What is the best commercial oven for a deli? Here’s a complete guide to help you make the right choice

When choosing a commercial deli oven, there are several features that can truly change the way you work in the kitchen and make daily operations easier.

Energy consumption

Keeping energy consumption under control is essential in an energy-intensive sector like the delicatessen business. Before choosing an oven, it’s important to carefully evaluate how much energy it consumes based on your specific type of operation. Modern models offer smart solutions to make the most of your equipment and reduce waste: insulating materials retain heat in the chamber, improving cooking efficiency, while automatic functions adjust energy and water use, for example, during washing cycles. This way, the oven operates efficiently without compromising dish quality or increasing costs.

Automation and ease of use

One of the most common concerns is usability: is the commercial deli oven you’re considering easy for all staff to use, even for those with less experience? In modern models, the answer is yes. New-generation professional ovens feature intuitive digital panels, allow access to preset recipes, and let you save your own customized ones. This means you can quickly prepare dishes such as roasts, lasagna, or gratins without having to explain each step to your staff. It’s just one of the many ways today’s technology is revolutionizing kitchen operations, reducing errors, saving time, and making cooking results consistent and repeatable.

Automatic washing

In a delicatessen, many foods leave residues that are difficult to remove: thick sauces, roast fats, vegetable dressings. Manual cleaning can take a lot of time and is often not completely effective. Self-cleaning ovens solve this problem: with just one click at the end of service, the oven starts an automatic cycle that removes grease and residues, reducing both cleaning time and staff effort. The additional cost is generally modest, and the investment pays for itself through reduced maintenance and longer appliance life.

Longevity

The lifespan of a commercial delicatessen oven depends on the quality of its materials and regular maintenance. Choosing a solid model with scheduled maintenance programs and continuous support means avoiding downtime and extending everyday use. In a kitchen where ovens run for hours and multiple shifts each day, this is an essential guarantee.

Safety

This should never be overlooked, as the oven operates at high temperatures for many hours. Check thermal insulation, door lock systems, and anti-gas devices on combustion models. These precautions reduce risks for the staff and improve working conditions. Some models even offer digital platforms to monitor in real time energy consumption, cooking cycles, and HACCP data, allowing you to keep everything under control with no surprises.

Versatility

Versatility in the kitchen, especially in a delicatessen environment, is crucial. The professional oven must provide great cooking flexibility without compromising on quality. In a deli, you have to handle very different preparations, from sweet to savoury, from vegetables to poultry. The most advanced commercial combi ovens allow you to perform multiple cooking processes at once, even different ones, without flavour or aroma contamination, while always ensuring uniform cooking results. This means you can use the same oven in your delicatessen for baking, pastry, roasting, and reheating ready-made dishes, optimising both space and time in the kitchen.

Dimensions

Outside of large cooking centres that supply multiple outlets and can afford trolley ovens with 20 trays or more, space is always limited in small to medium-sized delicatessens. A well-designed compact oven can handle multiple preparations simultaneously without sacrificing useful workspace, allowing you to cook roasts, gratins, or side dishes at the same time without cluttering the area. In addition, many models allow you to make use of vertical space by stacking multiple cooking chambers.

There isn’t a single “standard” size suitable for all commercial deli ovens, the choice depends on your workload and the space available in your kitchen. To help you make the right decision, here are the key practical factors that make an immediate difference.

Tray capacity

How many trays can fit in a deli oven? What tray sizes can be used? Capacity is the first parameter to consider when choosing a commercial delicatessen oven. Professional ovens use the standard Gastronorm (GN) format, with GN 1/1 (530×325 mm) as the base size. There are also GN 2/1 (650×530 mm) for larger loads and GN 2/3 (354×325 mm) for smaller portions or side dishes.

If you manage a small to medium-sized delicatessen, a compact countertop oven with 3–5 trays is usually sufficient to cover daily production.

If, on the other hand, you supply multiple outlets or work with high volumes, you’ll need an oven with greater capacity (from 6 to 10 trays), or even trolley models with 20 trays that allow you to handle large batches and peak workloads without slowing down service.

External dimensions and real space

What are the oven’s external dimensions? How can you be sure it will fit in your kitchen or behind the counter?

Before purchasing, measure the available space carefully, also considering door opening clearance. Don’t rely solely on technical specs: think about how you move during busy service hours, the space needed for plating, moving trays, and working without obstructing colleagues.

