How Do Steam Ovens Work?

So, what are steam ovens all about? Well, steam has been used to power a wide variety of different appliances from trains to well as I’ am sure you can surmise from this article cooking. Steam ovens won’t be able to cook absolutely everything but they are more versatile than many people think.

However, a steam oven does offer some great benefits for one thing it is actually one of the more healthy ways to cook. Out of all your options, a convection steam oven is usually the oven of choice for people looking to harness steam as it offers extra heat and more versatility.

So, how do steam ovens work? The most notable feature of these ovens is that they feature a reservoir you will need to fill before you can start cooking. After all, the steam will need to come from somewhere won’t it?

In some models, the reservoir can be filled automatically although in others you will need to fill it manually. Steam convection ovens use fans to move heat around your oven which will help speed up the cooking time. Because of this and the very nature of steam cooking your food will also maintain more moisture as well.

If you are having trouble visualising it think about it like this. With a steam oven, a heating element around the fan heats up which produces the hot air you need to actually get cooking. This also helps ensure your steam oven doesn’t have any designated hot spots so it will provide a more even cooking experience.

This also helps ensure food isn’t too moist as well. A steam convection oven can really be an effective way of getting the moisture level just right with your cooking. With a convection steam oven, you will also get more versatility when compared to a standard steam oven.

They can sear meats and with the built-in convection mode, you can reach even higher temperatures. Many of the more modern, high-end convection steam ovens also use digital sensors which will help ensure your food is cooked with the right amount of heat.

So, that is the basics of how steam ovens work but what are the real benefits? While I talked about them briefly to really understand steam ovens in more detail we’ll need to examine the benefits of steam ovens in more detail.

The Benefits of Cooking With Steam

So, are you thinking of getting a steam oven? Well now that you have a deeper understanding of how they work let’s look at the benefits of them in more detail. And of course, for a balanced view, we need to consider any potential drawbacks as well.

Steam ovens won’t have the same range of cooking capabilities as a traditional oven. This means you will likely need to use a steam oven in conjunction with a more traditional one. However, a convection steam oven can utilise both steam and dry heat for cooking which gives you plenty of extra options.

You can bake, roast and of course steam your food! With a convection steam oven, you can even use a combi-steam mode which utilises both steam and dry heat for its cooking. So, you’ll have plenty of cooking options with a convection steam oven which means home chefs who want extra versatility and cooking options will certainly find a convection steam oven incredibly valuable.

The other big benefit of steam ovens is that they are one of (if not the most) healthy cooking method. Cooking with a steam oven means that vitamins and minerals are retained during the cooking process this is particularly important when it comes to vegetables. But other foods will also benefit as well.

For example, foods that are rich in protein won’t require much oil or fat to cook effectively either. Foods will also be much juicier as well although you will need a convection steam oven to get maximum versatility. Thanks to their design that we mentioned earlier convection steam ovens are also one of the faster cooking options for foods as well.

Steam ovens have also been touted as one of the best ways to reheat food making them ideal for leftovers. They also work with many different kinds of dishes and cutlery and steam is naturally one of the cleanest cooking methods available as well. So, if you are looking for a clean cooking method then steaming could be the way to go.

So, there are plenty of benefits and while there might be a few potential drawbacks steam ovens particularly convection steam ovens have a lot of fans for a reason. They can be quite expensive though which means you will need to think carefully before investing in one. If you are a keen home cook and want a cleaner more healthy cooking method then steam ovens do seem to offer you everything you could want.