Product review: Miele steam oven

Is it possible to live without a microwave? We weren't sure. But when we were trying to decide between our old faithful and a steam oven, we were intrigued by the health benefits of cooking with steam. As this is a product review on the steam oven, I suppose you can guess which option we chose.


Pros:

• Perfect steamed vegetables. Really perfect. We eat more broccoli and asparagus now that we live with this cool cat.
• Maintains original flavors when reheating left overs. It's virtually the same as the original day you cooked it.
  
• The use of steam must be healthier than microwaves. Listen, I'm no expert and don't know all the nitty gritty details, but it has to be.
  
• It's easy to use. The display walks you through everything. Fill the water tank and you're off to the races.
• Pretty much everything can be cooked in it. Other than popcorn (boo hoo), this puppy can take care of virtually any dish.
  

Cons:

• Takes a while to heat up before it starts cooking. We didn't expect it to be quite as long as it is. Now that our expectations are adjusted, it's no biggie. It's definitely a transition from a microwave.
• Need to look closely at your settings. I've had a few times where the broccoli has come out very overdone. Once I experimented with different vegetables and dishes, it has become clear. But there was a tad of learning necessary at the start.
• No popcorn
  

It was a bit of an adjustment, but we would go this route again. A year after getting it installed, we've learned to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n our cooking expectations a bit. In our rush, rush, rush society, it's been a good thing.

Hope this might be helpful to someone going through similar dilemmas at the planning stage!