Why Should I Purchase A Steam Oven?

Pros and Cons To A Fantastic Kitchen Appliance

How often have you been faced with choosing between a junk meal you can cook quickly and a delicious meal that takes time? Exactly. We all face that problem time and again. Many of us face it several nights a week. There are entire industries built around how to avoid this very problem. Someone got sick of the idea and figured out how to invent a steam oven. Speed ovens take advantage of cooking quickly and thoroughly, without losing all of the taste and nutritional value of your food.

"Wait blogger," we hear you say* "we've been using steam for ages, that's not any faster than any other way of cooking." And you're right. Just steaming your food isn't particularly fast. Humans have been using steam for ages, so long in fact that historians bicker over who solved it first. Was it the Chinese who wove bamboo steamers? Or was it the people who would end up becoming the French, the Auriganeans who used wet leaves and embers? We're left asking 'why does it matter who did it first if both figured out how to make tasty food?' We might be biased though. Either way, you have food that is introduced to a wet environment, where the water is heated by application either of boiling water or directly by fire and cooked. You can use steam baskets made of bamboo or metal, or you can use double boiling where you place two pots that fit well together where the bottom pan is full of water and the top pan is heated by that boiling water, but no water comes into contact with the actual food. (Fun fact: Chocolate is melted best in this fashion so that the chocolate doesn't seize and become grainy and gross.) 

A steam oven though is an oven which either cooks just by using steam or has an additional steam function on top of other more 'standard' functions that it can switch in between. 

Why Do I want a Steam Oven? 

You might want to purchase a steam oven for several different reasons. 

a) As a replacement for a standard stove.  

    If you're looking at replacing your current oven already, looking at the various functions you'll use or need makes sense. With a steam oven that has multiple modes, you can do many different things and incorporate steam into your life a little at a time. 

b) An addition to your kitchen, such as purchasing an on-the-counter steam oven. 

If however you're not sure about a steam oven, but you want to test it out, you might get a countertop one. This way you can take your time learning to use it and how to adjust recipes you already love to it. 

c) If you're doing a full dietary overhaul. 

While we won't say this can't fit into the other two categories, this is one that we think can also stand on its own as a reason to purchase a steam oven. As we mentioned already steaming your food can lead to tastier food that retains the natural vitamins and nutrients. 

Pros and Cons of Steam Ovens

Pro: You don't need to use oil with a steamer. The steam oven retains moisture both in and around the food as it cooks. This means that the food can't stick as easily to surfaces. (We will note though that this feature only works if you make sure to fill your reservoir before you cook each time.) 

Con: You're not going to get super crispy skin or browned foods. Because those reactions both rely on a 'dry' heat the steam oven can't provide that. (Unless of course, you're working with a multi-function oven like this one from Jenn-Air.)

Pro: Your foods retain more of their nutrients because they aren't leaching into cooking water or oils. Have you ever been told that baking broccoli or carrots is healthier than boiling them? The nutrients leaching into the cooking water is the reason for that. The majority of the vitamins and minerals end up in the water rather than in your stomach. 

Con: This doesn't mean that all of your food is instantly better for you because it was cooked in a steam oven. ((We know, we hoped it would make delicious breads healthier too.)) 

Pro: If you choose a full-sized oven with a steam feature, you can cook multiple foods at once without the flavors blending into each other. 

Con: There is a learning curve in adjusting or coming up with recipes.  (Fortunately, there are plenty of people over on Pinterest with recipes just for cooking with a steam oven! ) 

What do you think? Will you be looking into getting a steam oven sometime soon? Let us know what you think or some recipes you love over on our Facebook page. We'd love to hear from you. 

If you ended up on our site because your current steam oven is broken, we're sorry to hear that! We can still help. Appliance Rescue Service works on all major appliances and we'd be happy to work on yours. Just give us a call at ((214) 599-0055) or visit our website at https://appliance-rescue-service.com/contact-us to make an appointment today. 

* yes, we can hear you through the vast reaches of the internet in terms of this post. 

How an Appliance Repair Service Call Works in 2021

What we’ve changed to keep you safe.

Table of Contents

Before Your Appliance Repair Service Call

During Your Appliance Repair Service Call

After Your Appliance Repair Service Call

 Have you ever been fed up with how difficult it is to find a good appliance repair service? Or gotten vague answers on what goes into an appliance repair service call? We're fixing that today. Although we've covered what went into them before, that was before Covid-19, which feels like it was forever ago. 

