RATIONAL scores with smart, multi-purpose cooking equipment for the hospitality sector

In a hotel kitchen, it is often all hands on deck. That is, if you can find them, because the tight labour market means the search for extra kitchen staff is not easy. So working smarter is the message. This is perfectly possible with RATIONAL's multifunctional cooking appliances. These appliances guarantee professional cooking and baking results every time. With the new iCareSystem AutoDose system, you no longer even need staff to clean these appliances.

Whoever says professional and multi-purpose cooking equipment for the catering sector says RATIONAL. This originally German company started producing conventional ovens in 1973 - i.e. over 50 years ago. In 1976, the first combi steamer came on the market, a true revolution in professional kitchens. With branches in the Netherlands (from 1985) and Belgium (from 1999), the company grew solidly, with numerous innovative cooking appliances tailored to the hospitality sector, among others. Today, a team of 120 employees in the Netherlands and Belgium works every day to make professional kitchens perform at their best. 

That mission is proceeding very successfully through a sophisticated range of appliances that combine different cooking techniques: from baking and roasting to blanching, and from steaming to grilling. With the iCombi and iVario ranges, a new era of professional cooking begins. Traditional settings such as temperature, air speed, cooking time and humidity are a thing of the past. Constant adjustment, checking and complicated programming are also no longer necessary, as are time-consuming routine chores and cleaning of cooking equipment. The multi-purpose use of RATIONAL appliances, combined with pre-programmed codes, pays off quickly.

With this functional and user-friendly offering, RATIONAL has become an important partner for numerous kitchen teams in hotels. More than that: the appliances are as good as full-fledged workers in the battle for new staff. And also: because these appliances are so easy and intuitive to use, it is child's play even for starting employees in hotel kitchens - such as flexi-jobbers - to prepare tasty dishes. By the way, it is good to know that RATIONAL chefs are always ready to support kitchen staff on cooking techniques. These chefs have vast practical experience that they are happy to share with other professionals.

One of the latest strengths that RATIONAL's combi steamers play off is the iCareSystem AutoDose system. With this option for iCombi Pro table-top models, the company offers users the ability to start cleaning autonomously without having to use staff to do so. This happens either at a specific time, for example always after closing time, or when this cleaning process fits into the daily kitchen schedule. Daily cleaning cycles can easily be programmed in the settings, based on appliance usage or on a weekly schedule.

This feature is made possible by the use of cartridges with integrated solid detergent in the cooking system. This means you don't have to dose cleaning and care products for each cleaning process. It increases safety on the kitchen floor, saves time and guarantees you HACCP hygiene safety. Besides optimal hygiene, maintenance reliability is another advantage of iCareSystem AutoDose: with automated cleaning, maintenance checks and associated costs are kept to a minimum.

iCareSystem AutoDose is also a leap forward in sustainable cleaning of kitchen appliances. Both the cartridge itself and the lid are made of 100 per cent recyclable polypropylene. Moreover, you always use the right amount of chemicals due to the consistently optimal dosage compared to conventional cleaning methods. And compared to conventional cleaning tablets, the proportion of plastic waste is reduced by as much as fifty per cent, while the packaging volume is about eighty per cent lower. Important steps towards an eco-friendly (hotel) kitchen.