Focus on: Steam Ovens
Steam ovens cook purely with steam heated to between 40 and 100 degrees, which locks in the vitamins and nutrients in your foods, resulting in tastier, more nutritious meals. It’s been scientifically proven that cooking vegetables in a Miele steam oven retains 50% more vitamins than those boiled in water, plus there’s no need to add oil or fats which means healthier cooking! Steam ovens aren’t just for vegetables either, I’ve never made a bad batch of rice in my steam cooker, and it’s easy to cook fish, pasta, soups and pulses too. Other uses for a steam oven include melting chocolate, blanching vegetables, boiling eggs, making yoghurt, proving dough and warming towels.
The steam oven can also sterilise bottles, and can take on many of the tasks normally done in a microwave – often with better results. Defrosting, warming and reheating are all uses for the steam oven. Equally, with the rise of sous vide cooking, a steam oven is a perfect accompaniment to your new kitchen.
Most brands now manufacture steam ovens, with our favourite being Mieles range. Not only are there attractive options for colours (choose from Clean Steel, Obsidian Black, Brilliant White, Havana Brown and Graphite Grey), and different control panels, but they also offer automatic programmes making using your steam oven simple. Miele also offer the chance to try before you buy at their experience centres in London and Abingdon.
All in all, a steam oven is a versatile addition to any kitchen, and with compact 45cm machines, as well as full size 60cm, we can understand why they have become one of the most popular appliances in kitchens today.