Neff ovens - slide and hide and steam functions

[Ntinyn]

Hi,
Anyone know anything or have a built in Neff slide and hide oven? I definitely want one (unless someone here can persuade me otherwise....) and now looking into all the various mind boggling features, I'm quite attracted to the possibility of cooking with steam.
Getting confused by 'VarioSteam', 'Full Steam', 'Steam Function', can anyone shed any light? And do I need a separate steam accessory to use these functions?
Thanks

[HereIAm20]

I have 2 x hide and slide with vario steam and a full steam oven too. Google Neff and they do free of charge demo days at locations round the country. I went to one in Cambridge and basically you were taught how to use them. I love my full steam which can be used as s reg oven too

[Lelivre]

I've got a slide and hide. So cool at first but I gotta say...It's just a door...

I have a neff full steam oven. I use that more than the regular oven. Once you get used to doing the veg like that it's so easy and clean and no-fail. Boiled (well steamed) eggs are a favourite too.

[Lelivre]

Also with the slide and hide look at the oven settings. Probably you will use the fan with top and bottom element 90 times out 100 it depends how much you blind bake and do pizza. We are on the grain brain diet so no pizza and cake baking here!

[Costacoffeeplease]

Love my slide and hide, I have major back problems and am unable to bend at all, and it's so much easier

[Ntinyn]

Thanks everyone, very helpful.
Lol yes I know it is just a door!!

So am I right to assume no-one has had to buy a separate special steam accessory to use the functions? Some websites selling the oven claim you need to buy the optional accessory. Thanks

[Straighttalking1]

Hello guys,
Good to read user reviews rather than sellers. I hope someone can address my concerns before I jump in. I am redesigning my kitchen and thinking of investing in steam ovens
Is it better to buy one combi steam and one full steam. I do like to cook and will have a full house for Xmas.
Does the steam oven brown food ? If not, then do I need a conventional one also ?
Does the steam ruin the cupboard ?
If not where does it go ?
What about descaling ? Why do they suggest hard tap water rather than distilled or deionised water which may prevent life span? Do you use distilled water?

Looking forward to your replies

[SlottedSpoon]

I am agog at this thread, I need all the answers that Straight needs too! As much as l love the idea of the hidden door and the steam functions it needs to work brilliantly as an everyday fan and conventional oven too.

I assume as they use them on Bake Off they are good baking ovens but I wonder if they just use them because of the sliding door, which as cool as it is, is not a good enough reason alone to buy an oven.

[bouncydog]

We've just taken delivery of the top spec one with steam, plus the combi to sit alongside. I did loads of research and reviews seemed good. Will post back once we've started using it. By the way the newest models are pyrolytic.

[LadySpratt]

Bought a hide and slide about 7 years ago when redesigning the kitchen. The oven is at waist height so it had to have a suitable door. Absolutely brilliant.
Don't have any experience of steam ovens - they came out later.
But it has a host of other functions....have to admit I still haven't used them all. I blame DS for ruining my culinary creativity ......or I just don't have the time anymore.

[Allthebestnamesareused]

I have 2 slide and hide conventional ovens (Neff) and a full steam oven (Neff). The full steam can also be used on vario steam and along with conventional cooking where as the ovens with cario steam cannt be used as a full steam.

Yes the steam oven does brown eg. roast chicken in 40 mins - really moist inside, crispy brown skin.

Some of the steam evaporates away completely and some will rest as a small pool after cooking which can be "mopped" up with just one piece of Bounty kitchen roll. There is a descale function but the oven lets you know when it will need doing (in advance - like it says it will need doing in 5 cooks or 4 cooks etc). The older Neff ones didn't do this.

We are in a hardwater area and just use tap water.

My three are at waist height too and as I am 5 foot tall the hide and slide is marvellous. Pic herewith.

[SlottedSpoon]

OMG three ovens, SWOON 😜

[Batteriesallgone]

Haven't used all the functions but I have to say - you won't regret buying the Neff.

I look back at my years of not having a posh oven and absolutely kick myself. The Neff is amazing. And I still do all my baking on the regular circotherm because I'm quite intimidated by the whole thing but still bakes AMAZING cakes. Yum.

