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Editor’s note
Hello!
This edition’s exploration of the different types of steam ovens is a lead-in to a loose series here. So many of you struggle with how to adapt recipes for your steam oven (oh yes, I read every single one of your responses in the sign-up survey!), and I have a hunch that starting at the beginning will be the most helpful way to guide you.
Today’s newsletter addresses more of the ‘what’, looking at the many different types of steam ovens available so you have a good understanding of what exactly you’re dealing with in your own kitchen. Future editions will delve more into the ‘how’. It’s a big topic and I want to deliver this nuts and bolts information in digestible chunks. Perhaps think of it as a mini course delivered over time!
You’ll see there is no recipe in today’s newsletter. I recognize that some of you only want recipes, but just as many of you are here more for the detail and understanding of steam oven cooking. I want to strike a balance that serves all of you, and I’ll include recipes in many newsletters but not every single one. If you’re here for the food, though, don’t worry; I’ve still got you covered with a couple of great cooking ideas in the Season Flip section.
Enjoy the read and I’ll see you again in a couple of weeks!
Emily x
You can read this article in its entirety right here. If you want to refer back to it later, you’ll also be able to find it within your Steam Oven Insiders dashboard when you’re logged into your account.
Inconsistencies in what I call ‘oven terminology’ can make it hard understanding the different types of steam ovens. This terminology issue means most people don’t know how to set their oven functions to cook recipes that aren’t written exactly for their model.
Sound familiar?! If you don’t understand all the language around your own steam oven, this article will explain some of the most common terms you need to know.
Note that terminology changes all the time as manufacturers update their technology and release new models. This gives an overview of the most-used terms at the time of writing.
So many words, so little explanation
One of the biggest difficulties in helping people understand combi steam is that every manufacturer uses different words to describe the features and functions of their ovens.
In some cases, two manufacturers will even use the same word to describe two entirely different features. It’s no surprise, then, that most of us (even me, at times) have trouble understanding the different types of steam ovens, and what our own ovens can do!
Let’s go through the most common descriptors used by steam oven brands.
Combination steam, convection steam, hot air plus steam
Combination (combi) steam, convection steam and hot air plus steam are all essentially the same thing. They all refer to a function where steam is added to ‘dry’ oven heat, to produce food which is incredibly moist on the inside with a golden brown, crispy exterior.
Some brands simply ask you to set a temperature and the combi steam/convection steam/hot air plus steam function, with the oven delivering a predetermined amount of steam into the cavity. Others allow you to vary the level or percentage of steam when you set the function, giving extra control over the humidity. There isn’t a ‘best’ when it comes to ovens with pre-set amounts of steam vs ones with variable steam. It’s more about whether you desire a simplified interface when cooking, or a high level of control.
Most (though not all) European brands will use the phrase combination steam, while USA brands will refer to it as convection steam. The hot air plus steam phrase is another term I’ve seen pop up more recently, but is the same.
Convection humid, hot air humid
Similar to combi or convection steam, the difference here is in the proportion of humidity, which is less than for combi/convection steam. It’s unlikely you’ll have a convection humid setting if you don’t also have combi steam/convection steam. It’s generally an option within the functionality of a fully-featured steam oven.
Convection humid or hot air humid is often achieved not by adding steam to the oven, but by closing off the vents which expel excess moisture during regular convection cooking. This way, moisture generated by the food as it’s cooking remains inside the oven.
If your oven has a convection humid function and you’re not sure when to use it instead of combi or convection steam, try it out when you see a recipe calling for 20-30% steam or low steam. It’s a great option for large cakes and joints of meat, as it keeps them moist without altering the texture or structure of the food too much.
Full steam, pure steam, straight steam, steam-only
These phrases all refer to a function which steams your food, operating at a maximum temperature of 212°F/100°C and 100% humidity.
This is the oven version of a saucepan with a steamer basket sitting on top, except you have much better control over temperature and much more space to cook in.
