New kitchen - anyone have a (Neff) steam oven?

[TriceratopsRocks]

We are having a new kitchen and the company we are using supply Neff appliances. One of the options is for a steam oven. Anyone have one of these to tell me if it's worth it? Or pros/cons? My oven is ancient and I've only used basic convection or fan ovens before.

Also, anyone have recent-ish good or bad experiences with Neff appliances? It seems they only supply Neff or Siemens, and looking at reviews I'm now a bit nervous of Neff. And Siemens are basically the same company. Not sure how easy it would be for them to fit an alternative brand though?

Thanks!

I can't comment about steam ovens but in general we did install Neff everything six years ago. So circotherm oven, combi oven and warming drawer. Dishwasher, washer dryer, fridge freezer, hob and under counter freezer. All great and working well other than the warming drawer which has had two repairs at our expense since then.

We have one used a few times to reheat but it's such a faff to clean up after. I wish we had bought an integrated microwave instead

I had Miele steam oven in my previous house quite good if u use steaming a lot as a way of cooking but I didn’t and only used few times , it has to be cleaned thoroughly and very dry before closing the door otherwise I noticed mould in th tray once 😱
I now have all neff appliances ( hob oven fridge microwave ) in my house which were put in 20 years ago and going strong , but recently replaced microwave as the door was jammed when moved in and I notice the quality was less like more plasticky bits than real metal

We’ve got one. There were some availability issues at the time but DH was insistent that we waited for it as he really wanted it. It was ‘his job’ to read the instructions to find out how to use it… he never has and that was 6 years ago 🙄so we’ve actually never used it.

Im generally happy with our Neff ovens, but I wouldn’t get the touch controls again, would prefer old fashioned buttons. If fingertips are cold (as mine often are), they don’t work - I have wasted many hours rubbing my hands up and down trying to get them warm enough to turn the oven on. Frustrating when you’re in a rush.

Have a Miele steam oven. Have literally never switched it on. Use it to keep the car keys in 🫣

Yes we have one and it is great. Don’t use it as much now as we bought an Everhot.

I had the same problem. They actually reprogrammed my microwave to make more sensitive.
Also had the platwarner fixed after about 4 years, but I did have extended warranty. The element broke.

I have a steam over (Smeg) We bought the house seven years ago brand new and it’s never been used once!

I used to have one I couldn't get used to the fact steam ovens don't give you that crispy, golden-brown crust that we love on certain dishes, like roast meats or baked goodies. So, if you really want that kind of browning, you might still need to use your regular oven or get one that has a steam oven with a combination mode for browning.
I never fully got used to it we did have a Neff oven an ordinary non steam we had for 20-plus years. When we sold the house we had the old pine kitchen hand painted and had the oven professionally cleaned, it wasn't that bad to be fair. The estate agent said it was the new kitchen that sold it for them, the kitchen was over 20 plus years as well. The guy that did the kitchen was brilliant he took an age though a real perfectionist he used toothbrushes to prepare the cupboards. The result was great he uses our kitchen on his website for repainting kitchen cupboards the only thing he doesn't have the image of the Neff oven its to the left in the picture.

Oh that’s interesting, thank you. Will have to look at getting it reprogrammed. Gives me the rage when I’m just trying to give something a quick blast in the microwave and my food sits there getting colder whilst I’m trying to warm my hands!

Thank you for all of this - looks like not bothering with a steam oven is the way to go then. The one we were looking at was a combination type so you could put it on 'normal oven' mode if you wanted to brown stuff, but I wasn't keen on the manual filling system (which I could see getting broken) and the auto fill meant plumbing a water pipe behind the kitchen units - potentially risky if it ever leaked. So I wasn't sure if it was worth paying the extra for, or whether it might be a bit of a gimmick.

It's interesting what you say about the touch controls. I do prefer buttons and dials as a general rule, as there is less to go wrong, but Neff don't seem to do any like that. Thank you all :)

most appliances are standard sizes and so will fit in a standard housing. Otherwise kitchen carcasses would have to be made in hundreds of different sizes to fit different appliances. So if you want a different oven, or fridge or whatever, no problem with fitting it. The kitchen company will be buying at trade price and selling to you at retail, so they will like it, of course.

steam ovens are good for bread, but that’s about it for home cooks.

The most reliable and efficient appliances in my experience ( used to work in kitchen design) are CDA. Built like battleships..

Not sure about steam oven but we have all Neff appliances and really rate them. Haven't had any problems at all.

My Neff oven has a steam function I only use it for making bread, the rest of the time I use it as a normal oven. It is easy enough to fill and empty the water container the oven tells you when to fill and empty it

If I need steam (eg bread) I just pop a bowl of hot water in the bottom of the oven before I cook. Far less faff.

We have the Siemens manual fill one and have never used the steam function. It’s easy to use without it though, just have to remove the plastic water reservoir before doing a self clean cycle (takes 2 secs and it won’t start unless you do). It was specced by the kitchen company during an extension, I wouldn’t have bothered with it myself, but it’s certainly a great oven otherwise (heats up quickly and very even cooking).

My friend has a Miele steam oven and really rates it. Steam ovens cook gently without the need for added fat. The food tastes fresh and delicate. They aren’t meant to brown or crisp.

We have Neff double ovens about five years old now. Middle of the range in terms of Neff prices. The bottom one has been keeping only a vaguely accurate temperature for the last two years, but the repair is half the value of the ovens. We only bought these because the ovens in situ when we bought the house had died. We will be remodelling the kitchen soon and we won’t choose another Neff.