As we know, steam ovens use hot steam to cook food while the steamer is used to cook food by holding the food in a closed vessel.Â
Steam oven vs steamer both introduce a whole new level of cooking to your kitchen. Steam ovens have the advantage of heat control and can bake foods at a moderate temperature rather than burning them. They are also able to cook faster when they need to and not just to stay warm.
It’s a big difference between a steamer that you can put your food into and one that does not need constant supervision while it cooks.
Foods like veggies, seafood, and rice can be cooked in a steamer without being heated for long periods, allowing them to remain edible.
HEALTHY COOKING WITH STEAM OVEN AND STEAMER
Kitchen appliances ease our everyday tasks like cooking or dishwashing a lot easier and more efficiently.
These machines save a lot of our time and can make things work more quicker. The perfection you get while making vegan cornbread in an oven cannot be achieved if you try to bake it in a pot on a stove.
Likewise, steam oven and steamer have become kitchen essential to the ease it brings to the user. However, they often leave people confused about which one they should buy. Here is everything you need to know about them both and which recipes you can try using these:
Steaming is considered one of the healthiest ways of preparing food since it keeps the original nutrients of the food intact.
What could be better than your food being cooked without oil? The real question is whether to use a steamer or steam oven for it.
STEAMERS
To begin, we have various types of steamers and they are made up of various materials. A few are below:
- Stainless steel steamer basket for vegetable, seafood cooking, and veggie fish with steamer insert.
- 3 Multi-Layer Stainless steel steamer vegetable steamer cooker – stackable pot
- Bamboo steamer basket for cooking, and vegetable steaming made with 304 stainless steel adapter ring.
Steamers are both automatic and manual pots that can help steam food. They are great for those looking to opt for a healthy lifestyle. They are available in plastic, aluminum, and stainless steel. You can cook legumes, meat, dumplings, rice, eggs, and seafood perfectly.
They are pretty simple to use, just put your food in, water, and adjust the steaming time, and then you are good to go. The prices of steamers vary with the company and material, and you can find those that fit your budget.
STEAM OVEN
Steam ovens are an expensive investment that you need to consider before making. Like steamers, they are great for you to opt for healthy living and eating steamed food. Steam ovens are pretty different from traditional ones since they use hot air to heat the water and produce steam.
STEAM OVEN VS STEAMER
Below, you will find the difference between a steam oven vs steamer:
| STEAM OVENS | STEAMERS |
| You can prepare healthy food in significantly less time. | Steamer requires prolonged cooking time which means you will have to wait hours to get the food (eg. meat) cooked. |
| The steam oven reduces the chances of your food getting burned significantly. | You will need to be extra careful while taking the food out of the oven to avoid getting burned by the heat. |
| Steam ovens are really big in size and take a lot of space. | Generally, steamers are compact in nature and small in size compared to steam ovens. |
| Steam ovens are expensive compared to Steamers. | Steamers are affordable no matter your budget. |
| They need to be cleaned regularly because condensation can really affect them. It cooks and warms the food evenly. | Condensation doesn’t affect steamers and they are easy to clean. Steamers keep the nutrients of food intact, thus, making healthy living easier for you. |
Furthermore, Steamers make cooking a lot easier since very little supervision is needed throughout the cooking process.
Manual steamers are energy efficient since you can use them on stoves.
With the Steam oven, you can cook different dishes at the same time without worrying about taste getting mixed.
Steam ovens aren’t great for food that needs browning.
STEAM OVEN DISADVANTAGES
A steam oven circulates steam rather than hot air to cook food. This essential cooking equipment has grown in popularity in recent years.
In a time of growing technology, modern conveniences are being used as part of everyday life for all.
Many of us have taken advantage of this convenience and developed our kitchens to enjoy cooking meals and making other special occasions of celebration.Â
Meanwhile, there are some drawbacks to a steam oven.
- It is not compatible with all food types thereby reducing its effectiveness on versatility.Â
- Another major drawback of a steam oven is its lack of grilling capabilities and the inability to provide your meal with a crispy finish.Â
- It is also expensive to purchase and maintain; cleaning a steam oven can be very tasking and time-consuming.
- You might want to purchase a steam oven as an additional appliance rather than your main cooking appliance.Â
- It is important to know that a steam oven has a limited temperature range. This disadvantage makes it unsuitable for large amounts of heat needed for foods that require high temperatures.Â
ELECTRIC STEAMER
An electric steamer is a cooking appliance designed in the 18th century for food preparation by steaming.
Though it is rarely used, few homes still purchase this appliance due to its simplicity and ease of use.
One versatile electric steamer is the Buydeem quart electric food steamer with super high efficiency and performance. One distinctive attribute of this product is that it is BPA-free; it uses no organic compound in its construction.
It has an attractive cozy greenish color with a compact design that will not take up much space in your kitchen. Thereby, making it a comfortable and lightweight product.
The Buydeem electric steamer offers an additional item called a menu, which gives options for steaming and slow cook for a healthier lifestyle.
Therefore, this will teach you new ideas on steaming and food preparation using this product as a newbie or an expert.
READ ALSO: CONVECTION MICROWAVE OVEN VS GRILL MICROWAVE OVEN
READ ALSO: IS CONVECTION OVEN BETTER THAN A MICROWAVE
CONVECTION OVEN
The first oven with a fan to circulate air was invented in 1914, now known today as a convection oven.Â
A convection oven is therefore an oven that has a fan that circulates air around food to create an evenly distributed heat.Â
Although its design has evolved significantly since then, it retains the most modern principles of convection.Â
One product to look out for is the Val Cucine extra-large oven with an Italian blueprint and modern features, its performance for baking needs, crispiness, and roasting has evolved to perfection compared to a regular oven.Â
One benefit of this product is the quick and even hot air circulation which ensures that your food is cooked quickly and evenly. It promotes faster cooking and requires less energy due to its low power consumption. This makes it the best bet for fast cooking and quick preheating.
This product has improved over the years with a 10-in-1 built-in air fryer, convection, and toaster oven combination with 10 preset digital functions for easy use and a healthy diet.
One shortcoming involved in the use of this product is the inconsistency of the racks when trying to remove cooked food and the lack of a rotisserie which most individuals deem important to them.
STEAM OVEN RECIPES
You can prepare various food items in your steam oven separately and collectively. As far as the dishes are concerned, be it vegetables, meat, grains, legumes, desserts or soufflés, you can cook everything in it. Try out different recipes to make your meals exciting and flavorful.
ARE STEAM OVENS WORTH IT?
Yes, steam ovens are worthwhile since they offer a healthier option than conventional cooking methods and minimize cooking time, particularly when making large quantities of food.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The steam ovens and steamers are worth buying and are a must-have kitchen accessory for healthy living.
