One of the most popular trends in the appliance world is convection steam ovens.
These ovens incorporate steam and convection heating to keep food moist.
There are many advantages to cooking with steam over other cooking methods. Cooking with steam better preserves the texture of your food along with the vitamins and nutrients. This results in healthier cooking. In addition, the food will maintain its moisture on the inside and have a similar exterior texture as convection only without using butter and oil.
Reheating in steam is also better as you are not "rebaking" the moisture out of the food. In addition, there will not be any odor or flavor transfer between foods. You could potentially cook salmon, rice and vegetables at the same time and all will still maintain their original flavors.
Gaggenau BS470 - $6,799
- 5 Year Warranty
- Side Swing door: great for easy loading and access. Available either right or left hinged.
- Plumbed or non-plumbed
- Available in Stainless w/ a glass front (easy cleaning) or Aluminum (minimal finger prints)
- Available in 24, 27 or 30 Inch Widths
- Able to set humidity level anywhere from 0-100%
- True Convection Oven: not just a steamer
- Drying Option
- Exclusive Cool Steam System: Resulting in no condensation on the door, allowing for better visibility of your food inside. Transfers heat very quickly, which keeps food moist. It is more energy efficient than convection. Individual flavors and aromas are better retained, as well as brighter colored food and food stays its original size. Your kitchen will not smell like what you’re cooking.
- Exclusive Cool Temperature Sensor: Controls temperature at the center of the food. The oven will switch itself off once the desired temperature is reached. This ensures that no matter what is being cooked, it is always cooked thoroughly, without being over done!
Jenn-Air JBS7524BS - $2,949
- Steam Mode: Gently bring out the very best qualities of your fish and vegetables by maintaining their flavors, textures and nutrients.
- Steam Reheat Mode: Evenly reheat your chilled or room-temperature foods while keeping them moist and delicious.
- Halogen Oven Light: This high-luminosity lighting lets you clearly see when pastries and gourmet pizzas are baked to a golden brown.
- No-Preheat Option: Save time by cooking certain foods without waiting for the oven to preheat.
- Preset Foods Mode: This mode lets you choose from 68 different preset foods that eliminate guesswork by adjusting the oven’s cooking settings for you, based on the food you choose.
- Proof Mode: This low-heat mode maintains a consistent temperature, letting you proof dough quicker than you could at room temperature.
- Recently-Used Option: Quickly find your ten last used oven settings, which are conveniently displayed on the LCD.
- Sous Vide Re-Heat: Bring frozen sous vide foods to their ideal serving temperatures and optimal flavors.
- Steam Cleaning Mode: With this mode, it’s easy to wipe away food soils from inside your oven.
- Steam Defrost Mode: Defrost your food gently and evenly, maintaining its flavor and quality without any hot spots.
- Temperature Probe: When this probe is used, there’s no need to open the oven door to check on your food’s cooking progress. The cooking stops as soon as your food has reached the set temperature.
- Water Reservoir: Keeping your oven’s steam generator filled with water is simple with this removable, easy-to-fill reservoir.
- Yogurt Mode: Conveniently make incredible-tasting homemade yogurt.
Jenn-Air vs. Gaggenau Steam Ovens
Let’s compare the Gaggenau and Jenn-Air steam ovens.
One brand is American and one is German. The major differences between these ovens are...
- Voltage - The Jenn-Air runs on 110 volt and the Gaggenau runs off 220v. This means the Gaggenau heats up faster, cooks faster and more evenly. Because the Jenn-Air can be installed into a existing microwave space with a regular plug, it's the only true “plug and play” steam oven on the market.
- Price - These ovens are on two different sides of the spectrum when it comes to price, Gaggenau being the most expensive at $6,799 and Jenn-Air being the bargain at $2,949.
- Warranty - 5 year full parts/labor on the Gaggenau and 1 full year parts/labor on the Jenn-Air. I should also note that Gaggenau offers a 7 year warranty if you buy 5 or more of their products.
- Water Source - Jenn-Air has a water reservoir that needs to be filled manually. The Gaggenau is plumbed, so there's no need to refill the water chamber, especially during longer cooking like roasts.
It might seem strange to compare these two very different steam ovens, but the way I see it, not everyone can afford (or is willing to pay) the cost of the Gaggenau. If that's the case, the Jenn-Air is an amazing bargain.
You don't need a 220 volt line (easy install in existing kitchen), it has user friendly functions/presets and is made in America. On the other hand, the Gaggenau has the best warranty, least amount of initial service and is the best cooking steam oven on the market.
I have used both of these ovens and in my opinion the Gaggenau has better cooking results.
Then again it should at almost $4,000 more.
Recommended Reads
Additional Resources
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