Steam Ovens For Healthy And Easy Cooking

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While many cultures have traditionally used steam to cook a variety of foods and dishes, some since ancient times, steam cooking has really caught on worldwide in recent years. This surge in popularity is due to the fact that steam oven manufacturers have not only come out with some fantastic products to help consumers use steam in their daily cooking in as simple a way as possible.

And also the general public has finally started to realize many of the benefits that cooking with steam has to offer.

So Exactly What Is A Steam Oven?

A steam oven is an appliance that uses a water reservoir or tank and does not have to be hooked up to a water supply like a refrigerator with an ice maker would. Instead, the reservoir is made to be easily accessible so it can be removed and filled with water before using the oven. The water in the reservoir is boiled which produces a cloud of fresh steam that is injected continuously into the oven chamber and this moist heat in turn cooks the food. They are typically available in two types: built-in wall ovens and countertop units.

The Benefits Of Steam Oven Cooking

There is a huge list of advantages to steam oven cooking; here are just some of the most appealing:

Ability To Cook Delicate Foods Without Damage

Unlike other methods of cooking, using steam will not damage food. The food will maintain its color and won’t brown making it much more visually appealing and of course appetizing. This can be very important for certain dishes and food items regardless of whether you are making gourmet meals for guests, or just trying to feed a picky child their vegetables.

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Much Healthier

Steam oven cooking is also healthier. No extra calories are added in the process like with frying or sautéing and it requires no oil. Many foods actually need to have a high-fat content to taste good when cooked by dry heat, or else they tend to dry out. This is not the case with steam since moisture is injected constantly, and no extra fat is needed.

When cooked with steam, food also retains its nutritional value and more vitamins, particularly with vegetables and seafood.

No Transference Of Flavor

One of the most convenient advantages of steam oven cooking is that there is no transference of flavor. This means you can cook multiple foods at the same time and not have to worry about the flavor of one food influencing another. For example, you could cook fish while also cooking chicken without any effect on how either of them tastes. Being able to cook multiple foods at once can save you an enormous amount of time.

A Cinch To Clean

Unlike steam clean ovens which cannot cook using steam and use water that is manually placed on the bottom of the oven and then heated up to clean, steam ovens have the unique ability to clean themselves with no hassle or lingering smells. Just turn on the cleaning function and after it’s finished simply wipe it down the inside.

Leftovers Like New

Reheating leftovers saves money but often is not nearly as tasty as when the food was first served. With steam, food often tastes even better the second time around and there is no flavor, texture, or moisture loss.

Option Of Using A Combination Of Cooking Methods

Luckily there are many ovens today which allow you to cook using a combination of cooking methods. The top brands offer units that are actually considered steam convection ovens. These three-in-one appliances give you the option of using steam, convection, or both to cook your food.

This is a huge advantage for all sorts of cooking and by using steam and convection together you get some magnificently delicious results. Convection uses dry heat and circulates it all around the oven chamber and this combined with steam gives you an average of twenty-five percent faster cooking time plus a crispy on the outside moist on the inside texture.

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This texture is not only what you need to make the best-tasting turkey, roasts, chicken, or prime rib but also homemade bread with a crispy crust. With meats, the convection and steam combination will make meat fall right off the bone and can also be used with vegetables, seafood, rice, and much more.

So What Type of Steam Oven Should You Choose?

There are two types of steam oven to choose from: built-in wall ovens and countertop ovens.

Built-In Steam Ovens

For cooking large amounts of food on a regular basis a wall or built-in steam oven is the smartest choice. While they can be expensive some up to $6,000 if you are a serious home chef or are committed to serving the healthiest meals possible for yourself and your family, they are a very worthwhile investment.

Most people who purchase one use it to supplement their existing oven but if you are doing a kitchen remodel a steam oven can be installed and used as your primary unit. The vast majority are wall ovens but there are a few kitchen ranges that have steam features as well. Because they are more costly than other types of ovens it is highly recommended that you stick to the top brands.

By doing so you not only will be ensuring that you are purchasing a very high-quality appliance but also one with some really hi-tech and useful features. There are a handful of manufacturers that are very well-known and always have the highest ratings in the industry.

