High-end appliance reviews to make your research easy.

Because I’m all about customer service, I painstakingly sifted through hundreds of pictures of Catherine Zeta-Jones to find the right one. I know I know, it was a selfless act. But I want you to know, the Kieffer’s Guy is here for you. Special thanks to our saleswoman Agata for helping me to choose the right Clooney picture. I know that all of the ladies love Mr. Clooney, but as a dude, finding the right shot was a bit difficult.

Obviously, looking at those two pictures can make things a little steamy, but I’m not talking about that kind of steam. I’m talking about steam (the vapor form of water) and to be more specific, steam ovens.

Steam ovens cook exactly how they sound and most people think that only vegetables can be used, but pretty much anything can go into a steam oven like meats, pies, pasta, rice, etc. You can even use a steam oven to sanitize baby bottles or jars for canning. Re-heating food is a dream in a steam oven. You know that pork fried rice that never quite bounces back in the microwave? Pop that in a steam oven and it’ll taste like it just came out of the wok. I’m not here to tell you that a steam oven will replace your current oven, but steam ovens can absolutely complement your current kitchen.

There’s A Message in the Moisture

And that message is FASTER cooking times. Let’s say you baked a chicken in a traditional oven. That could take anywhere from one and a half to two hours. Put the same chicken in a steam oven set at 212 degrees and you’re looking at a cook time of about 20 minutes. That’s crazier than a drunken rant by Mel Gibson.

Cooking with steam is healthier too because the steam helps to retain the nutritional value of the food. And because the steam is keeping things moist (duh!), there’s no need to use extra oils or fats to keep food from sticking to the roasting pan. Not having to use extra oils means not adding extra calories to your food which means not adding inches to your waist. And considering how we all stuffed our faces this holiday season, I’m thinking that’s a good thing.

Probably the number one thing that a customer says to me when looking at a steam oven is that the oven cavity is too small. I won’t lie. The cavity IS small, but don’t let that fool you. Trays can be stacked on top of each other to greatly expand the amount of food that can be cooked. You can easily cook a meal for four (at the same time) in one oven. Of course, the trays can be removed to easily fit larger items like roasts and cakes.

Probably the biggest drawback to a steam oven is that they don’t brown foods. Baked goods and meats will appear pale in color. Typically this can be remedied by putting your baked goods into a traditional oven to brown up and meats should be browned prior to cooking in the steam oven. Keep in mind that this is purely for visual effect. Baked goods and meats will cook thoroughly in a steam oven, but if you want that browned look, you will need to make some adjustments.

Steam Oven Manufacturers To Consider

• Miele
• Thermador
• Sharp
• Gaggenau
• Kuppersbusch

As always, don’t forget to visit the Kieffer’s website for all of your appliance needs in Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington DC!

-The Kieffer’s Guy

A big thank you to our guest blogger The Kieffer’s Guy!  For more great appliance information,  follow his blog and visit Kieffer’s Appliances online.