Madera Unified School District. Madera, CA.

“I welcome staff and directors to our kitchens to watch what we do and how we do it and let the RATIONAL speak for itself.”

Brian Chiarito, Director of Child Nutrition, Madera Unified School District.

Fresh, healthy meals for students.

The Madera Unified School District's Child Nutrition Department program has a motto: Go Fresh! As Chiarito worked to bring fresher, healthier meals to students, he began installing the RATIONAL equipment in school kitchens three years ago. Today, there are 15 RATIONAL combi ovens and one iVario in seven kitchens (food is prepared in a central kitchen for the elementary schools, and each middle and high school has its own kitchen).

“The quality of food that we can produce is far better,” Chiarito says. “The RATIONAL gives us a lot of opportunity to use different products, fresh products, and elevate the quality of our food.”

“The time savings when it comes to cooking and cleaning gives us more time for creativity when it comes to the menu,” he added. “We can focus on better products for the kids, as opposed to cleaning ovens.”

The kids are enjoying what they’re eating. “It’s a product that they trust and know will be good for them,” he said.

Customer benefit:
  • The unified school district is able to offer students better meals that are served fresh daily.
  • iCookingControl: Prepares food exactly the way you want it, every time, by detecting product status, size, and load quantity.
  • iLevelControl: Intelligent mixed loading lets you prepare different foods at the same time.
  • Efficient CareControl: Automatic cleaning and descaling overnight saves time and leaves your unit well maintained.
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