A Combi Oven Can Save Your School Time and Money

What do you know about ovens in elementary, middle, and high school kitchens? Answers to this question may differ quite a bit depending on who is being asked, the location of the school district school, and the number of years the kitchen staff has in the foodservice industry. 

Whether a school district wants to save time or money (probably both), ensuring that growing children and teens consume fresh food is always the highest priority. Therefore, giving cafeteria teams the right tools to prepare and cook healthy dishes quickly is essential to a successful meal program. Here are a few cost-effective solutions to help school cafeterias become more efficient and serve delicious meals that students won't complain about when they get home.

Give Time Back to Kitchen Staff

Combi ovens help save time in the kitchen by allowing school chefs to cook various school meals all at once. Kitchen teams can use a combi oven for baking, steaming, roasting, and grilling. Since larger batches of food are produced with increased efficiency and cooked more evenly, the foodservice team can get meals in front of hungry students faster.

Investing in the right combi oven saves time in school kitchens and produces consistently high-quality meals for K-12 students. Imagine preparing meals for an entire student body days in advance! Additional features that may compel school districts to implement combi ovens include:

• Cooking in large batches requires less staff and decreases the number of hours logged
• Programmable auto-cook features that save time and help monitor the cooking process
• Advanced heating controls that quickly and evenly reheat meals the first time, every time

The innovation of combi ovens gives precious time back to school districts. Busy chefs and cafeteria staff gain back hours to proactively focus on sustainability and growth initiatives like reducing food waste or health and wellness advancements in school foodservice.

Save Money for Your School District

Implementing a combi oven into a school foodservice program helps districts save money by reducing the need for multiple pieces of kitchen equipment. Since a combi oven combines the functions of a traditional oven, steamer, and convection oven, schools only need to invest in one piece of equipment rather than multiple. Additionally, the programmable technology of combi ovens that cooks food with more speed and efficiency also reduces energy costs.

What’s more, combi ovens reduce food waste. They pair steam and convection cooking which then allows breakfast and lunch foods to be cooked rapidly and uniformly. No need to discard half a pan of baked ziti or reheat chicken cutlets that end up losing flavor and moisture. In addition to saving more food, the positive results of combi ovens in schools include: 

• Less overcooked food
• Better texture, flavor, and color 
• Happier K-12 diners, parents, and school leaders 

Combi ovens are an ideal way for school cafeterias to save time, money, and energy. They can be more efficient than traditional ovens, reduce energy costs, and lead to increased student engagement in K-12 school meal programs. They can also help school nutrition directors improve food quality, increasing student satisfaction. If you’re a school foodservice operator, nutrition director, chef, or K-12 consultant looking to improve revenues and efficiencies in a school kitchen, then PRW and combi ovens have cost-cutting solutions.

Let our team help your school district select the best combi ovens solution for your meal program.