Ventilation and safety

How much space should be left around the oven for ventilation? The real space around the oven isn’t the only aspect to consider: there’s also the space “required” for it to operate safely and avoid overheating. Ventilation is essential because every oven needs airflow to cool down and ensure a safe working environment. On average, you should leave about 5 cm of clearance on each side and at the back, as long as there are no open heat sources like stoves or fryers nearby.

A practical solution may be stacking ovens vertically or choosing a single, larger-capacity model instead of two smaller, less versatile ones. Combi ovens, in particular, can replace multiple pieces of equipment with a single appliance, optimising space, improving safety, and ensuring compliance with regulations.

Compactness without compromise

Are there compact ovens that don’t sacrifice productivity? This is one of the most common questions among professionals. In the delicatessen business, versatility and space must coexist. Today’s compact combi ovens offer both: top quality and high performance, even in reduced dimensions.

Some compact combi ovens are as narrow as 50 cm and 60 cm deep, ideal for limited spaces. Standard models can reach up to 90 cm in width and 80 cm in depth, still perfectly suited for delicatessen needs. Depending on their size, they can accommodate 3 to 10 GN 1/1 trays, allowing you to bake, gratinate, and reheat multiple dishes at once without compromising food quality.

For those handling larger volumes but with limited space, it’s worth considering solutions that stack multiple professional ovens vertically. By making use of vertical space, you can boost productivity without expanding your countertop footprint, optimising every valuable square metre in the kitchen.

It’s not easy to determine exactly how much energy a commercial deli oven consumes, as the values vary greatly depending on the model, installed power, and, most importantly, daily usage.

That’s why it’s essential not to rely on a generic figure, but to assess consumption based on your specific operation. Today, there are tools such as the Unox Energy Consumption Calculator, available directly on the website, which allow you to accurately estimate how much energy an oven will use based on working hours and the most frequent cooking types. Moreover, if the selected model isn’t the most efficient for your business, the tool suggests a more suitable alternative for your needs.

This aspect is especially important for small and medium-sized delicatessens, which operate with tighter margins and must keep a close eye on fixed costs. Knowing energy consumption in advance helps you plan your investment more effectively, calculate economic returns, and choose the most suitable model, without unpleasant surprises on your energy bill.

Choosing between a commercial gas oven and an electric deli oven is a key decision for anyone working in the delicatessen business. For many years, gas was considered the most economical and fastest option, but today electric deli ovens deliver equally high performance, with the added advantage of greater sustainability.

Both can quickly reach high temperatures, but electric models, stand out for their energy efficiency. The most advanced versions include smart functions that optimise energy use during cooking and preheating, reducing costs and waste without compromising dish quality.

And what about the electrical system? In most cases, only a minor adjustment is needed, such as updating the socket or electrical panel.

The price of a commercial deli oven varies greatly depending on its size, functions, and brand. Compact countertop models designed for small to medium-sized delis start at around €2,000–€5,000, while high-end combi ovens for larger operations, offering advanced automation and greater capacity, can easily range from €8,000 to €12,000.

It’s normal to have doubts about the initial cost, especially when starting a new business and facing multiple expenses. In these cases, the right question to ask is: Is the cost of the oven justified by long-term savings and quality? This is where the concept of ROI (Return on Investment) comes in, spending a bit more at the beginning means saving money every day on your energy bills and ensuring consistent service for your customers.

Beyond the purchase price, it’s always wise to evaluate the overall offer. Is installation included? Who takes care of setup and testing? Are there additional services such as extended warranties or scheduled maintenance packages? Some manufacturers, like Unox, offer solutions specifically designed to extend the oven’s lifespan and maintain top performance, a detail that truly makes a difference over time. Moreover, Unox allows professionals to test a professional deli oven directly in their own delicatessen free of charge, enabling them to make a fully informed decision.

A commercial deli oven must be able to handle a wide range of cooking processes, as every day in the kitchen involves preparing very different dishes, from roasts to vegetables, from ready meals to delicate pastries. Versatility therefore becomes the first key selection criterion: not only to satisfy regular customers but also to expand your offering and attract new ones.

Here are the main types of cooking a perfect commercial deli oven should guarantee:

• Combi cooking: balances hot air and steam, ideal for roasts that are juicy inside and crispy on the outside. Also perfect for lasagna and parmigiana, as the top layer is gratinated without drying out the interior.

