Most advice on buying vs renting catering equipment comes from companies with skin in only one side of the game. Rental firms will tell you ownership is a money pit. Dealers will tell you renting is dead money.
We're in an unusual position: CaterCombi sells refurbished combi ovens and rents them. We genuinely don't mind which you choose — so here's the advice we give customers on the phone every day, written down.
The short answer: Buy if your kitchen is established, you know your volumes, and you'll still be there in three years — a refurbished combi oven at 30–60% below new price is almost always the best long-term value. Rent if you're starting out, protecting cash flow, or want one fixed monthly cost with every breakdown being someone else's problem.
Now the longer answer.
What does it cost to rent a combi oven in the UK?
Our combi oven rental UK pricing is fixed, weekly, and published openly:
| Model | Weekly price | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| Rational SCC WhiteEfficiency XS | £44 + VAT | ≈ £6.27 |
| Rational SCC WhiteEfficiency 6 Grid | £49 + VAT | ≈ £7.00 |
| Rational SCC WhiteEfficiency 10 Grid | £54 + VAT | ≈ £7.71 |
| Rational SCC WhiteEfficiency 20 Grid | £79 + VAT | ≈ £11.29 |
That price includes delivery, professional installation by our manufacturer-trained engineers, all compliance checks and documentation, and — this is the important part — all servicing, parts and labour for the entire rental term. If the oven develops a fault, you call us, we fix it, and the invoice is £0. Our maintenance callouts have a 99.4% first-time fix rate.
The minimum term is 2 years, and we currently cover the South East of England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire.
What does it cost to buy a refurbished combi oven?
A refurbished combi oven typically costs 30–60% less than the equivalent new model. Every oven we sell goes through our 57-point maintenance checklist — worn components replaced, deep cleaned, rigorously tested — and is supplied with a warranty.
Ownership means one payment (or finance via iwocaPay), and the asset is yours. No ongoing obligation, no contract, and when you eventually upgrade, the oven still holds resale value — in fact, we'll buy it back from you.
The trade-off: once the warranty period ends, servicing, parts and breakdowns are your responsibility and your budget line.
When does renting make more sense?
Renting is the right call in four situations:
You're a new business. A first café, a dark kitchen, a new restaurant site — capital is precious in year one. £49/week for a 6-grid Rational keeps thousands of pounds available for fit-out, stock and staff, while still putting industry-leading equipment in your kitchen from day one.
You budget annually and hate variance. Schools, care homes and contract caterers often can't absorb a surprise £800 repair bill in month seven. A rental converts every equipment cost — including breakdowns — into one fixed, predictable number. For anyone answering to a finance department, that's often worth more than the long-term saving of ownership.
Your needs might change. At the end of your term you can switch to a different size or model. If you're not sure whether you'll need a 6-grid or a 10-grid in two years, renting means you're never stuck with the wrong asset.
You don't want to manage equipment. Rental customers get priority engineer response. When something goes wrong, it's our problem, on our clock, at our cost.
When does buying make more sense?
Buying wins in most other cases, and we'll say that plainly even though we'd happily rent to you:
You're established and staying put. If you know your menu, your volumes and your site, the maths favours ownership. Rental payments accumulate: two years of a 10-grid rental is over £5,600 + VAT, and you own nothing at the end. A refurbished 10-grid combi oven costs less than that and is yours outright.
You want full control. No minimum term, no contract conditions, no end-of-term logistics. Buy it, use it for a decade if you like.
You're building a business with assets. Owned equipment appears on your balance sheet and holds resale value. Rental payments don't create equity.
The honest downside of buying: you carry the maintenance risk. Mitigate it by buying from a specialist who refurbishes properly and backs it with a warranty — and by keeping your oven serviced and cleaned correctly (daily cleaning, as per manufacturer guidance, is the single biggest factor in long-term reliability).
Why do we only rent Rational ovens?
Our rental fleet is exclusively Rational SelfCookingCenter® WhiteEfficiency models, and that's a deliberate constraint, not a limitation.
Standardising on one manufacturer means our engineers carry the right parts in the van for every rental callout. That's why our first-time fix rate is 99.4% — we're not diagnosing your oven on visit one and returning with parts on visit two. For a working kitchen, the difference between a same-day fix and a three-day wait is the difference between trading and not trading.
On the sales side, we stock over 150 refurbished combi ovens across Rational, Convotherm, Electrolux, Hobart, Lainox, MKN, Unox and more, giving buyers the full choice of brand and size.
Can you rent first and buy later?
Yes — and for some kitchens this is genuinely the smartest route. Rent while you establish the business and prove your volumes, then talk to us at the end of your term about purchase options. You'll know exactly what size and specification your kitchen needs, because you'll have been cooking on it for two years.
If you'd like to see the ovens before committing either way, you're welcome to visit our Canterbury warehouse — find our address and opening times here.
The bottom line
| Buy refurbished | Rent | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Higher (one payment or finance) | Minimal |
| Long-term cost | Lower | Higher over time |
| Maintenance | Yours after warranty | Included — parts & labour |
| Breakdown risk | Yours | Ours — priority response |
| Flexibility | Yours to keep or sell | Switch models at end of term |
| Commitment | None | 2-year minimum |
| Asset value | You own it | None |
If you're still unsure, call us on 01227 469692 and describe your kitchen. We sell and we rent, so you'll get a straight answer either way.
Browse refurbished combi ovens → | See rental pricing and enquire →
FAQ
What is the minimum rental term for a combi oven?
Our minimum rental term is 2 years. This is what allows us to offer fixed weekly rates with full maintenance, parts and labour included throughout.
Is it cheaper to buy or rent a commercial combi oven?
Buying a refurbished combi oven is cheaper over the long term — typically 30–60% below new prices, with no ongoing payments. Renting is cheaper upfront and converts all maintenance costs into one fixed weekly fee, which suits new businesses and fixed-budget operations.
Does combi oven rental include maintenance?
Yes. CaterCombi's commercial kitchen equipment rental includes all servicing, parts and labour for the full term, plus priority engineer response with a 99.4% first-time fix rate.
Can I buy my rental oven at the end of the term?
This is something we can discuss as your term ends — many customers rent first, then buy once they know exactly what their kitchen needs.
What areas does CaterCombi's combi oven rental service cover?
The South East of England: Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire, London, Essex, Hertfordshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Refurbished oven sales are available UK-wide.
What brands of refurbished combi oven does CaterCombi sell?
We stock refurbished combi ovens from Rational, Convotherm, Electrolux, Hobart, Lainox, MKN, Unox and more — over 150 ovens at any one time. See the full range here.