 Before, it was a matter of giving us a call, setting up the appointment and waiting for us to  fix your appliances. Our technicians would come by and talk with you while they worked and figured out what had caused your appliance to break. All of these are still part of the process, but, they're not the only parts. 

Now though, whether it's with us or with others, there are health precautions that we all have to observe. Wearing face masks if a client requests it should be a standard part of how things work, regardless of who you decide to work with, and all of our technicians are well versed in it. For your safety and that of our technicians we do ask that you stay outside of the room while they're working, this way safe social distance is maintained. 

Now imagine that you have the day off and you're trying to get caught up on your laundry. Except your dryer isn't working. It's started making a strange humming sound while it's running, and you can't find anything about it on the internet. Other people have had this same humming dryer issue, but they don't know how to fix it either. What do you do? 

Before Your Appliance Repair Service Call 

- Do NOT Unplug the Appliance(s) 

We appreciate it, we really do, but we need to see and hear the appliance so we can understand what's going on. Unplugging the appliance can mean that we miss specific sounds that help identify problems. In our example, if you unplug it, and all we have to go on is your description of the humming that the dryer is making, we're in trouble. What sounds to you like an "Aahhhhhhaahhhh" might sound to someone else like an "Ooooohhhoooo." Does it make that much of a difference? Surprisingly, yes. Many times a sound or tic of an appliance might not pop up until it has been running for a while. So turning it off is "resetting" it in a fashion. That doesn't mean that it fixes it though. 

- Set Up An Appointment

When you give us a call, we'll work with you to find a time that works. While you're on the phone is the best time to schedule a look at all of your appliances. If our technicians are already at your home, why not roll all of your problems into one visit? By scheduling everything at once, you can save yourself time and money. Rather than having to schedule multiple appointments over several weeks, you have the chance to have everything checked or repaired at once. This means that everything is on one bill, problems can't be given the chance to get worse, and you give up one block of time rather than several. You can also ask for us to do maintenance checks on your other appliances which can lead to discovering issues before they can become serious problems. 

-Clear the Path to Your Appliances

Now that you've got your appliance repair call set up, what's next? Time for popcorn and a movie? Not quite. In order to be able to help, we need to be able to get at your appliances. So before we come to visit we need you to clear away anything around, on top of or behind your appliances. Whether it's just one appliance that you're asking us to fix or multiple that you want us to check on, we need access. If you can go through and move around things so that we can access every side of the appliances, you've made our lives MUCH easier. We're going to be looking for anything and everything during your service repair call so the less there is for distractions, the better it is. Tying this back to our example case, in the event of your dryer making a humming sound, once you take everything off the top of it, it can change the pitch of the sound that your dryer is making. It can become louder, or quieter, depending on what you had on top of it. 

During Your Appliance Repair Service Call 

-Ask Questions About What Happened 

Something is going on in your appliances. You now have a captive expert to ask all of your questions. The more questions you can ask, the better prepared you are for next time and can nip it in the bud. It also means you can ask about other things that bother you about the appliances in question. If you've put multiple appliance calls together you can also ask questions to find out about the others. 

- Request Maintenance Tips 

Just like they can offer explanations on your problems, our technicians can also offer tips for preventative maintenance. What can you do to prevent problems or prolong the life of your appliances? If you have questions about one type of maintenance over another, whatever, we want to hear it. 

-Ask Questions About Your Appliance Warranty

You know the giant manual that came with your appliances? Or the link that you were sent after purchasing it that's full of legal jargon? Yeah, that. 

We know a large number of people don't bother reading them, and we don't blame you! 

But once again, you've got an appliance repair expert at your home. Stay outside the room and stay masked, but ask all the questions that have been bothering you. How long are the motors covered vs the drum? What about the electronics? In the event that we don't know off the bat, we can find out. 

-Ask Questions About Your Appliance Warranty With Us

Yup! Appliance Rescue Service gives you a warranty as well. We've got the full explanation of what that is down below, but if you have questions while we're there? Go right ahead and ask. We want you to be comfortable and trust your neighborhood Appliance Rescue Service.  

