How to Use Your Steam Oven: Overview for Cooking & Cleaning
What are the functions of a steam oven and what is it best used for? We are going to show you how to use your steam oven and what you can make in your steam oven at home.
Opening up the steam oven, most models will have a stainless-steel rack in the middle, and a container for water. Always make sure your water container has enough water in it before cooking. You’ll want to use tap water too, because if you use filtered water, you won’t get very much steam. If you notice that there’s not a lot of steam, it’s probably due to using filtered or distilled water.
When you turn your machine on to cook, the water in this container will pour out and steam up inside the oven. This will mimic a boil that you would get on your stovetop. Some steam oven models also come with presets based on what you’re cooking. If you’re cooking something like chicken, it will set the temperature and time based on how long it would take to thoroughly cook. On the steam setting our temperature will only get up to about 212 degrees.
Steaming your food versus baking it or pan searing it will really preserve the nutrients especially in things like vegetables. Anything you might boil on your stovetop; you can do this in your steam oven. You can make hard-boiled eggs, rice, and even mac and cheese.
Each model will come with a perforated tray for your food to sit on, that will sit over a solid tray underneath. The perforated tray has holes in the bottom which allows for the steam and heat to reach all sides of your food. This ensures even heat, and an even cook for a great end product. The solid tray will catch any drippings from things like chicken or beef, just so it doesn’t sit on the bottom of your steam oven making a mess. 
We made vegetables in our JennAir RISE 23.44" Stainless Steel Electric Built-In Steam Oven on 212 degrees for 10 minutes. These retained both their color and the nutrients leaving us with bright and crispy vegetables.
Now that you’ve made your veggies, what is the easiest way to clean your steam oven? Since there’s a lot of water and moisture you want to soak that up with a towel first. You can use paper towels, but the easiest way is to take a dish towel and soak up the water, then ring it out into a pot. This is the cleanest way to clean it after use. If you use cleaning products with harsh chemicals, the next time you cook that could absorb into the steam and then your food, which is not good.
This was just a quick overview of how to use your steam oven, and the capabilities it has. Get creative and try cooking your next meal in your steam oven.
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Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today, and shop steam ovens at Don’s Appliances. Our friendly experts are always happy to help you discover why Don’s Appliances is one of the best appliance stores in the area — whether you call us at 866-544-1711, email us, or use our online chat feature. Better yet, stop by any of our Don’s Appliances Pittsburgh, PA warehouse locations. Visit us today!
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