Before You Buy a Combi Oven — Four Things to Check First

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A Combi Oven Isn’t Just Plug In and Go

We get it — you’ve seen what a combi oven can do, you’ve worked out the size you need, and you want to crack on. But before you place that order, there are four practical things that need checking first. Get these wrong and you’ll end up with an expensive machine sat on a pallet in your car park with nowhere to go.

None of this is complicated, but all of it matters. We’ve seen kitchens where the oven arrived before anyone checked whether the electrics could handle it. That’s a conversation nobody wants to have. So here’s what we always run through with customers before anything gets ordered.

Combi oven being installed in a commercial kitchen

1. Power Supply — The Single Biggest Factor

All Retigo combi ovens are three-phase. A six-tray needs 16 amps per phase, a ten-tray needs 32 amps, and a twenty-tray needs 64. That’s a serious amount of power, and not every kitchen has it available on a spare breaker.

If you’re replacing an old electric range cooker, we can sometimes reuse that existing supply — same cable, same breaker, job done. But if you’re adding a combi oven to a kitchen that’s never had one, you’ll almost certainly need an electrician to upgrade your distribution board. This is the single biggest factor in whether you can have the machine you want, so check it first.

We always ask customers to send us a photo of their distribution board before we quote. It takes thirty seconds and saves everyone a headache down the line.

Three-phase electrical distribution board for commercial kitchen equipment

2. Drainage and Water Supply

Where there’s steam, there’s water — and it’s got to go somewhere. You can’t run a combi oven without drainage, and if your kitchen doesn’t have a drain where you want the oven, retrofitting one can get expensive quickly. This catches more people out than anything else we deal with.

You also need a mains water connection, and in the Midlands — or anywhere with hard water — you need a water softener. We always recommend an automatic water softener for combi ovens. It adds around £600 to the cost, but without one you’re looking at limescale damage that runs into hundreds of pounds per repair. And here’s the important bit — limescale damage isn’t covered under warranty. Not by us, not by Retigo, not by anyone.

We fit a softener as standard with every combi oven installation. It’s not an upsell — it’s protection for your investment.

Automatic water softener fitted alongside a Retigo combi oven

3. Extraction — Why Most Customers Go Electric

Electric Retigo combi ovens can be fitted with a built-in extraction canopy. That’s brilliant for older kitchens where the existing hood can’t be extended or where adding extraction would mean ripping half the ceiling out.

Gas combi ovens can’t have this — they need a full external canopy, and if your kitchen can’t accept a bigger one, gas simply isn’t an option. It’s one of the main reasons most of our customers go electric these days. The running costs are comparable, the performance is identical, and you avoid a whole layer of extraction headaches.

If you’re not sure what extraction you’ve got or whether it’s sufficient, that’s something we can check on a site visit before you commit to anything.

Retigo combi oven with built-in extraction canopy fitted in a commercial kitchen

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need three-phase power for a combi oven?▲

Yes — all Retigo combi ovens require a three-phase electrical supply. A six-tray needs 16 amps per phase, a ten-tray needs 32 amps, and a twenty-tray needs 64 amps. If you’re not sure what you’ve got, send us a photo of your distribution board and we’ll tell you straight.

Can I reuse the power supply from my old cooker?▲

Sometimes, yes. If you’re replacing an existing electric range cooker with a combi oven, the existing three-phase supply may be sufficient. We check this as part of our pre-installation survey so there are no surprises on delivery day.

Why do I need a water softener with a combi oven?▲

Hard water causes limescale to build up inside the boiler and steam generator. In the Midlands, our water is particularly hard, so without a softener you’ll face expensive repairs — often running into hundreds of pounds — that aren’t covered under warranty. A softener costs around £600 and pays for itself many times over.

Does my kitchen need a drain for a combi oven?▲

Yes. Combi ovens produce condensate and need a waste water connection. If there’s no drain where you want the oven, retrofitting one can be costly. It’s one of the first things we check on a site visit.

Can I use a gas combi oven without a full extraction canopy?▲

No. Gas combi ovens require a full external extraction canopy — there’s no built-in option. Electric Retigo ovens can be fitted with a built-in extraction canopy, which is why most of our customers choose electric, especially in older kitchens where extending extraction isn’t practical.

How much does a combi oven installation cost?▲

It depends on what’s already in place. If you’ve got three-phase power, drainage, and a water supply where you need them, installation is straightforward. If any of those need adding or upgrading, costs go up accordingly. We always do a site survey first so we can give you an honest, all-in figure with no hidden extras.

Can I see a combi oven working before I buy one?▲

Absolutely. Pop into our Loughborough showroom and have a chat with Shaun. He’ll walk you through the different sizes, and if you want to see one in action, he’ll fire it up and cook something for you. No pressure, no hard sell — just honest advice.

Not Sure Where to Start? Let’s Have a Chat

Send us a photo of your distribution board, tell us roughly where the oven needs to go, and we’ll give you an honest answer on what’s involved — before you spend a penny.

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