[Gastrophysics]

Hi all,

since we are about to completely rebuild our home kitchen, I seriously consider buying a Rational SCC XS oven. We are redoing all the the electricity and plumbing so thats no problem. Also, the price tag is not that much higher than a Miele and comparable to a Gaggenau. I have been reading the Rational user manual over the the past evenings and I'm pretty hooked. Both versatility and ease of use seems to be way above the home stuff. Also, both me and my wife love experimental home cooking and are eager to learn more and develop.

Now, the question to all the users of Rational in this forum - are there any big disadvantages for home use? Obviously, the capacity is a bit too high, we wont be using 6x2/3 for anything but drying or possibly Christmas baking. We'll usually bake on 2-3 trays and cook dinner on one.

Apart from size and price, do you see any reason to reconsider? This will be our only oven besides a small microwave. There will also be a standard induction stove (and some sous-vide stuff that I guess we will use less now).

The reason I post this is that I have found nothing on other amateur using the Rational XS so I worry I'm doing something pretty stupid. Grateful for any thoughts or input!

 

[halb]

One of the things I would worry about is service. When those things go wonky they aren't easy to fix. Will you be able to get factory service to come to your home?? Is there a warranty to home users?

ETA: Reading the text of the warranty I see nothing that prohibits residential use. Although it must be installed by a certified dealer.

 

[Gastrophysics]

Thanks for the reply! The Rational service network here is good and (living in Sweden) I wont have any problem with them selling or servicing a unit. However, since its clearly intended for professional use, this might void some local consumer protection laws.

I am more worried about any quirks or disadvantages I might have missed, like very loud noises, need for professional skills we might not have, need for expensive or exotic additional equipment, difficulties when preparing small quantities etc. I understand it creates a lot of steam so we wont have anything above it. We never eat in the kitchen so noise, heat or steam is really not a big problem.

 

[lagom]

Are you anywhere around Göteborg? If you are you can come see mine in action and i can direct you to a couple of good professional equipment dealers in the area. You're going to need more than standard power and wiring. I would suggest talking with a company such as Holmgrens väst witch is a large maintenance company that has Rational service specialist. The can probably give you some guidance. You will definitely need decent ventilation and drainage.

 

[anthony1]

I do like the idea of using a commercial combi oven at home. I wish I could do that. From the point of view of a home cook, these are some potential issues.

You say "We'll usually bake on 2-3 trays", but are you sure you will never ever ever want more than that size? 2/3 gastronorm seems too small. GN2/3 : 354 × 325 mm (13.9 x 12.8 inch). That is smaller (in width and depth) than my useless rental apartment oven that I find too small for some things. GN2/3 is only slightly bigger than those breville bench oven appliances.

The XS might just fit my 28cm (11 inch) cocotte (dutch oven) at an angle (36cm/14.2 inch handle to handle), but there is a risk it would not fit. It would not fit my large 28cm (11 inch) frypan with helper handle (60.3cm/23.7 inch handle to handle), so I could not for example use my large frypan on the stove, then transfer the frypan to the oven to finish cooking. I would find this size quite limiting for home use. 1/1 gastronorm size would be much more useful to me. If I was spending that much on an oven, I would want it to be able to do all the tasks I might ask of it, not just ones that fit in 2/3 gastronorm.

This might not be a problem for you at all. Just mentioning these in case they might be relevant.

Anthony

 

[Gastrophysics]

Thanks Anthony,
now we have double checked and we should be good with the 2/3 dimensions! We don't prepare large quantities of anything, we are just geeky experimentators.

GN 2/3 will maybe become some kind of "standard" in our kitchen - the microwave is also 2/3 and really hope to eventually get a blast chiller. The smallest commercial ones I have seen are 3x 2/3. Now I only need to persuade my wife we really need one ;-)

 

[Pat Pat]

For you, no reason whatsoever not to get it. If you have the money, go for it.

The biggest problem with using it at home is the installation (i.e. space requirement, piping, ventilation, and electrical supply). But since you are rebuilding your kitchen, this won't be a concern as long as you plan everything around it.

As for the part that you said "I understand it creates a lot of steam so we wont have anything above it." You MUST have the exhaust hood right above it! The salesperson may tell you otherwise, but don't believe him//her.

 

[Gastrophysics]

Thanks! I will order the oven with a matching Ultravent.... This will be one ugly kitchen ;-)

 

[kellie watson]

The amount of amps that the Rationals draw on when beginning any cooking/steaming process is really high (and then it settles right back down). Check the specs with an electrician to ensure that you have enough power coming into your home to cover this or you might find yourself in trouble.
Cheers, Kellie.