How Wildweed’s RATIONAL Combi Oven Adds Value

When David Jackman, chef and co-owner of Wildweed, considers the benefits of his RATIONAL iCombi Pro combi oven, he sees the value it offers guests first and foremost. The new-American pasta restaurant, located in Cincinnati, operates from a small kitchen. But with its RATIONAL unit, holding 10 half-size trays, the team can do so much more than if they only had a convection oven and some pots and pans.

“It’s not so much about the dollars it saves us, but the amount that we’re able to tackle with the team that we already have in place,” Jackman says about the RATIONAL unit.

Jackman and Wildweed have earned a series of accolades, including appearing on the New York Times and Bon Appetit best-of lists for 2025, as well as a James Beard Award nomination. The restaurant seats 65, including 12 spots at the chef’s counter with a 16-course tasting menu and 53 seats in the dining room with an a la carte menu. The team relies on the RATIONAL unit for a variety of tasks, from smoking whole lambs and roasting chicken to slow-cooking stocks and poaching fish. They also use it to prepare pastries.

Along with versatility, Jackman says, other benefits from using the RATIONAL unit include the following:

Precise temperature control: Wildweed started in 2018 as a pasta pop-up concept. (It did more than 225 pop-ups.) The team relied on equipment in the restaurants they were renting. “We would use convection ovens, which really didn’t have the control and consistency we wanted,” Jackman says. He include a RATIONAL unit as soon as Wildweed opened in 2024. He appreciates the amount of control over the temperature when preparing fish, for example, as well as the ability to dial in the airflow when baking lasagna.

Labor-savings with food preparation and maintenance: Using the RATIONAL unit just for stocks alone saves Wildweed hours of labor, Jackman says. “It would take a lot of watching, caring and skimming (if we used a pot on a stove). With a RATIONAL, we put the stocks in hotel pans and let them run overnight,” he says. “I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way.” As for maintenance, the self-cleaning feature saves employees steps. The iCare System offers interim cleaning, which takes about 12 minutes or less, and a full-clean mode at the end of the day.

Easy repairs compared with other brands. Wildweed has two other combi ovens from a different manufacturer but it prioritizes the RATIONAL unit. “Our RATIONAL is our workhorse,” Jackman says. “I’ve used them in other restaurants and I’m confident in the quality. There are less issues with repairs.” RATIONAL offers a network of service partners and a 24/7 hotline.

Right now, Jackman doesn’t have plans to invest in more equipment but rather to maintain and maximize what Wildweed currently uses. He would like to try more RATIONAL accessories, helping to expand the restaurant’s menu and add even more value for guests. The grilling and searing plate has caught his attention. Ideal for meat, fish or vegetables, the grill side creates traditional grill marks while the roasting side has a lip for pan-frying items. “The accessory would give us the opportunity to do some fun things,” he says.