The use of steam ovens, as opposed to traditional ovens and microwaves, is a healthier and more multifaceted option. The real magic happens with the combi steam oven benefits, when convection heat and steam combine. This duet lets you bake bread with a crackling, golden crust, roast chicken that tastes like it just came off the grill, and even reheat last night’s pizza so it’s still piping hot, without the dreaded rubbery crust.

In this guide, we’ll explore what a steam oven is, the main types of steam ovens, their perks, how to install and size them, the water systems used, how to keep them clean, and the top brands in the market. You can explore the Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center’s premium cooking collection if you want to see the newest models in action.

Steam vs. Combi-Steam: What’s the Difference?

When choosing between a steam oven and a combi-steam oven, understanding how each type cooks can help you make the best choice for your kitchen. Both appliances make meals better, but they shine in different ways.

Steam-Only Ovens

A steam-only oven specializes in moist, gentle cooking. It uses steam to keep foods moist, like tender fish, colorful vegetables, and fluffy grains. It is also good for reheating, for example, leftovers do not dry out, and rather taste freshly made, which is why steam ovens are family favourites. For health-conscious cooks, this option utilizes little oil or salt while still preserving flavor and nutrients.

Convection Steam Ovens (Combi-Steam)

A convection steam oven, or combi-steam oven, uses steam along with a fan and heating elements. This gives you steam moist and convection dry textures at the same time. Imagine a loaf of bread with crisp golden crust, roasted chicken that’s juicy inside, or casseroles that are evenly cooked without being dry. This steam and convection “best of both worlds” approach is what makes a combi-steam the preferred oven of many homeowners.

When deciding between a steam oven vs a combi steam, consider your cooking habits. You can check out both options at Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center’s wall oven collection.

Why Choose Steam? Key Benefits

A healthy cooking oven, such as a steam oven, has obvious benefits to families, entertainers, and anyone wanting to eat healthy and flavoursome food. Rather than dehydrating food, steam helps retain moisture, taste, and nutrients, without adding excess oil or salt.

Key Benefits of Steam Ovens

  • Moisture retention – The steam can evenly circulate around food, keeping proteins juicy while keeping the vegetables crisp and the natural texture intact.
  • Improved Flavor and Texture – Steamed foods are fresher, and every bite feels and tastes enjoyable.
  • Nutrient preservation – Cooking vegetables and grains using steam is healthier than applying dry heat, as cooking with steam does not destroy vitamins and minerals.
  • Reduced Cooking Time – Steam allows meals to be cooked faster than most ovens because heat is transferred faster, and meals are cooked more evenly.
  • Reheat Without Moisture Loss – Steamed food remains in the same texture and taste as it does when fresh and does not dry out as happens in the microwave.
  • Baking and Bread Proofing – Steam helps achieve bakery-quality bread at home with perfectly risen dough and crusts.
  • Batch cooking and meal prep – Ideal for families and people who plan meals for the week, multiple dishes can be cooked at the same time.
  • Less Salt and Oil – Steam enhances natural flavor, decreasing the need for heavy seasoning and added fats.

The steam oven benefits make it a true upgrade, combining health, speed, and consistent quality for everyday kitchens.

Capacity & Sizing: 24″, 27″, 30″ & Compact Options

Considering the steam oven size is more than just measuring cabinets. It also impacts the steam oven’s cooking capacity, the flexibility of the trays and racks, and the overall aesthetic synchronization of the steam oven with other appliances.  Standard widths are 24, 27, and 30 inches. Each has its pros and cons.

24-Inch Steam Ovens

When it comes to compact and modern kitchens, the most popular option is the 24-inch steam oven. It is sleekly designed to perfectly rest above a wall oven with a warming drawer underneath, saving plenty of space while still providing remarkable functionality. Even with the smaller size, the cavity comes with multipurpose trays and racks to suit everyday cooking requirements.

27-Inch Steam Ovens

Homeowners looking for a mid-size steam oven often choose the 27-inch model. It’s perfect for those needing more inner space than the 24-inch steam oven offers, but want to stay within the dimension restrictions of a smaller model. This size is a convenient match for families who like to cook on a regular basis.

30-Inch Combi-Steam Ovens

Having a 30-inch combi steam oven will be ideal for those with big families or who like to cook for entertainment. Its full-size cavity allows for multi-rack baking, roasting, and cooking in bulk, and therefore is perfect for those cooking big meals often. This is perfect for serious home cooks needing restaurant-style meals from the comfort of their own kitchen.

You can visit Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center’s showroom if you are still unsure about what size would be best for your space. This will allow you to see all the kitchen appliances in person to choose the most suitable one.

