Steaming is a healthy and flavorful way of preparing meals. Whether it’s fish fillets, salad vegetables, or potato wedges, steam cooking has you covered with its health benefits and energy-efficient preparation. However, not just any food steamer available in the market can give you the desired benefits. There are some specific features of the steamer that help in making the perfect meal with flavorful taste and high nutritious value.
The best food steamer should have sufficient capacity for cooking a meal enough for the family. Moreover, it should have the inbuilt option to keep the food warm and juicy for a while. Lastly, the food steamer should be able to cook the food in a moderate time using the minimum power to save electricity.
7 Food Steamers for the Best Kitchen Experience
Looking to buy a food steamer for yourself? Overwhelmed by the variety available and unsure of what to buy? Not certain what is the best steamer for your food? We’re here to help you! In this article, we have listed some of the top food steamers which will make your culinary experience worth every penny.
These steamers are carefully selected through intensive research and feedback from several trusted buyers. I have listed the best food steamer reviews to help you make the right decision and offer you the best steam-cooking experience.
Comparison of 7 Best Food Steamers in 2022
IMAGE | NAME | FEATURES | PRICE |
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Oster |
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BELLA |
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Hamilton Beach |
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AICOK |
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Nesco |
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Aroma Housewares |
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Secura |
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Top 7 Best Food Steamers Review in 2022
1. Oster Double Tiered Food Steamer
This best food steamer would allow you to steam cook a wide variety of food ranging from vegetables to meat, fish, and poultry. It ensures the retention of nutrients while preparing food. The double-tiered design lets you separate and cooks 2 different types of food simultaneously!
Its transparent steaming bowls help you look at and keep track of the progress of food preparation. The 400-Watt steamer bowls allow compact storage and let you fit maximum food items in a limited space. This steamer is perfectly constructed with two transparent steaming bowls placed in two tiers with a fluid capacity of up to 5 quarts!
The automatic 60-minute timer feature allows you to go about your everyday work while the food is being steamed without worry. The steamer also has an auto shut-off feature upon completion of the cycle of when it is out of water. It also has a power indicator light to help you keep track of the remaining power. Additionally, this steamer has an easy clean-up process since it’s dishwasher safe!
- Can cook multiple food items simultaneously
- Energy-efficient
- Auto shut-off feature
- Easy clean-up, dishwasher safe
- Lower capacity as compared to other steamers in the price range
2. BELLA Quart Healthy Food Steamer
This food steamer has a fairly large cooking capacity of up to 7.4 quarts and two separate steaming containers. You can cook a full meal with one simple turn of a switch. The product features automatic shutoff upon completion and boil-dry protection for convenient and safe cooking. All the included steaming containers, grain tray and lid are dishwasher safe, making clean up and maintenance easier.
The transparent water reservoir window allows you to stay aware of the water levels and a steaming guide chart on the unit allows you to ensure perfect steaming results every time. This product has a quick start heating system that lets you steam food as quickly as 30 seconds! It may be used to steam a wide range of foods from fish, red meat, and poultry to tofu, vegetables, and grains.
The steamer also ensures that the vegetables are kept as close to their natural, raw state as possible while maintaining their original flavor, freshness, color as well as nutrients instead of boiling them off. The process requires no oil and hence no smoke or mess. This is indeed one of the best food steamers.
- High cooking capacity
- Automatic shut-off
- Transparent water reservoir
- Nutrient retention
- Quick-start heating system
- Dishwasher-safe containers
- BPA-free
- Reservoir too shallow, as reported by a reviewer
- Metal coating on reservoir base may corrode
3. Hamilton Beach Digital Food Steamer
When it comes to affordability, this steamer is your companion. It is available at a lower price from other sellers that may not offer free shipping. This may just be the best food steamer you can get! The steamer has a dynamic, stackable 2-tier steaming system that is very convenient to store. Built with a nested storage system, the stackable steamer will fit neatly into any cabinet.
One may be used for small quantities of food such as salads, while both of them may be stacked and used simultaneously to prepare a whole meal. There’s also the option of removing the center divider to fit a variety of large foods! Additionally, this food steamer has an automatic system that switches the steamer to warm automatically once the food is ready instead of shutting off, keeping food from running cold.