• Mixed steam cooking: maintains the moisture of meat and vegetables, preventing them from drying out during the process.

• Steam cooking: perfect for delicate dishes such as fish, steamed vegetables, or ready meals to be reheated without losing texture.

• Low-temperature and sous-vide cooking: essential for those using modern culinary techniques (roasts, braised dishes, vacuum preparations) that require absolute precision.

• Air frying: allows you to achieve crispy dishes without using excessive oil, saving equipment and reducing risks in the kitchen.

• Regeneration: one of the most sought-after functions, used to reheat ready meals without losing quality, as if they had just been prepared. Some models manage regeneration automatically through dedicated programs.

• Grilling and browning: essential for giving colour, flavour, and crispness to meats, vegetables, and ready dishes.

• Pastry baking: even leavened and delicate desserts require uniform cooking, and a good oven ensures it even at full load.

• Pasteurisation: the professional deli oven brings food to a precise temperature for the necessary time, eliminating bacteria and microorganisms without overcooking the product. In this case, it’s essential to constantly monitor HACCP data to ensure food safety without compromising taste, texture, or moisture.

An added bonus is the ability to smoke food directly inside the oven. For instance, with smart accessories like HYPER.Smoker by Unox, you can make use of the energy already present in the cooking chamber, with no additional costs or external power sources.

There are many Unox solutions designed for the delicatessen world, created to simplify daily kitchen operations, optimise space and time, and ensure consistently professional results.

When it’s time to choose the right commercial oven for a delicatessen, the variety of available models can easily create some confusion. One of the first questions that comes to mind concerns the types: is it better to go for a convection oven, a steam oven, or a combi oven? The answer matters, because the type of cooking determines not only the final result of your dishes but also guides you toward the oven best suited to your kitchen’s needs. Understanding the characteristics of each model is therefore the first step to making an informed, practical decision.

The convection oven uses hot air circulation and is ideal for dry cooking, such as roasts, gratins, or baked goods. It’s easy to use and ensures uniform results, but it doesn’t allow cooking with pure steam.

The so-called commercial steam oven, on the other hand, works by adding steam directly into the cooking chamber, so food retains its moisture, texture, and flavour. It shouldn’t be confused with steamers, which are designed exclusively for steaming, nor with the combi oven, which integrates both systems and allows you to switch freely between dry and steam cooking. Steam ovens are ideal for vegetables, fish, and delicate dishes, but they can be limiting if your delicatessen needs to handle multiple types of cooking at the same time.

That’s why many professionals choose the combi oven for their delicatessen: a single appliance that operates in dry mode, steam mode, or a combination of the two. Not by chance, it’s often referred to as a three-in-one oven because it brings together three functions in one device. It’s the most versatile solution for a delicatessen, capable of moving seamlessly from reheating ready meals to sous-vide cooking, and even advanced functions like pasteurisation.

Anyone working in a delicatessen knows it well: space is always limited, and the pace, especially during rush hours like lunchtime, can be relentless. Customers, however, still expect high-quality dishes. This is where the combi oven proves to be the best ally behind the counter of a delicatessen: a single piece of equipment that combines the functions of multiple appliances, freeing up space, reducing costs, and streamlining workflows.

Here’s how the main daily challenges find their solution in the commercial combi oven:

• Managing simultaneous cooking and tight service times

During peak hours, different orders come in at once and maximum speed is required. The combi oven supports you from morning to night, moving seamlessly between different preparations without interruption: reheating ready meals, gratinating side dishes, cooking sous-vide roasts, or steaming vegetables. All in one oven, always with the same consistent quality.

• Quality control and uniformity

Every dish must come out with the same flavour, doneness, and presentation, ready to enhance the appeal of your display counter and attract customers. With a combi oven, you can precisely control temperature, humidity, and cooking times with the same care you dedicate to selecting ingredients. The result? Guaranteed uniformity, even at full load. Ten trays of lasagna for the counter will all come out identical, no surprises.

• Internal logistics and space optimisation

In the kitchen, every metre counts: too much equipment means complicated workflows, difficult transitions, and obstructed movements. With just one professional oven, you replace several machines, free up valuable space, and make your kitchen more efficient. This keeps the counter organised and ensures a smoother workflow.

