How to use steamers and combi ovens for large batch cooking
How to Choose Steamers, Combi Ovens and Kettles for High-Volume Food Production
Central & Commissary Kitchens
Institutional & Canteen Foodservice
Hospitals & Healthcare Kitchens
Schools, Colleges & Universities
Hotels & Banqueting Operations
Catering & Meal Production Facilities
Institutional & Canteen Foodservice
Hospitals & Healthcare Kitchens
Schools, Colleges & Universities
Hotels & Banqueting Operations
Catering & Meal Production Facilities
High-volume kitchens need more than a few ranges and small ovens. Steamers, combi ovens and kettles turn raw ingredients into large batches of soups, sauces, vegetables, rice and proteins on a predictable schedule, so you can feed hundreds or thousands of guests efficiently.
This guide explains how to choose and combine steamers, combi ovens and cooking kettles for high-volume food production in central kitchens, canteens, hospitals, schools, hotels and catering operations, with a focus on workflow, capacity and day-to-day practicality.
What roles do steamers, combi ovens and kettles play in high-volume cooking?
Each piece of equipment has a different job. Steamers handle gentle cooking and regeneration, combi ovens give you flexible baking and steaming modes, and kettles take over large-scale boiling and simmering tasks. Understanding these roles helps you design a balanced production line.
| Equipment Type | Core Function in High-Volume Production | Typical Use Cases & Menu Items |
|---|---|---|
|
Commercial Steamer / Steam Cabinet
commercial steamer |
Uses steam to cook or regenerate food in pans or trays. Ideal for gentle cooking of vegetables, rice, fish and dim sum-style items, as well as reheating pre-cooked dishes without drying them out. | Institutional kitchens, canteens and central kitchens that prepare large quantities of vegetables, rice, dumplings and pre-portioned meals needing moist heat. |
|
Combi Oven (Combination Oven)
combi oven |
Combines hot air and steam in different proportions. Handles roasting, baking, steaming and regeneration in programmable modes for consistent results across large batches of food. | Hotels, banqueting operations, central production kitchens and large restaurants that need versatile equipment for meats, vegetables, starches and complete tray meals. |
|
Tilting Kettle / Boiling Kettle
cooking kettle |
Large jacketed vessel, usually with a tilting mechanism. Used for cooking soups, sauces, stocks, porridge and stews in bulk, with even heating and easy emptying into containers or serving pans. | Central kitchens, hospitals, schools and catering operations that produce large volumes of liquid foods and one-pot dishes on a regular schedule. |
|
Pressure Steamer & Pressure Kettle
pressure steamer |
Operate at higher pressure to cook foods faster than conventional steamers and kettles, while still using moist heat. Support time-sensitive production environments. | Facilities with tightly timed meal windows such as transportation catering, some institutional kitchens and central production where turnaround speed is a priority. |
|
Multifunctional Bratt Pan & Cooking Vessels
bratt pan |
Large tilting pans that can fry, simmer, shallow boil and regenerate. Often complement kettles and combi ovens by handling browning and one-pan dishes. | High-volume kitchens that produce sauces, braised dishes, rice dishes and pan-cooked components that benefit from a large heated surface and flexible cooking modes. |
How can you match steamers, combi ovens and kettles to your production model?
High-volume foodservice can follow different models: cook-serve, cook-chill, cook-freeze or a mix. Your model, menu and distribution style should drive how many steamers, combi ovens and kettles you install and how you size them.