Some full steam ovens don’t have regular convection oven capabilities. They may be less expensive because of this, but be sure you’re getting what you expected! I have come across plenty of people who didn’t realize their new oven was just a glorified stovetop steamer, and doesn’t actually work as a regular oven. It’s a very expensive mistake if you don’t figure it out until after it’s installed.
Confusingly, some brands now use the phrase ‘full steam’ to refer to a combi steam oven, to indicate that the oven offers a full steam option as well as conventional cooking and combi steam functions. If you’re shopping for a steam oven that’s listed as a full steam, make sure to clarify that it can do both steam AND combi steam if that’s what you’re after.
Convection humid or hot air humid is often achieved not by adding steam to the oven, but by closing off the vents which expel excess moisture during regular convection cooking. This way, moisture generated by the food as it’s cooking remains inside the oven.
If your oven has a convection humid function and you’re not sure when to use it instead of combi or convection steam, try it out when you see a recipe calling for 20-30% steam or low steam. It’s a great option for large cakes and joints of meat, as it keeps them moist without altering the texture or structure of the food too much.
Steam assist, moisture assist, moisture plus
These terms refer to a slightly different category of steam oven, one in which you can add a small amount of steam to regular cooking functions.
You might be wondering how this is different from a combi or convection steam oven, and it’s a fine line in terms of what they do!
Steam assist ovens don’t offer as much steam capability as a true combination steam oven, and they can’t do steam-only. They’re more like the convection humid/hot air humid function mentioned above: designed to keep foods moist during cooking, rather than using relatively higher proportions of steam to actually cook with.
Sous vide
I hesitated to include sous vide here, but it is an additional function many steam ovens offer, and one that’s become a popular deciding factor between brands. So here it is.
Sous vide, in steam oven terms, refers to a very consistent, low temperature (under 212°F/100°C). You might also see it referred to as low temperature steaming.
The conventional meaning of sous vide is ‘under vacuum’, referring to food that’s cooked in a vacuum sealed bag, in a water bath. Purists say steam oven sous vide is not the same thing because you don’t need a bag or the water bath to achieve the same precision of temperature, however it does produce almost identical results.
Evaporative steam, steam-injection
Evaporative and steam injection refer to the method of steam delivery in your oven, not a function within the user interface. I wanted to include it, though, as it can be part of helping to decide between oven models if you’re in the decision making stage.
Most models have transitioned to steam-injected technology over the past few years, where steam is produced outside the main cavity of the oven and injected in via a pipe during cooking.
There are some ovens which use an evaporative steam approach, where a small reservoir on the floor of the appliance is gravity-filled with water from a tank. This boils, creating steam directly in the oven.
Both methods are very effective, but there is a bigger cleanup burden with evaporative models as leftover water has to be soaked up at the end of cooking. With non-plumbed steam-injected models, a pump returns water which remains in the pipes to the water tank at the end of cooking.
Confused yet?! This really is a minefield, even for someone who spends her days buried in steam oven language. Just remember that all I want you to know for today is what your oven is, because it helps you understand what it’s capable of doing.
Need to apply all of this information to actual food?
Let’s take a whole chicken as a simple example. Here’s what would happen to the same chicken, using the different steam oven functions:
Combi steam, convection steam, hot air plus steam: very moist, tender flesh, browned skin and fat, fastest cooking time (about 30-40% faster than in a dry oven, depending on the amount of humidity in the oven).
Convection humid, hot air humid: moist and tender flesh, browned skin and fat, somewhat fast cooking time (about 20% faster than in a dry oven).
Full steam, pure steam, straight steam, steam-only: very moist, tender flesh, no browning at all. Similar cooking time as steaming over a pot of water or poaching in liquid.
Steam assist, moisture assist, moisture plus: similar as for convection humid or hot air humid.
Sous vide: extremely tender, minimal loss of moisture from flesh. No browning. Relatively slower cooking time, depending on temperature used.
I hope that’s helped you have a deeper understanding of the different types of steam ovens. It should help you know more about your own oven, and what’s available if you’re in the market for a new steam oven. As we go into more detail in future about the ‘how’ of steam oven cooking, I hope you’ll refer back to this article as a reference when you need it.
