STORY: PROMOTED: Baking done the smart way with Rational

How can bakers use their smartphones or tablets to control what's happening in their bakery ovens? - Is this something you want to be doing? What are the upsides and downsides of 'smart' ovens?

Rational’s ConnectedCooking technology allows bakers to link their iCombi Pro combi steamer to a network, and monitor their operation over the internet. They can control the iCombi Pro and check on baking and cooking processes from anywhere, using a smartphone, tablet or PC.  They can also check on operational efficiency of one or multiple units, and service engineers can even check a cooking system’s status remotely. Connectivity will make bakeries safer and more efficient, and make managing their equipment simpler.  It will be especially useful for groups with multiple sites across their estate, allowing them to monitor performance of all their cooking systems and upload cooking programs and update software to them all simultaneously.  

ConnectedCooking also gives access to a wide range of recipes and ‘how to’ videos, for both baking and looking after the iCombi Pro.  

What types of products are best suited to tunnel and combi ovens in terms of quality of the bake finish and capacity? How does a bakery's size affect this?

A key benefit of combi steamers is their ability to bake and prepare a huge range of different products. Thus they can be used to bake morning goods, cakes, pizza, croissants, bread, pies… whatever you want to bake, the iCombi Pro will make it perfectly with consistent results.  

iDensityControl is one of the iCombi Pro’s intelligent assistants that ensures not only that food is baked perfectly, but also consistently, every time.  It does this using intelligent sensors that monitor and recognise the conditions in the oven, making minute and precise adjustments, second by second, to the cooking climate – the balance of hot air and steam.  By combining intelligent controls and innovative technology, iDensityControl ensures that today’s croissants or pizza, or cake, is prepared to the same consistent standard, regardless of who is operating the combi steamer.  

iDensityControl exploits the iCombi Pro’s airflow geometry and its advanced fans, it intelligently adapts the direction and speed of rotation, depending on the product, quantity and cooking status.  The fans ensure that airflow is optimised, so that heat is distributed evenly and quickly to every corner of the combi steamer.  This in turn maximises production, since every inch of the combi’s oven can be used, speeding up baking and ensuring the correct humidity.  Meanwhile the combi steamer’s powerful dehumidification system removes moisture from the oven, swiftly and effectively, to guarantee crispy crusts. 

The consistency provided by iDensityControl also helps to reduce food waste, because the quality is always delivered as expected. 

Why are tunnel and combi ovens worthwhile investments? Or are you doing things differently now and they're losing relevance?

As it’s truly multifunctional, a combi oven allows bakers to bake and prepare lots of different products in the same cooking system, replacing a range of traditional appliances.  It enhances the bakery’s productivity, creativity, flexibility and efficiency whilst saving on utility resources. This flexibility means they are able to adapt to changing requirements, too – so they’re never going to lose their relevance. 

RATIONAL is the leading provider in hot food preparation equipment and, with the iCombi Pro and the iVario multifunctional cooking system, the company delivers 95% of all conventional cooking applications.  Rational’s ConnectedCooking allows operators to monitor, manage and update their Rational appliances remotely, from a PC, tablet or smartphone.  iKitchen is the combination of the iCombi Pro, iVario Pro and ConnectedCooking – iKitchen delivers the best kitchen management and the best cooking solutions.  For information and brochures, or to find out about free Rational Live online demonstrations, call +44 (0)1582 480388, freephone 0800 389 2944 or visit www.rational-online.com