With sous-vide cooking, you cook food in airtight packaging at low temperatures.
Thanks to the precise control options, sous-vide cooking in a steam oven allows you to create the perfect conditions for cooking food to perfection. The core temperature can be reached gently and precisely, as the heat is transferred evenly to the food via the steam.
This is a major advantage, especially when it comes to meat: It won't overcook and become tough. Thanks to the constant steam, it doesn't dry out, stays juicy, and brings out its natural flavor to the fullest. Delicate cuts such as fillets, medallions, and breast cuts do not run the risk of overcooking on the outside while the center has not yet reached the desired temperature—a common problem when they are cooked using dry heat. The meat comes out of the vacuum-sealed bag with a crust that you can sear to a perfect crisp in a pan or on the grill.
In addition to meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, and many other foods also benefit from the precision of sous-vide cooking in a steam oven. They retain their texture, color, and flavor, making every bite a real treat. With eggs and egg dishes, for example, the coagulation of egg whites can be precisely controlled: They cook evenly and develop a creamy, smooth texture.
In summary, sous-vide cooking in an oven with a steam function offers the following benefits:
Sous-vide cooking in a water bath is the classic method for preparing food in vacuum-sealed bags. In practice, this is usually done using a sous-vide stick, which keeps the water in a pot at a constant temperature. A steam oven approaches this principle in a different way: It operates in a humid, precisely controlled environment, making sous-vide cooking more convenient. The feature is built into a multifunctional kitchen appliance that can be used for many other purposes. This also applies to an oven with a steam boost function, but it generally doesn't achieve the same precision and consistency as a true steam oven or a water bath with a sous-vide stick.
Our comparison chart details the differences between a steam oven and a water bath with a sous-vide stick:
| Function/Feature | Steam oven | Sous-vide in a water bath |
|---|---|---|
| Heat transfer & temperature control | Very precise and efficient thanks to steam; takes a little longer to heat the core | Excellent; Water conducts heat better than steam |
| Evenness | High | Very high |
| Cooking results | Comparable to classic sous-vide cooking, gentle | Classic, very controlled |
| Capacity | Very large, cooking on multiple levels possible | Limited by pot size |
| Everyday convenience | Very convenient, versatile | additional effort due to water bath and sealing |
| Flexibility | Cooking, steaming, and often finishing in a single device | good control, but usually a separate solution |
| Suitability for sous-vide | very good | Reference method The QVac Move vacuum sealer set contains everything you need for airtight packaging of your sous-vide ingredients: Two vacuum sealer containers with capacities of one and two liters, along with the corresponding lids and bags in various sizes. The marinade ring helps the marinade soak in really quickly. |
In addition to the water bath and steam oven, there is also a steam cooker that you can use for sous-vide cooking. Learn more about the differences between steam cookers and steam ovens.
Sous-vide cooking in the oven doesn't require any great culinary skill, but just as with the cooking process itself, precision is key when it comes to preparing and finishing the food. With our guide, you'll master the process with ease and make sous vide cooking a permanent part of your daily cooking routine.
To ensure that meat, fish, vegetables, and other ingredients cook evenly, you should cut them into pieces that are as uniform in size as possible. Since sous-vide cooking intensifies flavors, it is best to use only a light seasoning. Just a few herbs, some lemon zest, or a small, crushed clove of garlic are enough to bring out the natural flavor of the food. Use salt, pepper, curry, and other strong spices sparingly.
In this step, you vacuum-seal the food. Care must be taken to ensure that all the oxygen is completely removed. Place your prepared food flat in a special vacuum-sealing bag. Make sure the edges stay clean so that the weld seam closes perfectly. With a high-quality vacuum sealer like the BORA QVac Move, removing the air is a breeze, and the film wraps around the food like a second skin. This ensures even heat distribution during sous-vide cooking without any disruptive air bubbles and locks in the flavors as if in a vault. Vacuum-sealing fresh food is another way to extend its shelf life.
The QVac Move vacuum sealer kit includes everything you need to vacuum-seal your sous-vide food: Two vacuum sealer containers with capacities of one and two liters, along with the corresponding lids and bags in various sizes. The marinade ring helps the marinade soak in really quickly.
From now on, technology takes over: In a steam oven, food cooks on its own at a low, precisely controlled temperature—you don’t have to worry about a thing and can use the time to prepare appetizers and desserts, for example. Appliances like the BORA X BO offer you the ultimate in convenience. Simply select the predefined "Sous-vide cooking" special program—and you're done. This allows you to cook on three levels using steam and hot air. You also benefit from automatic steam extraction, effective odor filtration, and fully automatic intensive cleaning: This is what makes professional cooking fun!
After gentle sous-vide cooking comes the final step: The meat develops a delicious crust.
To do this, pat it dry after removing it from the vacuum-sealed bag, heat a skillet or grill, and sear it vigorously for 30 to 60 seconds per side. As part of the Maillard reaction, the food develops those wonderful roasted flavors and an appealing brown color.
After gentle sous-vide cooking comes the final step: The meat develops a delicious crust. To do this, pat it dry after removing it from the vacuum-sealed bag, heat a skillet or grill, and sear it vigorously for 30 to 60 seconds per side. As part of the Maillard reaction, the food develops those wonderful roasted flavors and an appealing brown color.
In this case, there isn't enough moisture and/or the temperature isn't constant – this can happen especially in a conventional oven with a steam function. Sous-vide cooking works perfectly only at low, precise temperatures. Otherwise, the food will lose too much liquid and dry out, even under vacuum. Even a leaky bag can lead to this mishap.
With sous-vide cooking, a crust naturally does not form because the food is cooked at low temperatures and high humidity. To make them crispy, an additional step is required after sous-vide cooking. To finish, sear the food over high heat—this creates a crisp crust along with delicious roasted flavors. Important: Pat the meat dry thoroughly beforehand so that it browns rather than cooks in its own juices.
The steam causes water to condense on the walls. Once the oven has cooled down, simply wipe the bottom of the oven cavity with a soft cloth. Convenience appliances like the BORA X BO take care of this for you with an automatic drying program. Just press a button, and the oven is ready to use again.