| Production Model & Operation Type | Recommended Equipment Focus | Key Planning Questions |
|---|---|---|
|
Cook-Serve Canteen & Institutional Dining
Examples: schools, staff canteens, workplace restaurants
|
Multiple steamers for vegetables and starches, combi ovens for roasted items and tray meals, and kettles for soups, sauces and one-pot dishes served the same day with limited holding time. | How many meal periods do you serve each day? How tight is the time window between cooking and service for your main meal? |
|
Cook-Chill & Cook-Freeze Central Kitchen
Examples: commissary kitchens, multi-site restaurant groups
|
Large combi ovens for batch cooking and controlled regeneration, high-capacity kettles for base sauces and components, plus steamers for vegetables and starches that will later be chilled or frozen and transported to satellite sites. | What is your daily or weekly production cycle? Which items will be finished at the central kitchen versus at the receiving units? |
|
Healthcare & Hospital Foodservice
Examples: hospitals, long-term care facilities
|
Steamers for gentle cooking of vegetables and delicate items, kettles for soups and therapeutic diets, and combi ovens for bulk tray cooking and regeneration aligned with strict meal delivery schedules. | How many different diet types do you serve per meal? How closely must cooking, plating and delivery be timed to each ward or unit? |
|
Hotel & Banqueting Production
Examples: banquet kitchens, convention centers
|
Combi ovens for roasting, baking and regenerating banquet portions, kettles for sauces and side dishes, and steamers for vegetables and rice that must be ready in time for large synchronized plate-ups or buffets. | What is your maximum banquet size per event? Do you plate in a central area or at multiple satellite plating points near the function rooms? |
|
Meal Delivery & External Catering
Examples: airline catering, school meal services
|
Steamers and combi ovens for cooking and rapid regeneration, kettles for main components that will be portioned into containers, plus holding equipment to bridge gaps between cooking, packing and dispatch times. | What are the time and distance between your production kitchen and the final service points? How will you coordinate cooking with packing and transport? |
How do steamers, combi ovens and kettles compare for different cooking tasks?
Many dishes can be cooked in more than one way. For example, vegetables might go in a steamer or a combi oven, and sauces could be prepared in kettles or large pans. Comparing options helps you choose the most practical equipment for each task.
| Cooking Task or Product | Steamer / Pressure Steamer | Combi Oven | Kettle / Pressure Kettle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetables (fresh or frozen) | Provides gentle, even steaming in GN pans or baskets. Suitable for large batches where moisture and color retention are important and minimal handling is preferred. | Steaming or combi modes can cook vegetables and roast items in the same unit, supporting flexible menus and mixed tray loading for different components. | Kettles are not usually the first choice for most vegetables except when they are part of soups or stews cooked in liquid. |
| Rice, grains & starchy sides | Steamers can cook rice and some grains in GN pans with water, producing consistent portions with minimal stirring, well suited to canteens and institutional kitchens. | Combi ovens in steam or combi modes can cook rice alongside other dishes in stacked pans, useful in space-limited kitchens with a small number of large ovens. | Kettles can handle large-volume boiling of rice or pasta, especially when integrated with draining and cooling steps in central production environments. |
| Soups, sauces & liquid dishes | Steamers are not typically used as primary equipment for liquid cooking tasks, although they may be used for reheating sealed containers in some setups. | Combi ovens can regenerate portioned soups and sauced meals in trays. They are more often used for finishing and reheating rather than initial bulk cooking of liquids. | Kettles and pressure kettles are the main tools for soup and sauce production, allowing controlled simmering and easy decanting into containers or holding vessels. |
| Proteins (meat, poultry, fish) | Steamers can cook fish and some meats gently for specific menus, particularly where texture is a priority and browning is optional or not required. | Combi ovens are well suited for roasting, steaming and regenerating protein portions, providing controlled browning, moisture and internal temperature profiles in batch cooking. | Kettles can cook proteins that are part of soups, stews and braises, often combined with vegetables and starches in one vessel. |
| Regeneration of pre-cooked meals | Steamers offer gentle reheating of sealed or covered trays where keeping moisture and texture consistent is more important than crisping surfaces. | Combi ovens allow regeneration in combi or reheat programs that balance steam and hot air to reheat mixed trays of food without overcooking delicate components. | Kettles are used more for initial production of meal components than for tray regeneration itself. |
Which features should you compare when buying steamers, combi ovens and kettles?
