What is a steam oven? Put plainly, I'd call it an oven that cooks with water vapour instead of, or along with, dry heat. A steam oven turns water from a tank or a plumbed line into steam and moves it around the food. On steam alone it runs at up to 100°C (212°F). Combi-steam models add a convection fan and element, so the same cavity can steam a salmon fillet or roast a chicken with a browned skin.
At Merit Home Furniture on Vancouver Island, we don't list a full steam oven right now. Our Campbell River and Port Alberni stores list steam-assist wall ovens and ranges, mostly Frigidaire, from $1,499.00 before applicable taxes. I work in Duncan, and Duncan doesn't carry appliances any more, so those two stores are the ones to call about ovens and every cooking appliance we list.
If moister baking is the goal, a steam-assist range or wall oven covers it with no extra appliance. Steaming vegetables and fish, or reheating a plate gently, takes a combi-steam oven, a separate built-in with its own cabinet opening.
What is a steam oven, and how does the steam get in?
A steam oven makes its own steam from a supply of water and cooks the food in that moist heat. Bosch's Benchmark HSLP451UC, a 30-inch built-in steam convection oven on Bosch's Canadian site, shows how one works. Its manual has you fill a tank, on the right side of the cavity, with cold water. The tank holds 1.4 quarts (1.3 litres), and the oven heats that water in an evaporator dish at the bottom.
On its Steam mode, the Bosch runs from 35 to 100°C (95 to 212°F), for vegetables, fish and side dishes. Its Steam Conv mode mixes steam with convection heat from 121 to 232°C (250 to 450°F). Bosch suggests that one for meat, soufflés and baked goods. A European Conv mode uses no steam at all.
Bosch's manual says to empty the tank after each use, and never to fill it with distilled water.
Full steam, combi-steam and steam-assist ovens: the three kinds
Steam ovens come in three kinds, and the difference is how much of the cooking the steam does.
| Kind | What the steam does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Full steam | All the cooking, at 100°C or below | The Steam mode on Bosch's HSLP451UC |
| Combi-steam | Steam alone, or steam with a convection fan and element | Bosch HSLP451UC; Miele's PureLine DGC 6805 XL |
| Steam-assist | A burst of moisture during baking or roasting | Frigidaire Steam Bake and Steam Roast; KitchenAid's steam rack |
What is a steam bake oven?
A steam bake oven is the steam-assist kind: a full-size oven with a Steam Bake setting. Merit's Frigidaire Gallery and Professional listings name Steam Bake, and several add Steam Roast and Bread Proof. KitchenAid's listing for its 30-inch porcelain slide-in electric range says its Steam Bake mode uses an included steam rack to add moisture while baking. The Frigidaire listings don't say how the water goes in, so the owner's manual is where to check.
Plumbed or water tank is the other split. A water tank model needs no plumber. Bosch's spec sheet for the HSLP451UC calls it "non plumbed" and says one tank lasts a whole cooking cycle. A plumbed model connects to the house water and a drain instead. Miele, a maker we don't carry, sells a plumbed PureLine combi-steam oven. Its spec sheet asks for a cold water supply only, through a shut-off valve that stays reachable after installation. It also needs a venting and plumbing cut-out in the cabinet, 500 by 40 mm.
What is a steam oven used for? Vegetables, fish, reheating and bread dough
A steam oven is used for vegetables, fish, reheating and bread dough, going by the makers' own pages. Bosch's Canadian page for its steam convection oven names steamed fish and vegetables that stay crisp, and leftovers that taste freshly made. It adds fluffy breads and roasts with a browned crust. Bosch also says yeast dough rises much faster in its Proof mode than at room temperature, and the Frigidaire Gallery wall ovens Merit lists have a Bread Proof mode too.
Steam oven recipes for beginners, from Bosch's own charts
The easiest first recipes are in the maker's cooking charts. These come from Bosch's use and care manual for the HSLP451UC: the maker's guide times, not our recipes.
| Food | Bosch's setting | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| Broccoli florets | Steam, 100°C (212°F) | 8 to 10 |
| Salmon fillet, per 0.15 kg | Steam, 100°C (212°F) | 8 to 10 |
| Peeled potatoes, quartered | Steam, 100°C (212°F) | 20 to 25 |
| Basmati rice, 1 part rice to 1.5 water | Steam, 100°C (212°F) | 20 to 30 |
| Egg custard | Steam, 95°C (205°F) | 15 to 20 |
| Whole chicken, 1.2 kg | Steam Conv, 190°C (375°F) | 50 to 60 |
| Yeast dough, 1 kg, rising | Proof, 38°C (100°F) | 20 to 30 |
For adapting a family recipe, the manual adds two notes. With steam, food goes in before the oven preheats, and vegetables get their seasoning after cooking.
