Editor's Note: This is a post from our in-house Chef, Nicole. These articles are designed for greater insight on how specialized appliances work. You will know how to use them and their capabilities after reading her work.
Why did we hire a chef?
Well, I could say it was because products have become more complicated, but it was from a more personal experience. We had a builder event for our Framingham Grand Opening, and I was explaining the new Miele steam range. There is a bread menu, and I scrolled to the Jalepeno Cheese bread.
I was hoping no one would ask me what kind of cheese or any other detailed food questions. I know the technical specs pretty well, but never used the product.
After that, we hired someone to answer detailed food questions and use the live products in the store. If you can't use a product, we have someone to teach you…because it is apparent that person is not me.
Short on time? Get our free Steam Oven Buying Guide »
Over 130,000 people have already found answers in a Yale guide
Why Choose Combi-Steam?
Combi-steam convection ovens offer the combination of convection heat (dry heat propelled by a fan) in conjunction with steam. Like the convection-steam oven, the combi-steam oven offer convection heat, steam heat and of course, a combination of both.
However, combi-steam ovens differ from convection-steam ovens slightly by one main feature…a broil element.
Questioning the use of a combi-steam oven? Let me point out three main reasons:
- Steam cooking is highly touted for its nutritional benefits and is beneficial in reheating leftover foods because the application of steam re-hydrates foods that have lost initial moisture. Cooking with steam also allows the ability to retain all vitamins and minerals and requires the use of less fats and oils.
- Convection cooking is a superior cooking method that yields more even browning and cooking in roughly 25% less time.
- Broiling is yet another healthy culinary technique that uses the application of intense direct heat to cook food. With the use of a broiler pan, excess oils and fats melt away from proteins leaving a healthier product with full flavor. Broiling is also a great alternative for those nights when outdoor grilling just isn’t possible. What better way to complement a steam oven than to include a broil element!
How Does Steam Work?
When the steam feature is active, the oven pulls water from a reservoir or water line, heats it then feeds it through to the oven cavity. When considering steam ovens of any caliber, you have the option to purchase a tank version or a plumbed version.
In a tank version, a removable reservoir holds the water which needs to be refilled periodically. The plumbed version is a permanent fixture that needs to be connected to a water line, but offers a continuous flow of water to the oven. Miele is one of the few steam ovens in the industry that offer either option.
(Read more on The Benefits of Cooking with Steam)
Miele ContourLine M Touch Combi-Steam Oven - DGC6700XL
Features:
- 2 Easy access water reservoirs
- Design flexibility, handle contour adjusts to wrist movement
- 11 cooking modes / MasterChef program
- Temperature probe
- Delayed start / Sabbath mode
- Multiple pans and rack positions
- Automatic Rinse feature
- Broil element
- Various additional custom settings (28 language options, U.S./metric units of measure, adjusts to water hardness)
Ease
The Miele combi-steam oven works intuitively in a step-by-step format. With 11 main operating modes literally at your fingertips, pre-heat is just a touch away. The Master Chef program boasts more than 100 recipes for simple food items from grains and vegetables to exotic foods such as salsify and ostrich. Simply choose what you’d like to cook and the Miele combi-steam oven will walk you through step-by-step with the ease of a touch screen akin to that of an iPhone.
Miele’s MasterChef program really shines when it comes to their array of European-based pre-set oven modes; stollen, Swiss cake roll, and roebuck. I have yet to see any other combi-steam oven with these choices. Also, because Miele is a global company, you have access to a network of chef recipes worldwide via the Miele website.
Design
In reference to size, Miele’s combi-steam oven is comparable to the industry competition, at an average of 24”. In this industry, you are either into knobs/buttons or touch screen panels. If you are not attracted to the clunky look of knobs and buttons, Miele’s sleek design is one of the more sophisticated appearances in the industry.
With regard to the interior of the combi-oven, it was clearly designed with the cook in mind. The interior is coated with PerfectClean, a smooth enamel non-stick surface coating. While this model does not feature a self-cleaning option, the steam coupled with the PerfectClean surface makes cleaning a breeze.
Another unique, and very smart design feature is the mesh fan guard added before roasting; this prevents any grease from splashing onto the fan blades which are virtually impossible to clean.
Quality
With an impressive service rating of 5.47%, Miele tops our list as #1 in most reliable appliance brand. As with the Wolf CSO, the Miele combi-steam oven also produces a very even and controlled flow of steam and just like the Wolf convection steam oven, the Miele combi-steam oven (tank version) positions the water reservoir above the oven in an overhead compartment.
However, there are two tanks, one for fresh water and one for condensation run-off. The second tank is a great addition to have especially when cooking fish. Miele’s automatic rinse feature will flush the oven with water to remove any flavor volatiles and transport this water to the second run-off tank.
Trust me…you do not want to steam vegetables or grains with recycled fishy water. Among my food experiments in this particular oven, I have yet to cook with mediocre results. I have been consistently happy with the results I have seen.
Versatility
The temperature range for the Miele combi-steam oven spans from 85˚to 435˚F. As stated above, there are 11 main modes (10 basic oven modes with the 11th mode as the actual combi-mode). This particular mode (along with the broil element) really sets this oven apart from the majority. It allows you to program up to 3 combination modes in advance.
For example, if you wanted to make Mexican-style corn on the cob, you would pre-set the oven to first steam the corn for 7 minutes then transition to broil for 6 minutes.
The entire cooking process could be set at one time; no need to manually change oven modes during the cooking process, the oven does it for you! Just like every other convection-steam oven, you are able to use only the convection setting if desired, so browning or crisping food items is attainable.
Also, with any mode other than steam, you have the ability to add manual bursts of steam (great for bread baking)!
The Drawbacks
I haven’t found too many drawbacks in functionality with the exception of a very small operational gripe. All modes will pre-heat after setting the temperature except for the steam setting which requires a cook time to be programmed before preheating. In my opinion, this does not make sense. If you are steaming fish for the first time and are unsure of how long it will take, how are you supposed to know how much time to program?
Design-wise the broil element is an exceptional addition, however, I’m not convinced of its ability to really get the job done. Most true broil elements reach upward of 500˚-525˚F; Miele’s is capped at 435˚F.
Then there’s the susceptibility of rusting on the housing brackets that hold the Calrod broil element of which I’ve heard, although I’ve honestly never found any supporting evidence.
Reasons to choose the Miele Combi-steam
Above all, the Miele combi-steam oven is among the top in its class. Here are the major points to consider:
- Steam cooking (healthy and nutritious, great for reheating leftovers)
- PerfectClean for simplicity in cleaning
- Broil element for extra browning and crispness
- Master Chef program with step-by-step guide
- Sleek look with touch screen controls
- Great service rating
Additional Resources
Want more information on Steam Cooking? Get the Yale Speed and Steam Oven Buying Guide with features, specs and detailed profiles of every manufacturer like Wolf, Miele, Gaggenau, Jenn-Air, Bosch Benchmark and more. Over 130,000 people have read a Yale Guide.
Why Should You Trust Us?
It seems that every appliance review has nothing but glowing comments about almost every product, yet you read customer reviews and they are almost universally bad.
We are here to fill in the disconnect. We'll give you the best features, and the drawbacks as well, including reliability based on over 37,000 calls performed by our service team just last year. Our goal is to give you ALL the information so you know what's right for you.
Please consider subscribing or adding to the conversation in the comments below. We appreciate you stopping by.
A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.
Topics:
