When REWE, one of Germany’s largest and most prestigious supermarket chains, was looking to improve the quality and volume of food prepared in-store, it chose to work with one of the world’s leading commercial cooking equipment manufacturers, Alto-Shaam. 

So successful has the relationship been, that it now has more than 600 Alto-Shaam countertop combination ovens in stores throughout Germany and has been able to significantly extend the range of food provided to its customers. It can now deliver a range of delicious and tasty foods from freshly smoked fish at the fish counter through to hot snacks and meals to eat in or take away. 

REWE first came across the Alto-Shaam brand at an exhibition seven years ago. A visit to the company’s Bochum office and demonstration facility convinced REWE to trial the product, a CT Express™ (CTX4-10E) Combitherm® Combi oven with a smoker option. Since then it has expanded its capabilities with the Alto-Shaam CTP6-10E, a slightly larger combination oven and steamer.

Stephan Otterbach, Gebietsmanager Fisch REWE Südwest, says that the Alto-Shaam equipment delivers a range of benefits: “The food we prepare in the Alto-Shaam ovens proves very popular with our customers and sells well,” he says. “And with the smoker function, we have been able to increase the variety of products available.

“The quality of the food is always very good, and the speed of service is also very fast,” he continues. “The equipment also has the benefit of being very easy to use. Our employees do not have to know any recipes; they simply put whatever they want cooked or smoked into the oven, push a button, and take it out again when it’s done. It is very efficient and doesn’t require significant training. Almost anyone can use it.”

Herr Otterbach also likes the design and customization available with the equipment: “The oven can be supplied in a range of different colour schemes, and for those that we use front-of-house we have chosen a black finish."

The smallest Alto-Shaam combi oven ever built, the CT Express™ Combitherm Oven not only produces high quality food but does so by consuming less energy than competitive models. It can cook with variable steam, convection heat, or a combination of both to roast, steam, bake, or oven-fry. Cooking speeds are increased by as much as 70% compared to conventional cooking methods. 

A two-speed reversing fan (ExpressTouch Control only) design provides excellent baking results and prevents excessive water and power consumption. The optional CombiSmoke® smoking technology is fully-integrated and smokes any product, hot or cold, in the smallest footprint available. Each oven accommodates up to five half-size sheet pans or five full-size hotel pans (GN 1/1).

The Alto-Shaam CTP6-10E similarly uses less energy and less water than competitive models and can accommodate up to seven half‑size sheet pans or seven full-size hotel pans (GN 1/1). Both ovens feature innovative self-cleaning and cool down features, and the latter has a SafeVent™ feature to provide automatic steam venting at the end of the cooking cycle.

Stefan Horn of Alto Shaam added: “Our equipment has been designed to deliver the optimum performance and control for any operation seeking to enhance food quality while maximizing kitchen space and reducing labour costs.”

REWE is Germany’s second largest retail chain.