In this piece, with the help of experts, we explore the latest kitchen gadgets and appliances designed to improve efficiency and meal quality in care homes.
In the realm of care home dining, ensuring meals are nutritious, appealing, and tailored to residents’ needs is paramount. As the population ages and demand for high-quality care intensifies, innovative kitchen technologies are revolutionising how meals are prepared, delivered, and enjoyed in care homes. From advanced cooking appliances to sophisticated dietary management systems, these technological advancements are not only enhancing the culinary experience but also improving health outcomes and operational efficiency.
In this article, we delve into the latest breakthroughs in kitchen technology that are setting new standards in care home dining, making mealtime a more pleasant and beneficial part of residents’ daily lives.
Wayne Bennett, VP Sales and Marketing UK and Ireland for MKN, recognises that nowadays, combi steamers and ovens are popular, offering flexible and consistent cooking at scale. He said, “They should be considered a vital piece of equipment in any care home kitchen, but it’s important to note that not all combi steamers are the same.”
Wayne advises care homes to look for performance features that can improve efficiency in busy kitchens. MKN’s new FlexiCombi combi steamer, for example, is significantly faster to operate than its predecessor, with a revised operating system that enables even faster handling. It also includes the FlexiRack capacity concept, offering over 50% more capacity than appliances using conventional GN1/1 size – so only one cooking cycle may be necessary instead of two.
Elsewhere, the new FlexiChef multifunctional appliance from MKN offers smart cooking and smart cleaning, redefining versatility, performance and speed in the kitchen. It’s suitable for everything from cooking to frying to deep-frying, giving complete flexibility from one appliance, rather than having multiple appliances which would mean a greater footprint, greater cost, greater cleaning requirements etc.
New features include SpaceClean fully automatic cleaning technology, the first and only fully automatic cleaning system for professional cooking pans. It’s up to 10% faster than the previous model, includes an easy Up & Down lift function, and is WiFi-enabled for greater connectivity.
Keen to find out how innovative kitchen technologies from MKN increase the efficiency of meal preparation in care homes, Wayne explained that the team are mindful of skills shortages that continue to challenge the industry and said, “We’ve worked hard to develop technology that is simple to use, for all levels of experience.
“The MKN MagicPilot operating system provides controls across major MKN appliances including the new FlexiChef multifunctional appliance and the new FlexiCombi combi steamer. This makes it easier for staff at all levels to deliver quality, ensuring less food waste, more efficient cooking processes and lower cost of production.
MagicPilot offers intuitive, touchscreen controls like a smartphone, while automatic cooking programmes make sure it’s simple for kitchen staff to set cooking cycles at the touch of a button.”
Scott Duncan, Managing Director of Unox, sees that care home caterers have a vital role in providing quality, nutritious meals to residents because while food provides sustenance it also provides sensory experiences that can ignite nostalgic as well as enjoyable experiences – both of which are integral to maintaining the positive physical and mental wellbeing of residents. It’s also comforting that loved ones and friends know they are being served quality meals, which will certainly be a decision-maker for prospective residents. Scott explained, “But with the best will in the world, not all mealtimes will be able to stick to a strict schedule – it’s the nature of working in unpredictable environments, especially when client care is paramount. So should a resident be late for dinner, it’s of vital importance that their meal is of the same quality as the first served. At Unox we’ve developed a solution to support care homes in providing this, eliminating compromise.”
As a patented, state-of-the-art hot holding solution with the very latest technology, the EVEREOÆ gives care home caterers the gift of hot food preservation to help manage food prep, service, and food waste so they have ultimate control of when to cook and serve food. In demanding environments, like care homes, which have different shift patterns and unpredictable workloads, this hot-holding appliance can assist caterers with patient care, by making sure that residents, staff, and visitors can be served a quality hot meal no matter what time they are able to sit down for their meal.
Noticing that customer care and customer service are really key elements in any hospitality role, when you’re dealing with the physical and mental wellbeing of care home residents, this pressure is only amplified. It’s important that all services within care homes can work in harmony to help provide the best care they can to residents, and from a catering perspective time management can alleviate pressure added to this. In line with this, Scott explained that the EVEREOÆ is a fantastic example here. “We know from customer feedback – especially in the care home sector – that food prep and time management within kitchens can cause the biggest strain on service. Offering the ability to pre-prepare or hold dishes during quieter periods, the EVEREOÆ preserves hot food at its optimal serving temperature for up to 72 hours,” added Scott.
