How to choose a combi oven
Quick answer. For most operators, go for a 10-grid 1/1 GN electric combi with injection steam and a fully automatic clean cycle, sized to your peak covers with water treatment fitted from day one. If it's a Retigo, take the 3-month free trial and free installation so you prove it on your own menu before you commit, and talk to Lordwell about matching the electrical and extraction spec to your site.
A combi is the hardest-working box in most kitchens, so the wrong choice costs you daily in labour, energy and covers you can't turn out. The good news: you can narrow it down fast by answering three things first, how many covers you plate at peak, what services you have (power, water, extraction), and how much space you've got. Get those straight and the model almost picks itself.
The questions to ask before you buy
How many covers do I plate at peak service?
This sets your grid size. A 6-grid handles roughly 30 to 80 covers, a 10-grid 80 to 150, and a 20-grid is banqueting and high-volume production. Size to your busiest hour, not your average, but resist buying two grids bigger 'just in case', empty shelves cost you in energy and floor space every day.
What power and gas supply do I actually have?
Small electric combis can run on a 13A plug, but most 6 and 10-grid electric units need hardwiring and three-phase. Check your board has spare capacity before you commit, an electrician's upgrade can cost more than the oven. Gas needs an interlocked extraction canopy and a gas-safe connection. If your incoming supply is tight, gas can be the cheaper route to run.
Boiler or injection steam?
Injection sprays water onto the hot elements to make steam on demand, it's simpler, cheaper, descales less and heats fast, ideal for most à la carte kitchens. A boiler holds a reservoir of steam ready to go, giving denser, more consistent steam for high-volume steaming and delicate work, but it needs proper water treatment and more upkeep. For most operators, injection is the sensible default.
How do I deal with water hardness and extraction?
Hard water is the number one killer of combis. Budget for a water treatment cartridge or softener from day one, it's cheap insurance against expensive breakdowns. For extraction, either sit the oven under a canopy or choose a self-condensing ventless model with a built-in hood, which saves a costly canopy install where ducting isn't practical.
How will it get cleaned, and by whom?
Automatic cleaning is not a luxury, it protects your warranty and your food safety records. Look for a fully automatic cycle with cartridge or tablet chemicals so staff aren't handling caustic liquids. An overnight auto-clean means the oven is service-ready every morning with zero labour.
Do I want to try before I commit?
You can. On Retigo combis Lordwell offers a 3-month free trial plus free installation, so you run the oven in your own kitchen, on your own menu, before you spend a penny on the box. It's the honest way to be sure the grid size and steam type are right for your service.
The main types, and who each suits
6-grid 1/1 GN combi
Cafes, pubs, small restaurants and satellite kitchens doing up to around 80 covers. Fits on a stand or stacks on a second unit, and many run on a standard footprint. The everyday workhorse for most independents.
10-grid 1/1 GN combi
Busy restaurants, hotels and gastropubs plating 80 to 150 covers. The most popular size in UK trade kitchens, enough capacity for service without dominating the line.
20-grid 1/1 or 2/1 GN combi
Banqueting, care homes, schools, central production and high-volume operations. Roll-in trolley versions let you load a full rack in one go. This is production kit, not à la carte.
2/1 GN combi (10 or 20-grid)
Kitchens using larger 2/1 trays and full-size trolleys, typically volume catering and bakery-led sites. More capacity per shelf, but needs the floor space and the 2/1 tray stock to match.
Ventless / self-condensing combi
Sites with no canopy or where ducting is impractical, pop-ups, converted units and awkward layouts. A built-in condensing hood removes the need for external extraction, at a modest premium on the unit price.
What to look for
- Correct steam type for your work: injection for fast à la carte and lower upkeep, boiler for dense, consistent high-volume steaming.
- A fully automatic clean cycle with cartridge or tablet chemicals, plus a documented cycle you can log for due diligence.
- Built-in core temperature probe for cook-and-hold and food safety records, essential for meat, banqueting and cook-chill.
- A water treatment solution specified from the outset, cartridge filter or softener sized to your local water hardness.
- Programmable recipes and USB or cloud recipe transfer, so any chef gets the same result and you can roll menus across sites.
- The right electrical spec confirmed against your supply: 13A plug, hardwired single-phase or three-phase, checked with your electrician before order.
- Extraction sorted: canopy-ready, or a genuine self-condensing ventless model if you have no ductwork.
- WRAS-approved water connection and a clear F-gas and service plan, so install and aftercare are compliant and covered.
Costly mistakes to avoid
- Oversizing the grid. A 20-grid bought for occasional banqueting burns energy heating empty chambers every service. Size to your real peak, not your busiest day of the year.
- Skipping water treatment to save a few pounds. Limescale wrecks boilers and injection nozzles alike and voids many warranties, it's the most common and most avoidable failure.
- Not checking the electrical supply before ordering. Finding out you need a three-phase upgrade after delivery turns a clean install into a costly, delayed one.
- Buying on the box price alone. Cheap combis with manual cleaning and no auto-descale cost you far more in labour, chemicals and breakdowns over five years.