Answers and questions: Combi steamers

• 1. Do the construction and operational characteristics of combi steamers allow preparing various dishes in several levels simultaneously: fish and rolls, chicken and chops? What production output do the combi steamers have? I.e. how many people can I feed with chicken or with rolls after one preparation cycle in the combi steamer?

  The main advantage of combi steames is precisely the possibility of simultaneous preparation of different dishes with similar preparation time because there is no smell mixture of various products in the chamber. Our combi steamers have 6 levels for the preparation of different dishes whether for buns and rolls or for the aforementioned chicken (both on the grid and in GN conteiners). 
  Having a receipt and basing on the capacity of GN 1/1 - 530х325 you can easily calculate the volume of the output product per “single pass”.

• 2. What is the difference between the combi steamers and convectional ovens?

  The combi steamer is a special piece of equipment that can effect up to 70% of all possible cooking operations. The temperature probe and other possibilities allowing optimal cooking process programming and operation controlling prevent human errors, reduce product weight losses, power and water consumption. All this is a result of hot air circulation (convection) combined with steam treatment of products.

  As opposed to the combi steamers, convection ovens have no automatically controlled system of steam generation and, consequently, have no mode switch (basic modes: steam, convection, steam+convection) which are the features of the combi steamers. The air humidification in the chamber of the combi steamers is achieved by direct water injection into the internal chamber (to the central part of the fan). The water is dispersed by the fan, evaporates immediately and is submitted to the heating elements.

• 3. How long does the warranty period for the combi steamers under Abat trademark last?

  The company gives 1 year warranty on the very combi steamers and 2 year warranty - on the electronic control units.

• 4. I’ve heard that the product line of the combi steamers by JSC Chuvashtorgtechnika have been modernized. What are the main changes?

  The modernization of the combi steamers took place in December of 2007. The main changes include the following:

  1) Now the chamber is located longitudinally. The side-fan surrounded by the tubular electric heating elements ensures better hot air and steam circulation. It also lets to scale down the dimensions of the combi steamers optimizing, thereby, the work place ergonomics. In addition, the longitudinal location of the chamber makes it possible to use GN containers of almost all dimensions GN-1/1, GN-1/2, GN-1/3.

  2) The new chamber door mechanism operates by “free hands” principle - double-thread door opening prevents danger of burning by steam, single-thread door closing is effected with one motion of the hand;

  3) The ventilated door of the chamber prevents getting burns (as the door doesn’t get hot) and steam condensation on the glass;

  4) The widened space between the slides for GN containers in the chamber (85 mm) allows to allocate gastronorm containers GN-1/1-h-60mm on all the levels.

  5) New design of the control panel and of the very combi steamers.

  The aforementioned changes make the combi steamer Abat more easy-to-operate considerably simplifying, thereby, the work of cookers.

  The product line of the modernized combi steamers by JSC Chuvashtorgtechnika:

  1) Boiler-room combi steamers: PKA 6-1/1PM, PKA 10-1/1PM;

  2) Injection combi steamers: PKA 6-1/1VM, PKA 10-1/1VM;

  3) Mini-boiler-room combi steamer PKA 6-1/3P.

  Besides, since 2009 year the product line under Abat trademark has widened with programming boiler-room combi steamers of 6, 10 and 20 levels.

• 5. What is the power consumption of the combi steamers Abat?

  PKA 6-1/3P – 3, 2 kW

  PKA 6-1/1PM – 9, 5 kW

  PKA 10-1/1PM – 12, 5 kW

  PKA 6-1/VM – 9, 5 kW

  PKA 10-1/1VM – 12, 5 kW

  PKA 6-1/1PP - 10 kW

  PKA 10-1/1PP - 13 kW

  PKA 20-1/1PP - 35 kW

  - For the mode of maximum power consumption.

• 6. Do the combi steamers under Abat trademark have a shower device?

  Yes. All the models, excluding the mini-combi steamer PKA 6-1/3P have shower devices.

• 7. Are the combi steamers under Abat trademark supplied with a recipe book?

  Yes. Both the boiler-room PKA 6-1/3P, PKA 6-1/1PM and PKA 10-1/1PM and injection PKA 6-1/1VM and PKA 10-1/1VM combi steamers are supplied with illustrated and informative recipe books.

• 8. Can you specify the dimensions of internal glass of the 6-level combi steamers?

  530х433 mm – for PKA 6-1/1VM and PKA 6-1/1PM

• 9. What are the advantages of the boiler-room combi steames over the injection ones?

  The boiler-room combi steamers differ from the injection ones by the way of steam generation. In the case of the boiler-room combi steamers the steam already generated is submitted to the chamber while in the case of the injection combi steamers the steam is generated in the very chamber by water injection to the heated tubular electric heating elements. Also, in the case of the boiler-room combi steamers the steam temperature can be programmed while using the injection combi steamers you can only program the water injection periodicity.

