Most of us know that certain foods cook best when steamed. Vegetables come immediately to mind. Today, however, steam ovens can cook almost anything, and offer a number of advantages over conventional ovens. Many cooks feel that steam cooking is healthier, and preserves the look and taste of a variety of foods. According to Smarthouse.com, steam cooking offers a number of benefits when compared to gas or electric ovens, including faster cooking times, optimum retention of vitamins and nutrients, and boosted flavor, color, and texture for cooked foods. Also, no oils or fats are required to moisten foods. The one thing a steam oven can’t do is brown foods, but many of today’s models offer combinations with other cooking methods and provide settings that allow you to cook a variety of types of meals.
Steam ovens use water, often stored in an internal, removable reservoir, to create steam for the cooking process. Some are designed for the countertop, like many microwave ovens. Others can be installed as built-in appliances to save space and better match your kitchen’s décor. At Atherton Appliance & Kitchens and BSC Culinary, we offer a variety of steam ovens to match your cooking habits, space requirements and kitchen design and décor.
Gaggenau, for example, offers a dual-oven system that combines the dry heat of a convection oven with non-pressurized steam. The process is gentle on foods, preserving their color, nutrients, shape, and flavor without adding harmful or fattening substances. The company’s “combi-steam” ovens can be used for steaming, baking, simmering, braising, reheating, and even juicing. These ovens come in 24″ and 30″ styles; one of the 30″ models includes a water tank.
Miele’s Convection Steam Oven is a built-in model that comes with automatic temperature settings, electronic temperature control, an easy-to-clean stainless steel cavity and many other features. The exterior is available in black glass or stainless steel, and a variety of door handle options are offered to help you match your kitchen’s décor.
Sharp’s SuperSteam™ Ovens are countertop models. They are available in two combinations – the AX-1200K and AX-1200S models are, in effect, four ovens in one: they are capable of SuperSteam Convection, Steam, Convection, and Microwave cooking. The AX-1100R and AX-1100S are multi-purpose ovens with steam, grill, and Sensor Microwave functions.
For another take on kitchen steamers, Wolf’s 15″ built-in countertop steamer isn’t an oven, but keeps food hot for long periods, or defrosts food easily without drying it out or affecting its flavor. This two-gallon capacity unit holds up to 14 cups of cooked pasta, and comes with one solid and one perforated stackable insert pan. It’s simple, convenient, and hardly affects the counter space in your kitchen.
When you visit one of our showrooms, you can also ask our staff about steam oven options from Thermador and Viking. We would be happy to discuss the different types available, the advantages of steam cooking, and which ovens will best suit your kitchen. Stop by today for more information!
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