What are the Benefits of Boilerless Equipment?

Boilerless ovens use a different approach to creating steam, and they have distinct benefits that traditional boiler ovens can’t compete with. Typically, boiler-based ovens heat up water in a separate tank so that steam can be sent to the oven chamber when needed. With boilerless technology, cold or room-temperature water is sprayed onto a much hotter surface, which creates steam inside the unit. Then, fans circulate the steam throughout the oven chamber.

Alto-Shaam's Prodigi™ combination ovens are one example of boilerless equipment, changing the way restaurants and other foodservice facilities prepare meals. 

In this guide, we’ve outlined the clear benefits of boilerless combi ovens so you can make an educated purchase for your restaurant or foodservice operation.

1. Quickly Cook Quality Food

Prodigi combi ovens take the guesswork out of oven operation, making the cooking process a breeze. With fully customizable controls, programmable, image-based recipes and one-touch cooking, any level of labor can execute menu items at the highest quality. What's more, Prodigi combi ovens can cook food 20% faster than other combi ovens, and up to 80% faster than convection technology.

For added assistance, operators can connect to their ovens no matter where they're located with ChefLinc™ remote oven management system. Accessible on your computer, operators can execute automatic software downloads, push and pull recipes to and from any location at any time, view detailed service diagnostics, access Alto-Shaam's global recipe library, and more. 

2. Precisely Adjust the Steam Volume

Inside an oven, the water flow level needs to be matched to the desired steam output, or you won’t achieve your desired temperature. With a boilerless Prodigi combi oven, you can adjust the steam volume and specify exactly how much water you want to turn into steam. This flow rate is usually measured as a percentage value from 0 to 100%, and it makes it possible to replicate recipes with delicious results.

3. Achieve Better Results with Hard Water

Any oven that relies on steam requires filtered water to function properly. Some water sources are harder than others, which means the water contains more minerals like calcium and magnesium. Boilerless ovens can function well with hard water, whereas a boiler-based oven would need additional equipment to soften water that costs a lot of money (like a reverse osmosis filter).

4. Spend Less Time Cleaning the Oven

Many of today’s ovens have a self-cleaning feature, which helps to keep the interior clean and hygienic. However, boiler-based ovens have more mineral deposits than boilerless models, so they require more thorough cleaning. If your boilerless oven has a variable-speed fan, it will disperse the cleaning chemicals throughout the oven chamber in a more effective way. 

In addition to being boilerless, Prodigi combi ovens are also equipped with automatic cleaning capabilities with five cycle options from "light clean" to "heavy plus". Operators can rest easy and not have to worry about strenuous cleaning. 

5. Use Less Water

To have hot water ready for steam, boiler-based units waste more water than boilerless models. This water is stored in an adjacent tank, whereas a boilerless oven only uses water when you need it. The use of these boilerless units reduces water usage by 80%. 

6. Reduce Maintenance

The use of a boilerless unit will reduce the cost of maintenance associated with boiler parts and labor. Operations become more efficient with no costly maintenance required, directly impacting the overall reliability of the oven.

Learn more about our boilerless combi ovens by visiting our product page or by contacting an expert.