[SlottedSpoon]

I am SOLD. And I need three.

[Ntinyn]

Omg your ovens!! Wow!!

I did buy a variosteam pyro slide and hide oven in the end along with a micro combi compact to sit on top. Kitchen still in progress so haven't used yet.. Hoping to get to know my oven in time for xmas.

[Straighttalking1]

Marvellous ladies. Thank you so much for your replies. Bouncy please come back when you start using yours. Lovely kitchen allthebest

[YesThisIsMe]

I have a non-steam hide and slide Neff and despite DH mocking me for being shallow it is still my pride and joy after nearly a year, and the door is so convenient (it's at waist height). I stroke it lovingly when I pass it. The pyrolytic cleaning function is great. And DH has finally learned how the buttons work! (He's a great hob cook but not good at reading manuals.)

However as Ginger Andrew on Bakeoff found out, it's surprisingly easy to set the temperature but forget to actually switch it on - I've done that a couple of times though never on a televised baking competition.

[IEatCannibals]

I have a new fancy Neff oven with a cool touch screen thingy rather than actual knobs.

All the new Neff ovens come in different models, so basic, then hide and slide and the steam ones. I was never interested in the steam function as I thought i wouldn't use it. Originally I wanted the slide and hide door but I could get the same oven without the door for £150 cheaper. Plus I started finding some reviews online where the door failed. Plus my oven is low down so I didn't think it would be as beneficial as if it was a higher up oven. Ive never felt I needed the hide and slide door.

I love all the different modes, dough proving, pizza mode. It heats up so quickly. It looks cool. One of the touch screen buttons has always been temperamental and I can sometimes have to press it 40x before it will turn on. Someone is coming to look at it tomorrow.

[Liz79]

Why do people have lots of ovens? Is it for very large families or semi- professional bakers? My basic slide & hide has just arrived, still in its packaging I'm also going to get the compact oven with microwave. So I'll have these 2 set up like a double oven. Double oven I get but not 3 or 4 please explain what I'm missing

[Batteriesallgone]

So I can grill waffles while cooking the chicken nuggets

Lived with one oven for a long time and it is a faff not being able to cook at different temps, use different functions at the same time. Especially while trying to make a big family meal, and if you want a fresh baked pudding for after...well then you need two or three ovens.

I dream of having a three-oven kitchen that I have planned out myself. Just need to buy that winning lottery ticket...!

[Allthebestnamesareused]

Lol - mine is also so I can grill, use the oven and then my steam one I use on pure steam to do rice and or veg without using the hob although I admit to having a Neff flex induction hob too! How do people cole with a single though? Need at least a double.

[Allthebestnamesareused]

Kitchen from other angle

[Allthebestnamesareused]

The only criticism I have is that Neff doesn't really have a book thst is helpful enough to show you how to use the functions to their best. I definitely would look at their website for the free demos held around the country. I went to one before purchase and one after. I have joined a facebook page called Stram Oven Cooking and discovered I xsn do both soft boiled and hard boiled eggs in it. No more cracked eggs with egg ehite spillage!!

[lauraknightc]

If this at all helps:

If I was doing my kitchen again I would have the following:

One pure steam oven - with warming drawer under
One pyrolytic slide and hide oven.

I had 2 x slide and hide ovens pre-pyrolytic... I hate cleaning!

and it's not 'just a door' it allows you to get up close to the oven and not have to lean over a hot door - the air is circulating so it is drawn to the back of the oven so you will get an 'initial' blast of air but after than you can safely stand in front of it and the oven doesn't lose that much temperature.

and for recipes and how to use your oven I think the Bake It Yourself (BIY) recipes include which functions to use on your oven.

[Vickysaurus]

Hi, I know this thread is over a year old but i was wondering what the worktop was in your kitchen. I am looking at a new kitchen and think yours looks amazing.

Vicky

[Isados2]

Hello, I am looking into buying a neff Vario steam oven. I can see from your comments you have one like that. I have read some reviews on other forums that if water gets into the panes of the slide and hide door is a pain to clean... could you please advise what is your experience with this? As I would have thought water could get in quite easily when using the steam function or filling the water tank etc...