Plumbed vs. Reservoir (Tank) Water Systems

When planning a steam oven installation, one of the most important things to figure out is the type of water supply system the steam oven requires. You can choose between a plumbed steam oven or one that uses a steam oven water tank. Both options are viable, but each has advantages depending on your kitchen design.

Plumbed Steam Ovens

A plumbed oven is one that has a direct connection to the water line in your home. This means that you will never have to refill a tank, which is ideal for people who cook every day. With proper filtration, a plumbed oven helps make sure that steam does not scale the appliance. If you live in an area that has hard water, filtration improves the food’s taste by filtering the water, while increasing the lifespan of the oven.

Reservoir (Tank) Models

Reservoir-based steam ovens offer the added advantage of portability. They are not hooked up to any water supply, which makes them great for remodeling, apartments, or any location without plumbing. The only downside to these ovens is that you have to refill the tank at intervals.

Not sure about which system works best for your needs? Explore the Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center’s wall ovens collection to review the plumbed and tank systems and choose the best-suited model with confidence.

Everyday Cooking: What Steam Does Better

Homeowners love steam technology and its ability to transform everyday cooking. With the right configurations and settings, a steam oven enhances cooking in a way that is both speedy and healthy, while also optimizing flavor.

Everyday Dishes Made Better

With a steam oven, you can steam bright and crisp vegetables, perfectly flaked salmon, and juicy chicken breasts. Moreover, rice and grains are fluffy and cooked evenly without any guesswork. Even the most delicate dishes, such as dim sum or dumplings, can be made restaurant-quality right in the comfort of your own home.

Baking and Bread

If baking bread, you will love the addition of steam. Baking bread with steam helps the dough rise and creates a beautifully golden crusted loaf. Pastries also benefit from the steam, which helps keep the layers light and airy.

Leftovers and Meal Prep

Reheating with steam helps retain moisture and taste instead of using the microwave and drying food out. Meal prep is also less time-consuming for busy families since meals stay moist and flavorful even when batch-cooked and reheated later.

For All Lifestyles

With the ability to cook anything from nutrient-preserving infant puree to multi-rack casseroles to wow your guests, modern steam oven recipes can accommodate any lifestyle. For enhanced versatility, the combi-steam ovens enable you to sear, roast, and crisp to your heart’s content while keeping the interior of the food moist.

Controls, Programs & Smart Features

Most new steam ovens are equipped with technology to make the whole food-making process quicker and easier, as well as more precise. Models today focus more on convenience and ease. Out of the many features, the following stand out:

Built-In Steam Oven Programs

Most high-end models come with preset modes for steaming roasts, bread, chicken, fish, and vegetables. These steam oven programs automatically adjust time, temperature, and steam level to achieve consistent results.

Guided Cooking Options

With guided cooking, the oven removes all the guesswork. All you do is indicate the type of food, and the oven knows the right settings and ensures you get the meal perfectly.

Food Probes for Accuracy

With the temperature probes, you no longer have to worry about undercooked roasts or casseroles or overscooked large cuts of meat. With temperature probes, you can monitor the meal from the start until it’s fully cooked. Perfect for cooking large portions of meat.

Multi-Stage Cooking

The advanced ovens, which use steam and convection combined automatically. This allows you to first brown or crisp the food and lock the moisture in during a single cooking cycle.

Smart Oven App Connectivity

Modern ovens are now Wi-Fi enabled. You can link it to a smart oven app to monitor real-time progress and fine-tune the preset controls. You also receive alerts once the dish is fully cooked.

Recipe Libraries & User Profiles

Users are now able to create profiles, which allow them to save the app settings and preset modes, along with recipe collections for quicker access in the future.

Ovens with steam technology are versatile. All the enhanced features make them easy to use for novices and reliable for expert cooks. The combination of control and convenience in a single appliance makes them appealing to a wider audience.

Cleaning & Maintenance

Maintaining a steam oven is simple, but as with any appliance, regular maintenance is a must if you want to keep consistency in performance and flavor. Most models are designed with a simple, clean cavity in either enamel or stainless steel, and after use, steam ovens only require a quick wipe down.

Many ovens feature automated steam oven cleaning. The oven sanitizes itself and will let you know when it needs assistance. The excess water is collected in a drip tray, which can get full and needs to be emptied regularly to avoid overflow.

Because steam needs water to function, many models include alerts to descale the steam oven when mineral deposits form, especially with hard water. Changing the filters on time protects the oven and enhances the flavor of steam-cooked food.

With these simple procedures, wiping, emptying, descaling, and replacing filters, steam ovens can remain in good condition and continue to serve the users with high-quality and fresh results for years.