The innovative appliance offers a safe and incredibly convenient method for cooking with its ability to hold dishes above temperatures at which bacteria thrive, whilst maintaining quality, texture, and taste. The EVEREOÆ can guarantee safety and support busy care home kitchens to maintain service standards and keep food impeccable for up to four times longer than traditional holding cabinets. So, if a nurse finishes a shift late, or a resident misses the breakfast rounds, they can still have the same morning meal or snack – which will be completely uncompromised – that was served earlier in the day. A baked croissant, or pre-portioned full English, for example, will still taste and look the same after being left in the EVEREO’sÆ chamber for up to 8 hours – “Like it’s come fresh from the oven,” said Scott.
Cooking timers are one of the most common, and historical, pieces of kit used in any kitchen – and care homes are no exception. Through time, these devices have become enhanced by technological innovations, and as a standard any oven will come with a built-in timer. Naturally, the engineers at Unox wanted to take this a step further to really bolster time management for end users in care homes to the benefit of residents. Built-in to our X-Generation models – CHEFTOP-X™ and BAKERTOP-X™ – through the DIGITAL.ID™ interface, Unox’s MULTI.Time feature enables care home caterers to cook up to 10 different trays of food under the same cooking conditions (grill, steam, fry) that can be set to separate timers. This means that all trays in the oven can be ready at the same time, giving caterers more control and better management of food service which will in turn help provide a smoother and more methodical dining experience for residents. Scott revealed how when combined with the MISE.EN.PLACE feature, the combi ovens will also suggest to caterers, based on a dish’s cooking time, the best order and timing for inserting trays inside the cooking chamber. “On top of this, the digital panel offers caterers a really visual experience, allowing operators to upload images of said item, so when you select what item you’re cooking at a glance you can look around to see the image next to its cooking cycle to see how long is left until perfectly cooked. After each cycle the combi oven will give a breakdown of the name of the recipe, the duration of the cooking cycle and a consumption summary after every use,” said Scott.
We’re seeing many smart kitchen appliances being integrated into care home kitchens, offering a plethora of benefits. Combi oven technology has come on in strides in recent years, driven primarily by advances in connectivity, the integration of AI technology, and improvements in manufacturing techniques. As such, a combi oven purchased today is almost unrecognisable from its predecessor a few years ago.
Scott explained how Unox is truly embracing these changes and the digital age to enhance how a chef operates in their kitchen. Since its launch in 2023, the X-Generation ranges – CHEFTOP-X™ and BAKERTOP-X™ – have led a new generation of cooking, offering operators a more efficient and reliable way to utilise their ovens.
“One of the most impressive features within these ranges is ‘Hey.Unox’,” said Scott. In such a hands-on profession, Unox have developed a tool that allows caterers to control their ovens and cook remotely – adding another level of operational support.
“To activate the voice-controlled oven an operator need only say “Hey.Unox” – in any language – and it’s ready to cook. Such support can include activating cooking timers, increasing or decreasing the temperature, or asking how long until an item is finished cooking. It’s a fantastic hands-free solution that allows care home caterers to multi-task whilst prepping ingredients and saving time waiting for ovens to pre-heat,” Scott told us.
New kitchen technologies are massively helping to meet the nutritional needs of care home residents, specifically by contributing to the customisation of meals for residents with specific dietary requirements. With care home kitchens having a huge responsibility to make sure they can cater to an array of dietary requirements, this of course can add to prep and service times, as well as additional steps to cooking processes and recipes.
With this in mind, the engineers at Unox wanted to create a combi oven that acts more like a sous chef rather than an appliance, which is why the X-Generation range is fitted with DIGITAL.ID which features a recipe library designed to help care home caterers with menu development and accuracy.
Scott revealed how in the library, recipes will save the correct cooking settings – from temperature to time – so these pre-set programs are ready to go as soon as the oven door closes.
“Through this tool, caterers can add and edit recipes and when selected the Unox oven will start the correct cooking programs as pre-set,” said Scott. Solutions like this can be a real support for chefs catering to various dietary needs as, thanks to the ovens’ built-in software, recipes can be shared across multiple ovens across various care home sites. This can ensure consistent meals no matter which member of staff, or which kitchen, is cooking the food as the saved recipes can also include a description of the cooking steps and list of ingredients, which is completely optional, to help ease the user experience and assist with the training of new staff.
The latest kitchen gadgets and appliances are revolutionising the culinary landscape of care homes, significantly enhancing both efficiency and meal quality. These innovations—from advanced cooking devices to smart storage solutions—are not only streamlining food preparation but also ensuring that residents receive nutritious, delicious meals with consistency. By integrating these cutting-edge tools, you can better meet the dietary needs and preferences of their residents, ultimately contributing to their overall wellbeing and satisfaction. As technology continues to evolve, the future promises even greater advancements that will further elevate the standard of care and culinary excellence in these vital community spaces.