Sharp Superheated Steam Oven Review: Unleash a New Era of Healthy Cooking with the SSC0586DS Countertop Model

Welcome to our comprehensive review of the Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven, model SSC0586DS. After two intensive weeks of testing this innovative appliance in our kitchen, preparing everything from crispy pizzas and delicate seafood to perfectly roasted vegetables and reheated leftovers, we’re ready to share our detailed insights. This review will cover its unique features, performance highlights, and potential drawbacks, helping you decide if this revolutionary cooking device is the right fit for your home.

What is a Superheated Steam Oven, and How Does the Sharp SSC0586DS Stand Out?

The Sharp SSC0586DS Superheated Steam Countertop Oven isn’t just another kitchen gadget; it represents a significant leap forward in cooking technology. At its core, the innovation lies in its ability to harness superheated steam—steam heated to temperatures far beyond the traditional boiling point of water. This advanced steam, combined with conventional radiant heat across all cooking modes, delivers a unique cooking experience.

Imagine food that’s exquisitely crispy and beautifully browned on the outside, yet incredibly moist, tender, and flavorful on the inside. This is the promise of superheated steam, offering a healthier way to cook by often requiring less oil while retaining vital nutrients. The Sharp SSC0586DS is designed as a powerful, low-profile, “pizzeria-style” oven, making it a striking addition to any countertop. Its generous interior comfortably accommodates a 12-inch pizza or up to nine slices of toast, with the included Broiling Pan and Crisper Tray (12.5″ x 12.5″) providing more usable cooking area than many standard quarter-size sheet pans.

Key Features and Benefits of the Sharp Superheated Steam Oven:

• Revolutionary Superheated Steam Cooking: Utilizes advanced steam technology for healthier, faster, and more flavorful results.
• Instant On – No Preheating Required: Saves valuable time, allowing you to cook frozen foods directly without thawing.
• Five Versatile Cooking Modes: Adaptable for a wide range of culinary tasks, from baking and broiling to pizza and toast.
• Personal, Powerful Pizzeria-Style Oven: Designed for efficiency and convenience, perfect for family meals or entertaining.
• Extended Steam Cooking: Offers up to 60 minutes of continuous steam cooking, ideal for delicate dishes.
• Effortless Cleaning: Engineered for easy maintenance, both inside and out, simplifying your kitchen routine.
• Comprehensive Accessories: Comes with a durable Broiling Pan and Crisper Tray, expanding its cooking capabilities right out of the box.
• Robust Capacity: A 1750-watt appliance with a 0.5 cu. ft. capacity, providing ample space for diverse cooking needs.

This countertop oven is engineered to elevate your cooking, making it simpler to achieve professional-grade results from the comfort of your home. Whether you’re a busy parent, a health-conscious individual, or a culinary enthusiast, the Sharp SSC0586DS offers a compelling alternative to conventional cooking methods.

Detailed Performance Review of the Sharp Superheated Steam Oven

Unboxing and First Impressions: A Distinct Design

Upon unboxing, the Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven immediately distinguished itself from traditional “toaster ovens.” Its unique form factor—shorter, wider, and longer—evokes the professional aesthetic of a pizzeria oven, complete with a sturdy pull-down door. This design choice hints at its enhanced capacity and specialized cooking capabilities, setting it apart from its more compact counterparts. Its sleek, modern finish, while prone to fingerprints, is easily maintained with a simple wipe, keeping your kitchen looking pristine.

PRO: Exceptional Capacity and Sturdy Trays

One of the most striking advantages of the Sharp SSC0586DS is its generous internal space and the quality of its accessories. The oven comes with two very sturdy, heavy metal trays, measuring an impressive 12.5″ x 12.5″. These high-quality trays are reminiscent of those found in full-sized built-in ovens, ensuring even heat distribution and resistance to warping. This ample cooking surface translates directly into practical benefits for meal preparation.

When compared to other countertop steam ovens, such as a Cuisinart model we’ve used for two years, the Sharp oven’s larger footprint is evident. While it demands more countertop real estate, this is a direct trade-off for its significantly increased capacity. The Sharp oven can comfortably hold enough food for a family of four, easily accommodating items like four large chicken breasts alongside a generous portion of vegetables, making it ideal for family dinners or entertaining.