  That is why the boiler-room combi steamers are good for preparation of fortified steamed (dietary) dishes: dumplings, steamed chops and fish, vegetables, eggs, rise, buckwheat and other cereals. The products don’t lose their appearance and save their flavoring qualities and nutrients better in comparison with preparation in the injection combi steamers.

  In addition, the boiler-room combi steamers Abat have a mode of low temperature steam with for a possibility of frozen and deep-frozen products defrosting, yeast dough proving and cooking of gentle dishes needing especially sensitive treatment.

• 10. Are the connecting cable and the plug supplied with the combi steamers? How is the connection of the equipment carried out?

  No plug and socked are supplied with. The connection is effected through a multicore cable with a cross-section of 4mm2. The sequence of operations: open the left sidewall, string the cable through the sealed cablegland (near the terminal block) and connect the cable ends to the terminal block according to identification symbols on it. For potential balancing connect the cable to the earthing boss.

• 11. How to setup the controller PAC after its replacement?

  Before the activation of the controller for the first time after its replacement you should check the settings of the controller. For this aim you should do the following:
  
  1. Deenergize the controller (disconnect PAC from the electricity supply or put the automatic circuit breakers QF1 and QF2 in the switch-off position).
  
  2. Press the «Warming up with steam» button – for boiler-room combi steamers («Convection + steam 1 sec» - for injection combi steamers). Energize the controller keeping on pressing the button. After the energizing the change of all the numerical indicators is going from 1 to 5 (further as the text goes – test). Then the indicator «Inner chamber temperature» signs «РtР_1 ил РtР_2»
  
  where  «РtР_1» - for the combi steamers with a steam generator
  
  «РtР_2» - for the combi steamers with injection system;
  
  3. Press und release the button. By «Ў» or «^» buttons of «Inner chamber temperature» program a new operational parameters of the controller. Press and release the button once more - data retention.
  
  4. Press and release the button «On/Off».
  
  5. Deenergize the controller.
  
  6. Check the points 1-5 (correctness).
  
  7. Press the bottom «Steam» (“Convection+steam 5 secк”). Energize the controller keeping on pressing the button. After the testing numerical indicators «Inner chamber temperature» signs «tР1_1» where:
  
  tР1  – thermowell (1 – chamber,  2 – probe)
  
  _1  - thermocouple  type (1 – thermocouple “K”, 2 – thermocouple” L”)
  
  8. By the buttons «Ў» or «^»program a new parameter of the thermocouple of the controller, press and release the button of «Inner chamber temperature» for data retention. 
  
  Note: All the PACs have a thermocouple “L”.
  
  9. Change the thermocouple parameter for the second thermowell, press and release the button of «Inner chamber temperature» for data retention.
  
  10. Press and release the button «On/Off».
  
  11. Deenergize the controller.
  
  12. Check the points 1-5 (correctness).
  
  The controller is ready for operation.
  
  Note: There is no possibility of changing the thermocouple in controllers produced after 2008. The second thermocouple type (L) is already stipulated by the program.

• 12. We’ve bought a combi steamer PKA 6-1/1PM. It’s stated in the description that it has a shower device but we can’t found it.

  A shower device of the combi steamers is located behind the left panel. You should unscrew some bolts to find it.

• 13. Is it possible to allocate gastronorm containers of the dimensions GN 1/2 and GN 1/3 in the combi steamers?

  Yes. All the combi steamers under Abat trademark have a longitudinally located chamber, so the allocation of gastronorm containers of the dimensions GN 1/2 and GN 1/3 is possible.

• 14. How to clean the steam generator?

  The water scale should periodically (once in a month) be removed from the steam generator. For this aim you should do the following:
  - Open the valve, for this aim chose the mode “Convection”; make sure that the valve is open, press the button “On/Off”; 
  - Take off the slides and the baffle;  
  - Drain the steam generator by opening  the drain valve; 
  - Close the drain valve of the steam generator; 
  - Through the open valve pour a descaling agent into the generator (for example, "Кумкумит", "OVEN E 1 CALK");
  - After a retention interval (according to exploitation instructions for the descaling agent), press the button «Steam» and wait for10 min;
  - Drain the steam generator deenergizing the combi steamer and opening the drain valve;
  - Rinse the generator several times by its re-filling by the water and re-draining;
  - Rinse the chamber using the shower device;
  - Wipe the chamber from the inside with a clean material;
  - Dry up the chamber in “Convection” mode for 5-10 minutes.
  Caustic alkali and concentrated acid using are PROHIBITED.