The Thermador Steam Convection Oven

Last week, I was lucky enough to attend the Now your “Steam” Cooking Blogger event with Thermador appliances. We stayed at the gorgeous Gainey Ranch Resort in Scottsdale, AZ and I ate so much that I am sure I put on 2 pounds. There is so much to tell you that I must break the trip into a number of posts. You saw the one from the first night already so I will move onto the Thermador kitchens and steam convection oven.

The day started with all of us being picked up in a large caravan of big SUV's. I joked that I felt like I was a part of the President's entourage. We were whisked to the amazing Thermador showroom and I could quickly see why it has won design awards.

The presentation of the appliance history was up first followed by an incredible breakfast spread.

The highlight of the breakfast the Buttermilk Pancake Syrup that I promise to share in a later post. It is so smooth and rich that you knew immediately that it was not good for you but that it will always be a part of your life.

We then moved on to seeing demonstrations on their gas cooktop ranges and induction cooktops in a myriad of amazing kitchens.

In the largest kitchens, we watched on the kitchen staff, lead by Chef Kyle, prep and finish a ton of tasty dishes that were cooked in the steam convection oven. However, I think that the biggest spectacle in the kitchen was all of the food bloggers as we tried to capture photos of the gorgeous food.

The employees are sincerely passionate about the Steam Oven and the entire Thermador line.

We then tried to fit more amazing food into our bellies for lunch before we went into the kitchen to get down the main feature: The Thermador Steam & Convection Oven, the luxury segment's first pre-programmed oven to combine steam, convection and a combination of the cooking modes.

Believe it or not, you can bake cakes, steam vegetables and fish, reheat (they reheated pizza and it blew the microwave away), slow cook, defrost and keep dishes warm.

Pros:

*Easy to use
*Heats up quickly

*Impressive appliance that now makes steam cooking more accesible to the culinary enthusiast

*Food stays moist on the inside and nicely finished on the outside

*Healthy cooking method - talk about vitamin retention and less usage of oils/fats

*Lowers risk of over cooking and drying out your food

*Faster cooking so I would think it equals less energy useage (but would need to find out)

*Thawing food is fast and beautiully done-no more brown meat on the outside and ice on the inside

*Pre-programmed food programs that will automatically set the oven temperature & humidity

*I want one....does that count as a pro?

Cons:

*Need to fill water chamber (every 2 hours or more depending on use)

*Clean water collection area everyday as no one wants water sitting in a moist environment.

*Price, then again, their clientele is not middle America

*Free Standing item that requires a trim kit purchase and installation

*Bursts of steam during cooking come out so taking a chance of a facial blast if too close but you probably know not to do that.

Currently, this oven is a small oven that needs to be installed in its' own free standing unit however, I would love to see it as a full size oven. It would need to be designed and installed to vent externally and be hooked up the home's cold water line. I could foresee it becoming a kind of flat screen TV phenomenon: where at first, the price meant it was only in the most affluent households at first but then the price lowered each year until it became a part of many American households. I will cross my fingers.

Perfectly steamed asparagus!

Disclosure: Travel, Food and Accommodations were paid for by Thermador.