Commercial combi oven or commercial steam oven: what does it mean?
Whether you call it a combi oven, steam oven, or combination oven, a combi oven is an advanced piece of professional kitchen equipment designed to combine heat, air, and steam in a single appliance. Unlike traditional ovens which rely solely on radiant heat (commercial static ovens) or hot air circulation (commercial convection ovens), commercial combi ovens add a key element that helps broaden cooking possibilities and accelerate cooking times by 20% (compared to standard commercial convection ovens): steam.
In addition to unlocking dozens of cooking techniques, a combi oven helps commercial kitchens simplify operators’ daily work, save space, and serve consistent, high-quality food.
What can you cook with a commercial combi oven?
The multifunctionality of professional combi ovens make them suitable for a wide array of cooking techniques. Whether you’re baking pastries, roasting meats, steaming vegetables, grilling fish, broiling garlic bread, reheating pre-cooked product, or cooking sous-vide, a combi oven can handle it all.
Combi ovens allow professional chefs to prepare multiple dishes simultaneously, without flavor transfer, and give maximum control over temperature, fan speeds, and humidity. The result of cooking with a commercial combi oven is a consistently perfect dish.
This unmatched versatility is what makes combi ovens a staple in commercial kitchens worldwide. Considering buying a commercial combi oven? We’ll cover key features to look for, total cost of ownership considerations, and even FAQs. Read on.
4 Key features & buying considerations for commercial combi ovens
Choosing the right commercial combi oven means evaluating key factors that affect performance, efficiency, and compliance. Here are four essential aspects to consider before you buy.
1. Combi oven size & tray capacity
When you begin your search for the right commercial combi oven, start with production volume. Always check both tray count and tray size to be sure the oven can meet peak-hour demand without bottlenecks, fitting into your professional kitchen’s layout and workflow.
Combi ovens, or steam ovens, are designed to accommodate Gastronorm (GN) trays, a standardized sizing system widely used in professional kitchens across the globe. Choosing the right GN tray format is essential when planning your workflow, storage needs, and equipment compatibility.
Large- and medium-sized restaurants usually need a 7- or 10-tray (GN 1/1 or GN 2/1) commercial combi oven. GN 1/1 tray is the industry standard size (20”×12”), which fits most combi ovens, blast chillers, and food transport trolleys. If your restaurant is higher volume, the GN 2/1 tray (25”x20”) may be a better fit.
Bakeries and pastry kitchens should align tray format and commercial combi oven size with your specific production flow. Many pastry programs prefer countertop or compact professional ovens compatible with GN 1/1 or GN 2/3 (13”x12”) trays especially when working with sheet pans and precise batch sizes.
For operations such as QSRs (quick serve restaurants), cafés, food trucks, ghost kitchens, or convenience stores, kitchen space is often limited and speed of service is key. In these cases, opting for a professional compact combi oven (e.g., 5-trays GN 1/1 or GN 2/3) allows you to maintain high output levels without overcrowding the workspace. These commercial ovens models are ideal for operations serving up to 50-100 meals per day.
In contrast, large-scale food production sites like hotels, casinos, hospitals, ghost kitchens, or commissary kitchens often require even higher capacities. A roll-in commercial combi oven that supports 16 or 20 trays enables chefs to cook multiple full loads simultaneously, drastically increasing efficiency. These units make the most of vertical space, reduce batch turnover times, and are suitable for producing hundreds of portions in a single cycle.
2. Combi oven power source & energy strategy
What power you have available will be the next step in narrowing down your search. Electric models offer precise temperature control and suit all-electric builds or venues without gas service.
Gas models can leverage existing utility infrastructure and, in some markets, carry lower energy-cost parity.
Look for low-idle energy consumption, rapid heat recovery, and, if sustainability is a priority, independent test data that verifies savings.
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