Ditch the Fat, Not the Flavor: Why
Steam Ovens Are Worth It
Exploring the benefits of steam ovens.
Cooking with steam isn’t a new technique. However, what many may not know is that technological advancements in steam-oven appliances over the last decade have greatly innovated this method of cooking food which dates back some 7,000 years to China’s Yellow River region. Modern steam ovens combine the efficiency and health benefits of steam cooking with cutting-edge mechanics, offering a versatile and convenient way to prepare meals. Steam ovens are revolutionizing home cooking by preserving nutrients and reducing the need for added fats, ensuring even reheating, and enhancing food flavors. Let’s dive into the top benefits of steam ovens to see what makes them worth being a must-have in any contemporary kitchen.
The Top Five Benefits of Steam Oven Cooking
1. Preserves Nutrients
One of the standout benefits of steam ovens is their ability to preserve nutrients in food. Regular ovens use dry heat, which can leach out essential nutrients, particularly water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and B vitamins. In contrast, steam ovens employ moist heat, cooking food gently at lower temperatures. This gentle cooking process helps reduce the loss of vitamins and minerals compared to high-heat dry cooking methods, such as roasting.
Moreover, this method literally surrounds the food with steam, minimizing contact with water. This is in stark contrast to boiling, where vegetables often lose nutrients to the cooking water. In a steam oven, most of the water content and nutrients remain within the food itself, ensuring that your meals are not only delicious but also nutrient-rich. Here in California, where health and wellness have become a ubiquitous part of our lifestyle, ranks as one of the top 10 healthiest states in the country—so it’s no wonder combi-steam and steam ovens have become so increasingly popular over the last several years.
2. Faster cooking times
While steam ovens aren’t necessarily known for faster cooking times compared to regular ovens, they do offer some time-saving advantages, particularly for certain types of food. Steam cooking is highly efficient in transferring heat and can penetrate food quickly, which is beneficial for delicate items like fish and vegetables. These foods can cook faster and more evenly in a steam oven than in conventional or other cooking methods, ensuring they remain tender and retain their natural flavors.
Some steam ovens also feature combination modes that blend steam with convection baking. These increasingly popular combi steam ovens expand upon standard convection ovens in that they can also generate conventional moist steam or superheated steam and are capable of shifting between cooking modes automatically during the cooking process. Convection baking utilizes circulating hot air, which can speed up the cooking process and ensure even results. This combination can be particularly useful for dishes that benefit from both moisture retention and faster cooking times.
While steam ovens may not always offer a significant time advantage for thicker cuts of meat or dishes that rely on browning, they excel in maintaining moisture and texture. This results in juicier, more flavorful dishes that can sometimes dry out in regular ovens. Thus, steam ovens prioritize quality and nutrient preservation, making them an excellent choice for a variety of cooking needs.
3. Versatility
One of the remarkable benefits of combination steam ovens is their versatility, which extends far beyond just steaming. These ovens come equipped with multiple cooking modes, making them highly adaptable for various culinary tasks.
Combination steam ovens, often referred to as combi-steam ovens, offer a range of cooking functions, including:
Convection Baking: This mode circulates hot air for faster and more even cooking, akin to a traditional convection oven. It’s perfect for roasting vegetables, meats, and baking pastries.
Browning: Some models include a browning function that uses high heat to achieve a crispy exterior on dishes like roasted chicken or fish.
Reheating: Steam reheating prevents food from drying out, keeping leftovers moist and flavorful.
Combination Cooking: Combi-Steam ovens can combine steam with other cooking modes, like convection. This allows for innovative cooking techniques, such as steaming vegetables while crisping their tops using convection or using steam to keep meat moist while convection roasts it.
Overall, a combination steam oven can replace several appliances in your kitchen, offering steaming, baking, roasting, reheating, and even some browning capabilities.
4. Reduced need for oils and fats
Steam ovens offer a healthier cooking alternative by significantly reducing the need for added oils and fats, thanks to two key factors: moisture retention and efficient browning techniques.
MOISTURE RETENTION
- Traditional Ovens: Regular ovens use dry heat, which can cause food to lose moisture, leading to less flavorful and tougher textures. To counteract this, additional oil or fat is often used to keep the food moist.
- Steam Ovens: In contrast, steam ovens use moist heat to cook food, helping to lock in the natural moisture. This prevents food from drying out, eliminating the need for added oils or fats to maintain moisture.
Why does moisture retention matter in cooking?
- Reduced Calories: Minimizing or omitting oils and fats automatically lowers the calorie content of your dishes, making steam cooking a great option for those on weight-loss or heart-healthy diets.
- Enhanced Flavor: Retaining the food’s natural moisture concentrates its flavors, reducing the need for extra oils or seasonings to enhance taste.
- Healthier Cooking: Cutting down on added fats, particularly saturated fats, contributes to better heart health and overall well-being. Steam cooking allows for delicious results without the need for unnecessary fats.
BROWNING VS. BURNING
- Traditional Ovens: Achieving a browned or crispy exterior typically requires high heat, which can cause the fats on the food’s surface to caramelize or even burn, affecting taste and creating potentially unhealthy compounds.
- Steam Ovens: While some steam ovens have browning functions, they often achieve this through alternative methods, such as using a broiler element or combining steam with convection heat.
What are the health benefits of browning in a steam oven?
- Reduced Fat Burning: Steam ovens can brown food without burning fats, maintaining healthier and better-tasting results.
- More Control: Steam ovens with combination modes offer greater control over the browning process. You can steam vegetables until tender, then quickly brown them for a touch of caramelization without overcooking.
Overall, steam ovens reduce the need for added oils and fats by retaining the food’s natural moisture and using innovative browning techniques. This leads to healthier, more flavorful meals.
5. Retains food quality when reheating
One of the notable benefits of steam ovens and combi steam ovens is their ability to retain the quality of food when reheating. Traditional ovens tend to dry out food because they use dry heat, which can leave leftovers tough, chewy, and lacking in flavor. Steam ovens, however, combat this dryness effectively.
Moisture Replenishment: Steam ovens reheat food using steam, which surrounds the food with gentle, moist heat. This vapor helps rehydrate the food, restoring moisture lost during storage and previous reheating processes. For instance, a leftover piece of chicken can regain its plumpness and juiciness when reheated in a steam oven.
Gentler and Uniform Heating: Steam transfers heat efficiently at a lower temperature compared to traditional methods like microwaves or high-heat ovens. This gentler cooking prevents overcooking, scorching, or uneven heating, preserving the texture and flavor of the food. Steam permeates food evenly, ensuring consistent reheating throughout and eliminating hot spots or cold areas, so vegetables remain crisp, and meats don’t become tough or rubbery.
Steam ovens offer a significant advantage in maintaining food quality during reheating. They replenish moisture, ensure gentle and even heating, and preserve the original texture and flavor of your leftovers, making them taste fresher and more enjoyable.
In Conclusion
Steam ovens are changing the way we cook by blending traditional steam cooking with modern tech and convenience. Whether you’re health-conscious or just love to cook, a steam oven is a great addition that will elevate your cooking game, and cooking options. Combi-steam ovens are particularly great at preserving nutrients, offering versatile cooking options, cutting down on added fats, and keeping reheated food tasting fresh. Adding a steam oven to your kitchen means you can enjoy healthier, tastier meals with less hassle.
If you’re interested in learning more about combi-steam ovens and other steam ovens, check out 2024’s Best Steam Ovens. You can also visit one of our showrooms to speak with one of our sales experts who will help guide you to help you find the steam-cooking appliance that suits your needs.