Does anyone have a steam oven? Can you tell me all about it?

[ISNT]

We are getting a new kitchen and DH has got a bee in his bonnet about getting a steam oven. He wants that two-ovens-next-to-each-other look that's all the rage, and he loves new gadgets.

I think we should recycle our perfectly good existing double oven, but am open to argument

What's it like to cook with them?
Good points?
Drawbacks?

TIA lovely MNers

Bumpety bump

I have a gadget steam oven. Its a combi from John Lewis so I don't have two side by side. Its about £700

When you power it up it asks you what language! It tells you what temperature its got to, has fast heat up (4mins to 200), various timer and auto shut off options.

It has many programmes from your standard fan oven, conventional oven, conventional baking, bottom heat (for pizza and bread), then the steam programmes which include combi steam so you end up with a moist food thats also crisp, full steam etc etc. It also has an excellent steam clean feature - you add water and then all the grease etc slides to the bottom you then just wipe it out.

I do use lots of the features but to be completely honest 75% of the time use the fan oven setting.

Hmmm interesting.

What does it do to the food? Aside from cook it, obv

I mean, is it like cooking in a steamer, but the steamer is built in? So for veg and that? What happens if you put meat into it?

I'm feeling a bit luddite-y about it

Yes if you do it on straight steam its like a big steamer.

For meat its good because you can end up with a really moist joint then have the programme crisp the skin.

The all round heat is good because it cooks food very evenly.

Mmmmmm moist meat with crispy skin...

We have quite a lot of roasts. DH bakes - I wonder if you can do steamed puddings in them...

Thank you very much we'll have a think. I confidently said "someone on MN will know"

bumping as well, I would love some more info on them.

Is it this one?

Thats the one. The price has jumped up a bit in the last 12 months since I got mine!

Still it was cheaper than any of the other combo ones I could find. It was £35 to extend the warranty to 3 years.

I prefer a combo to separates because you can steam and grill/ roast so you get the best of both worlds.

It is really good for baking and is well sealed so the steam stays in the oven. You can produce crispy loaves using the steam injection programme.

Some of the posher steam ovens have a larger water tank capacity. This one has a little draw that pulls out at the top so you can fill it. But it is a combi not just plain steam.

Some of the John Lewis stores have them on display so you can touch and feel and get a feel for all the functionality.

It has quite a few well thought out features like if you're on a fan or steam inject programme and you open the oven door the steam/ fan stop until you close the door again helping to keep the heat/ steam in.

One minor point if you're redesigning your kitchen with a steam oven in mind think about an extractor for venting the excess steam. Most condenses in the cooling oven but some will given half a chance fill the kitchen.

has anyone cooKed a big ham in a steam combi oven? just bought a Neff one but recipe book doesnt seem to have a recipe?