For example, Miele steam ovens are top-of-the-line and offer some of the biggest oven cabinets available, enough to cook food for ten people or more, and even offer custom handle designs. The water tank for this brand is housed behind a motorized panel on top to not only save space but to give you more room to cook. The panel automatically opens with the push of a button.

Thermador has both range and wall oven units available for the consumer to choose from. A record-setting two-hour cleaning mode sets them apart from the competition as does very fast preheating times, and over forty easy cook programs. The larger units can even cook up to a fourteen-pound turkey and are very reasonable in price.

Wolf steam ovens are another highly sought-after option. Many of their ovens have over fifty menu presets to make cooking just about any meal as simple as placing it inside, adjusting the touch screen menu, and then going about your business without having to check on your food at all.

Their dual convection system helps bakers create the crispiest crusts with the gooiest insides. Wolf is actually the largest American family-owned appliance company. Bosch is famous for its German-engineered home products, particularly their dishwashers and is the third largest appliance manufacturer in the world.

They also happen to make some fantastic cookware. Bosch steam ovens are generally offered at cheaper prices than other top brands but with just about as many features making them very enticing. The majority of models are made to fit perfectly above a warming or storage drawer and have halogen lighting so you always have a clear view of what’s going on inside.

Gaggenau steam ovens have been at the forefront of the steam cooking scene for years. Their control panels and interfaces are top-of-the-line. A feature worth mentioning is their handle-free doors which open with a touch of the control panel that is available on their newest models.

The Gaggenau combi-steam oven line is very advanced yet with controls that are simple and easy to use. Adjusting everything from the percentage of humidity to the desired temperature can be done with a turn of the dial.

Countertop Steam Ovens

For those who are looking for an oven that is not as large, a countertop steam oven is a way to get all the benefits of steam cooking on a smaller scale and for much less money. About the size of a microwave, they easily fit right on top of the counter with only a small footprint.

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Instead of wasting energy by heating up your full-sized oven for foods and dishes that only take up a fraction of its interior space many savvy consumers are using countertop models. Their compact size means they require much less energy, heat up more quickly, and have faster cook times since an oven that is slightly bigger than what it is cooking will do so more efficiently.

However, just because they are smaller doesn’t mean that they can’t fit some decent size foods. Many countertop steam ovens have a deceptively large capacity and can cook up to a five-pound chicken or twelve-inch pizza. They can also be used as a second oven when having guests and extra cooking needs to be done, or as a primary oven in the hot summer months when you don’t want to increase the temperature of your house.

And of course countertop steam ovens can be a stepping stone for you to start experimenting with the joys of steam cooking before taking the plunge and buying a larger unit. Features like a drip tray to catch excess water, a crumb tray, a timer, and a large water reservoir are all things to look for. Unlike wall ovens, countertop models do not always offer both steam and convection in one but there are a few which do and do the job unbelievably well.

Without a doubt, the most highly rated and purchased is the Cuisinart combo steam and convection oven. Cuisinart steam ovens have large LCD displays, are very inexpensive for the amount of cooking they can do, and are both very high quality and dependable. They are an invaluable baking, steaming, and broiling tool but can also simply be used as a toaster.

One dial controls everything and as an added bonus they come with a book full of steam oven recipes and tips. Eurodib also offers some top-notch choices for those looking for restaurant-quality results in countertop space. Another take on countertop steam ovens are microwave/steamer combinations. This type is popular in Asia, especially Japan.

Both Sharp and Hitachi offer these however in the United States they may be units that are imported and therefore have an all-Japanese language display as well as require a plug converter.

Once you experience the many benefits steam ovens offer first hand you’ll never want to be without the option of using one. Helping you to live a healthier lifestyle while eating food which is more delicious, visually appealing, and with the proper texture, this is one appliance that will make a huge impact on your well-being and satisfaction both in the kitchen and daily life.

Of course, don’t forget to purchase a few steam oven cookbooks and explore the limits of what you can do and how fantastic your food can taste!