The Season Flip
Let’s continue on with the chicken theme, shall we?
Southern Hemisphere
Pot Pies
Nothing says cold weather like a rich, warming pot pie covered in flaky puff pastry. I use my turkey pot pies recipe as a jumping off point, subbing in leftover roast chicken. Instead of the cooked roasted vegetables, though, I add pan fried sliced mushrooms and bacon. Peas are optional, though no one likes them much here.
Northern Hemisphere
Vietnamese Style Noodle Salad
Vietnamese style salad with poached or sous vide chicken is one of my desert-island dishes. I love the slippery rice noodles, and the dressing that’s heavy on lime and just spicy enough to make my lips tingle. Soft, tender chicken with crunchy raw vegetables and toasted peanuts rounds out the textural fireworks and makes me happy every single time I serve it up. Do a direct switch, swapping out the turkey in the recipe for chicken breast.
A Thing I'm Loving
There are lots of things I use, eat, read about and enjoy in the kitchen that aren’t specifically related to steam ovens! Perhaps you’d like to know about some of them?
I’ve been really enjoying Caro Chambers’ newsletter, What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking.
You can sign up to the free version or pay for her premium offering, and enjoy simple, appealing recipes that never take long to put together and most often have lots of options to riff on the original.
If you’ve been around my content for a long time you’ll see that Caro’s approachable cooking style is not dissimilar to my own.
*note: some of the links to A Thing I’m Loving are affiliate links, meaning I make a small commission if you make a purchase from that business. But rest assured I will never, ever share something I don’t personally recommend.
Ask Me Anything (AMA)
Here’s your opportunity to ask me anything you like related to combi steam cooking!
I really encourage you to submit questions, and will do my best to answer as many as possible. Though I may not be able to get to every single question, I will carefully curate ones which are relevant and represent a variety of topics. We all learn from each other, and I often learn new things based on questions from all of you!
If you have an AMA question, please email it to [email protected]. Make sure you include the phrase INSIDERS AMA in the subject line so I can collate and read all your submissions.
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This edition’s questions:
From Jane
Q: Further to last edition’s steamed potato theme, is there a difference between steaming potatoes in a saucepan and steaming them in a steam oven?
A: Yes and no! If you were to steam potatoes using both methods and serve them side by side, you may notice the saucepan ones were a little less evenly cooked. But the difference is subtle. For most purposes, you wouldn’t know the difference. The benefit of using your steam oven is simply an ease-of-use one, because you don’t need to mess around with a pot of water and a steamer basket.
From Cynthia
Q: I have a new Samsung steam double oven that I am anxious to try, but I cannot tell if it is actually steaming. I put water in the correct tray and the oven informs me when to drain it but I never see any moisture or steam. The manufacturer says the steam is too fine to notice. Is there a test I can do to see if it is actually steaming?
A: Oh, I love this question and it’s such a common one! The answer is a little lengthy; bear with me.
When you use the steam function in your oven, you’ll notice that steaming at temperatures up to 212°F/100°C (boiling point) produces a lot of visible steam and water droplets inside the oven. Once you go above this temperature and into the territory of combi steam, that visible steam seems to disappear.
Here’s what’s happening: when water is heated to boiling point, the water vapor which comes off the surface condenses to form tiny water droplets in the air – what we commonly know (and can see) as steam. When the heat in your oven goes beyond that point, which happens when you use higher temp combi steam settings, the water is completely vaporized and becomes invisible. It’s only when you open the oven door, cooling the water vapor so it condenses back into those tiny droplets, that you’ll see the steam again.
The easiest way to ‘test’ this with your oven is to open the door during cooking! If you’re cooking with combi steam functions and they’re working properly, a cloud of steam will rush out of the oven when you open the door.
From more than one person…
Q: I need help with gluten free/FODMAP/low carb recipes for the steam oven!
A: Your cries for help are duly noted but I don’t want to brush them off with a speedy AMA response. Look out for future newsletters; I’ve added these topics to my editorial calendar. I’m no expert in special dietary needs, but I’ll do my best to cover some of the more common restrictions/requirements in more detail.