converge multi-cook ovens. These units offer up to four ovens in one, each chamber with independent temperature, fan speed and cook-time control.
The benefits of incorporating a multi-cook oven into a kitchen includes:
1. Space savings
Alto-Shaam’s multi-cook ovens can cook food using techniques including air frying, roasting, grilling, and steaming, all at the same time in separate chambers. These capabilities eliminate the need for multiple pieces of equipment, allowing expanded functionality in a smaller footprint. In addition, all models are stackable, allowing for even greater throughput in the same amount of space.
2. Labor savings
Multi-cook ovens provide simple recipe programming, so staff of all ability levels can cook at the touch of a button. Operators can create menu presets, and then anyone on the line can reproduce it with the right ingredients. Because of Alto-Shaam’s patented, vertical airflow, there is also no need for employees to watch or rotate pans.
3. Ventless operation
Alto-Shaam multi-cook ovens are certified ventless under EPA Method 202 for raw proteins, eliminating the need for costly ventilation systems. This provides flexibility when designing a kitchen layout, allowing foodservice operations in spaces where ventilation systems may not be feasible. It also offers the ability for businesses such as bars or convenience stores to easily add a foodservice program.
4. Expanded menus
A multi-cook oven allows operators to incorporate menu items that may not have been feasible with traditional cooking equipment. Diners are increasingly gravitating away from deep-fried foods, for example, and the ability to add roasted, steamed, or air-fried items to the menu allows operators to increase their customer base and profits.
5. Improved consistency & food quality
Operators can produce high-quality food on demand with consistent results every time. The secret to Alto-Shaam’s multi-cook ovens is the company’s exclusive Structured Air Technology, which delivers high-velocity, vertical upward and downward airflow through the oven. This optimized, focused heat creates vertical curtains of air that deliver faster and more even cooking than other methods. The oven’s programmable recipes also ensure a consistent product every time, no matter how inexperienced the kitchen staff may be. No microwaves or inconsistent cooking methods such as a stovetop or grill are required.
