With more health-conscious home cooks moving towards homemade and nutritious meals, it’s little wonder steam ovens are taking Australian kitchens by storm.
A steam oven is a popular kitchen appliance that uses steam to cook delicious food faster than a conventional oven. It still retains a lot of the functionality of a regular oven, but gives you the option of creating steam to cook, bake and roast just the way you like it.
But it’s not all function and no flair when it comes to these modern must-haves. Steam ovens are sleek, sophisticated and popping up in some of Australia’s most luxurious kitchens. So if you were on the fence about your next oven, now’s the time to hop aboard the steam train.
Why makes steam ovens so special?
- Healthier cooking – Not only does steamed food retain more nutrients, but it requires fewer oils and fats to cook.
- Doesn’t dry food out – Rather than sap food of all its moisture, steam helps to retain moisture. Think succulent roasts and juicy bakes.
- Faster cooking – Due to the balance of dry heat and steam used in them, they’re quicker to cook food than traditional ovens. Great for busy families when you need to get dinner on the table fast.
- Versatility – Many modern models are multi-functional, offering home cooks the option to use only steam, combination steam and full convection. This means the imagination is the limit to what you can cook!
- Reduced risk of burning – This is thanks to the extra moisture involved in the cooking process.
- They look great! – Like warming drawers and amazing induction cooktops, steam ovens are beautifully designed to look right at home in the most modern of spaces.
10 Of The Best Steam Ovens In Australia
Ready to cook up a storm? Whatever your cooking style, you’ll find the right oven for your needs in this handy shortlist.
Miele Pureline Steam Combi Oven DGC7840, $9799
Packed with features and beautifully designed, the Miele PureLine Steam Combi Oven gives you the option of dry or moist heat for cooking meals. The external steam compartment ensures no pesky limescale build-up and the wireless food probe tells you core temperatures instantly.
One review mentions how fabulous the automatic programs are for cooking new meals and old favourites. However, it was noted that the cleaning cycles create noise.
Why we love it:
- Stainless steel interior makes cleaning a cinch
- Option of dry or moist heat for cooking
- DualSteam technology disperses steam fast and evenly
Smeg 60cm Pyrolytic Steam Oven SOPA6302S2PX, $2391
A sleek oven with a hint of that signature smeg style, this single oven delivers pyrolytic cleaning, a cool-touch door and 18 handy functions. Air fry, defrost, bake, grill stream – the imagination is the limit when it comes to cooking with this one.
Why we love it:
- Cool-touch door
- Pyrolytic self-cleaning feature
- 18 different cooking functions, including air frying
NEFF B47FS36N0B 60cm Built-In Combi-Steam Oven, $5199
It’s one of the most popular steam-function ovens in the country – and it’s easy to see why! The NEFF60cm Combi Steam Oven boasts a 71-litre capacity, 12 cooking functions and a genius slide-and-hide door for a seamless look. Count on perfect crispy-topped bread and succulent roasts every time.
There are over 150 reviews on this popular oven, with most happy customers loving how straightforward and easy it is to use. One reviewer praised the multipoint thermometer for getting meals perfect, another loved the reheating and warming functions.
Why we love it:
- Eco-clean function
- Brilliant ‘Slide & Hide’ door
- Large water tank with 1L capacity
ASKO OCS8487S 45cm Combi-Steam Oven, $4099
At 45cm, the ASKO Combi Steam Oven is more compact than many others, but what it lacks in size it definitely makes up for in features! There are 25 different functions packed into this clever cooker, including an auto mode, multiphase cooking and even professional baking! It also comes with a soft-close door, ergonomic dial and 160 automatic programs to test out.
Why we love it:
- Compact and contemporary design
- Simultaneous cooking across two levels
- Includes a huge number of automatic programs
V-ZUG CombairSteam V6000 60 Platinum Glass Oven, $10350
When it comes to functionality and luxurious design, V-ZUG knocks it out of the park with their revolutionary steam ovens. This ‘Platinum’ combination model offers home cooks 69L of internal space and an intuitive CircleSlider touchscreen for navigating the cooking process. And if you’re stuck for dinner ideas, there are pre-programmed options available at the touch of a button.
One review mentioned that this oven takes your cooking game to another level – and with so many world-class features packed into one kitchen appliance, it’s easy to see why!
