When time and staff are under pressure, preparation – or mise en place – becomes even more important. "The better the preparation, the more relaxed the service,“ says Tyler Schwarz, Managing Director at RATIONAL Canada. He recommends time-decoupled production using the cook & chill method. For instance, meat, vegetables or rice can be pre-cooked in the intelligent iCombi Pro combi oven when there is time. These can then be stored chilled and regenerated to perfection in just a few minutes using the finishing program shortly before service. “This takes the pressure off the team and ensures consistently high quality because food doesn't have to be kept warm for hours,“ explains Schwarz.
News – 2026-03-04
High-pressure situations, fluctuating numbers of guests, staff shortages and last-minute changes are all part of everyday life in many professional kitchens. To prevent chaos, good forward planning is essential. From mise en place to production to cleaning, structuring workflows and using digital tools can relieve pressure on the team while increasing efficiency. Here are three ways in which RATIONAL solutions can help.
1. Reimagining mise en place: thinking ahead instead of improvising
Many kitchens also rely on the iVario Pro – the intelligent multifunctional cooking system from RATIONAL – for larger quantities of soups, sauces or stocks. This system replaces the stove, pot and pan, among other things. Depending on requirements, it is available in different sizes: the smaller models, each with two pans, allow different dishes to be produced in parallel, while the large single-pan models can handle up to 150 litres at a time.
2. Centralised planning, on-site benefits: optimal preparation of cooking systems
3. Automating cleaning and documentation: more safety, less effort.
