Hosting Christmas this year and want to ensure this dinner is one of the best ever? You should seriously consider integrating steam into your festive cooking.
Whether you’re planning a Christmas dinner or have recently upgraded to a new kitchen appliance with the setting, steaming is a useful and versatile cooking method that results in healthier and tastier meals that are ready faster than using a conventional oven.
To give you the best understanding, we’ve explained what the steam oven setting is, how to use it when cooking and why it’s so different from conventional ovens.
What is the steam oven setting?
The steam setting on an oven, or similar kitchen appliance such as an air fryer, enables the use of steam rather than dry heat when cooking. When the setting is enabled, the appliance will convert its reservoir of water into warm steam which is then circulated around the oven for faster cooking.
We’d recommend opting for a combination-steam oven which, as the name suggests, combines your regular oven with a steam function. This essentially means that you’ll still be able to use all the usual oven programs while benefiting from the addition of steam.
How does a steam setting work?
Appliances with a steam setting have a built-in or pull-out tank which stores water. When the steam setting is enabled, the appliance will then heat up the water and convert it into steam which then circulates around the cavity for evenly cooked food.
A conventional oven on the other hand uses top and bottom heating elements and relies on dry heat to cook food, which can cause uneven results.
What other appliances have a steam setting?
It’s not just ovens that can benefit from an integrated steam setting. In fact, there are countless air fryers that now support the function, including the Ninja Speedi 10-in-1 Rapid Cooker and Air Fryer and the Ninja Foodi Max OL750UK.
There’s also a huge range of combi-microwaves which combine the functionality of a microwave with other cooking methods, including steaming, such as the Panasonic NN-CS89LBBPQ Combination Microwave Oven
What can you cook with steam?
Steaming is a seriously versatile cooking method. In fact, there aren’t many foods that can’t be cooked using steam. For a roast dinner, steaming is a fantastic way to ensure meats such as turkey and chicken are beautifully juicy with a crispy skin on the outside, while the inside is tender and packed with flavour.
Although its name may suggest otherwise, roast potatoes also benefit from steam as, much like when cooking meat, steaming ensures the outsides are kept crispy while the insides remain light and fluffy.
Steaming is actually a preferred method of cooking vegetables, as it helps lock in important nutrients, vitamins and minerals whereas boiling causes those nutrients to seep into the water which ends up being thrown away.
More of a baker? Using steam when baking helps to keep moisture levels moderate which can help foods like bread rise better with a crisp yet airy finish.
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