Smeg’s Steam Oven Healthy, Fuel-Efficient

The ultimate in healthy, fuel-efficient cooking is the ultra-stylish compact steam oven from Smeg.

The latest addition to the new, uber-contemporary, technologically intuitive Linea range of kitchen appliances, the SC45V2 is a mere 45cm high and features a frameless, flat-plane of finger-print-resistant stainless steel and glass with backlit polycarbonate controls.

Dating back to ancient China, steam cooking has long been recognised as the healthiest, easiest form of cooking. When steaming, food absorbs only the moisture it requires — there is no over-cooking and minimal loss of vitamins, nutrients, flavour and texture. And as a further tick on the healthy diet check list, steamed food does not need any oils or fats to aid the cooking process.

The Smeg Linea SC45V2 features six functions — manual steam cooking, meat steaming, fish steaming, vegetable steaming, reheating and/or sterilising mode and defrost.

Pre-set recipes (times and duration) for meat, vegetables and fish deliver peace of mind to all users — there is no guess work or uncertainty involved in achieving the perfectly cooked dish every time. However, all functions can be manually programmed to individual requirements.

The re-heating function is especially useful as pre-cooked foods can be warmed to the desired heat without any loss of texture or flavour. And the defrost setting enables frozen foods to be thawed safely and with no partial pre-cooking that often occurs when using a microwave oven to defrost.

Initial reports from users of this dedicated steam oven reveal it has opened up a new world of healthy, enticing food such as Shanghai dumplings, risotto, steamed shellfish and steamed puddings — all of which are achieved with the minimum of effort and yet produce first class results every time. The steam oven can even be used to scramble and boil eggs!!

The 1.4 litre water reservoir is a flat, horizontal container that slides into the top of the oven cavity while the electronic thermostat ensures oven temperatures are accurate and consistent.

And while optimum performance is the main aim of the game in the Smeg philosophy, the company is ever mindful regarding consumption of the planet’s resources. An ECO programme enables the appliance to reduce its total electricity consumption from 3.40kW to just 2kW while maintaining a consistent steaming temperature of 100°C.

Other pure convenience factors of the Smeg SC45V2 are the electronic timer with end of cooking alarm, cooling fan to ensure adjacent cabinetry remains cool, 24 hour delay start timer, water level warning light, descaling function and child lock.

The appliance has a 35 litre capacity oven, three cooking shelf levels, double-glazed removable door (for easy cleaning) and is probably the easiest type of oven to clean – steaming is one of the cleanest forms of cooking and the stainless steel interior will only ever require a light wipe with a damp cloth.