What Is A Steam Oven (And Is It The Microwave Alternative You Need For Your Kitchen?)

Easy, healthy cooking is an admirable goal that lots of cooks hope to achieve as often as possible. The search for a delectable meal that doesn't take hours to cook but still tastes delicious can be frustrating, and the struggle to find an appliance that can do it all is real. Even if you're not a cook who simply must have the latest trendy kitchen appliance, a steam oven might be worth looking into as an alternative to a microwave in your kitchen. 

A steam oven is exactly what it sounds like. A built-in tank heats water to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. The water then turns to steam that's released into the oven, and the steam cooks the food. A steam-cooking process keeps more nutrients in food. You also don't need to add butter or oil to keep foods moist when you cook with steam, which can be helpful for those who want to keep fat content down. Don't worry if your favorite recipe calls for butter, though; just because you don't have to use it in a steam oven, doesn't mean that you can't. With or without it, foods stay moister in a steam oven and are less likely to burn or become dry and tough. You can also defrost in a steam oven, and because they cook faster, steam ovens are energy efficient, reducing the expense of using a conventional oven, the most costly appliance in your kitchen.

This method cooks food more quickly, and the food remains moist, but steam ovens still have some drawbacks. In addition to a steam oven's lack of browning capability, the other major drawback is remembering to fill the oven's water tank before each use if it's not connected to your water line. Just as with most microwave ovens, steam ovens don't brown food, so if you want that lovely crispy skin on your chicken, you need to stick with your conventional oven — or invest in a combination steam and convection oven. These combination (or combi) ovens can roast, steam, bake, and cook any dish.

Microwaves are an appliance many say they couldn't live without. They cook quickly, don't need time to preheat, and stop cooking when the timer goes off. For home chefs who appreciate perfectly steamed broccoli or juicy meats, a steam oven could replace the need for a microwave. However, if you really only use your microwave just to heat snacks or make popcorn, you might find that replacing it with a steam oven is overkill. A high-end steam oven can cost close to $10,000, though there are much cheaper models. Low-end countertop steam ovens can cost a few hundred dollars, but countertop microwave ovens are still generally even cheaper. Added functions like air frying can make steam ovens a more versatile alternative to a microwave, but if you'd like to up your microwave game sans steam cooking, consider a microwave oven combo during your next kitchen reno.