Professional chefs have been cooking with steam for years, and thanks to the ever advancing capabilities of domestic tech, home kitchens are also now enjoying the steam revolution. Quick and easy, healthy and delicious, and with incredible energy efficiency, steam ovens are the ultimate cooking machine.
Unlike traditional ovens which use a heating element to cook food with dry, hot air, steam ovens cook food by evenly distributing steam into the cooking space of the oven. The steam condenses when it encounters the food, thereby transferring the heat energy and gently heating the food to the temperature of the steam. The natural flavour and colour of the food is retained, and significantly less nutrients are lost compared to baking or boiling. It’s healthier, quicker and truly delicious. And the really clever bit? As soon as the food has reached the temperature of the steam, it no longer condenses, meaning that nothing will scorch or burn – it’s practically impossible to overcook food in a steam oven. You can steam different kinds of foods at the same time and they all cook to perfection.
Combi steam ovens combine the benefits of steam with the advantages of hot air convection cooking to get perfect results, faster. The steam is produced outside of the cooking space in an external boiler, resulting in an incredibly precise alternation between steam and hot air. With minimum effort, you can set your sunday roast to cook in your combi steam oven, take the dog out for a leisurely stroll and come home to enjoy faultless veg, crunchy fluffy roasties, and a chicken that’s moist and succulent on the inside with a golden crispy skin on the outside.
So what can you cook in a steam oven? Let’s halt the misconception it’s only suitable for vegetables and fish. Of course, these will be cooked to perfection, but you can also cook pastry, cakes, pizzas and breads too. The incredible versatility of your steam oven will also defrost, reheat, and rejuvenate last night’s dinner or even yesterday’s bread with an injection of steam to return foods to their just-baked glory.
With steam cooking, there’s also no cross contamination of food flavours during cooking; you can confidently cook flavourful fish or spicy dishes at the same time as delicate desserts without the risk of spoiling. And with no oil or smoke to contend with, it’s super easy to clean with a quick wipe of a soft cloth to remove the residue steam after cooking.
