Appliances Review - Food Steamer

Health, great flavor and convenience are the most compelling reasons for buying a food steamer. Steaming cooks your food without unnecessary added fats, so it reduces the amount calories in your food. Cooking with steam also helps your food retain more nutrients than other methods of cooking, such as boiling, sautéing, or frying. By steaming, you get more vitamins and minerals in your meals which provide better fuel for your body. You can also add spices to the water to boost the flavor and diversity to your steamed dishes. There is the classic stovetop steamer pot, but many food steamers these days are electronic, with some doubling as rice cookers. In addition to steaming vegetables, you can steam many foods, including meats, seafood, chicken, small game and rice.

Food Steamers: What to Look For

As you look for the best vegetable steamer for your home, consider the following elements:

Size
Food steamers come in sizes measured by quarts, usually three quarts or more, and have one to three tiers which you can use to stack food or steam larger quantities or larger sized foods. If you buy a combination rice cooker and food steamer, the size is relative to the number of cups of rice the cooker makes. The larger the rice cooker, the larger the steamer basket will be. Smaller steamers are great for cooking a single dish, while a three-tiered food steamer can cook a whole meal.

Versatility
Dedicated food steamers can accommodate a variety of foods. If you are generally include rice in your meal, it makes sense to get a rice cooker and food steamer combo. However, this typically limits the variety of food you can steam because it is contained in a single unit and only has one basket for steaming other foods. Still, if your meals are composed of grains in addition to meats or vegetables, this is a perfect way to cook without having to do anything more than putting your food in the steam cooker and turning it on.

Ease of Use
Food steamers come in electronic and stovetop varieties. Electronic steamers have timers, so you can set them and do other things while you wait for your food to cook. Stovetop varieties need some monitoring, so you have to keep an eye on water levels and perfect your timing to make sure you food is cooked the way you want it. The best steamers are dishwasher safe, so there are no pots to clean.

Food steamers are a great way to prepare healthy, delicious meals without adding extra calories. They are easy to use, and you can cook many different varieties of foods with them, including vegetables, seafood, meat and more. You can cook a single dish or a whole meal. For nutrition, flexibility and easy cooking, a food steamer is a great tool in the kitchen.