Steam oven vs microwave: which reheats leftovers better?
For reheating, a steam oven is gentler and a microwave is faster. Health Canada's microwave advice says microwaves can cook food unevenly. It asks you to rotate and stir food midway through reheating, let it stand, and check it with a digital food thermometer. Health Canada's safe cooking temperatures chart lists 74°C (165°F) for leftovers, whichever appliance does the heating.
A microwave
Minutes for a bowl of soup, on the counter or over the range, with stirring to even out the heat. Merit's microwave collection has both kinds.
A combi-steam oven
Bosch's chart reheats a dinner plate on its Reheat mode at 120°C (250°F) for 12 to 18 minutes. Slower, and gentle is Bosch's own word for it.
A steam oven can't replace a microwave for a quick coffee or a single bowl.
Several microwaves we list have a steam cooking setting, these two among them. The LG 1.3 cu. ft. low-profile over-the-range model is $649.99 before applicable taxes at Campbell River. The Whirlpool steam over-the-range microwave is $1,049.00 at Port Alberni. Neither listing says how its steam setting works, so I wouldn't count either one as a steam oven.
What's the difference between a speed oven and a steam oven?
A speed oven and a steam oven differ in heat source. A speed oven is a microwave with a convection element, so it browns and cooks fast. The Bosch Benchmark 30-inch speed oven on our site pairs a 1,000 W microwave with convection in a 1.6 cu. ft. cavity. It's $3,199.00 before applicable taxes and listed for Campbell River.
A steam oven uses water vapour to keep moisture in, and takes longer. Bosch's spec sheet says its steam oven lines up with a Bosch speed oven, and the table below shows how close their sizes are.
Steam oven sizes: 24 in. vs 30 in. built-ins
Steam ovens are compact built-ins. The Bosch HSLP451UC is a 30-inch unit about 20 inches tall. Its 1.4 cu. ft. cavity is roughly a quarter of the 5.3 cu. ft. in the Frigidaire Gallery wall oven we list. Bosch designed it to sit above a warming or storage drawer, or above or beside a single wall oven.
| Oven | Outside, H x W | Cabinet cut-out, H x W |
|---|---|---|
| Bosch HSLP451UC combi-steam | 19 5/8 x 29 3/4 in. | 19 3/16 x 28 1/2 in. |
| Bosch HMCP0252UC speed oven | 19.625 x 29.75 in. | 19.25 x 28.5 in. |
| Frigidaire Gallery GCWS3067AF steam-assist | 28 x 29.875 in. | 26.75 to 28 x 28.5 to 29 in. |
The Bosch needs a 240/208 V, 15 A circuit, wired in by an electrician. For a 24-inch run of cabinets, two special orders on our site are worth a look. One is the Electrolux 24-inch single wall oven with Steam Bake, at $1,199.00 before applicable taxes. The other is Bosch's 500 Series 24-inch speed oven at $2,499.00. Measuring the opening works as it does in our guide to built-in and freestanding wine coolers.
What steam-assist ovens and ranges cost at Merit
Steam-assist cooking at Merit comes in wall ovens and ranges. Prices below were read from our listings on November 1, 2026, before applicable taxes, and the wall oven collection has the rest.
| Listing | Price | Store |
|---|---|---|
| Frigidaire Gallery 30 in. rear control range, dual element | $1,499.00 | Port Alberni |
| Frigidaire Gallery 30 in. rear control range | $1,599.00 | Campbell River, Port Alberni |
| Frigidaire Gallery 30 in. front control range, 6.2 cu. ft. | $1,799.00 to $1,899.00 | Port Alberni |
| Frigidaire Gallery 30 in. single wall oven | $2,199.00 to $2,299.00 | Campbell River |
| Frigidaire Professional 30 in. electric range | $2,499.00 | Campbell River, Port Alberni |
| Frigidaire Gallery 30 in. wall oven and microwave | $3,699.00 to $3,799.00 | Port Alberni |
| KitchenAid 30 in. slide-in electric range, steam rack | $2,399.99 | Special order |
A special order carries a deposit, and how deposits and exchanges work is set out in its own guide. Bosch's Canadian page for the HSLP451UC shows no price, and we don't list it, so I can't quote one.
