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Blodgett Combi Cooking Guide
COMBI MODE
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When to use the Combi Mode
The Combi Mode is ideal for most high-pro-
tein, center-of-the-plate items: roasted
meats, baked poultry and baked fish. It does
an excellent job on casserole type dishes
such as lasagna, baked macaroni and meat-
loaf which must be cooked to a safe internal
temperature without overcooking the exteri-
or. Braising meats such as spare ribs, corned
beef or pot roast is easily done in Combi
Mode at temperatures of 225-250°F/105-
120°C. Breads, rolls and other yeast-raised
products will exhibit greater "oven-spring"
when baked in the Combi Mode. Specialty
breads such as French bread, soft pretzels
and bagels are also possible.
How the Combi Mode Works
The Combi Mode combines the effects of
both convection steam and hot air convec-
tion for improved yields, shorter cooking
times and juicier products. It will reduce, but
not eliminate, browning (carmelization is a
function of temperature, increasing at higher
temperature settings). Because foods cooked
in the Combi Mode are not drying out as
they would in a typical convection oven,
they brown more slowly, allowing the heat
to reach the interior of the product before
the outside becomes scorched or dried out.
As the steam produced in Combi Mode con-
denses on the food surface, it efficiently
transfers its heat to the food, resulting in
shorter average cooking times than in a simi-
lar dry oven.
The COMBI Mode gives priority to the hot
air thermostat setting. The oven bakes and
roasts in a similar manner to the familiar
convection oven, but adds steam intermit-
tently throughout the cooking process. The
steam production is automatic and is ther-
mostatically controlled to produce the opti-
mum humidity for the baking or roasting
temperature selected (the ideal relative
humidity at a given temperature is predeter-
mined: too little steam would allow excess
shrinkage, while too much steam would
waste energy as the oven struggles to main-
tain the hot air temperature setting). Your
COMBI produces steam and hot air alter-
nately during the cooking cycle for energy
conservation; both steam and hot air are
present in the cooking cavity simultaneously
for optimal food preparation.
Tips for Cooking in the COMBI Mode
The COMBI Mode uses hot air in the same
manner as a convection oven; recipes adapt-
ed for convection ovens translate well to
COMBI cooking. Recipes developed for static
ovens without moving air will typically
require a temperature reduction of 25-
50°F/15-30°C. Because steam transfers heat
more efficiently than dry air, you will gener-
ally experience shorter cooking times in the
COMBI Mode than in a comparable convec-
tion oven. A 25% reduction in cooking time
is common, although actual results will vary
widely by product and original cooking
technique. Lowering the temperature
beyond the initial adaptation for convection
oven cooking and keeping the original bak-
ing and roasting times will optimize yields.
Most operators will choose a combination of
slightly faster cooking times and slightly
higher yields. The choice of which to opti-
mize is yours.
Shallow pans are recommended for best
results. Both the convected steam and con-
vected hot air transfer heat to the food's sur-
face. Increasing the food surface area relative