Healthy high quality food is essential to healing and wellbeing – but tight budgets often make this a challenge for hospitals and aged care facilities. That’s where the RATIONAL iVario Pro comes in: a modern, multifunctional cooking system that helps reduce costs without compromising food quality.

One of the biggest financial challenges for nursing homes and hospitals is limited kitchen space, especially in urban areas where rents are high.

According to Mark Sweeting, General Manager at RATIONAL Australia, designing kitchens to be compact and efficient is key.  “The iVario Pro saves up to 33% in space by replacing multiple appliances like bratt pans, boilers and fryers. The iVario Pro 2S, our most popular model in this market, can prepare up to 100 meals per day in just a fraction of the space. And our largest model, the XL can prepare up to 500 meals a day – each cooking up to four times faster than conventional equipment.”

Despite its speed, the iVario Pro is also energy efficient. Its advanced heating system brings the entire base to 200°C in under 2.5 minutes and cools just as fast. This translates to up to 40 per cent less energy use compared to traditional cooking methods.

The ConnectedCooking digital platform further boosts efficiency by allowing teams to manage cooking programs remotely. Recipes can be created or updated via PC, tablet or smartphone and pushed directly to connected systems, streamlining operations and reducing manual input.

Staffing is another area where savings add up. Built-in cooking intelligence automatically adapts to the food, requiring intervention only when necessary. “It helps when there are fewer staff or they need to be redeployed throughout the kitchen more efficiently,” Mark says.

But cost savings aren't the only benefit. “In healthcare catering, the most important thing is food quality,’ Mark points out. Fast, precise cooking preserves vitamins and minerals while intelligent systems ensure every dish is cooked to perfection, whether it’s tender meat or crisp vegetables.

 “With the iVario Pro, facilities can save significantly while delivering consistently healthy, high-quality meals,” Mark says.