Ovens & Microwaves - Hotel F&B October 2016

Hotel F & B Magazine October 2016
OVENS & MICROWAVES 

Please attributes any quotes to Ray Hall, Managing Director, R H Hall 

What types of oven are available to hotels? 
There are many choices available on the equipment market for ovens and the unit chosen often comes down to personal preference as well as space and budget restrictions. Whatever the preference, it has to be a versatile and flexible workhorse able to make light work of the most demanding dishes and be able to respond to the on-going changing demands that come with any professional commercial kitchen. Most operations want to offer a varied and attractive food offering and so without a doubt an oven that can ‘multi task’ in response to that will be a good investment. To help make the right choice, caterers must be clear on the intended use: the volume of throughput; the types of dishes/menu available; variations in service time; staffing skills and find out about the latest features and operational functions before they invest. Options range from large combination steamers, through bake off ovens and combination microwaves, to simple but essential microwave only. Microwaves today are split into 2 main categories – standard microwave only, which are perfect for reheating a wide range of foods – and combination microwaves, which offer huge versatility for cooking a wider range of products, with the speed of microwave cooking. The market leading Sharp range of microwaves available through RH Hall offer heavy and extra heavy duty build quality with total control, flexibility and versatility –with in-built features to save time and energy. The best-selling range goes from 1000W to 1900W to cater for all foodservice applications and are available in both touchpad or manual control versions. The Maestrowave Combi Chef 7 is able to operate in a variety and combination of cook modes making it the most flexible, efficient and easy to use oven yet! It can bake, roast, grill, steam, defrost, regenerate, microwave, boil or simply keep food warm - this is the oven that can do it all. This high speed oven features Menu Creator 2.0™ software. Packed with features, the oven will produce the best results at the simple touch of a button – a total combination of 11 cooking modes can be used to achieve top quality results. Up to 99 menus can be pre-programmed to ensure consistency time after time. But don’t be daunted, the Menu Creator 2.0™ is extremely easy to use; however, if required, full technical support is available from RH Hall. There is a web video available on line which demonstrates the benefits of combination Microwave ovens - visit www.rhhall.com and follow the link on the home page. 

What should caterers consider before buying new equipment?
To choose the right kind of equipment, operators should look at their menu and decide what tasks the oven should undertake. If to be used mainly for the simple reheat and defrosting of foods then a straight Commercial microwave will suffice. However, if you wish to reheat and cook food products then a convection oven or combination microwave oven is well advised. Items such as pastry will become soggy if reheated in an ordinary microwave whereas using a combination microwave the crisp, golden brown and conventional finished result will be achieved in microwave time! It is very important to choose the correct microwave oven wattage. You need to choose an oven with sufficient power, but just as importantly, do not over specify. If too low, you can be frustrated by delays, and if too high, it will be difficult to judge the timing of small portions. Whilst it is common for caterers to choose speed (the higher the output the faster reheat times), it is also very important to understand that for some food products too much speed will destroy smaller portions of food or the delicate and sugary types of products. 

What are the essential features of modern oven equipment?
The Maestrowave Combi Chef 7 has many features to offer including the latest Menu Creator 2.0™ software package, which allows you to ‘create your own menu’ and programme up to 99 menus using any method of oven, microwave, grill or combination and with or without the turbo fan! This oven is the most flexible, efficient and easy to use oven yet and will help you produce the best results ever, in super quick time – it’s really an oven that can do it all and produce consistent results time after time. Fitting into a skilled or nonskilled kitchen with complete ease, this piece of equipment is very easy to operate with sophisticated results being possible within both operations. The model sits on a counter and operates from a single 13 amp supply. We have produced a brand new video showing all the features and benefits of combi cooking using the latest and innovative Maestrowave Combi Chef 7. Simply log on to www.rhhall.com and follow the links from the home page. 

Does the name or the brand of the oven being used matter to customers? 
If the customer has purchased equipment previously or been in the industry for some time, they may have a preference on the brand of equipment they use due to reputation and past experience. Some brand names, such as Smeg and Sharp, stand out in the industry and many will already be familiar with the brands even without knowledge of commercial equipment. This can provide peace of mind. 

How important a role do microwaves play in the modern kitchen?
Microwaves are definitely an essential part of today’s commercial kitchen – essential for speed of service and still allowing an operator to offer a wide choice of menu. Microwaves are also very energy efficient. If simple reheat and defrosting of foods is required then a microwave will suffice, but if an operator wants to reheat and cook food products then a combination microwave convection oven is well advised. 

Is there any training required on how to operate the oven units?
Understanding is still the key to success with any cooking. To maximise usage of a microwave or oven effectively, I think it is paramount that all caterers are educated as to the full potential of their unit. By fully understanding a microwave and getting the right techniques for each type of food, succulent meat, poultry and fish together with perfectly cooked vegetables that retain taste, texture and nutritive value are all possible. Many of the techniques used in microwave cooking are the same as used in conventional cooking, but with a few minor adjustments. There is a great deal of diversity of dishes that can be prepared quickly and easily from fresh ingredients. Not only that, but more nutrients are retained in microwave cooked food than by any other cooking method. In fact, correctly cooked vegetables contain 85% of their original vitamin content, when boiled they often contain none! Historically there has been a lot of negativity towards cooking with microwaves, but there shouldn’t be, microwaves can cook great food in a fraction of the time it would take with other methods. Not only do they save time, but money and nutrients too. We recommend that the correct training of staff on how to use and look after the equipment in the first instance will definitely help the life span of any equipment. In addition, simple regular low cost maintenance and cleaning will keep it in peak health and condition. At RH Hall we train our distributors to be able to offer the best advice and training to the end user. Such advice as to when and how to clean the oven, service interval recommendations and the best use of the oven are just part of the training given to customers. We also have an extensive facility at our HQ fitted out with all the very latest equipment so clients and distributors can see and operate a number of microwaves in addition to a very wide range of kitchen equipment.

If you could offer one tip to Hotel F&B managers deciding on a new oven unit, what would it be? 
First and foremost you should look at choosing from a recognised brand – the major manufacturers are often the most innovative and have developed machines with intelligent features that are time/labour saving and energy efficient too. So, choose a leading brand with an established reputation – don’t be tempted to go down the cheap import route. R H Hall are the Sole UK distributor for Sharp Professional Microwave Ovens and Smeg Foodservice Ovens. For more information: www.rhhall.com www.maestrowave.com


FOR PRESS INFORMATION CONTACT: 
Emma Smith - emma.smith@rhhall.com - 01296 663400 

R H Hall, Hallco House, Beacon Court, Pitstone Green Business Park, Pitstone, Beds, LU7 9GY 

T: 01296 663400 F: 01296 663401 E: sales@rhhall.com W: www.rhhall.com