Is a steam oven really worth it?
A steam oven is worth it for someone who steams vegetables or fish several times a week, reheats a lot, or bakes bread. For the occasional loaf, Steam Bake in a regular oven covers most of it with no extra appliance.
Descaling a steam oven, hard water and steam cleaning
Descaling a steam oven is the upkeep a regular oven doesn't need. Bosch's manual says that unless you use softened water, the oven needs descaling at regular intervals. It counts hours of use and prompts you, based on a water hardness level you set first.
- Set the hardness. Use the test strip in the box, or ask your water utility. Bosch's very hard setting covers water over 180 mg/L.
- Run the descaler. Bosch's own descaling powder, mixed, goes in the tank for a cycle of about 30 minutes.
- Rinse. A tank of fresh water runs the rinse. The whole job takes 30 to 35 minutes and can't be stopped once started.
Hardness depends on where your water comes from. The Regional District of Nanaimo posts a provincial fact sheet on groundwater hardness. It says water in BC ranges from under 10 mg/L to 180 mg/L, and that groundwater tends to be harder. Of nearly 12,000 BC well samples tested from 1977 to 1993, 27% came in at 180 mg/L or more. If your house is on a well, test before choosing the setting.
Pyrolytic self-clean and steam clean are the two oven cleaning cycles people mix up. A self-clean cycle burns soil off at very high heat, which some makers call pyrolytic cleaning. A steam clean loosens light soil with water instead. Frigidaire Canada's support page says to pour 1 cup of water onto the oven bottom and close the door. It points to Self Clean for heavier baked-on soil. The Frigidaire Gallery wall ovens we list have both.
Steam features in washers, dryers and dishwashers
Steam also shows up in washers, dryers and dishwashers, under each maker's own name. The Electrolux 27-inch front load washer lists Perfect Steam, at $1,099.00 before applicable taxes, at Campbell River and Port Alberni. LG names its dryer feature TurboSteam and its dishwasher feature TrueSteam. The LG 24-inch FlushFit dishwasher with TrueSteam is $1,099.99 to $1,199.99 at Port Alberni. The listings only name the feature; what each steam cycle is for is in that model's manual.
Steam oven disadvantages, and who should skip one
- Space. The Bosch cavity is 1.4 cu. ft., so a big roast for a crowd still goes in the main oven.
- Water. A tank model gets refilled and emptied after use, and a plumbed one needs a water line, a drain and a plumber.
- Scale. On hard water, descaling is a regular half-hour job with the maker's own powder.
- Steam at the vent. Bosch says steam from the vent is normal, and its cooling fan runs 10 minutes after a steam mode.
- A second built-in. It takes its own cut-out and 240 V circuit, beside the oven you already have.
- Nowhere to try one with us. Merit lists no full steam or combi-steam oven, so there isn't one to look at in our stores.
Where these steam oven facts come from
- Bosch Canada, HSLP451UC Benchmark Steam Convection Oven 30 in., checked November 2026.
- Bosch, Steam oven HSLP451UC and HSLP751UC use and care manual (en-us and fr-ca), checked November 2026.
- Bosch, HSLP451UC built-in steam convection oven quick reference guide, checked November 2026.
- Bosch, HSLP451UC 30 in. Steam Convection Oven spec sheet, checked November 2026.
- Miele, PureLine Plumbed Combi-Steam Oven DGC 6805 XL specification sheet, checked November 2026.
- Health Canada, Food safety tips for microwaves, checked November 2026.
- Health Canada, Safe cooking temperatures, checked November 2026.
- Regional District of Nanaimo, Hardness in Groundwater, Water Stewardship Information Series, checked November 2026.
- Frigidaire Canada, Ovens: when and how do I use steam clean?, checked November 2026.
- Merit Home Furniture's live appliance listings, with prices and stores read November 1, 2026.
Asking about a steam-assist oven at Campbell River or Port Alberni
The steam-assist ovens and ranges above are listed for our Campbell River and Port Alberni stores. A call before the drive tells you which ones are set up.
- The Campbell River store is at 1300 A Homewood Road.
- The Port Alberni store is at 2935 Third Avenue.
Special orders, like the KitchenAid range and the Electrolux 24-inch oven, go through our special-order line at (250) 746-5527.
Campbell River's number, (250) 286-0868 and Port Alberni's, (250) 724-6644
Ranges are in the range collection, and the rest of what we've written about appliances is gathered on one page.