Steam ovens allow foods to cook at lower temperatures by leveraging the conductive properties of steam to transfer heat more efficiently to your food than heated air. The outcome is moister, more nutritious food that often requires less oil. Steam ovens are not the greatest for browning or crisping foods, so if that’s important to you, consider the other alternatives mentioned here. Steam ovens require a supply of water to operate and therefore there is a need to install appropriate plumbing to enable that. In lieu of a plumbed water line, a reservoir is also an option. Steam ovens need to be situated to ensure that the rush of vapour that comes out when you open the door is above face level.