Steam Pots + How to choose? (UPDATED)

Steaming is increasingly promoted as a healthy way to prepare food. Foods cooked by steaming do not lose vitamins or nutrients and have a stronger flavour. As a result, there is no need to salt the ingredients as much. Excessive salting is particularly unsuitable for people suffering from high blood pressure. You can steam vegetables, meat, fish, rice and eggs.

With its help, you can also prepare desserts. You can use a classic steamer pot for steaming, or cook more simply and practically with a modern steam pot. Steaming is particularly suitable for cooking smaller quantities of food occasionally.

You can cook an entire lunch, including a side dish for the whole family, in a steam cooker. The advantages of steam cookers are appreciated by gourmets, healthy lifestyle advocates and people who have various dietary restrictions.

Best Steam Pots

What is the principle of the steam pot?

To prepare food using steam cooker is nothing complicated. The pot consists of two or more parts. The main part is the base, into which water is poured, then a varying number of cooking vessels in which the ingredients are cooked. Then you just turn it on and you can cook.

Everything is prepared without fat using only a small amount of water. If you need to top up the water during cooking, a light will alert you to this fact. The manufacturer’s instructions should tell you how to properly layer the food in the pot, how large to cut it into, and how long it takes to cook.

Types

Steam pots are simple devices that work on the same principle. They can therefore be divided into electric-only and conventional pots suitable for the stove, in which a steamer is inserted in which the food is prepared.

Stove-top cooking is suitable for the preparation of small quantities, and is particularly useful if you are preparing, for example, baby food in this way. In case you want to feed the whole family, you cannot do without an electric steam cooker. It is equipped with several programmes, a timer and indicator lights to make the whole process even easier.

Size

When selecting any cookware or appliances, the number of people who will use them should be a primary consideration. It is also important to think about what you want to prepare in the pot and choose the right shape from there.

Steam pots are particularly good for cooking fish. In this case, you will need a longer cooking pot that can hold the whole fish. You will therefore choose from models that allow you to stack the cooking vessels on top of each other. Individual models are available with 2 – 4 containers.

You can use them all when cooking, but you can only cook in one. Such pots have a larger capacity and are more suitable for more people. Handling will be a bit worse if you cook using 4 pots and you need to check the cooking progress in the bottom one, you have to remove the top pots as well.

There are pots on the market in limited quantities that allow you to stack the pots side by side. The pot has two equal sized containers, however, a baffle can be inserted into the front container to divide it in half, giving you three containers. The size of the individual products determines their volume. This ranges from 3 to 12 litres.

Material and design

Steam pots are made of plastic, stainless steel or a combination of metal and plastic. The cheaper pots are all-plastic, the more expensive ones have a stainless steel base. The cooking pots are transparent, which makes cooking clear.

Plastic pots have a shorter lifespan, and come in several colors. Stainless steel pots have a sleek design, are more durable, and last longer. However, the most common pots available are those that have a stainless steel control unit and cooking vessels made of durable and transparent plastic.

Features

Steam cookers are appliances designed exclusively for the preparation of food using steam. The number of functions depends on this. Do not expect any extra features with this appliance, the individual products contain only a certain number of cooking programs in addition to the basic parameters.

This is the cooking time, which is water-based for the individual ingredients. So what do the individual models offer? We’ll go from the cheapest to the most expensive.

• Timer – the cheapest types have only a timer in the form of a rotary knob
• Water quantity indicator – It gives you an overview of the amount of water in the tank. If necessary, the water can be refilled through the convenient holes without dismantling.
• Sound signal – alerts you when cooking is complete
• Automatic shutdown – after the set time has elapsed, the pot will switch itself off

The more expensive models also include features such as:

LCD display

The LCD display gives you an overview of the cooking process. It is complemented by a touch control or several knobs, depending on the model.

Temperature maintenance

A steamer keeps food warm for a period of time. This time is between 20 and 60 min.