The steamer is super user friendly, with a digital touchpad to operate the countdown timer and access other functions easily. The food containers are to be hand-washed and not dishwasher friendly, however, the drip tray and rice bowl may be put into the dishwasher.
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- Inexpensive
- A nested system allows convenient storage
- The automatic system switches to warm mode after cycle completion.
- User-friendly
- Easy clean-up
- All accessories not dishwasher friendly
4. Aicok Food Steamer
This electric steamer has 3 tiers of steamer baskets that are completely free of BPA to ensure your health and safety by preventing the release of toxins upon heating. The baskets have high chemical resistance, allowing them to endure temperatures as high as 284 degrees Fahrenheit!
The steamer has a high capacity of up to 9.5 quarts for vegetables, fish, baby food, eggs, or even rice, and the multi-layer allows you to steam-cook multiple foods at once or even combine them! This electric steamer has a powerful 800-watt design, which heats up fast and cooks evenly. The product also has a timer with an auto shut-off feature which may be set using the timer for up to 60 minutes.
The timer is very easy to operate and can be adjusted as needed. The steamer will switch off automatically when the water in the base reservoir runs out, as indicated by the ring of a bell. This will allow you to go about your regular activities without having to worry about supervising your food.
All you have to do for usage is to place your bowl of food you want to steam onto the base and steam first, and then later add the second bowl filled with food which requires a smaller steaming time. As for cleaning, you can put baskets in soapy warm water and allow them to air dry. After steaming a few times, you may need to clean the base with some vinegar to release the calcium accumulation. Overall, this one of the best food steamers and comes with 2-year quality assurance.
- BPA-free
- High chemical resistance
- Very high capacity
- Energy efficient
- Auto shut-off feature
- Not dishwasher friendly
5. Nesco ST-25F Food Steamer
This steamer has a 5 Quart capacity with break-resistant steamer bowls to ensure a long life. The base is finely constructed with stainless steel to make it an attractive and aesthetically pleasing addition to your kitchen. The stainless steel also ensures durability and makes the steamer a worthy, lasting investment.
The steamer has an automatic system that automatically shuts off when the water tank gets empty, thereby minimizing energy wastage and making it economical. Moreover, this steamer is super user friendly and will take next to no time to get the hang of! This product is also easy to store because of its compact size. Also, it is very convenient to clean and maintain and also dish-washer safe! This stainless steel food steamer is definitely worth the purchase.
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- Attractive stainless steel design
- Easy to store
- Energy-efficient
- User-friendly
- Water reservoir not visible
6. Aroma Housewares Food Steamer
This best food steamer has a 5-quart capacity, which is large enough to steam an entire meal. The easy-to-use dial control sets up to 60 minutes and automatically shuts off once the time has elapsed. The innovative design of the Aroma Food Steamer boosts up the steaming, producing a large amount of steam to begin cooking in less than a minute. It is highly convenient to use as its double tiers let you steam multiple foods at once for the whole family.
The cleaning process is extremely easy. Once you have served, the steam tray and all accessories disassemble very conveniently to make it easy to clean. The accessories are dishwasher-safe as well which saves time and effort. Storage is also made easy by the disassembling feature which allows it to be kept compactly on countertops or cabinets as required.
- Fast steaming process
- Easy storage
- Automatic shut-off
- Easy disassembly
- Dishwasher-safe
- Capacity lower than other steamers in the price range
7. Secura Stainless Steel Food Steamer
SECURA stainless steel food steamer is designed for healthy, energy-efficient cooking. The powerful 1200 Watt steaming system delivers steam from the top-down and blankets the food to ensure quick and even cooking. It is designed with two stackable containers with a total capacity of 8.5 Quarts, making it large enough for family-sized portions of food.
This steamer is BPA-Free to ensure healthy eating and with flexible stacks to allow different foods to be cooked at once. The delay start feature allows you to set the timer in advance. It has a non-slip upper lid knob and an anti-scalding handle to prevent burns and allow comfortable handling.
