If you want to cook lots of different foods at the same time then a three-tiered food steamer is great for heating everything at once without cross flavouring. For things like cooking a whole sea bass or salmon, wide and deep compartments are best. Clearly most people would prefer a steamer that’s dishwasher safe and as they can often be quite bulky, collapsible tiers are a good option. Electric food steamers are hassle-free as they come with electric timers, so you pop the food in and get notified by a buzzer when it’s ready to eat. Which size food steamer is best? Some people avoid cooking in plastic altogether due to concerns about BPA leaching, while some people seek out BPA-free plastic. In general, glass and food-safe metal steamers tend to last longer than plastic and bamboo models, with silicone steamers landing somewhere between. Our top spot goes to the Hamilton Beach Digital Food Steamer, which holds up to 5.5 quarts of food but is super compact, thanks to a two-tier nesting design. For a more affordable option that still gets good results, the Oster Double Tiered Food Steameris roomy, versatile, and easy to use. What to Look for in a Food Steamer Electric or Stovetop Think about how much food—and how many different types of food—you expect to steam at once. Steamers with multiple tiers let you keep certain foods separate from one another. Plus, they allow you to add and remove the foods at different times if one is finished before the others are ready.

Folding or collapsible raised platforms (often made of stainless steel or silicone) that sit in the bottom of a pot Size: How many people are you cooking for? If it’s only for you, or you and a partner, a three-tier 12-litre capacity food steamer won’t be necessary. If you have a large family or entertain regularly then a large capacity matters.

The verdict: Food steamers

Once plugged in, the turbo steam ring takes just 40 seconds to start cooking your food, and with a large water reservoir there’s enough to fuel an hour of steaming. Juices from the upper basket run into the compartments below, so be wary of placing a strong flavoured dish, like salmon, at the top. We’d advise putting fish and meat at the bottom, potatoes or veggies in the middle and rice at the top.

A balanced diet with plenty of veggies is important and surprisingly achievable with the right tools. The best food steamer can be trusted to perfectly steam cook your grub without any help or assistance. They’re not just for vegetables, though. With tiered food steamers, you can cook meat, fish, rice, dumplings or potatoes all in one go. This means less time fussing over the hob and more time spent relaxing. Steamers come in two varieties: electric or stovetop. The stovetop steamer is an insert that fits into or on top of a saucepan or other pot that's filled with an inch or two of simmering water. The food is placed in the insert, and the perforated base of the insert allows the steam to surround and heat the food. These types of steamers can be found in the following forms: Or a pressure cooker which also uses steam to cook food along with high pressure to cook food faster! Some ovens have a steaming function too (i.e. steam ovens). Electric Steamers vs. Stove-top SteamersEach material type has its own advantages and disadvantages. Naturally, plastic food steamers are lighter and cheaper. But can become brittle over time and may even leach unwanted chemicals into your food. Steam two different foods at once – including eggs – all in a tiny footprint with our Mini Steamer.

Most vegetables are steam cooked in about five to 10 minutes. Use less cook time if you like your vegetables to retain some crispness and more if you prefer them tender.

Electric steamers make the job easy, since you simply add water, put your food in, and turn on the steamer—you just need to consider if you plan to use it enough to warrant the space it occupies on your counter or in storage. A microwave or rice cooker can serve as a food steamer too. Especially if you’re only cooking for 1-2 people. 3. Material Build Whether you're washing the removable parts by hand or in the dishwasher, cleanup is very easy. A few users note experiencing a bit of leaking from their steamer, so you may want to place it on a towel as you get the hang of using it. There is a warm setting, but like with most electric steamers, it can be good to keep an eye on your food so that it doesn't overcook while in warm mode. A guide is included with cook times so that you can get just the right level of doneness for different foods. Note: Between the two products, the Tefal Stainless Steel Convenient Steamer VC1451 has the longer warranty (2 years vs 1 year) Yes, absolutely and a lot of food steamers come with a rice bowl. Simply place the rice in the steamer filled with cold water (the water should not be boiling when the rice is placed into the steamer). Turn on the heat to high, cover and cook for 10-20 minutes. Turn off the heat, and let the rice sit in the steamer with the lid on for at least five more minutes. What is the best food steamer to buy?

That said, there are a wide variety of traditional steamed foods that are incredibly flavorful—from Mexican tamales to Chinese steamed fish—due to the seasonings added in before steaming or the flavorful sauces added after. The amount of flavor that ends up in the finished product is completely up to you.

Can you make rice in a food steamer?

We were impressed with the multi-cooker for many reasons. One of which is the option to adjust the time and temperature to ensure your food is prepared exactly how you like it. And with an automated keep warm feature, there’s no need to stress about getting your dish straight on the table. Some fruits also stand up well to steam cooking, such as peaches and pears, whether you'd like to make a cooked fruit compote or homemade baby food. Sometimes steamer components begin to develop a cloudy appearance, which is from the mineral content in water. Regular cleaning won't remove this mineral buildup. To descale a steamer, run the steamer filled with white vinegar instead of water and rinse thoroughly. You can also soak the pieces in a mixture of hot water and vinegar for several hours to overnight and then wash by hand. Glass food steamerson the other hand, will not burn you but they are quite uncommon. Besides this, glass food steamers can be very costly too. 4. Features