Once you know your basic equipment mix, focus on the design details that affect throughput, ease of use and day-to-day cleaning. Capacity, controls, loading height and water management are especially important in high-volume environments.
| Feature Category | Impact on High-Volume Operation | Questions to Ask Before Buying |
|---|---|---|
|
Capacity, Tray Size & Rack Configuration
Applies to: steamers, combi ovens
|
The number of GN or sheet pans you can load at once determines how many portions you can cook or regenerate per cycle, and whether you can run multiple menus at the same time. | Which tray standards do you use (e.g. GN pans, baking trays)? How many trays must you process per batch during peak production? |
|
Heating Modes & Control Programs
Applies to: combi ovens, some steamers and kettles
|
Flexible modes and programmable controls make it easier to repeat cooking cycles accurately across multiple shifts and locations, supporting consistent results and standardized recipes. | Do you need simple manual knobs or multi-step programs? How many standard recipes do you plan to store in the control system for daily use? |
|
Tilting Mechanism & Ergonomics (Kettles)
Applies to: tilting kettles, bratt pans
|
Tilting kettles and bratt pans allow large batches to be emptied with less lifting and scooping, reducing physical strain and speeding up transfer to containers, trolleys or serving pans. | At what height will staff stand relative to the kettle? Can they control tilting precisely and safely when pouring hot liquids into GN pans or tubs? |
|
Water Supply, Drainage & Descaling Access
Applies to: steamers, combi ovens, kettles
|
Reliable water supply and suitable drainage are vital for steam generation, cleaning and filling kettles. Easy access for descaling and maintenance helps minimize downtime in busy production schedules. | Where are your water inlets and floor drains located? Can technicians access key components without disrupting the production line? |
|
Cleaning, Interior Surfaces & Access
Applies to: all equipment types
|
Smooth internal surfaces, removable racks and accessible doors make it easier to maintain hygiene standards when producing large volumes of food every day with tight turnaround times. | How will staff clean the units between production runs? Can racks and accessories be removed easily for washing in dishwashers or pot sinks? |
How should you position steamers, combi ovens and kettles in a high-volume kitchen layout?
In large production kitchens, equipment placement affects safety, workflow and transport routes between cooking, chilling, packing and dispatch. A clear layout helps teams manage tight meal windows without unnecessary movement or congestion.
| Production Zone | Role of Steamers, Combi Ovens & Kettles | Layout & Workflow Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Raw Preparation & Pre-Cooking Area | Prepares ingredients for loading into steamers, combi ovens and kettles. May include vegetable prep, meat trimming and portioning, and staging on trolleys near cooking equipment. | Keep a direct path from prep benches to cooking equipment with space for trolleys. Separate raw and cooked food flows as far as practical, using dedicated routes where possible. |
| Steaming & Oven Block | Houses steamers and combi ovens in one line or block, with space for loading and unloading trolleys and racks. Forms the core of bulk cooking and regeneration. | Allow clearance in front of doors for loading racks, and plan ventilation and heat extraction carefully to keep the area comfortable for staff during long cooking runs. |
| Kettle & Bratt Pan Block | Contains tilting kettles and multifunctional pans where soups, sauces, stews and rice dishes are produced. Often located near sinks, drainage and ingredient storage. | Plan clear access to drains and allow enough room for safe tilting, pouring and handling of hot liquids into GN pans, tubs or containers. |
| Chilling, Holding & Packing Area | Receives trays and containers from steamers, combi ovens and kettles for blast chilling, holding at controlled temperature or direct plating and packing into meal containers. | Keep routes from cooking equipment to chillers and packing lines short and unobstructed. Coordinate trolley design so racks move smoothly between zones without repacking. |
Disclaimer: This guide is for general information only. Always follow local regulations, safety guidance and manufacturer instructions when selecting, installing and operating steamers, combi ovens and kettles in high-volume food production environments.