After Your Appliance Repair Service Call 

-Feedback & Review

We want to know how we did, not just so that we can fix any issues you have, but also so that we can do better in the future. Did all of your questions get answered? Did our techs remember to give you your written estimate of the work?  We want to hear from you. You can call us at ((214) 599-0055) to let us know or set up an appointment today. Or you can go to our contact page to set one up. We hope to see you all again next week. 

Additional Reading: 

Freezer Deep Dive

Warranty With Us (the Run Down) 

When you book an appointment with us, we will send an expert technician to your home, and give you a complete written estimate that includes all parts and labor required.

Your technician is often able to provide you with life expectancy, preventative measures, and periodic maintenance that may help you decide whether or not to proceed with a repair.

Our diagnostic trip charge fee is $75.00

Each part we install, and its related labor is warranted for 90 days of normal household use. Technicians use factory new parts on all repairs unless you have chosen otherwise.

If any part we install in your appliance fails during your warranty period, simply give us a call! We will quickly replace the defective parts at no charge!

Each part we install, and its related labor is warranted for 90 days of normal household use. Technicians use factory new parts on all repairs unless you have chosen otherwise.

30 DAY WARRANTY ON LABOR

If any part we install in your appliance fails during your warranty period, simply give us a call! We will quickly replace the defective parts at no charge!

How‌ ‌Did‌ ‌We‌ ‌Get‌ ‌This‌ ‌Far‌ ‌Behind?‌

How The Appliance Shortage Got Here, And Where We Go Next

With vaccines being rolled out every day and mask restrictions being relaxed, many people think things are going back to normal. However, the appliance industry is showing that the effects of COVID-19 are going to  be felt for far longer than people anticipate. There is a massive appliance shortage not just here in Texas, but across the country.  So, how did it start, where is it going, and what can you do about it? 

Realistically, this shortage started almost right away in March of 2020 when we were beginning mass shutdowns across the country. It began in China where factories had to close for 6-8 weeks, which meant there was no stainless steel in production.  From there, the manufacturing plants for appliances in China, Mexico and the U.S. were either closed or had restrictions on how many people were allowed in. This meant that not only were the appliances delayed now, but so were the parts for those appliances. 

There were also businesses closing left and right, as  well as layoffs that swept the nation. So, people aren’t going to be shopping as much thanks to quarantine and shelter in place orders. With both of these factors going into play many of the manufacturers thought it was reasonable to scale back production. Stores felt the same and so they reduced their orders. 

Now let’s zoom in a bit, and take a look at the average person. As we were told to shelter in place, we needed ways to keep busy. So we looked around our homes and decided we wanted to bake sourdough bread. Or learn how to make new and exciting meals (that normally we’d get from takeout...) Some of us decided if we couldn’t go on vacation, we’d renovate our kitchens instead. Or others just had the bad luck of having their appliances break with all of the extra use from the family being home all day every day. 

All of this combined together meant a lot of time in our kitchens and the need for more appliances, or new appliances, or repairing our appliances. 

Then there’s a second angle to supply increase, the housing market. Even as COVID-19 happened, people were looking at buying new homes thanks to the Federal Reserve putting interest rates at 0%.  New homes were also still being built, and those come standard with a full appliance set of a microwave, dishwasher, oven, refrigerator and washer and dryer. So all of those homes still needed their slated appliances. 

All of this came together to create our current situation. Appliance backlogs of six months or more for specific brands and models. And let’s not even talk about being able to get the color you want.  

Several manufacturers are quoted as saying that they are ‘ramping up production’ or ‘being resourceful to meet demands.’ That isn’t showing in the market just yet though. Despite encouraging messages from Whirlpool, Electrolux and LG, we still have backorders of at least 6 months. 

So what to do? How do you, our loyal readers and clients, deal with this not six months from now, but right now? We know you have appliances that are still breaking, or ones you’re hoping to replace.  For the latter, we advise being flexible. Place an order as early as you can.  Know that the size you need is more important than specifics of the brand and model. If you can find a fridge that fits what you need and isn’t a sacrifice  on price, jump on it. 

If on the other hand your appliance has broken, we appreciate your patience. We are still working as hard as we can to take care of our clients throughout Dallas and the surrounding area. Know however that the manufacturing companies are backed up on parts as they are on the full appliances, with those full appliances taking precedence. Unfortunately for all of us, companies are focusing on the greatest profit margin they can attain right now, which means their higher tier models.  We understand your frustrations, and we hate it just as much. 