Water Reservoir and Ease of Use

The Sharp Superheated Steam Oven features a compact, easy-to-access plastic water container. Refilling is a breeze; simply hold it under your faucet and reinsert it into the oven without needing to remove any lids. This design prioritizes user convenience, ensuring a seamless cooking experience. While some other steam ovens might have larger water chambers, the Sharp’s efficient design minimizes fuss, making regular refills a quick and simple task.

CON: Fingerprint Magnet (Minor Aesthetic Point)

A minor aesthetic point worth noting is the oven’s tendency to show fingerprints on its surface. While this doesn’t affect performance, it does mean the oven might require more frequent wiping to maintain its pristine appearance. Fortunately, these marks are easily cleaned with a soft rag, so it’s a small inconvenience for an otherwise sleek appliance.

PRO: Unmatched Capacity for Family Meals

Revisiting the capacity, the Sharp Superheated Steam Oven truly shines when it comes to feeding more people. The 12.5″ x 12.5″ trays offer substantially more space than typical toaster ovens. Where a standard toaster oven might comfortably cook for two, the Sharp oven’s interior volume and tray size make it perfectly suited for preparing meals for a family of four or even a small gathering. This translates to greater flexibility, allowing you to cook a complete meal—protein and vegetables—on a single tray, streamlining your cooking process.

Recipe Limitations: A Call for More Guidance

While the oven itself is a marvel, the accompanying recipe pamphlet is quite sparse, offering only a handful of recipes. For an appliance featuring such an innovative cooking method, more comprehensive culinary guidance would be highly beneficial. Users exploring superheated steam for the first time might appreciate a wider array of recipes and cooking tips to fully leverage the oven’s capabilities and explore new culinary horizons.

PRO: No Preheating – A Game Changer for Frozen Foods

One of the most impressive features of the Sharp Superheated Steam Oven is its “Instant On” capability, meaning no preheating is required. The superheated steam rapidly brings the oven to temperature, eliminating the waiting time associated with conventional ovens. This is particularly advantageous for frozen foods, which can be placed directly into the oven without prior thawing. We tested this extensively with a full-sized frozen pizza, and the results were consistently excellent.

Within minutes, the oven begins to fill with superheated steam, which works to cook the food thoroughly while preserving its moisture. Simultaneously, radiant heat activates to brown and crisp the exterior. This dual-action cooking process resulted in a frozen pizza with a beautifully browned, crispy crust—a testament to the oven’s efficiency and effectiveness.

The finished pizza emerged with a perfectly golden and crispy crust, demonstrating the oven’s ability to transform convenience foods into delicious, satisfying meals.

Homemade Pizza: A Minor Challenge

The inclusion of steam in baking is a well-known secret among professional bakers for achieving that coveted thin, crispy, and crackly crust on bread. Steam prevents the crust from forming too quickly, ensuring moisture retention during the initial baking phase. Traditionally, home bakers might spray water into their oven or place a container of water inside to replicate this effect, as demonstrated in our French Bread recipe.

We applied this principle to homemade pizza dough in the Sharp Superheated Steam Oven.

CON: Despite several attempts and adjustments, we found it challenging to achieve a perfectly browned crust on homemade pizza. While the cheese melted beautifully, the dough often remained paler than desired, suggesting that the steam, while excellent for moisture, might interfere with the radiant heat needed for intense browning on fresh dough.

Ultimately, we had to transfer our homemade pizzas to a dedicated pizza oven, such as our Breville Pizza Oven (or a Kalorik model), to achieve the desired crust crispness and browning. This indicates that while the Sharp excels with frozen pizzas, fresh dough might require specific techniques or an alternative appliance for optimal browning.

PRO: Excellent for Vegetables and Seafood

Where the Sharp Superheated Steam Oven truly shines is in its ability to cook vegetables and seafood to perfection. We found that baby carrots drizzled with olive oil roasted beautifully, with the superheated steam preventing them from drying out, resulting in tender, vibrant, and flavorful vegetables.

However, the oven’s true power became most apparent when cooking delicate seafood—a category of food notoriously prone to overcooking and drying out in a conventional oven. We tested it with frozen Barramundi fish, prepared with lemon herb butter, and the results were astounding. No defrosting was needed; the frozen fish went straight into the oven, nestled in a small tinfoil boat to contain the butter.

