Founded in 1950, Merrychef was a pioneer in the application of microwave energy in catering and the first to produce a microwave-accelerated combination oven. The first Merrychef combination oven was produced in 1960. The original ‘Artica’ oven stood over 5’ 8” in height, weighed close to 500 pounds, and required more than two days for installation and start-up. Contrast that to today’s top selling Merrychef 400 series oven, designed for a countertop application, weighing less than 180 pounds – which can be in full service in less than one hour. The ‘Artica’, and model 605 that followed were the centre-piece of many famous London cafés and bars in the ‘Swinging Sixties’, including Joe Lyons Tea Bars and the infamous Tramp nightclub. They were also installed in large numbers in frigates and battleships built for The Royal Navy and the first diesel and electric trains run by British Rail. Forty-five years on, the World’s armed forces and most successful rail operators still use Merrychef ovens to power their galleys, but by far the largest users are fast casual restaurants, supermarkets, c-stores, contract caterers, hotels and fine dining outlets.
Merrychef accelerated cooking ovens utilize a combination of microwave energy and high speed convection heating to produce consistent, high quality results. The Merrychef 501 can fully cook and tantalizingly finish two 3 pound chickens in 15-16 minutes – up to six times faster than conventional cooking. Other models provide even faster cook times. See the Cooking Time Comparison Chart (provided) for additional comparisons.
Using wind tunnel-type technology and advanced computer modeling, Merrychef and Enodis engineers optimized the flow of convection air within the cook chamber. This results in consistent, attractive product appearance and superior retention of moisture as compared to similar technologies. Merrychef and Enodis were issued patents on this exclusive air management system.
