Equipment Guide for Non-Commercial Foodservice

Non-commercial foodservice operations--including university dining halls, school cafeterias, healthcare foodservice and corporate lunchrooms--all face a similar set of challenges: how to batch cook a high volume and variety of menu items - at the same time - with a limited footprint and staff.

By using equipment from Alto-Shaam, chefs can do more with less space, thanks to a one-of-a-kind stacking solution specifically designed for non-commercial foodservice program success.

Why Stack?

Non-commercial foodservice operators are seeing growing pressure to downsize their number of ingredients while still providing their guests with a wide variety of menu options. And with unprecedented labor shortages today, operators need to be able to do so with less kitchen staff.

Alto-Shaam’s CV Stack, or Combi-Vector Stack, is a unique combination of equipment for non-commercial kitchens. It partners an Alto-Shaam Combitherm® Combi Oven with its Vector® Multi-Cook Oven in a stacked configuration for nearly unlimited potential in large-scale food preparation.

The CV Stack offers several advantages over traditional ovens:

• Stacking programmable equipment reduces the number of staff needed to man the cook line and helps optimize kitchen layout.
• Operators can maximize space under a costly ventilation hood. Stacked solutions can save up to $8,000 in hood space.
• A CV stack enables operators to use different cooking applications that breathe life into the same ingredients across multiple menu items and dayparts.

Previously, those working with limited space chose to stack two combi ovens. Although that can be a great solution for some foodservice operations, two combis provide just two cooking temperatures in two chambers.

Benefits of the CV Stacked Configuration

The combination of the Combitherm combi oven and the Vector oven dramatically expands food variety and volume. The Combi Oven does the work of a convection oven, kettle, steamer, fryer, smoker, and more. With its innovative boilerless design, it offers ultimate performance and efficiency, with enhanced control over recovery, cooking times, and food quality using 80% less water. And with its perfect stacking pair, the Vector F Series oven,  operators gain another four ovens in one, with the ability to set each chamber at a different temperature, time, and fan speed.

Stacked together, an operator has five independent oven chambers in a single, vertical footprint. This means, an operator can steam, air fry, roast, bake or braise all at the exact same time with no flavor transfer between food items. Alto-Shaam’s CV Stack is designed for flexible, high-volume production, offering a variety of advanced cooking applications for the most value out of a single, vertical footprint.

For a more in-depth look at Alto-Shaam’s revolutionary CV Stack, check out our latest webinar Non-Commercial Foodservice: Equipment Guide for Institutional Cooking, or reach out to one of our experts.