Now that you understand how a combi oven helps you tackle the daily challenges of a delicatessen, it’s worth highlighting an even more important aspect. When you have full control over your kitchen processes, you don’t just work more efficiently, you can also experiment, expand your menu, and introduce new dishes. This way, you attract more customers and give your delicatessen new momentum.

A professional combi oven doesn’t just solve everyday problems, it opens up new growth opportunities for your business.

Among the many options on the market, Unox commercial ovens are among the most appreciated by deli professionals because they combine versatility, precision, and smart functions in compact dimensions, easily integrated even into small kitchens or deli counters.

Every feature is designed with the real needs of those working behind the counter in mind: handling different types of cooking under tight deadlines, managing multiple dishes at once, and maintaining quality and consistency even during peak hours. With Unox, you not only work with one of the best commercial deli ovens on the market, but you also benefit from constantly updated solutions designed to optimise every daily operation in your delicatessen.

The CHEFTOP MIND.Maps™ range of commercial combi ovens is engineered to tackle any challenge in the delicatessen world, delivering high performance and consistently repeatable results. The digital control panel allows easy navigation through a library of more than 300 automatic and customisable cooking programs, enabling even less experienced staff to achieve perfect results every time.

Smart functions such as STEAM.Maxi and DRY.Maxi generate and remove steam quickly, ensuring fast and even cooking: 36 portions of onion rings ready in just 12 minutes, or a full load of freshly baked focaccia in only 25 minutes.

Cleaning is just as easy: at the end of service, staff can start the automatic washing system, an advanced technology developed in collaboration with university chemists. It’s designed to remove even the toughest residues, from animal fats to vegetable deposits and the most stubborn incrustations, without requiring complex manual cleaning. Smart features like SENSE.Klean assess the level of dirt inside the oven and recommend the most suitable washing cycle, minimising water waste. This is just one of the many automatic saving functions integrated into Unox ovens.

Worried about space? The MIND.Maps™ range includes models suitable for every environment. The most popular choice among foodservice professionals is the CHEFTOP MIND.Maps™ COMPACT combi oven, which combines high performance with a small footprint (width 535 mm, depth 672 mm, height 649 mm), perfect for a deli counter without compromising on capacity or efficiency. As one of our chefs, Davide Maretto, who personally tests Unox technologies in his daily work, explains:

“This range of ovens represents a real breakthrough for delicatessens: being able to manage multiple cooking processes at once in such a small space is an invaluable advantage. For example, I can roast meat, gratinate side dishes, and reheat ready meals… all in the same oven! And if someone new joins the kitchen team, I don’t have to worry — just one click starts the program and ensures perfect results every time.”

At Unox, we pursue continuous innovation, harnessing every technological advancement to provide maximum support to our customers in the kitchen. The intelligent CHEFTOP-X™ combi oven is the result of this ongoing research, a combi oven that combines the outstanding performance of our range with never-before-seen smart features, capable of transforming everyday operations in a delicatessen kitchen.

It’s the first oven equipped with artificial intelligence, learning from your cooking feedback, and featuring an optical sensor that recognises the type of food placed inside the chamber. The result? Fewer errors, greater precision, and consistently perfect dishes, whether you’re gratinating lasagna, roasting meat, or reheating ready meals for the counter.

What’s more, thanks to the integrated anti-limescale filter, CHEFTOP-X™ protects the system and maintains constant performance over time, without the need to install an external water softener, even in kitchens with particularly hard water. A real, practical advantage for professionals who want to focus solely on cooking, without worrying about daily maintenance.

If your top priority in a delicatessen is reheating ready meals quickly and ensuring fast service even during peak hours, the Unox SPEED range offers solutions tailored to every need.

The compact countertop SPEED.Compact™ ECO ovens are designed to deliver high performance in limited spaces, with just 60 cm depth and a space-saving 17 cm door opening. In practice, a slice of pizza or quick dishes like filled sandwiches and gratinated side portions come out hot and evenly cooked in just 60 seconds. Cleaning is just as simple: the guided wash kit lets you finish service without wasting valuable time.

For those who need both speed and versatility in a compact format, the SPEED.Pro™ professional oven combines rapid cooking and convection in a single unit. A practical example? You can prepare a 250 g portion of lasagna in just 100 seconds, without compromising on quality or texture.

Finally, for more elaborate preparations and tight schedules, the SPEED-X™ line offers the first accelerated cooking combi oven with automatic washing, the perfect ally for managing high volumes of ready meals while maintaining precision and uniformity at every service.

