Functional Luxury - Full Steam Ahead with Miele

There are some appliances that just make you want to cook. It makes the process fun, intriguing and you just love being in the kitchen.  This is one of those kitchens and the Miele Steam Oven is one of those appliances..

In this kitchen design the Fieldstone oven cabinet was configured to hold a 24" steam oven with trim and a 30" convection oven. As the designer I worked with the Miele specs in order to correctly order the cutouts from the cabinet manufacturer.  There is a 36" base cabinet to the right of the ovens to provide for a wide landing space when removing items from the ovens.  There is also an island close by if it is needed.   This is a very efficient kitchen  for cooking purposes.
 
In high-end kitchens there is a trend  to replace the microwave with a steam oven.  The Steam Oven offers a healthy way to cook food but it will never be as fast as a microwave. For those who always need something right now this may not be a good idea, but in  ways other than time, the steam oven is far more beneficial in a kitchen.  

Steam Oven benefits:
 *  Ideal for veggies, fish, meats, making bread,  and desserts
 *  Cooks up to 3 levels without any transfer of taste between dishes
 *  Reheated items retain their original taste
 *  Moisture handling

Microwave benefits:
 * Time, Time, Time
 * Easier for people to use.

I think the main difference between the two cooking methods is how they handle moisture.  The Microwave appliance uses  moisture within the food item to create the heat that cooks the food.  This is what causes the food to sometimes taste dry and leaves little doubt that it has lost its flavor as well as nutrients.  In a Steam Oven the reservoir container introduces water into the oven and heats the food from outside thereby leaving the nutrients and flavor intact.

Other Steam Oven factors :
 *  The vertical container on the right is the reservoir that holds water. Depending on how often you use your steam oven you will need to refill the reservoir with water.
 *  It comes with several different pans that are designed for specific food types.  Perforated pans will create a transfer of heat that will cook veggies and still maintain their  nutritional value.  For rice and meat or fish dishes you will need to us the pan with a solid base.
 * There are other accessories that can be found on the Miele website
 * Food- driven menu system
 * Programmable for favorite receipts.













 



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