Steamer Basket Types

Healthy, wealthy and wise

The steamer basket is one of the least used and best ways to cook both meat and vegetables. The moist heat of steam keeps meat like chicken breast that all too often dries out tender and juicy. The steamer also makes vegetables that are cooked enough to bring out their flavor while sustaining their crispness.

Bamboo steamers

The steamer most identified with this style of cooking is the bamboo steamer basket.

Bamboo is an amazingly strong natural composite that is used to build everything from scaffolding to high performance bicycle frames.

As a steamer the material performs very well. The fiber of the bamboo holds moisture in a way that is superior to its stainless or aluminum counterparts.

You can use the bamboo steamer with a wok, a large skillet or as a microwave steamer basket.

Many of the bamboo steamers I have seen also include a book of steamer basket recipes

Aluminum steamer baskets

Aluminum heats up quicker and cools faster than bamboo or stainless steel baskets.

They are reactive so highly acidic foods do not do well in aluminum steamer baskets.

Large multi-layered aluminum steamers can be quite affordable compared to stainless models.

Stainless steel steamer baskets

You can avoid some of the pitfalls of both aluminum and bamboo baskets by using stainless steamer baskets.

Stainless cools quicker than bamboo, cleans easier and is non reactive unlike the aluminum steamers.

Stainless steel steamers can come in very large multi-layered sizes. Larger steamers tend to be quite a bit more expensive.

Stainless has the best overall long-term durability.

Electric food steamer

Electric food steamer baskets cook rice as well as vegetables and meat.

They are often the same price as other range top steamers.

By moving the steaming off of the stovetop you can use the burners for other cooking needs.

Electric Steamers are often more efficient than stove top devices because they are engineered to deliver more of the heat directly to the food.

The cooker can also be run by timer, so you are free to worry about other more complex cooking chores.

Plastic steamer baskets

Plastic baskets allow you to do your steaming in the microwave.

Microwave steaming can be as worry free as stand alone electric steamers.

The baskets themselves are inexpensive.

More information on steamer baskets