Capacity
The total working volume of the steam oven. The
larger the volume, the greater the amount of food that can be cooked in a steam oven at a time.
Water tank capacity
The volume of the container into which the water used to generate steam is poured. The larger this volume, the less often you will have to replenish the water supply.
Number of cooking programmes
The number of recipe programs included in the design of the steam oven (see
Auto-cooking). The more such recipes — the more versatile the device, the more dishes it allows you to cook.
Features
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Descaling. The steam oven comes equipped with an automatic descaling program that simplifies the process of cleaning the heating element. This typically involves adding a special descaling agent to the water container, turning on the steam oven for a period of time, and then draining the water container along with any scale that has been removed or dissolved.
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Convection. Steam ovens with a convection function have a fan that circulates hot steam inside the working chamber, resulting in evenly distributed steam and faster and more uniform heating of the food.
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Automatic shutdown. Automatic safety shutdown system in the steam oven that turns off the device in case of emergencies, such as overheating or low water levels, to prevent any potential damage or hazards.
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Timer. This refers to a timer function in steam ovens that shuts off the device after a set period of operation to prevent overcooking. Some models also have a delayed start timer, which allows users to load ingredients and program the steam oven to begin cooking at a later, more convenient time.
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Defrosting. The steam oven can be used to defrost frozen foods by heating them at a lower power than during cooking, as defrosting only requires gentle heating rather than intense heat to cook the food.
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— Auto-cooking.The steam oven may come with pre-set programs for automatic cooking of different dishes. Users can simply select the type and weight of the food, and the steam oven will automatically choose the appropriate cooking mode and time.
— Custom programme. Users can customize their own programs in the steam oven, which is similar to automatic programs. However, unlike the automatic programs, users can modify and save their own programs in the memory of the steam oven, giving them the freedom to customize the oven according to their preferences.
— Child lock. The steam oven is equipped with a safety system that enables you to lock the device's controls and/or restrict access to the working chamber. This helps prevent children from accidentally turning on the device, altering its operating mode, getting burned by hot steam, etc.
— Temperature probe. This is a device that can measure the temperature of a cooked dish, both externally and internally. It can provide an indication of the dish's level of readiness or the remaining cooking time in some cases.
— Control via the Internet. This feature enables remote access to the steam oven's controls from anywhere with internet connectivity. It allows the users to start a cooking program from a remote location, such as at work, and have a hot meal waiting for them upon arrival at home.
In addition, it is worth mentioning that this type of control often provides not only the ability to send commands but also to receive notifications from the steam oven. This can include updates on the progress of the cooking program, the readiness of the dish, potential issues and more.Controls
— Push-buttons. This method of control involves using buttons on the electronic control unit, which provides a user-friendly interface and access to a wide range of additional functions.
— Touch. A type of electronic control that uses
sensors instead of buttons. It is considered the most advanced today (not counting
control via the Internet), has all the advantages of electronic control, such as convenience and a wide range of functions; while the touch panel is easier to clean from dirt.
— Rotary knobs + buttons. This is a combined type of steamer control that utilizes both mechanical
rotary knobs for main functions and electronic
push-buttons for additional functions. This design combines the benefits of both control types, such as affordability and reliability of mechanical control and the versatility of electronic control.
— Rotary knobs + sensors. A type of control similar to rotary knobs + buttons (see above) — with the only one difference that touch panels are used in this case instead of buttons, the advantage of which is the ease of cleaning from dirt.
Input power
The power consumption rating of a steam oven refers to the maximum power it uses during operation. Higher power consumption usually means a more powerful steam oven, but it also means higher energy usage.
