Do you dream of having a fully functional kitchen, in which preparing meals is easy and fun? If so, make sure you have all the basic kitchen equipment you will need. A steam cooker or halogen oven? Find out which one will work better in your kitchen.
Do you dream of having a fully functional kitchen, in which preparing meals is easy and fun? If so, make sure you have all the basic kitchen equipment you will need. A steam cooker or halogen oven? Find out which one will work better in your kitchen.
- How does a halogen oven work?
- The healthy option – how does a steam cooker work?
- Basic differences between a halogen oven and a steam cooker.
- What should you pay attention to when choosing the right equipment?
- Pros and cons of a halogen oven and steam cooker
- Halogen ovens and steam cookers for commercial use
- Halogen oven or steam cooker – summary
How does a halogen oven work?
Before having a look at the most important differences between a halogen oven and a steam cooker, let’s first find out what they are used for. Although a halogen oven is not standard equipment in many kitchens, it can come in very useful.
Halogen ovens are becoming increasingly popular, and the offer range is constantly growing. Some people even choose a halogen oven instead of a standard oven, which can save a lot of space in a small kitchen. So what makes a halogen oven so special that it can replace equipment that many people cannot imagine living without?
How does a halogen oven work? Halogen ovens consist of a heat-resistant bowl, fan and halogen bulbs that use infrared to generate heat and disinfect food. The fan creates hot air circulation, which evenly distributed inside the device and ensures perfect results. Modern halogen ovens also have an extensive control panel that lets you take advantage of various automatic programmes and other settings.
What can you use it for?
- Baking – a halogen oven offers a wide range of possibilities for baking. It can be used to prepare meat, vegetables, fish, casseroles or even cakes. And what’s more, a halogen oven will do so quicker than a standard oven, allowing for juicier meat and vegetables.
- Frying – do you love crispy chips and perfectly fried meat, but know that this is not the most healthy option? A halogen oven is ideal in this case – it lets you fry with a small amount of fat, making it easier to prepare healthier meals.
- Grilling – additional accessories, such as a grill tray, enhance the possibilities of a halogen oven, making it perfect for preparing grilled fish, meat and vegetables.
- Steam cooking – fancy something healthy for dinner? Pour water into the halogen oven and use it to steam your food.
- Heating food – do you not know what time your children will come back home, but know that they will be very hungry? Serve them lunch or dinner in no time – put the ready-made dishes in a halogen oven and select the reheat option, and serve delicious hot meals every time.
- Defrosting – thanks to the wide range of temperature adjustment, the device is also suitable for defrosting fish, meat or bread.
Halogen ovens work well in many situations, such as cooking eggs for breakfast or making toast. They are ideal for preparing nutritious and tasty breakfasts.
The healthy option – how does a steam cooker work?
A halogen oven or a steam cooker? Let’s move on to steam cookers, the perfect option for fans of a healthy, fat-free diet. Using a steam cooker, preparing wholesome but low-calorie dinners is always within your reach. Most steam cookers have three layers, so you can prepare three different ingredients at the same time – e.g. rice, fish or meat, and vegetables.
A steam cooker lets you prepare just about anything without the slightest addition of fat, while maintaining all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals of individual food products. As the name suggests, steam cookers use steam for cooking the food. They come equipped with a large water container, which turns into steam during the heating process. Food is placed above the steam on the separate layers.
Not only is it a healthy cooking method, but it also retains the flavour and texture of all foods. It is therefore quite a universal option, although not as much as the previously described halogen oven.
Basic differences between a halogen oven and a steam cooker.
Halogen ovens and steam cookers have some similarities, but all in all they are two very different types of kitchen equipment. Their similarities are the quick and easy preparation of meals, as well as the fact that you can see what’s happening inside both of them during cooking, without having to open the lid, which makes it easier to monitor the cooking process. What are the differences between a steam cooker and a halogen oven?
- Method of use – in the case of halogen ovens, hot air circulation is responsible for the heat, while in the case of steam cookers it is steam.
- Functionality – steam cookers offer limited possibilities of preparing meals. They can only be used for steaming, although they work well with many different food products. The range of possibilities of a halogen oven is much wider, and most importantly, it can also be used for steam cooking!
- Number of cooking layers – although you can steam cook in a halogen oven, you won’t be able to steam as much food in it as in a steam cooker. Halogen ovens are equipped with one large heat-resistant dish, while a steamer can have a number of levels.
What should you pay attention to when choosing the right equipment?
Regardless of which device you choose – a halogen oven or a steam cooker, you should pay attention to the following features:
- Power output – the higher the power, the more efficient the device, which means you will be able to prepare meals faster.
- Capacity – in the case of a steam cooker this refers to the number of available levels, while in the case of a halogen oven it is the capacity of the heat-resistant dish. Choose equipment that is suitable for preparing the right amount of food according to your needs.
- Number of programmes – this feature applies mainly to halogen ovens, which can have many functions and additional possibilities. In the case of steam cookers, a great additional function is the possibility to specify the cooking time on each level separately.
- Accessories – the functionality of a halogen oven or steam cooker is often determined by accessories that come together with the equipment, such as special containers for cooking rice or adding herbs and spices. In the case of a halogen oven the key features will be grilling and steaming trays, skewers, or tongs for turning meat and vegetables.
- Dishwasher safe – choose dishwasher safe equipment and accessories to make your everyday cooking easier and more fun.
Pros and cons of a halogen oven and steam cooker
Let’s have a look at both the pros and cons of steam cookers and halogen ovens. What are the key features of each?
Advantages of a halogen oven:
- Cooking using various culinary techniques,
- It can replace several other kitchen appliances,
- It enables food to be evenly baked,
- Automatic programmes and simple to use,
- Low price,
- Capacity,
- Ideal for mobile use, e.g. camping.
Disadvantages of a halogen oven:
- Less functional than a standard oven – you cannot prepare pizza or food for many guests,
- Difficult to prepare several dishes at the same time – each side dish should be prepared separately, which makes serving hot dishes difficult.
Advantages of steam cookers:
- Efficient for preparing whole meals,
- Fat-free cooking,
- Let you keep all the nutrients inside the food,
- Very simple to use,
- Timer for stress-free cooking,
- Low cost.
Disadvantages of steam cookers:
- Limited possibilities – only for steaming,
- Low power output – some steamers have a very low power output, making the whole process quite long,
- Takes up more space in the kitchen.
Halogen ovens and steam cookers for commercial use
Will a halogen oven and a steam cooker work well in commercial kitchens? A halogen oven could make sense, although you wouldn’t really expect to see a steam cooker. This is mainly because not many customers ask for steamed vegetables or meat. A halogen oven, on the other hand, has more unique advantages, which makes more sense for commercial use. It is perfect for quick baking – much faster than a traditional gas or electric oven. It is also easier to defrosting frozen ingredients or preparing delicious grilled meat. Its main advantage is the speed at which it lets you cook, although for various reasons it will work better in a small bistro than a large restaurant, just as in the case of multicookers or pressure cookers, which are also very practical and universal in use, but rarely used in large restaurants.
Halogen oven or steam cooker – summary
Considering all the pros and cons should make it easier to choose between a halogen oven and a steam cooker? However, it is not easy to clearly state which device is better. Although you can use a halogen oven for steam cooking, you should choose a steam cooker if this is the method of cooking you intend to use most. A steam cooker will give you better results and enable cooking more food at one time. On the other hand, a halogen oven will prove better if you like to experiment in the kitchen and quickly get bored of the same dishes. You will generally find a halogen oven a much more universal device.
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