Dual cooking zone

Allows you to set two different times to cook two different dishes. Automatic Programs – Here you have a choice of several automatic programs to cook vegetables, meat, fish, chicken, eggs and rice

Vitamine + function

A patented feature found on Tefal appliances that speeds up the cooking process, preserving more vitamins in your food.

Removable bottom

Among the really special options that quality pots can offer is the ability to remove the bottom of the steamer. In this case, you won’t be limited by space and can prepare larger pieces of food.

Safety features

The first of the safety features is the child safety lock, which prevents the appliance from being started unintentionally. Non-slip feet ensure the stability of the appliance. Protection against overheating and cooking without water, will prevent possible destruction of the pot. Cool handles protect you from possible burns.

Accessories

The steam pots also include a larger number of accessories. The basic ones include a rice cooker, an egg holder. A removable drip tray catches any evaporated water or juices.

More expensive models then come with a divider designed to divide the cooking zone. Steaming bowls designed for the preparation of soups and sauces. Different sized containers with lids are also available for easy preparation of puddings or soufflés. And there’s a handy beginner’s cookbook.

Power consumption and performance

Wattage has a major effect on cooking speed and therefore on power consumption. Good quality steam pots are ready for use within 1 to 3 minutes. The power input is in the range of 400 – 1 800 W.

For most products, both cheaper and more expensive, you will most often see a 900 W power input, which is sufficient for normal home cooking. On the other hand, there are also a few models available that have an input of less than 800 W. These are not very suitable because they do not achieve optimal performance.

Cable length

With a steamer you will also need to address the length of the cord, this should be long enough to allow you to use it comfortably in a safe place ideally on the kitchen counter.

From a safety point of view, it is not advisable for the steam that comes out of the pot to precipitate in the immediate vicinity of an electrical socket. Many pots are equipped with a handy storage compartment in which the cord can be stowed when cooking is complete.

Brand

A quality manufacturer will guarantee the quality of the instrument. Among the most popular products are Russell Hobbs pots. Other top spots were taken by Tefal, Gallet, Eta and Phillips products. To a lesser extent, pots from Morphy Richards, Klarstein, AMT and Braun are represented.

Maintenance

Maintenance is simple in this case. Only the steaming vessels need to be washed after cooking, ideally by hand using detergent. Unless the manufacturer directly prohibits it, you can also use a dishwasher.

The longevity of the appliance depends mainly on the water reservoir. It should be descaled at least twice or more a year. It all depends on how often you use the steamer and how hard your water is at home.

You can use special products suitable for this purpose to descale. However, citric acid or vinegar will also suffice. Simply pour the product into the bottom of the container, leave it for a few hours, ideally overnight, and then simply rinse.

The last part of the pot with the control unit can be wiped with a damp cloth. Staying under water would shorten its life considerably.

Questions and Answers

Is a steam pot suitable for everyone?

Steam cooking may not be suitable for people who suffer from kidney disease. Some foods will lose some substances through boiling that sufferers cannot get rid of naturally.

Is it possible to add individual ingredients during cooking?

This option is commonplace with steam cookers because individual ingredients require different cooking times.

How to proceed with cooking?

It is generally recommended to start with meat. The pork should be pounded so that it is not tough. The meat can be seasoned with herbs, but save the salt. Do not add any water to the food except rice.

It is advisable to cut the food into equal sized pieces so that it cooks evenly. The pot may be opened during cooking, but do so as little as possible so that steam does not escape unnecessarily and the cooking time is not prolonged.

Is the steam cooker also used for heating?

Steam pots can also heat food. They can also heat a whole lunch at once. If you don’t eat the whole lunch at once, you can put the cooking pots in the fridge and

Conclusion

Steam cookers are simple appliances, preparing food is easy and convenient. Steam cookers work on the principle of a hot-air oven, which prevents unwanted scorching.

When steaming, it is not necessary to use any strong seasonings, as foods cooked in this way have a more pronounced flavor. The best flavouring will thus be various herbs.

Steam cookers are designed to allow a greater variety of foods to be prepared. You can prepare soup, side dishes and main courses all in one pot.