The Essential Guide to Finding the Best Vegetable Steamer + Reviews
If you have come here in the hopes of finding the best vegetable steamer, Grandma Jen recommends you consider the Cuisinart CookFresh as it is a high-quality option that comes with lots of useful features that are bound to make your daily tasks in the kitchen easier. It has a 5L (1.3 gallons) dishwasher-safe glass pot that is roomy enough to handle all kinds of vegetables and meats. Utilizing the model is effortless due to the LCD control panel that makes it easy to start, pause or stop the steamer, and you also have reheat buttons to keep your food warm until it is time to serve it. To save on time, this appliance comes with pre-programmed food settings to make using this device for cooking a pleasure. If you are unable to find our first pick available for sale, but you still want to purchase a good vegetable steamer, we recommend you also consider the VonShef Premium 2 Tier.
Comparison table
Our Top Choice
If you are looking for an electric steamer with a large capacity that is also affordable, we suggest giving this model a try. The unit comes with a 1.3-gallon glass pot that allows you to prepare a variety of ingredients such as meat, seafood, eggs, and not just vegetables. The steam is delivered from the top down which means that your food will be cooked evenly and quickly.
The water holder is not removable as some customers mentioned they would have liked.
Start eating healthy by using this steamer to prepare veggies, fish, meat, rice, and much more.
2nd Best
With this model, you can explore healthy Chinese cuisine by cooking all your favorite veggies right at home. This is a multi-purpose unit you can use to cook vegetables, rice, fish, dim sum, and many others. It is made from natural bamboo wood and features stainless steel bands making it water resistant and sturdy. This purchase also brings you 50 wax papers, as well as two pairs of bamboo chopsticks.
There are users who mentioned they would have liked this steamer to be a bit deeper.
Now, you can get a taste of authentic Asian cooking by using this bamboo steamer.
Also To Consider
This model offers you the alternative to cook your favorite recipes in a healthy manner. It is also a very affordable option. Besides cooking food and steaming, you can also use this unit to reheat leftovers and tamales. The product is smaller than standard stock pot steamers but it saves space, which is an advantage in small kitchens. Also, it is made from stainless steel, which provides durability.
The two pieces do not form a perfect seal and a lot of steam escapes taking it longer to heat up.
This steamer is a great option to prepare your favorite food and for small gatherings as well.
Our Comprehensive Buying Guide
Cooking fresh, nutritious and vitamin-filled meals has never been as easy than with a quality and cheap vegetable steamer. Models have gotten cheaper and cheaper in the last years, and the variety of options available has also enlarged.
While such a product has many benefits, it can be difficult to know which one to choose. To help you decide, we have created a list with some of the most important features any quality food steamer should have today.
Steamer Basket
When it comes to the two types of steamers available, it all boils down to the budget and the preferences of the user. The steamer basket is the most common way to steam vegetables since all you have to do is insert it directly into a pot or pan, and then used it in the microwave or on the stove.
Since it uses a simple concept, this option is also extremely affordable. You just have to add a little bit of water into the pot, add your ingredients and then close the lid and let the water boil and the steam will stay contained and cook your veggies.
For vegetables, the cooking time can vary based on the type and amount of food that you are cooking, as well as the size of the pot. Do keep in mind that if you also want to steam meat, things can be trickier.
Electric Steamer
While the electric variant follows pretty much the same concept as the basket model, since it is a standalone cooking appliance, it is designed to work for you and to get the job done in a convenient and fast way. This makes it an ideal purchase for people that want to have everything they need on the countertop and let the appliance do all the hard work.
Since they are generally much more complicated than the steamer basket and come with loads of useful feature, these models are more expensive. To use them, all you have to do is add the water and the vegetables, close and lock the lid, and then select one of the preset available on the appliance.
Other features to consider
While generally, people buy a steamer to cook vegetables, they can also be used to keep more of the vitamins and nutrients in foods other than veggies. So if your budget allows, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get a product that can also cook meats such as chicken and fish or rice, pasta, hard-boiled eggs, and even fruits.
Finally, for the sake of your health, we recommend you stay away from options that are made from plastics. These can contain chemicals that can mix with the boiled water and reach your favorite vegetables. Make sure that if you do get a unit that uses plastic, you go for a quality BPA-free steamer.
3 Best Vegetable Steamers (Updated Reviews) in 2021
Some of the most popular models available today are showcased below. These are the products that have garnered lots of positive vegetable steamers reviews and stood out to us due to their outstanding quality, useful features, and affordability.
1. Cuisinart CookFresh Digital Glass Steamer
The powerful steam system delivers steam from the top down, meaning that your food will be surrounded with it so that it gets cooked quickly and evenly. The 5L capacity of the pot is large enough for family-sized portions of vegetables, chicken, rice, fish, and more. The 1-liter (0.26 gallons or 33.8 ounces) water tank can be easily lifted off to fill in a matter of seconds.
The nifty device comes with five preprogrammed food settings: seafood, grains, vegetables, poultry, and manual. If what you want to cook does not fall into the five presets available, or you want to follow a personal recipe, you can use the 60-minute timer.
Setting the unit up does not require much thought because the LCD control panel offers an intuitive way to use the device. You have start/stop, pause and reheat buttons to help you keep your food warm until it is ready to be cooked. When cooking is done, you will hear an alert.
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2. VonShef Premium 2 Tier Bamboo Steamer
It can be used in conjunction with a wok or any other pan or stockpot you might have around in your kitchen. It is made from traditional natural bamboo wood to infuse your recipes with the trademark Asian taste and smell. The use of stainless steel bands ensures that the product is sturdy and water resistant, providing you with superior results for years to come.
Together with your purchase, you also get two pairs of bamboo chopsticks and 50 wax papers to help you dive completely into the Chinese culinary experience. The naturally woven bamboo will help retain moisture, nutrients, color, and flavor so that your recipes look, smell, and taste incredible.
The stackable baskets allow you to cook more ingredients at the same time. You can use one basket to prepare your favorite vegetables, while the second one can be used to cook your fish or rice.
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3. Oster Hali Steamer Set
It comes at a smaller size than traditional stockpot steamers for smaller gatherings and it is space-saving. If you have a small kitchen, and you don’t want the steamer to occupy too much space, this is another reason to get this option. It also has a dual purpose as a Dutch oven with glass lid.
This model is made from stainless steel that guarantees that your purchase will last for years to come. As a plus, it is also effortless to clean after each use. You can wash it by hand or use it in your dishwasher, though the manufacturer does recommend you keep to a manual wash.
The customers that have tried this model were particularly impressed with the quality of the handles that are both comfortable and sturdy. What’s more, the Oster Hali is also quite lightweight.
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