PRO: The fish emerged incredibly flaky, moist, and perfectly cooked, with the lemon herb sauce still luscious and vibrant—a result that would typically bubble dry in a standard oven. This capability makes the Sharp oven an indispensable tool for seafood lovers and health-conscious cooks, ensuring succulent results every time.

The visual evidence speaks for itself!

PRO: Effortless Cleanup

Beyond its cooking prowess, the Sharp Superheated Steam Oven also excels in terms of maintenance. Cleanup is remarkably easy; a simple wipe-down is often all that’s required. The interior surfaces, along with the broiling pan and crisper tray, are designed for quick and convenient cleaning, minimizing post-meal chores and making it a practical choice for busy households.

PRO: Superior Toast and Bagels

While not photographed, our testing included toast and bagels, and the Sharp oven delivered impressive results. It can accommodate double the number of slices compared to a standard toaster oven, making it ideal for breakfasts for larger families. Bagels, in particular, benefited immensely from the superheated steam, achieving an incredibly soft interior and a delightful crispness on the surface—a texture often superior to what traditional toasters can provide.

Conclusions: Sharp Superheated Steam Oven Review – Is It Right for You?

The Sharp Superheated Steam Oven (SSC0586DS) is a remarkable appliance that brings a new level of versatility, speed, and health consciousness to countertop cooking. It truly excels for families who frequently enjoy frozen foods, from pizzas and appetizers to various convenience meals, delivering crispy exteriors and moist interiors without the need for preheating. The spacious 12″ x 12″ cooking trays provide ample room for full-sized pizzas or meals for a family of four, making it an ideal secondary oven for everyday use and entertaining. Its capacity to keep food incredibly moist without making it soggy is a standout feature, particularly noticeable with reheating leftovers.

Outstanding Performance Highlights:

• Frozen Food Mastery: Perfect for achieving optimal texture with frozen pizzas, appetizers, and other convenience foods.
• Seafood Excellence: A true game-changer for cooking delicate proteins like fish, shrimp, and shellfish, ensuring they remain incredibly moist and tender. Roasting mussels or clams with white wine is certainly next on our must-try list!
• Reheating Revolution: The warming function is exceptional for reheating leftovers, preventing them from drying out—a significant improvement over microwave reheating.
• Time-Saving: The “no preheating” feature is a major convenience, streamlining meal preparation.
• Versatile Cooking Modes: The oven offers a range of options to suit various dishes:
  • Bake/Reheat: 300 – 485°F
  • Broil/Grill: 485°F
  • Pizza: 325 – 485°F
  • Toast: Up to 7-shades
  • Warm: 160 – 485°F

Areas for Improvement and Wishlist:

While the Sharp Superheated Steam Oven offers many benefits, there are a few considerations and potential enhancements:

• Height Limitation: With only about 4 inches of height available for food, preparing larger items like whole chickens (unless spatchcocked or cut into pieces) or baking a full loaf of bread can be challenging. A slightly taller unit would significantly expand its cooking repertoire, allowing for roasts and taller baked goods that would undoubtedly benefit from the steam environment.
• Enhanced Cookbook: The included recipe pamphlet is quite limited. A more extensive cookbook with diverse recipes specifically tailored to superheated steam cooking would greatly assist users in exploring the oven’s full potential and understanding this novel cooking method.
• Dedicated Steam-Only Function: A dedicated “steam-only” function, similar to some other steam ovens on the market, would unlock even more versatility. This could be used for delicate steaming, proofing bread dough, or even for precise low-temperature cooking akin to sous vide (e.g., steaming steaks at 130°F for an hour before searing).

Final Verdict

The Sharp Superheated Steam Countertop Oven SSC0586DS stands out as a powerful, efficient, and health-conscious cooking appliance. Its ability to deliver crispy exteriors and moist interiors, combined with the convenience of no preheating and easy cleanup, makes it an attractive option for modern kitchens. While its height limitations and lack of a dedicated steam-only mode are points for Sharp to consider for future iterations, its performance in cooking frozen foods, vegetables, and especially seafood, is truly exceptional.

Priced at approximately $399, it represents a worthy investment for those looking to upgrade their cooking experience and embrace the benefits of superheated steam. You can find this innovative oven at retailers such as Fry’s Electronics or Home Depot.