Combi Steam Ovens

Q: Should I buy an electric or gas combi oven?

Electric is the most common choice, with simpler installation and the widest model range. Gas suits sites where the electrical supply is limited but must be connected by a licensed gasfitter. Both types generally need a mains water connection and drain for steam generation.

Q: Do you deliver combi ovens across Australia?

Yes. Commercial Kitchen Store ships combi ovens nationwide, and Australian-based phone support is available on 1300 111 901 to help match a combi oven to your menu and site services.

Commercial combi steam ovens for Australian restaurants, cafés, bakeries and catering kitchens — combination ovens that cook with convection heat, steam, or both at once in a single programmable chamber. One combi replaces a convection oven, a steamer and often a holding cabinet, which is why it's usually the most-worked appliance on the cookline. This range runs from compact 4–6 tray benchtop units to 20-tray production machines, sitting within our wider commercial ovens range — or browse all commercial cooking equipment if you're fitting out a full line.

Who combi ovens are for

A combi earns its spot wherever the menu is too varied for single-purpose ovens. Cafés use one unit to bake pastries, roast vegetables and steam eggs across the same morning; restaurants run proteins on the probe while sides cook on another shelf; catering and production kitchens batch-cook, chill, then regenerate plated meals at scale. Aged-care facilities, schools and clubs lean on steam modes for bulk cooking that holds texture, colour and nutrients. The common thread is labour: programmable cycles mean a junior staff member can press one button and get the head chef's result.

What's in scope

Benchtop and compact combi ovens (4–6 trays)

Countertop combi units sized for cafés, small bistros and bakery counters — full steam, convection and combination modes in a footprint that fits an existing bench. If you only need dry-heat baking without steam, a unit from our convection ovens range costs considerably less per tray.

10-tray combi ovens

The workhorse band for restaurants, pubs and busy cafés — ten GN 1/1 trays handle a full service of proteins, sides and bakes in one cycle, with capacity left for the catering job you didn't plan for.

20-tray and GN 2/1 production combis

Floor-standing units for catering companies, function venues and central production kitchens — double-width GN 2/1 trays or 20-tray stacks built for volume batch cooking and banquet regeneration.

The hero brand in this collection is UNOX — the CHEFTOP line for gastronomy and BAKERTOP for bakery formats — alongside value-focused options from Atosa and other commercial names.

How to choose a combi oven in three steps

Combi ovens are a five-figure decision for most venues, so work through these three questions in order.

Step 1 — Size by GN trays at your peak

Capacity is quoted in Gastronorm trays, and the bands are simple: 4–6 trays suits cafés and small kitchens, 10 trays covers most restaurant services, and 20-tray or GN 2/1 machines are production territory. Size to your busiest window, not your average day — but don't double up "just in case", because a half-empty chamber wastes energy and bench space every other service.

Step 2 — Electric or gas, and check the services

Electric models dominate the category and are the simpler install; gas suits sites where the electrical supply is already maxed out, but needs a licensed gasfitter to connect. Either way, confirm what the spec sheet asks for before you buy: single-phase versus three-phase power, a mains water connection for steam generation, and a drain. Sorting services before delivery day is the cheapest part of the whole project.

Step 3 — Price the labour savers, not just the oven

Programmable recipes, multi-point core probes and automatic self-clean cycles are where a combi pays itself off. Saved programs give one-button consistency across staff and shifts; the probe ends overcooked roasts; self-clean hands back the half hour someone would otherwise spend scrubbing every night. For a café, the return is menu breadth without extra hands. For a production kitchen, it's batch-to-batch consistency and cook cycles that run unattended while staff do something billable.

Not sure when to use steam mode versus combination mode, or what the probe and auto-clean actually do day to day? Our guide to combi oven modes, probes and auto-clean walks through each function and when it earns its keep.

Popular picks: two proven starting points are the UNOX CHEFTOP MIND.Maps ZERO 5-tray electric combi for cafés and compact kitchens, and the Atosa 10-tray GN 2/1 electric combi where production volume is the brief.

Frequently asked questions

What is a combi steam oven?

A combi steam oven is a commercial oven that cooks with dry convection heat, steam, or a controlled combination of both in the same chamber. That lets one appliance bake, roast, steam, poach, reheat and regenerate food — replacing several single-purpose units while keeping moisture, texture and nutrients that dry heat alone cooks out.

What can a combi oven do that a convection oven can't?

A convection oven only circulates dry heat. A combi adds steam injection and humidity control, so it can steam vegetables and rice, hold moisture in roasts to cut shrinkage, bake with timed bursts of steam for crust, cook to core temperature with a probe, and regenerate pre-plated meals without drying them out. If your menu never needs moisture control, a convection oven is the cheaper buy — but it can't grow into those jobs later.

What size commercial combi oven do I need?

Size by Gastronorm tray capacity at your peak service: 4–6 GN 1/1 trays suits cafés and small kitchens, 10 trays handles most restaurant volumes, and 20-tray or GN 2/1 units are built for catering and production kitchens. Count what you need cooking simultaneously in your busiest window and buy the band that covers it.

Should I buy an electric or gas combi oven?

Electric is the most common choice — simpler installation and the widest model range. Gas makes sense where your switchboard can't support another three-phase appliance, but it must be connected by a licensed gasfitter. Both types generally need a mains water connection and drain for steam generation, so check the spec sheet against your site's services before ordering.

Is there a benchtop combi steam oven?

Yes — compact countertop combi ovens in the 4–6 tray band deliver full steam, convection and combination cooking from a benchtop footprint, which is how most cafés get into the category. Power requirements vary between single-phase and three-phase across compact models, so confirm the spec sheet against your site before you commit.

Is a combi oven worth it for a small café?

Often, yes — one benchtop combi can bake, steam and roast across the day, which widens the menu without adding appliances or staff. The honest test is utilisation: if the oven would run most of the trading day, programmable cycles and self-clean recover real labour hours; if it would mostly sit idle, a convection oven covers basic baking for far less.

Do you deliver combi ovens across Australia?

Yes. Commercial Kitchen Store ships nationwide, and Australian-based phone support is available on 1300 111 901 if you want help matching a combi to your menu and services. For cover details, see our warranty and service information.