Self-Clean Vs. Steam Clean

9.29.22

Self-Clean Vs. Steam Clean, what works better for your needs?

Modern gas and electric ranges these days usually have some sort of feature to provide ease of use for the consumer. No-Preheat AirFry, Convection Fans inside the Oven, and WiFi diagnostics are a few to name, but the features to rule them all are the cleaning options provided with these stoves. The battle between Self-Clean and Steam-Clean and which is better is a common debate we hear often from customers and our salesman, so we’re here now to put those debates to rest!

Self-Clean

The process a Self-Clean oven takes is basically using high temperatures within the oven to clean out grime and grease, almost nearing 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit to get the job done. After this process takes place, it is assured that any stains and tough spots that were in the oven will go through a carbonizing process and thus turns it into specs of dirt and ash that are able to be wiped out with ease.

However, there are some drawbacks with this. Self-Cleaning itself because of the high temperature it uses, ends up not only using a lot of energy, but also ends up taking a long while, sometimes up to five hours depending on the stove. This can severely cut into someone’s day unless you start the process overnight (which then leads to another issue of being able to vent the kitchen while this process is happening).

If you do have a Self-Clean oven, please be aware to remove everything within the oven, make sure the oven door is locked, and make sure your kitchen is well-ventilated or a window is open to make sure that the heat cannot cause any damage to the surroundings.

Steam-Clean

Steam-Clean ovens provide another solution to the cleaning process for an oven by using less heat than the common Self-Clean process, and rather uses water that is poured into the bottom of the oven and is then converted to steam through the heat to help loosen any grime and grease in the oven so it may be wiped away easily. This can be a better option for people who are crunched for time, as this process can take anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour to complete based on the state of the oven.

As well, Steam-Clean looks better on your energy bill and no one has to worry about their kitchen being super hot for a long period of time either! That being said, because the Self-Clean process is longer and a little more in depth, it does clean the oven better when it comes to tough grease spots and caked on debris and requires little to no wiping or elbow grease compared to Steam-Clean.

For Steam-Clean ovens, please make sure to not use chemicals in your oven before starting the process, and do not open the door while the function is ongoing until after it is complete.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of whether it is Self-Clean or Steam-Clean, both options provide the customer with a time-saving option to clean the inside of their oven without having to put in increased effort into scrubbing and using toxic chemicals to get stains out. There are pros and cons to both, and it really depends on your personal preference and the needs of both you, your family, and your lifestyle. If you don’t mind a wait and want a thorough deep clean, Self-Clean is for you! If you aren’t bothered by putting in a little work to save on time and energy (both senses of the word) then Steam-Clean is your way to go! All in all, we cannot say that either of the two are better than the latter, just better for some people over other people.