However! There are things you can do, other than just being the patient people we know and care about. 

Keep things clean and spaced properly. We’ve got several articles talking about how to make sure your fridge, freezer and dryer can breathe properly. 

If you aren’t sure, don’t put something through your dishwasher, washer or dryer. 

 Take preventative measures. If you think something is off with one of your appliances, give us a call. We do maintenance calls, and right now “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” for you, your time and your wallet.  

So while we aren’t sure about when things will change for the better, we can tell you that we will be here. We’re here to keep your homes running, whether you live in Coppell or Garland, Dallas or McKinney, we at Appliance Rescue Service are here for you. 

If you need to set a maintenance appointment, or something in your kitchen has broken, give us a call. You can reach us at ((214) 599-0055), our website, or via our Facebook page. 

We can only hope that our stores and showrooms will one day go back to showing appliances this way and having sales like this.

Blogger VS Professional Shopping Guide 2021

This year, it’s all about the trends. 

This time last year we had two groups go through shopping for new appliances, our Blogger and our Professionals. We’re doing it again this year with a few minor changes.Like last year we’re going to have two different posts, with our Blogger doing her shopping and our Professionals doing theirs. However,  we’ve brought in three different types  of ranges. Given that new technologies are becoming more prevalent in the market and in the homes of our clients, we wanted to give a wider range of choices.

We will point out that due to the chaos that was 2020, we are still under an appliance shortage. So while we wholeheartedly like the appliances we bring up, your ability to get them right this minute, might be questionable.

Refigerators

Model: 25.8 Cu. Ft. 36" Multi-Door Freestanding Refrigerator with Platinum Interior Design

Brand: Kitchen Aid

Do we need to point out the obvious on this one? It has five doors! One of which is entirely dedicated to preserving vegetables and herbs, while the other small one is able to be switched between multiple different options based on what you need. It’s not limited to just fruits or veggies, but also has settings for meats & cheeses, and thawing or marinating. I think that would be especially useful if you do a lot of meal prep.

We also want to point out that it’s almost 26 cubic feet of storage space on the interior. That is a lot of space for a lot of food. 

Model: Benchmark® Built-in Bottom Freezer Refrigerator36''

Brand: Bosch

Well engineered is the byline for Bosch in my opinion. That don’t have a huge list of features, but what they do have, works. ` Their freezers have a SuperCool feature to rapidly return the freezer to normal temperatures after you open it up. It also can connect to your phone to give you messages alerting you to issues with your fridge like leaving a door open. Not to mention, this one proves a point we made last year that you’re going to start to see wood paneled (or imitation) appliances for your home. 

Model: LG SIGNATURE 23 cu. ft. Smart wi-fi Enabled InstaView™ Door-in-Door® Counter-Depth Refrigerator

Brand: LG 

I have to be honest, this one is my favorite, and I was sorely tempted to go home with the model that my local store had on hand. I have dogs that love to lay in front of my fridge and this solves that problem 90% of the time. I can get a drink or a snack without having to make them move. Everyone wins. 

On top of that, it keeps the ability to look inside the fridge as well, so you’re still cutting down on the ‘staring at the fridge with the door open and your electric bill going up.

So out of the refrigerators, LG gets my vote, even if it is a little smaller in terms of interior size.

Dishwashers

Model: GE Profile™ Top Control with Stainless Steel Interior Dishwasher with Sanitize Cycle & Twin Turbo Dry Boost

Brand: GE

GE got this one right, it’s that simple. They offer a steam and sanitize cycle as well as a food pulverizer for any bits that are left on your plates. It’s wonderful and I’m pretty sure it could handle anything I could throw at it, whether that’s cleaning up after babysitting all of the nieces and nephews, or having a party for 20. 

Model: 44 dBA Dishwasher in PrintShield™ Finish with FreeFlex™ Third Rack

Brand: KitchenAid

Although this model isn’t particularly quiet at 44db, it does have several advantages that I liked the sound of. It has a microfiltration unit that works throughout the wash cycle, which KitchenAid claims allows you to wash dirty pots and delicate glasses together. It also ‘ProWash’ cycle that monitors the amount of dirt in a cycle and adjusts the amount of water needed on that. To me, anything that is going to cut down on a water bill gets my vote. 

