Vegetable Steamer
If you’re looking to steam your food, whether it with an electric, stovetop, or a microwave version, is a great method of preparing meals to retain the natural flavor and brightness of food.
This gentler method of cooking also keeps vitamins and nutrients from being leeched out.
Here are some of the top vegetable steamers available:
Secura 3-tier Stainless Steel Food Steamer
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This beautiful stainless steel model from Secura can hold a ton of food and prepare meals perfectly on a timer.
3 tiers and 9 quarts lets you make a lot of food at once. Lots of happy owners of this model switched from other models and are delighted by the all-steel construction of the basket, water tank, and the housing.
Oster 5712 Electronic 2-Tier 6-Quart
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This is one of the most popular brands and models available. Solid construction, and a generously sized bowl make this a very attractive model to most sized home kitchens. Easily make enough vegetables for a family of 4 or 5.
Most owners use this product without any issues at all. Easy to use, easy to clean, and BPA-free.
Black & Decker HS1000 Handy Steamer w/Flavor Scenter Screen
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Another excellent product from Black & Decker. This one is a bit smaller than the Oster one above, coming it at 4 quarts. A great size for a family of 2-3.
This compact electric model comes with a built-in timer, auto shut-off feature and a “flavor screen” so you can add your own herbs and spices to flavor your gently cooked foods.
West Bend 86604 Programmable – Digital
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This large 3-tier product from West Bend comes with a programmable timer that you can set for up to 12 hours! The capacity on this model is a bit larger, coming with two 3.5 quart baskets (7 qt. total).
Having different baskets lets you separate different foods such as meat and vegetables so you can steam them without mixing them. You can also sort by cooking time, so you can load the top basket with foods that are done sooner, and take it out of the basket before the 2nd basket is done.
Comes with a water-level indicator, backlit LCD. Follow the simple usage instructions for great tasting food.
Why Should You Consider Cooking With Steam?
When making vegetables, boiling can quickly strip the food of its beautiful color. Using a one of the products above and seasoning these foods can create great tasting food that looks better that is also healthier.
This method of preparing meals is not that hard to do either. Simple work for better food! There is less cleaning to do too.
The ideal product fully cooks the vegetables while keeping as much of the nutrition in as possible. Many chefs have an ice bath ready to shock boiled foods.
This allows for the immediate cooling of the vegetables to stop the cooking process once it reaches the desired doneness. It is a clever trick I would not have come up with myself all these years using steam for cooking.
How long it takes to cook vegetables will vary depending on some factors. Depending on the temperature of water you start with, how hot your burners are, and how big the pieces of food you are cooking are all factors.
It is a good idea to prepare or cut foods so they are similar in size so they cook more evenly and all finish at the same time.
If you are trying one of these gadgets on a food you do not have much experience with, it is best to stand at the stove and watch as it cooks as some foods will overcook pretty quickly.