Kitchen gadgets have evolved from air fryers to Spyra Lizards. The latest multipurpose countertop cookers are vying for attention, offering more than just the current essential consumer items.
With their versatility, they aim to become a practical substitute for traditional stove and oven setups.
Compact Yet Potent Steam Rice Cooker
If you’ve ever wondered why restaurant dishes are so succulent, the answer is steam cooking. Steam ovens are prevalent in professional kitchens due to their ability to cook food quickly without drying it out.
Steam transfers more thermal energy than dry air and condenses on the food, delivering that energy directly for faster, more even cooking.
Smeg has ingeniously incorporated the steam rice cooker into the Combi oven, designed compactly to fit on your countertop. Within, the water tank connects to a boiler system.
Selecting the steam function heats the water in the boiler, releasing steam into a spacious 30-liter chamber.
You can also combine steam with roasting for crispy meats, potatoes, or bread, or choose from 10 other functionalities, such as air frying, baking, grilling, and defrosting.
Although its 33 automatic programs may seem daunting, intuitive controls and a steam cleaning feature enhance user-friendliness. Compared to standard ovens, SMEG’s small cavities heat up more quickly and consume less energy.
Smeg 10-in-1 Countertop Combi Steam Oven
The Undisputed Champion of the Air Fryer Market
Several features set Daewoo apart in the competitive Air Fryer landscape.
First, its transparent glass galley provides a 360° view of your food as it cooks, eliminating the need to open the drawer and lose heat while checking.
Second, its standard 12-liter galley can be expanded to 17 liters with extender rings.
While larger countertop ovens like Smeg and Gastroback offer increased capacity, it’s uncommon to find this volume in a dedicated air fryer. Most traditional models max out around 10 liters. This ample space, combined with an adjustable rack, enables you to roast an entire chicken or prepare a full meal at once.
Lastly, unlike conventional air fryers that utilize fans with metal heating coils, Daewoo employs a halogen bulb in conjunction with the fan for faster heating.
The intense heat produced allows for a crispy exterior while maintaining moisture inside. However, caution is advised as overcooking can occur easily. Additionally, halogen air fryers may not be as energy-efficient as regular basket models.
Versatility in One Device
The air fryer has long been known for its efficiency and versatility. Nevertheless, manufacturers have extensively enhanced their functionality, integrating features that rival traditional stoves and ovens.
Take, for instance, the Ninja Foodi 9-in-1, which offers not just air frying but also eight additional cooking modes, including pressure cooking, steaming, grilling, sautéing, dehydrating, and yogurt making.
Two distinct lids manage the various functions: a pressure lid for high-pressure cooking and a crisp lid for air frying—which can also be used with the steam feature when the vents are open.
The heating elements and fan within the lid circulate hot air to brown the food effectively.
The bottom heating element provides gentle heat suitable for yogurt or direct heat for baking and sautéing.
It’s a robust appliance that occupies considerable counter space, and the central lid can be quite imposing. However, its energy savings become significant, particularly when preparing family-sized meals.
Ninja Foodi 9-in-1 Multi Cooker
A Pizza Experience Without Flames
Wood-fired pizza ovens have undergone style and structural upgrades in recent years, leading to their increased presence even in smaller outdoor spaces.
For those without gardens—or who prefer convenience—an all-in-one countertop oven brings the quick cooking and delicately crisp results you desire.
The Gastroback Design Oven Air Fry & Pizza is equipped with six heating elements—four on top and two bottom—that allow for individual control, providing precise heat management for various functions.
Air frying, baking, roasting, dehydrating, and thawing utilize all elements in combination with a built-in convection fan.
The upper elements are ideal for browning and grilling, while the lower elements are suited for reheating pastries and toast.
By removing the rack and adding skewers, the Gastroback can transform into a rotisserie oven. Alternatively, you can employ a ceramic pizza stone with the upper heating elements for pizza.
In its 22-liter chamber, the Gastroback warms up more rapidly than a larger traditional oven.
Energy savings are most apparent with small dishes or quick meals; however, using it solely for toasting or reheating may compromise efficiency as smaller appliances might perform just as well.
One trade-off with the Gastroback’s size is the reduced capacity for larger dishes compared to a conventional 60-liter oven. With numerous features and accessories, the learning curve may seem daunting at first.
Gastroback Design Oven Air Fry & Pizza
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
