November 28, 2012 - 7:24am
has anyone had luck using a steam cleaner WITHOUT hotel pans?
Hi! Just picked up a pretty nice steam cleaner at a thrift store for a great price, and was hoping it could help me with oven steaming. I've seen a lot of posts where people use one of these in conjunction with a cover of some sort (hotel pan, etc) but I'd like to avoid that step if I can.
So the question is-- any luck using the steam cleaner as is? Any other rigs other than a bowl/cover/tent to get steam into the oven with one of these doohickeys?
Thanks!
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You can try, but the problem with many ovens (including almost (if not all) gas ovens) is that they have vents built in, so that steam tends to escape. Hotel pan/bowl/cover helps overcome this problem by creating a mostly sealed space.
Having the luxury of getting to use larger steam injected ovens a work, I understand the great things good steam can do.
When baking at home i find the simple method of washing hte loaf with water,(like a SOAKED brush, or really sraying it with a mister,) prior to baking results in nearly the same color/shine i get when I use the steam injectors at work.
This can be comlicated when using a banneton, as you might have left over flour on the loaf, or be aiming for some pleasing look with a flour design.
You might be able to adapt you steamer to a smaller hose, in which case you may be able to feed steam in through your even vents, however, that steam will probobly escape ratehr fast, hence the use of a bowl to cover the bread! GL!