Having arrived in the U.S. this year with two countertop boilerless combi oven models - a six-pan (#6-11) and a 10-pan unit (#10-11) - Eloma is proving that big performance and savings can come in small packages. This market position should help the company establish its North American reputation, as increasing numbers of operators and specifiers are selecting compact combis as the most affordable way to gain entry to the benefits provided by this most flexible cooking technology.

"Ten years ago, people thought combis were only for high-volume operations and large institutions," noted Bob McLoughlin, VP of Product Management for Eloma. "Now, more and more smaller operators, including independent restaurants, are demonstrating that you don't need multiple equipment pieces or big kitchens to apply steaming, convection and radiant heating to menu preparation."

Smaller combis are also proving their worth in high-volume, quick-service programs such as school foodservices, according to McLoughlin, where their rapid and healthful cooking capabilities provide optimum support for nutritious menus. "In Texas, for instance, every public school kitchen recently got rid of its fryers and most operators replaced them with combis equipped with fry baskets," he related. "These ovens are able to 'air fry' french fries, creating a more healthful product for student lunches."

Eloma's smaller combis stand out among competitors not only for their rapid-heating boilerless design, but also for their exclusive capability to accommodate both full-size sheet pans and steam table pans with standard installed shelving. Such operational versatility is matched in Eloma countertop models by their fully automated and integrated AutoClean system, which reduces required labor while ensuring thorough sanitization. In addition, currently available automated controls, which provide one-touch selection of dozens of pre-set programs, will be augmented early in 2007 by a manual control option.

Specifiers also have specific reasons to select Eloma countertop models, beginning with the fact that their boilerless design eliminates costly boiler replacements and reduces maintenance requirements. "Another advantage available with Eloma combis is their ability to create steam within seconds, more quickly, in fact, than their boiler-based competitors," McLoughlin commented. "This leads to faster cook times and lower energy costs than traditional models can provide."

McLoughlin added that Eloma countertop combis typically consume 15% less energy and 40% less water than leading competitive units, which helps to explain why the compact #10-11 model will likely be the company's top seller during its first year in the U.S. market. "Right now there is no ENERGY STAR^® ranking available for any combi ovens," he observed. "However, we know that the efficiency and advanced technology built into Eloma models will allow them to attain certification as soon as it is available."