Steamers: How we test
Recording cooking times before tucking in to delicious steamed food is the basis of our testing
We carried out our own version of a supermarket sweep. We cleared shelves of 20kg of carrots, 12kg of broccoli and 14.4kg of new potatoes. We then stripped their fridges of 60 salmon fillets and 48 chicken breasts.
With taste buds, sharp knives and stopwatches at the ready, we got to work.
Cooking
We cooked broccoli, carrots, rice and salmon separately, and also made complete meals by layering chicken breasts with potatoes and carrots.
We timed how long each steamer took to cook the food properly, then checked for texture and even cooking.
Nutrition
We compared the results with a fan steamer, boiling and microwave steaming.
After cooking, we measured how well the steamers retained vitamin C in food compared with the other cooking methods.
Convenience
We rated how easy each steamer is to use by going through the entire process of using it, from reading the instruction booklet, to setting it up and and using the controls.
We also assessed how easy the models were to clean and pack away for storage in a kitchen cupboard.