A high-quality oven can make all the difference in the world when it comes to enriching your cooking experience. Wolf has made quite the name for themselves over the years, and their technology is certainly keeping up with the times. Their innovative craftsmanship has made their brand one of the most sought-after kitchen appliances in the culinary world, and their customer service is among the best in the industry.
In this article, we will explore whether it is better to cook with a Wolf steam oven. Convection steam ovens are an option for those adventurous home cooks who prefer the best of both worlds. Your cooking style and budget will come into play as you compare the different types of ovens.
We covered a lot about cooking with Wolf appliances here, but suffice it to say that Wolf has a long-established reputation for manufacturing exceptional kitchen appliances. Some even argue that their enhanced temperature control settings give them the upper hand over high-end brands like Viking.
Wolf is an American brand based in Wisconsin and part of the Sub-Zero family. As a family-owned-and-operated company, they pride themselves on pioneering products that are built and tested to last your family for more than 20 years.
Wolf convection ovens, convection steam ovens, and convection speed ovens all feature controls that are intuitive and that use consistent temperatures to help you cook your meals to perfection. They each have pros and cons, but you should be satisfied no matter which type you end up with.
Before diving into what a convection oven can do, let us briefly examine how a standard oven operates. Traditional ovens use two heating elements to heat the air inside the oven cavity. The bottom one is the primary source of heat, and it is best used to roast large pieces of meat, such as a whole chicken. The heating element on the top emits intense heat downward and works in your favor for broiling and browning.
Most ovens nowadays offer a convection mode. You can tell if your oven has a convection setting by looking at your modules for a button that says CONV BAKE or something similar. When convection is activated, a fan and exhaust system will blow the heated air throughout the oven cavity evenly while your meal is cooking.
Wolf convection ovens take convection to a whole new level. First of all, it should be noted that all Wolf wall ovens are convection, so you will always have convection available with their ovens. The thing that stands out about Wolf convection ovens is their exclusive technology that features dual convection fans that rotate in opposite directions. Plus, they have a special catalyzer that allows you to cook two completely different dishes at once without suffering from flavor transfer.
With Wolf’s cutting-edge convection tech, you can bake brownies on one rack and fish on another, and their flavors won’t be affected. This is a time, energy, and cost saver for many families who want to cook multiple entrees simultaneously without corrupting any tastes!
Food is cooked faster in a convection oven, tends to brown the outsides of your food just right, and leaves the inside of your food softer. This can be a pro for many folks looking to knock out dinner and dessert in one fell swoop who want to save some time in the kitchen.
The biggest downside of convection cooking can be that the continuous cycle of warm air can sometimes result in dry food and is not ideal for the gentle baking of pastries or bread that requires a touch of moisture. This is where steam ovens have a chance to shine.
Where convection falls short is where steam comes to the rescue. Health-conscious individuals love the fact that steam cooking preserves more nutrients and retains more moisture than cooking with convection alone. Wolf’s advanced engineering uses a climate sensor to ensure a smooth user experience and flavorful results every time.
Steam ovens work by using a water reservoir to produce steam to seal in moisture and nutrients while food cooks. Standard ovens rely on fats or oils to hold in a food’s moisture, which is not as healthy as a steam alternative. If you’re wondering what you use a steam oven to cook, you will be surprised how versatile they can be. Your vegetables, rice, and fish are perfect candidates for steam oven cooking. In fact, it may better serve you to ask what cannot be cooked in a steam oven.
While steam ovens can cook just about anything a regular oven can, they are not the greatest at baking desserts like cookies, muffins, pies, or cakes. They would still bake and taste great, but they would lack the coveted golden-brown finish you would get with a traditional oven.
When you combine the power of convection with steam, you experience the best of both worlds. Wolf’s convection steam oven marries the moist, nutrient-packed food a steam oven is known for with the browning power and speed of a convection oven. The convection and steam work in tandem to create crisp and browned dishes while preserving moisture and nutrients, giving you the ultimate cooking appliance and experience.
Home cooks that want to produce professional results will want to consider Wolf appliances for their kitchens. The big question is, what kind of meals do you typically cook? Do you tend to cook every night and focus on roasts and vegetable-heavy meals? Or do you have an insatiable sweet tooth and prefer an oven that can put the French bakeries to shame?
You may lean toward one over the other, depending on your cooking style. Here are the main differences between Wolf’s convection oven vs. Wolf’s convection steam oven:
Wolf Convection Oven:
Cost falls in the range of $3,200-$6,700, and is around $10,000 for double ovens
Results in classic browning
Cook time is faster
Double, stacked ovens are an option
❌ Baking delicate pastries is not ideal
❌ Can result in drier food
Wolf Convection Steam Oven:
Cost floats in the $5,000-$8,000 range
Food retains moisture
Preserves browning
More nutrients are sealed into food
Makes meats juicier and vegetables tastier
Homemade bread is crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside
Digital technology detects the amount and size of food andcooks accordingly
❌ Typically takes longer to cook
❌ Cost can be higher for a standard unit
❌ Double ovens are not available
Wolf convection ovens and Wolf convection steam ovens both share a handful of enhanced technology that will bring out the best cook in you. They both have enough space to cook multiple dishes at once and have the tech to preserve flavor among all foods simultaneously.
Both have a temperature probe to tell you exactly when your meal is done. Wolf also has a gourmet mode that will alert you when a dish is ready, so you don’t even need to use the probe. They love making the cooking experience as simple and enjoyable as possible so you can focus more on what matters most and leave the worry behind. Wolf’s iconic professional look and handles will integrate beautifully into any surrounding cabinets, and their worry-free warranty offers peace of mind.
Is cooking with a Wolf steam oven better? In our opinion, the Wolf convection steam oven is truly the most versatile option to satisfy any cooking style. They have a large, easy-access water tank that provides 90 minutes of continuous steam cooking, which can be refilled while cooking due to their thoughtful design.
The gourmet mode is worth mentioning since it takes a lot of the guesswork out of cooking. Once your food is in the oven, whether you’re cooking a souffle, a roast, or a few potatoes, their climate sensor takes over and basically does the rest for you. It will detect the volume, shape, and consistency of any dish you put in and then adjust the time, temperature, and humidity to produce *chef’s kiss* results every time!
At Atherton Appliance & Kitchens, we have a wide selection of Wolf Kitchen appliances to choose from. Our staff knows their way around the kitchen and can help answer any questions you may have about convection or steam cooking and which model would best serve you and your family’s needs. You can findWolf ovens on our site to review models and customization options.
We also offer delivery and installation to ensure your new favorite kitchen appliance is handled carefully and professionally. Like Wolf, we take pride in our customer service. Our Constant Care Services offer a convenient option for you to contact us with anything you need to resolve promptly. Your kitchen is the most popular room in the house, and we want to make sure you are proud of and comfortable with your setup.