Steamers: Features explained
What is a steamer?
Most steamers have three stacking baskets
The majority of steamers on the market are fairly similar. They share the basic design of a heated water chamber at the bottom that produces steam, and a series of compartments above, where you place your food. Steam rises from the water chamber, cooking the food as it goes.
Steamers are quite bulky, with baskets and base units measuring 26x32cm on average. The height varies from 25cm to 50cm.
The controls are simple – you just set the time you want to cook for. Few models turn off automatically, though.
Steamer baskets
Most steamers come with three stackable baskets that have holes in the base to allow the steam to circulate. There are two main types: equal size and variable size.
Equal-size baskets
All the baskets have identical dimensions.
Pros: Stackable in any order so you can easily move a basket up or down to vary the intensity of the temperature. It doesn't matter which basket you put the food into.
Cons: You can't stack the baskets one inside the other for more compact storage.
Variable-size baskets
Stack these with the smallest basket at the bottom for steaming and the largest at the bottom for storage.
Pros: Baskets can be stacked inside each other for more compact storage.
Cons: You can't swap the baskets around during cooking, so you need to plan and co-ordinate the cooking sequence in advance. The baskets aren't always labelled to tell you the correct stacking order
Egg supports and a rice bowl are common accessories
Other common basket features include:
Removable bases
Some baskets have removable bases that click into place. They give you more cooking flexibility – by removing the base you can create a taller steaming compartment for larger foods.
A removable base is also easier to clean by hand and more convenient to stack in the dishwasher. Some bases can be fiddly to click into position, though.
Egg supports
These can stand an egg upright for cooking. Steamers with this feature usually have six egg supports per basket.
Adaptors
Steamers with equally sized baskets usually provide additional adapters so you can stack the baskets. However, this means you’ll have extra things to wash and store.
Steamer base units
External water gauge
It's useful to have an external water gauge to show you how much water remains in the chamber. This can help you avoid letting the steamer boil dry.
External water inlet
This spout makes topping up your steamer easy
This allows you to add more water to the water chamber without removing the baskets, which reduces the opportunities for scalding yourself.
But most external pouring lips don't project out very far from the appliance, so you’ll need to take care to avoid spilling the water.
Filling marks
Most steamers have minimum and maximum filling marks in the water chamber. However, some of these are poorly marked and are more easily distinguished by touch than by sight.
Don't fill past the maximum mark or your steamer may spit boiling water.
Basic features and functions
Instructions
All the steamers in our test come with an instruction booklet, but the quality of these can vary.
The best contain an exploded diagram of the steamer with all of the parts clearly labelled, useful cooking and safety instructions, a quick-start guide and recipes.
Timers
Look for a timer that you can grip easily
Most steamers have a clockwork timer that you turn to set the cooking time. We found that clockwork timers aren't always accurate – some stop before their allotted time. They usually indicate the end of the cooking time with a short bell.
More expensive steamers tend to have digital timers, which are much more accurate.
Carrying handles
Some steamers provide convenient carrying handles in the base, which can help you move the appliance to the sink or cupboard more easily.
Always lift the steamer from the bottom to move it while it’s in use – some models have handles in the base to help you do this.
Some steamers have handles in the side or top of the unit, but these are meant for lifting out a juice tray or are actually the external water inlet, so you may risk scalding yourself if you use these to lift the machine.
Rice bowls
Many steamers come with a rice bowl – a smaller dish that sits in one of the steaming baskets.
Rice boiled in a pan would take 20 minutes, but in a steamer it can take between 20 and 40 minutes. However, the results are generally impressive – the rice grains are evenly cooked and fluffy with a good flavour, and usually separate easily when scooped up.
Advanced steamer features
Delayed start
Plan ahead with a delayed start feature
Some steamers with a digital timer have a delay function, so you can set the steamer up and leave it to come on later in the day.
You shouldn’t use the steamer with a plug-in timer or remote control system, it is important to check the appliance occasionally.
Keep-warm function
Some steamers can keep food warm for an hour or two after cooking. You need to set this function during cooking, and make sure you top up the water level - it won't work if there’s no water in the appliance at the end of the cooking time.
Juice collectors
Some steamers have a juice collector – an additional bowl that sits over the water chamber and collects the water and juices that drop down from the steaming baskets. You can use this juice as the base for sauces or gravy.
Don't mistake the handles on this tray for the carrying handles of the appliance.