We have all reheated old food on Sunday, Monday after a big game or a catered event. 30 years ago, you put it in a microwave and then pressed reheat.
Presently, there are newer technologies to reheat your food; namely speed and steam ovens.
But which is better to reheat your food a speed oven, steam oven or our old standby, the microwave?
It depends on whether you are looking for something quick or something good. We will look at each technology, the three products and then have a taste test with video on two day old Chinese food.
(We did not use a warming drawer, because it may not kill all the bacteria off 2 day old food. It would also be much longer to heat to the correct temperature).
These brands were picked arbitrarily.
Bosch Microwave Drawer
HMD8451UC - $1,259
How Does it Work?
Microwaves irradiate and excite the moisture in foods causing heat.
- Pros: You can buy a decent microwave at $100-200 and place it anywhere in your kitchen or bar.
- Cons: Rubber texture.
- Approximate time to reheat: 2 minutes.
Gaggenau Combi-Steam Oven
BS470 - $6,799
How Does it Work?
These ovens employ steam to heat rather than radiant baking. It adds moisture and does not bake out nutrients.
- Pros: Best way to cook without question.
- Cons: Pricey.
- Approximate time to reheat: 5 minutes.
Miele Speed Oven
HR1954DF Dual Fuel Range w/ Speed Oven (left) - $12,499
How Does it Work?
Speed uses a combination of convection and microwave in cycle to thoroughly cook without the rubbery texture of a microwave.
- Pros: It has better technology than a stove with far less preheat time.
- Cons: Speed ovens require some learning and are far more expensive than a microwave.
- Approximate time to reheat: 53 seconds (this is 220 volt so it’s pretty quick).
I am writing this two days after eating two day old Chinese food and am showing no ill effects. That being said, steam is way better to reheat as it adds and does not subtract moisture from the food. The taste and texture was far superior.
Additional Resources
Want to learn more about speed and steam ovens? Download our Steam and Speed Oven Buying Guide. We will show you different brands and products to consider. Well over 110,000 people have read a Yale Guide.
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