There are so many options out there these days when it comes to ovens. While most people are familiar with convection ovens, there are a lot of alternatives on the market that can provide benefits for your lifestyle. Here are some advantages and disadvantages when it comes to Steam, Speed, and Microwave ovens.
Steam Ovens
Pros
- Cooks food faster than a traditional oven
- Most consider it the healthiest way to cook as the steam helps to retain more nutrients in the food
- Reheating food in a steam oven helps to add moisture back into the leftovers
- Preprogrammed modes allow you to tailor your oven to your cooking or baking needs
Cons
- Steam ovens cannot brown food in the way that convection ovens can
- Takes longer to cook food than a speed oven
- Steam ovens are more expensive than convection ovens
- If you don’t want to fill and empty an evaporation tray for every use, you’ll need to have plumbing hooked up to your steam oven which can increase the cost
Speed Ovens
Pros
- Takes less time to preheat than a traditional oven
- Cooks food at faster speeds
- Doubles as a microwave oven
- Doesn’t dehydrate your food like a microwave will
- They don’t require ventilation
- Preprogrammed modes allow you to tailor your oven to your cooking or baking needs
- Smaller than traditional ovens
Cons
- Speed ovens are more expensive than standard ovens
- Their smaller size may be a hindrance if you’re expecting to cook the same amount of food at once as you would in a standard oven
- Food may lose some nutritional value with this cooking method as compared to a steam oven
- You cannot use metal pans when using the microwave or combination modes
Microwave Ovens
Pros
- Heats food quickly
- Easy clean up
- Retains taste and nutritional value
- Consume less energy than a convection, speed, or steam ovens
- Safe for children to use
Cons
- You must use microwave safe dishes and utensils
- Their size is small and wouldn’t work for large meals
- You can overheat your food giving it a soggy or rubbery texture
- While you can prepare healthy meals in a microwave, traditional microwave meals are usually high in fat, sodium, and/or sugar
- Microwaves can dry out your food because they cook by vibrating the water molecules
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