The device has an automatic shut-off feature that shuts the steamer off upon completion of the cycle or when the water chamber is empty. The clean-up process requires equal parts of vinegar and water to remove mineral build-up on the inner pot, but the marked max line is not to be exceeded.
Boil water and wait for it to cool down completely before cleaning the dishes. Avoid using hard steel wire to protect the surface from damage and do not immerse the power base in the water. The outer surface of the appliance is only to be wiped with a wet towel. Do not rinse with water or the device may have leakage and malfunction.
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- High capacity
- Fast, even cooking
- BPA-free
- Allows multiple food items to be cooked at once
- Not dishwasher friendly
- High power so more energy consumption
How Can You Pick the Best Food Steamer?
The food steamer is a handy tool to have when cooking and reheating food that probably needs some moisture, dumplings, and other food. The best food steamer must have the ability to hold the food when you add hot water, and it must use the materials like stainless steel or silicone. To put the cherry on top, your food steamer must have a ton of storage to steam the food.
While there are two types of steamers, mainly electric and stovetop, I have only talked about electrical steamers in this blog post because they’re more convenient, hassle free, and tend to be space saving. Even among the food steamers I have picked out, there must be one that’s especially suited for your needs. Look at these features to check which would be perfect for you:
Tiers and Capacity
If you’re going to steam a lot of food regularly, it pays to pick a steamer that’s got two or more tiers and an enormous capacity. Additionally, if you’re going to cook different kinds of food in this steamer, you will need various levels. On the other hand, if you only plan to occasionally use the steamer, then a small single or double-tiered steamer would suffice.
Transparent or Opaque
A lot of steamers have steaming chambers made of BPA-free transparent plastic. This way, you can keep an eye on the food being steamed. However, if you don’t like the idea of food touching plastic, then there are stainless steel options you can look at.
Timer Function and Boil-Dry Protection
Both these features ensure kitchen safety. Often you might be busy doing something else, and the water in the steamer might boil dry, causing an accident or at least burn food. However, if you set a timer, then the water will stop boiling after the appointed time. On the other hand, the boil-dry protection will prevent the water from drying out completely and will stop the machine before that happens.
Maintenance
After the food is cooked and consumed, then comes the time for washing up. To reduce hassle and time spent in the kitchen, make sure you pick a food steamer that’s dishwasher-safe to some extent.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Is It Safe to Buy Food Steamers?
A: Doctors say ‘Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy’ and this has been the main motto of the Food steamers. So, the answer to this question is “yes” because food steamers are used to boil foods like vegetables, and the process of boiling keeps all the original nutrients in the food. But make sure that you are investing in electric steamers as they are safer than other steamers.
Q: Which One Is Better: Bamboo or Metal Steamer?
A: Both of the steamers perform well, but the main difference is that the metal steamers tend to get hot faster, making the food crisper. Whereas in comparison, Bamboo steamer absorbs all the steam coming from food instead of dropping back again, which is an excellent feature. So, if you’d prefer a stovetop option, we would suggest you get a Bamboo steamer in the place of a metal steamer as they keep the food pure.
Q: Why Is Steaming a Healthy Method of Cooking?
A: Steaming is a very healthy cooking method because it retains essential nutrients such as vitamins and minerals inside the food instead of other means of food preparation. The retention of these nutrients means that the food will boost your immune system and strengthen your body against diseases and injuries. It also eliminates the use of oil, which lowers fat and cholesterol content and minimizes your fat and cholesterol intake, thereby preventing heart diseases and keeping you fit.
Q: What Is the Preparation Process for Using a Steamer?
A: The process is straightforward. You simply add some water into the pot, place your food in the steaming basket and then close the steamer’s lid and select the appropriate setting available on the steamer you’re using according to the type of food you’re preparing. As the water gets boiled, the steam will stay contained within the chamber and cook your food.
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Conclusion
Whether you’re looking to minimize your daily oil intake and lose some weight, or simply trying to eat healthier and nutrition-rich, or just looking for an energy-efficient way to prepare your meals with minimal supervision, food steamers are your ultimate companion. If you’re looking for the best food steamer made of either stainless steel or glass, we hope that this article will help you pick out only the top food steamer for your kitchen.
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