How To Choose Your Food Steamer

A food steamer can be the perfect way to cook foods in a more healthy way for you and your family. If you are thinking about purchasing a new food steamer, then one of the first things you will need to do is learn how to shop for one. There are so many options out there and they are not all the same. Finding the perfect food steamer means doing a little research into the different models from which you can choose, and picking the one that will make your cooking the most convenient, healthy, and flavorful as possible.

Here is what you need to know about how to choose the right food steamer for your kitchen. Follow these steps and you will find it much easier to shop for and find the right model.

Consider material. Before you make any other decision about your food steamer choices, you will want to weed out any that are made to include plastic trays. Plastic is not a healthy option when it comes to cooking your food. It can hold bacteria because it is more porous and it tends to scratch easily, and it may release toxic chemicals when it reaches high temperatures. Above all other considerations, it is most healthy and safe to choose only food steamers that include stainless steel trays.

Consider cooking times. When you use a food steamer, you will have to remember that your vegetables will cook on a vastly different time scale than what you are used to with standard cooking methods. However, different models of food steamers use different amounts of energy, so their cooking times can vary. Consider what is most important to you. Would you prefer a steamer that will use more electricity but cook your vegetables more quickly, or would you prefer one that cooks more slowly but will use much less energy?

Consider cooking style. Many food steamers work by sending steam through the bottom and up through the trays. When this happens, the taste and aromas of any food on the bottom tray could be transferred to the foods on the upper trays. Instead, you can look for food steamers that use a side cooking method, sending steam through holes on the sides so each level of foods is cooked individually. This way, all of your cooked items will taste as they should.

Consider capacity. This should be directly affected by the size of the family for which you will be cooking. If you are cooking for just yourself or you and one other person, you may wish to choose a small capacity model that will not take up much counter space. However, if you will be cooking foods for the whole family, then you will want to choose a large capacity food steamer to guarantee you are able to cook all that you need.

Finally, consider options. Many food steamers include timers so that you can cook your foods more easily. Some good steamers include extras that can come in handy, like serving bowls or even small cook books. Consider the options and extras that will come with the steamer you choose and make sure that they best suit your needs.

When shopping for a food steamer, remember the most important thing is that you need to be able to cook the vegetables you want in the capacity that you need in the healthiest manner. Once you have chosen the right stainless steel steamer, you can get started on a healthier diet and lifestyle for you and your whole family.