Why we love it:
- 25 different cooking functions
- Innovative CircleSlider control for accessing functions
- Platinum mirror glass exterior for a stunning finish
Bosch 60cm Serie 8 Steam Oven HSG656XB6A, $3589
Packed with technological know-how and some seriously good looks, the Bosch Serie 8 Steam Oven is a versatile companion in the kitchen. Bosch Assist ensures the perfect heat for any dish, while 4D Hot Air distributes it evenly. There’s even a Multi-Point Meat Probe for nailing your Sunday roast.
One reviewer loved the full steam function for cooking multiple dishes at once, and another mentioned how great the steam function is for bringing new life to day-old leftovers!
Why we love it:
- Intelligent cooking controls
- 4D Hot Air spreads heat evenly for perfect results
- EcoClean makes tidying up a breeze
Delonghi 60cm Oven With Steam Function NSM9XL, $950
This Italian-made stallion is as beautiful as it is functional. Everything from cleaning to cooking is a breeze with this stainless steel wonder.
Boasting nine cooking functions the Delonghi Oven With Steam Function has a whopping 85L gross capacity, and a bunch of different shelf options so cooking for a crowd is a breeze. There’s a viewing window to easily peek at what’s cooking, but the double-glazed door stays cool to the touch. One reviewer loved that it’s easy to use, and cooks well.
Why we love it:
- Seven shelf levels for versatility
- Anti-tip shelving, no more ruined meals!
- Idroclean cooking function uses steam to break down grime
Kleenmaid Steam Microwave Convection Oven, $1999
A master of many, the Kleenmaid Microwave Convection Oven is a combi steamer as well as a microwave, convection oven and grill. It pretty much does everything you want in the kitchen from steaming, grilling, microwaving and as the name suggests, a combination of cooking types. It has 80 auto-cooking menus, 14 cooking and steaming functions and the boost gets it to 220 degrees Celcius in five minutes!
Easy to clean thanks to its ceramic base, the multipoint steam injection means even cooking, no matter what’s on the menu. One reviewer describes the steamer as ‘fantastic’, giving the oven five stars.
Why we love it:
- Sanitation cleaning function
- Defrost by weight, no more guesswork!
- Room for larger dishes because there’s no turntable (it doesn’t need one thanks to its fancy technology!)
Fisher & Paykel 60cm Oven with Steam OS60SDTDX2m $6299
A mighty kitchen workhorse, this Fisher & Paykel oven makes cooking completely effortless, with its 23 functions and additional accessories. Use steam-only cooking, convection-only or a combination to get just the right cooking results. As well as being able to cook on point, the oven also helps to create healthy meals, with food cooking in its own juices.
And there are even options within options! For example, you can choose dry heat, moist heat or a combination of both.
Why we love it:
- The looks – it really is a beautiful oven!
- Wireless Temperature Sensor – precise monitoring of your cooking, in real-time!
- The reheat function lets you reheat food with steam so it tastes just as good the next day.
AEG 600mm SteamPro Multifunction 25 Oven, $5999
Full of features that are aimed at creating delicious food while being incredibly convenient, the AEG SteamPro allows you fully automated steam cooking, at the touch of a button. You just set the cooking temperature and it will add the optimal amount of steam so that everything tastes amazing.
The three cooking modes (heat, steam or a combination of the two) let you switch it up depending on what you’re cooking, so that everything is cooked gently and to perfection.
Why we love it:
- Intuitive command wheel and clever touchscreen display so you can easily control the time, temperature and functions.
- The Food Sensor: use it to tell the oven how you want your dish cooked (for example, medium rare steak) and it will do it for you!
FAQs
Steam ovens are a great idea if healthier, faster cooking is high on your priorities. Also, modern styles look amazing, so if you’re redesigning the kitchen, it’s the answer to a polished built-in look.
The purpose of a steam oven is to enable home cooks to whip up delicious, healthy meals with less fat and oil, in less time. They’re also a big step up from the chunky convection ovens of decades past, with designs that are nothing short of breathtaking.
Yes! A steam oven can replace a regular convection oven because it can do everything a regular oven does and more. Most modern styles are actually ‘combination’ ovens and enable you the best of both worlds: convection cooking with dry heat and steam cooking with moist heat.
A full steam oven uses only steam to cook meals and as such it doesn’t brown food the way a convection oven does. A combi-steam oven (or combination oven) includes the functionality of both types of ovens to achieve the perfect result every time.
Top image: V-ZUG
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After more sleek additions to your new kitchen? Check out our shortlist of Australia’s best black sinks to get the inspiration flowing.
