Anova Precision Oven Review: The Best Countertop Steam Oven We'd Recommend

Introduction

Countertop steam ovens may look like toaster ovens, but they differ in one key way: they inject steam directly into the oven cavity. That changes what the oven can do, from crusty bread to gently poached fish, all from the same box on your counter.

We tested three countertop models side by side, baking cookies and bread, roasting chicken, steaming broccoli and fish fillets, and even making plain white bread toast and melted cheese on bread. The goal was to confirm they could handle the basics as well as the steam-oven specialties. One model clearly worked better than the other two: the Anova Precision Oven.

Why Steam Ovens Are Worth a Look

Traditional ovens cook with dry hot air and radiant heat. Steam transfers heat better than dry air, so cooking can happen faster and more evenly. Advanced steam ovens also let you customize exactly how much steam is added, and when.

Two functions matter most. Plain steam is great for poaching delicate protein or steaming vegetables. Steam bake injects steam while the oven runs above 212 degrees, which keeps the exterior of bread dough softer for longer so it can rise more before the crust sets. These ovens can also broil and convection bake using dry air, radiant heat, and fans that circulate hot air around the cavity.

Steam ovens are promising: they offer versatility and more precision than steaming on a stovetop, or using tricks to add water to a regular oven when baking bread. But making the most of their features is not straightforward if you have never used one, so be prepared for some trial and error.

Who the Anova Precision Oven Is For

This oven suits home cooks who want one appliance to cover a wide range of techniques: crusty bread with a better rise, evenly baked cookies, juicy roast chicken, and gently steamed vegetables and fish. It is equally relevant for anyone who has been frustrated by a regular toaster oven’s uneven toasting, or by countertop ovens that offer little flexibility in rack placement and no way to deal with pooled condensation after cooking.

Main Strengths

The biggest advantage is humidity control. Unlike the other models we compared, the Anova lets you adjust the humidity level in 5% increments up to 100%, opt to periodically add steam, or turn steam off completely.

It also offers what Anova calls sous vide mode, which promises to use steam to cook sous vide style without the usual plastic bags and water bath. We were able to make a juicy, tender roast chicken with this mode.

The large, clear door window is another practical win. You can genuinely monitor food as it cooks. The other models looked like they had big windows, but most of the glass was blacked out, so the actual viewing area was smaller.

Accuracy and evenness matter too. Some competing models had hotspots, baked cookies unevenly, or toasted bread unevenly; only one model in the comparison delivered picture-perfect toast. The Anova pulled ahead in cooking results across the board, and we went on to steam bake a basque cheesecake with exceptional results.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The app is the weak point. In theory, you can run the oven from your phone and use Anova’s recipes without ever touching the control panel. In practice, we could never successfully connect a phone to the oven, which meant back-figuring every recipe and setting the oven manually. We would hope future versions of the app are more reliable so the oven can deliver the streamlined experience it promises.

There is also a learning curve. Buttons and settings on these models take some getting used to, and condensation management varies between steam ovens; two of the three models we tested had a flooding problem, with condensation pooling on the bottom inside the oven and no way to drain it. Rack design matters as well: some racks were hard to slide in and out, and limited rack positions restrict an oven’s versatility. Check all of these details against your own cooking habits before buying.

Buying Advice

If you think a steam oven might be right for you, the Anova Precision Oven is the model we recommend as the best steam oven you can find right now. Its combination of precise humidity control, sous vide mode, and a genuinely usable door window makes it the strongest all-around performer of the countertop steam ovens we compared.

Plan on some experimentation during your first weeks of ownership, especially with steam bake and sous vide mode, and do not count on the app as your primary interface just yet. If those trade-offs sound acceptable, this is the countertop steam oven to buy.

Conclusion

The Anova Precision Oven earned its place as the standout of the steam ovens we tested thanks to fine-grained humidity control, a working sous vide mode, and consistently even cooking results. The unreliable app is a real frustration, but the core cooking performance makes it the easiest recommendation in this category today.