Steampunk appliances for the modern home

March 23rd, 2012

Appliance Talk Kitchen Laundry Ovens & Cooking Small Appliances

In this fast-paced modern world where even the fridge is online, what is the point of steam?

After all, the Age of Steam was way back in the 19th century, and today you’ll only find useful steam-powered gadgets in the imaginations of steampunk artists, right?

Wrong.

While it is no longer commonly used to power devices such it was during the Industrial Revolution, steam still has an important place in the modern home.

With the help of a few handy appliances, you can make steam work for you.

Cooking with steam

Not an accurate depiction of a steam oven

Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook, preserving for more of your food’s nutrients than other techniques, and doesn’t require the use of fat or oil.

Using a steam oven or steam microwave, food can be browned and still remain moist and tender, keeping all of the juices and flavours in place.  There are even specialised steamers available for if you want to concentrate entirely on steaming.

Of course, even without a specialised steam appliance, it is still possible to steam-cook your food.  Steaming on the cooktop can be accomplished with a specialised steamer pan or bamboo steamer.  With the help of a plastic steaming tray, available in many supermarkets, you can get freshly-steamed results from an ordinary microwave.

We’ve even heard that it’s possible to turn an ordinary barbeque into a makeshift steam oven by placing a pan of water on the grill and closing the hood during cooking, keeping the food on a tray or rotisserie.

Cleaning with steam

A VERY early model steam generator

Many different appliances use steam to help keep your house clean.

Everyone’s familiar with steam irons, but steam generators improve on the classic design by adding a chamber to create more steam.  While it may seem like overkill, a powerful blast of steam from a steam generator can completely annihilate the creases and wrinkles in your clothes, taking a fraction of the usual time and effort typically required.

Some washers and dryers, such as this washer dryer combo from LG, include a steam refresh cycle to help keep your clothes fresh and reduce creasing.

Some dishwashers such as this Hoover also use steam to help break down the food particles on your dishes and deliver a better clean.  Just don’t try to steam a fish in there…

Drinking with steam

Age of Steam inspired espresso, anyone?

No, you can’t drink steam.  It’s too hot, and also gaseous. Wait until it cools and returns to a liquid state.

But you can use steam to help PREPARE drinks such as coffee, especially when using an espresso machine.  Running steam through the milk is how baristas create the foam that’s so beloved by cappuccino fans.

Another drink where steam plays an important role is tea.  When you’re boiling water for your tea, if you’re using a Morphy Richards kettle, the steam will let you know when the water’s boiled thanks to the classic whistle on boil feature.  This can help prevent you from having to re-boil the kettle and thus help to save you energy.