The 5 Best Steamers

If you’re a home chef intent on cooking healthy and delicious meals for your family, then you already know that a sturdy, dependable steamer is a must-have in the kitchen. Most experts agree that steaming is the most nutritious way to prepare food, as it seals in flavors, preserves nutrients, and eliminates the need to add extra fats during preparation. But unlike other kitchen tools and gadgets, the design of a food steamer can vary greatly, from a simple perforated tray to a self-contained, multi-tiered appliance. Which of these designs works best? Which is most reliable? The choice is as unique as the chef herself, but we believe these are the 5 best steamers on the market today.

Oster Sangerfield Steamer Set

Trust in Me

With 100 years experience in designing kitchen appliances, the Oster Sangerfield combines durability, convenience and ease of use.

Best Overall

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Sometimes, you get it right the first time, and the classic design of this steamer proves this adage in spades. Manufactured by one of the most respected names in kitchenware, Oster’s Sangerfield Steamer Set features a separate steaming unit with a glass lid that sits atop a matching 3-quart Dutch Oven. Not only can you use the lower unit to cook rice that steams your vegetables on top, but you can use the Dutch Oven separately for stews, casseroles, soups and more. The easy stacking makes for convenient storage, and the unit’s stainless steel construction means the steamer will probably outlast your current kitchen remodel. Since the 3-quart unit is smaller than most stock pots, it fits easier in a refrigerator for cool storage.

Pros:

Steamer insert works as a colander
Great unit for deep frying as well
Glass lid lets you keep an eye on cook time

Cons:

Hand washing recommended
Does not work on induction cooktops

Komfyko 6-Quart Steamer Basket

Old School is the Best School

The Komfyko Steamer Basket’s classic and timeless design gets the job done every time.

Best Utility Steamer

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What can you say about the classic steamer basket? It’s the way grandma (and her grandma) steamed vegetables, so there must be something to it. Of the dozens of variations on this traditional design, we chose the Komfyko steamer basket for a variety of reasons: we preferred the fine mesh design over the multi-hole configuration, as it creates a more even cooking surface; the silicone handle and feet prevent burns when removing the steamer from the pot; and the stainless steel manufacturing lasts longer than all-silicone products and prevents potential BPA contamination from similar plastic units. If you’re just starting out with steaming or not sure if it’s a technique you want to integrate to your cooking repertoire, you can’t go wrong trying things out with this steamer.

Pros:

Available in 3- and 8-quart models
Food-grade steel with no chemical coating
Lifetime warranty

Cons:

Handle can fall into basket
Fine mesh is difficult to clean

Rosewill Electric Food Steamer

Things are Gettin’ Steamy Now

Steam an entire three-course meal at once or keep things simple with this inexpensive but dependable steamer from Rosewill.

Best Multi-Tiered Steamer

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It doesn’t take a genius to see that steam rises, but some genius at Rosewill certainly applied that physics lesson to its best use. The Rosewill Electric Food Steamer features three, stackable, BPA-free food baskets which allow you to cook up to three courses simultaneously by utilizing the steam rising from a well at the bottom. (The well itself features a water level indicator with external, see-through water-fill inlets on both sides). Another great feature is that the 60-minute timer automatically shuts off the unit and sounds an alarm if the water needs to be refilled. The only downside to this steamer is that it requires a bit of pre-planning before you cook: since the bottom basket will get the most steam – and therefore the most heat – you will have to figure out in advance which of your courses require the most steam and place them accordingly.

Pros:

Generates steam in 40 seconds
Dishwasher-safe food trays
Comes with rice bowl and egg holders

Cons:

Ink lettering on unit fades over time
Tall food basket can be difficult to store

Cuisinart STM-1000 Digital Glass Steamer

High Tech, High Flavor

Cuisinart takes the guesswork out by creating a steamer with both pre-set and programmable cooking features

Best Programmable Steamer

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The trickiest part to steaming has always been how to tell when your food is cooked perfectly. This typically results in burnt fingers and tongues. But with the Cuisinart Digital Glass Steamer, the days of mushy asparagus and ER visits before dinner are gone. The unit comes with four, pre-programmed settings for poultry, grains, seafood and and vegetables, along with an additional setting you program yourself to create food steamed to your personal taste. In addition, the Cuisinart steams food from the top down – a radical redesign that cooks food quickly and evenly. The large, 5-liter glass cooking pot is one of the largest available, allowing you to cook family-sized meals.

Pros:

Pause and re-heat features
Audible alerts to prevent overcooking
60-minute countdown timer with LCD control panel

Cons:

Water reservoir is plastic
Not made for small kitchen counters

Breville Steam Zone BFS800BSS

Steaming Just Got Real

With two separate steaming units and the ability to create steam in 30 seconds, Breville takes cooks to the next level in steaming.

Best High-End Steamer

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For serious chefs and professionals who are looking for the ultimate in steamer technology, the Breville Steam Zone offers simultaneous cooking for foods that require different cook times and temperatures. Open the extra large (~16 inch) lid and you’ll find two separate steaming units, each one programmable, so that you can cook salmon on one side and rice on the other, for example. In addition, the unit will start steaming the food that requires the longest cook time, then switch on the steam for the second dish so that they finish cooking simultaneously. Or, remove the separate steaming compartments to create a single unit that’s one of the largest cooking surfaces available in a steamer.

Pros:

Zero to steam in 30 seconds
3 individual keep warm settings
Separate steam units prevent flavor contamination
More features than a Tesla

Cons:

Not cheap at about $250
May need water refills during cooking
Difficult to store

Frequently Asked Questions

Do all steamers come with plastic parts that are BPA-free?

Not always. It’s important to be vigilant when choosing a steamer with plastic parts. Some overseas manufacturers are not regulated in the same manner as their domestic counterparts (who also have oversight problems), so they may very well use plastic that releases BPA over time. Make sure the product description specifically states that all plastic parts are BPA-free.

Isn’t it just as nutritious to cook food in a microwave?

It depends on the food. A microwave oven vibrates a food item’s molecules to create heat through energy, thus cooking the food. This preserves nutrients in watery foods like vegetables by using little to no “waste” water. Since microwaves cook from the inside out, however, most meats come out tasting better – and with more nutrients preserved – when steamed.

Do electric steamers (digital/programmable steamers) require more power than boiling a pot of water on the stove and steaming over it?

Studies have shown that electric steamers that trap the steam within the unit are more efficient and consume less energy than stove-top steaming.