Model: Benchmark® Dishwasher24'' SHV89PW73N

Brand: Bosch 

Something I haven’t seen in any other dishwasher is what caught me on this one. “AquaStop® Plus 4-Part leak protection system prevents water damage 24/7.” Given some of the horror stories we’ve seen of floors getting damaged due to a faulty dishwasher, this one had me. It’s also even quieter than the one we showed last year at 38 db. It has an adjustable top rack, and a light that lets you know if your dishwasher is running. Why? I’m not entirely certain. But hey. I suppose if you run your dishwasher in the middle of the night and aren’t certainif it’s running or not, it might be useful. This model also comes with the paneling in the image so that it fits in with your existing cabinetry. 

Ranges

Model: GE Profile™ 30" Smart Slide-In Electric Double Oven Convection Fingerprint Resistant Range

Brand: GE 

This one, as the model info says is an electric range. What caught my eye though was the fact that it is a double oven, with built in Air Fryer, and it is a convection oven. 

The one thing I’m.. iffy on is that it can be upgraded by GE with “the latest features, like new Air Fry modes, with downloadable upgrades.” If you’re a tech wizard or love having the most up to date appliances, this one is for you. Me, I’m intrigued by it, but not so certain I want my oven to need downloadable features. 

Model: 30" Smart Slide-In, Front-Control, Induction and Convection Range with Warming Drawer 

Brand: Cafe 

This might be the first oven that comes with a guided class. I could be wrong, and no I’m not talking about the manual. One of the things the pamphlet talked about for Cafe’s induction oven was their “Gourmet Guided Cooking.” It combines video-guided recipes from a chef, and the range automatically adjusts based on which recipe you’re doing. It feels very Jetson-y to me. Another feature is that with the induction element you can boil a quart of water in 101 seconds. Or, if you’re like me and enjoy measuring time in minutes, that’s 1 minute and 41 seconds. But I admit it is more eye catching to say 101 seconds. 

Model: ZLINE 36” Dual Fuel- Gas Range/Electric Oven (RA36)

Brand: ZLine 

I will admit, I’d never heard of ZLine before walking into my local store. However, seeing their freestanding range was wonderful. It’s a very eye catching and appealing design. 

They offer custom options for the doors and burners, as well as the fact that this is a professional grade range. It has 6 gas burners and dual induction ovens. 

Washers

Model: GE® 4.8 cu. ft. Capacity Smart Front Load ENERGY STAR® Washer with UltraFresh Vent System with OdorBlock™ and Sanitize w/Oxi

Brand: GE 

Being totally honest I hate it when my washing machine starts to get that weird smell. This washer gets rid of that. Between the vent with odor block and the antimicrobial tech built into the drum of the washer, I love this thing. It also has the ability to auto balance your load if you’re like me and just toss your laundry in there. (I swear I haven’t broken any of my washers by doing this.) This model was also one of the few on the floor that was actually endorsed by Good Housekeeping. So if you trust their rating system, that’s a vote in GE’s favor? 

Model: 5.0 cu. ft. Mega Capacity Smart wi-fi Enabled Front Load Washer with TurboWash™ 360° and Built-In Intelligence

Brand: LG 

Since this post, like last year, is supposed to be about the things that catch my eye, this one was right on there. ‘Built In Intelligence, how does that one work?” was all I could wonder. Don’t worry, it’s not iRobot. The idea is that the washer is capable of selecting the right setting for the job, but you can still override it if you prefer to do it yourself. LG also gives you a built in steam option which I absolutely love, because it removes 95% of allergens and pet dander. 

 They also have a second smaller washer.  Which, I know, is technically optional, but I also I know I am not the only one who would has days when I go “Oh no! I need to wash this one outfit for an event I forgot about.”

We know that you’re wondering where the dryers are. Since we just covered them a few weeks ago, we’re going to point you there to get a look at 9 different dryers at 3 different price points instead of repeating ourselves. 

That’s it for me this week folks! I hope you’ve enjoyed yourselves and seeing what mischief I could get up to this year! I hope to see you back later this month when we’ll see what our professionals have to say on the matter. 

Remember, if you live in The Colony or the surrounding area and your appliances are on the fritz, Appliance Rescue Service are the people to call. You can get help either by calling them at ((214) 599-0055) or by setting up an appointment at their website.