In addition to our ranges of commercial ovens, at Unox we have developed smart solutions to make running a delicatessen easier, faster, and safer. Small details, accessories, and integrated systems can make a big difference in everyday work, especially when the flow of dishes is constant and demanding.

HYPER.Smoker accessory

With HYPER.Smoker, you can smoke dishes directly inside your combi oven, expanding your menu without adding bulky equipment. It works with natural wood chips and requires no additional power supply.

When combined with CHEFTOP-X™ or CHEFTOP MIND.Maps™ PLUS, it uses the energy already generated inside the cooking chamber to achieve precise, even smoking. This lets you offer new flavours to your customers without taking up extra space in the kitchen.

SMART.Drain system

The SMART.Drain system simplifies the management of fats and cooking liquids. Its two-way valve channels residues into a tank or directly into the drain, eliminating the need for external separators.

It’s perfect when cooking large quantities of chicken, roasts, or other fatty dishes: the oven automatically detects the most critical cooking processes, suggests the correct valve position, and minimises dirt and blockages, making staff work easier and cleaner.

The EVEREO® hot holding system

EVEREO® is the hot holding system that is transforming kitchen management. It keeps food at serving temperature for up to three days, preserving texture, taste, and food safety.

Unlike cold storage, temperatures above 58°C eliminate bacteria and microorganisms, ensuring every dish is safe and ready to serve. The temperature is precisely controlled to a tenth of a degree, so food maintains the same quality as when it was freshly prepared. Even if there are leftovers, you can serve them in the following days without compromising quality or flavour.

The Data Driven Cooking App

With the Data Driven Cooking App, you can connect your oven, or a network of ovens, to electronic devices, allowing you to share recipes and monitor energy consumption and HACCP data in real time. In delicatessen operations, this is essential for maintaining high standards of safety and quality, especially when using techniques like pasteurisation.

Combined cooking stations

If you want to take advantage of vertical space and maximise versatility, you can combine multiple commercial ovens into dedicated cooking stations. For example, two ovens with 5 and 7 GN 1/1 trays allow you to cook 12 trays simultaneously, with separate chambers for grilling and steaming at the same time.

Alternatively, pairing a 10-tray oven with a stainless steel base cabinet allows for a large container to collect fats, enabling you to produce 240 portions of lasagna in 50 minutes, grill 80 meat slices in 5 minutes, or cook 24 chickens in 45 minutes.

COOK&HOLD 2.0 column

Finally, with the COOK&HOLD 2.0 column, you can cook in your professional oven in both traditional and sous-vide modes, and then keep dishes hot inside EVEREO® at a precisely controlled temperature until service. This lets you organise production in advance, reduce waste, and keep workflow smooth, avoiding stress for your staff and ensuring perfect dishes for your customers every time.

For over thirty years, Unox has been a benchmark in the world of commercial ovens, thanks to continuous innovation, reliability, and customer focus. Our professional ovens are not just pieces of equipment, they are complete solutions that help chefs work better every day, combining cutting-edge technology, fast support, and easy maintenance.

Before purchasing, you can test the ovens directly in your own establishment with the Individual Cooking Experience, a free cooking trial that allows professionals to make informed decisions by testing the ovens with their own products and recipes. After purchase, Unox guarantees full support: up to 4 years of warranty on MIND.Maps™ ovens and up to 5 years on X™ models with DIGITAL.ID Premium, as well as the availability of spare parts and fast service from our technical team, crucial for avoiding downtime in the kitchen. Our services are tailored for both small independent delicatessens and large chains or supermarket food counters.

“The CHEFTOP MIND.Maps™ ovens, thanks to their versatility and ease of use, have allowed us from the very beginning to expand our deli counter offering and meet the growing needs of our customers,” says a spokesperson for the well-known Italian supermarket chain Despar. “From our suppliers, we expect high-level technical support and assistance — and Unox has never disappointed us in this regard.”

Choosing the best commercial deli oven means investing in productivity, quality, and reliability. Selecting the right model for your needs helps reduce energy consumption, increase staff safety, and ensure consistently flawless dishes for your customers.

With Unox, you can be sure you’re relying on a partner that has been driving innovation in the sector for years, and will continue to support you with advanced technologies, expert service, and tailor-made solutions.

Visit our dedicated section and find the best oven for your delicatessen!