Installation & Design Integration

When you plan to install a steam oven, preparation is needed for both efficient performance and refined appearance. Here are some points to focus on:

Cabinet Cutouts

To attain a seamless fit, safety, and precise measurements are a must. Even a slight error in the measurements can lead to gaps, which can be costly to rework.

Electrical and Ventilation Requirements

Steam ovens need a dedicated electrical connection and proper ventilation. If you plan these connections ahead of time, you won’t have issues later when the oven is installed.

Stacking Options

Stacking a wall oven and a steam oven is a common choice, often paired with the warming drawer beneath. It provides a complete and harmonious visual appeal to the cooking suite.

Visual Alignment

Proper placement of handles, trim, and appliances can provide a kitchen with a sophisticated and professional look.

Panel Ready Appliances

Panel-ready appliances provide a more seamless, integrated design as they allow the oven front to match the cabinetry for a more aesthetically pleasing flow.

Professional Installation

For seamless integration as well as proper alignment with the water lines for plumbed units, professional installation is essential. A skilled team ensures all points are covered.

Many Los Angeles homeowners contact Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center’s design experts to get professional assistance on cabinet dimensions, cutouts, and prep for optimal placement.

Steam vs. Your Current Setup (Oven + Microwave)

The difference is clear when comparing a steam oven vs a microwave. Microwave ovens are meant for quick reheats and defrosting, but tend to leave food rubbery, dry, and unevenly warmed. Steam ovens use moist steam to reheat leftovers and make them taste freshly cooked, rather than losing texture and flavor.

In case of convection vs steam oven, convection heat is great for dry roasting or for crisping up and browning the finish on vegetables and meats. However, steam is better than convection for more delicate foods like fish, chicken breasts, vegetables, and baked bread, where moist heat is preferable for tenderness and nutrient retention.

For most households, a combi steam oven works best, as it integrates both methods. Instead of using a microwave, it adds flavor and offers healthier results compared to a standard convection oven.

Top Brands to Consider (UAKC Premium Portfolio)

Are you looking for the best steam oven brands? Each brand offers different steam oven models with unique strengths suitable for different cooking styles and kitchen designs. Knowing the strengths of each will help you know why some are better than others. At Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center, you can find premium combi steam oven models from the most reputable oven manufacturers.

Gaggenau

Gaggenau ovens offer remarkable combi-steam performance with ultra-precise temperature control. Integrated with minimalist design, these ovens offer reliability and professional results in high-end kitchens.

Miele

Miele’s steam ovens come with Master Chef programs, Auto-Roast with humidity control, and the added convenience of either plumbed or tank water systems. This level of versatility is perfect for homeowners who appreciate self-guided cooking and dependable results.

Wolf

Wolf is known for the simplified control schemes of their steam ovens and their very intuitive, easy-to-use Gourmet modes. With steam ovens known for their rugged and durable builds, Wolf appliances are perfect for convenience-oriented families.

Thermador

Thermador merges steam and convection cooking with smart Home Connect features. This is perfect for connected, busy homeowners who appreciate the practicality of technology and optimal performance.

Monogram, SKS, and Fisher & Paykel

These brands maintain compelling features alongside great value. Monogram, SKS, and Fisher & Paykel offer flexible design and ease of use, making them great options for those seeking quality without spending excessive amounts.

Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center enables you to view all ovens side-by-side to compare controls, features, and fit with your kitchen. This approach, with the guidance of professionals, will make you confident about your decision.

How to Decide: A Simple Buyer Checklist

If you’re asking yourself, do I need a steam oven, the answer may be yes, but it depends on how you live and how your kitchen is set up. You can use this quick checklist to guide your choice:

  • Cooking Habits – Do you value healthier meals, superior reheating, or bread baking?
  • Space & Layout – Can you choose a steam oven to stack above a wall oven or alongside a warming drawer?
  • Water System – Would a plumbed model fit your space, or is a refillable tank more convenient?
  • Cleaning Comfort – Are you comfortable with filter changes and regular descaling?
  • Budget & Brand Fit – Which brand matches your style and kitchen suite?

Answering these points will make selecting the right steam oven simple and stress-free.

Visit Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center

 

At Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center, each appliance showroom in LA is designed to help homeowners and designers make confident choices. Specialists walk you through oven controls, explain plumbed vs. tank water systems, and review sizing options for stacking or panel-ready designs.

If you’re planning a remodel or simply upgrading appliances, visit Universal Appliance and Kitchen Center’s team through the contact page to schedule an appointment and receive expert design and measurement support.