Steam Oven - What is that?

As some of you seen, we opted for a chefs kitchen with top of the line appliances. For us, this being our home, we did not want to compromise. We had seen a steam oven many years ago and were always intrigued and wanted one. It was time.

So what is it? It is a regular convection oven with the added benefit of having the ability to add steam to the cooking process. We can't think of anything it does not do better than a regular oven, but one thing we know is that artisan bread bakers use steam to get that nice light, but crispy exterior and fluffy inside. We have done a many breads and cakes and they all come out great, but we were specially excited when our RV neighbor stopped over to ask if we liked sour dough bread. He was leaving town for a week and asked if we could please keep an eye on his rig. He makes his own dough and in return, he would gladly let us have one. He uses a dutch oven with water, but gave us some very detailed instructions requiring several steps that should work. We knew there was a bread setting on the oven, so we gladly accepted the challenge.

After a 45 minute period of rising, we scored the top, placed it in the oven and pressed bread. We selected medium brown crust, sat back and waited. The results, as can be seen in the top picture, not only looked great, but the taste was amazing. We made it last a few days, enjoying it with some cheese with dinner and toasting it for breakfast.

So what else is it good for? We sometimes may get a pizza or two at a local pizzeria (or our favorite national chain - Mod Pizza), and we seldom finish the whole pie. While i do occasionally very much enjoy a cold slice of pizza, the steam oven makes it easy to make it taste like it was originally served. The reheat function works on any left overs and truly makes them like new again.

Honestly, roasts, vegetables, fish, thanksgiving turkey, all come out excellent and with ease.

If you are not familiar with a steam oven, a few manufacturers now offers them (including the likes of Gaggenau, Miele, Wolf, and Thermador) Some with a water line plumbed or with a water reservoir. We have the Wolf steam oven and you can read more about it here.

The bottom line here is that there is no reason to compromise of what favorite appliances you want in your Travel Home kitchen. Sure there will be consequences if it is overly large or draws a lot of energy, but those are your choices and accommodations will have to be made.