Steaming vegetables - advice needed

Rocker

I have been thinking of getting a steamer to steam veggies rather than boiling them.  Anyone here have any tips or advice on the best steamer etc.  Thanks.

dazzajl

I don’t think the veggies can tell where the steam
is coming from, so I use a stainless pot with little holes at the bottom which sits on a saucepan. 

Of course, there are all sorts of ways you could find to spend a fortune on a heating element if you fancy something blingy 

Rocker

Good point @dazzajl but as someone who has never seen a steamer, I need pointers as to what to look for in one.  But thanks for your contribution.

Roland

We use a folding aluminium steamer which sits inside the saucepan. It’s more energy efficient than the bamboo ones which sit on top. Aluminium also has a very low specific heat, which means the metal cools very rapidly once you take it out, making it easy to handle.

Kittyfrisk

I find that cooking vegetables (not veggie's or vegan's, that's just cruel) in a lidded glass dish in a microwave, without any added water, gives very good results. Reduces cooking times & keeps nutrition losses low.
Never understood the prejudices against microwaves for cooking vegetables as all experimental data supports it being good.

If you do want to try actual steaming, try using a decent sized saucepan and a stainless steel seive or colander to hold the veg, with a lid to reduce steam loss.
This keeps the veg separated from the water & you can just remove the seive when your veg is done & serve (or to cool it quickly under a tap if you are blanching).
Cheaper than buying a dedicated steamer, or a good way to see if you will actually need/use one.

CeeJay

This is what we use. Water in the bottom, spuds in the middle, veg on the top. Job done.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tower-Essentials-Steamer-Polished-Stainless/dp/B01ICU1OZ4/ref=sr_1_6?adgrpid=53226087756&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIsrSI9_qj5gIVFuDtCh0K5wgSEAAYAiAAEgLeAvD_BwE&hvadid=259118621675&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1007127&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=259817044896128465&hvtargid=kwd-315241709670&hydadcr=18513_1816622&keywords=steam+saucepan&qid=1575736251&sr=8-6

mgaw

we bought a Sage Steamer deluxe type of affair  in a sale for £70   well worth that amount , I used to cook in some fancy places back in the day and imho tis an excellent piece of kick if a bit lightly built

p90fool

Kittyfrisk said:

I find that cooking vegetables (not veggie's or vegan's, that's just cruel) in a lidded glass dish in a microwave, without any added water, gives very good results. Reduces cooking times & keeps nutrition losses low.
Never understood the prejudices against microwaves for cooking vegetables as all experimental data supports it being good.

If you do want to try actual steaming, try using a decent sized saucepan and a stainless steel seive or colander to hold the veg, with a lid to reduce steam loss.
This keeps the veg separated from the water & you can just remove the seive when your veg is done & serve (or to cool it quickly under a tap if you are blanching).
Cheaper than buying a dedicated steamer, or a good way to see if you will actually need/use one.

Yep, we cook loads of veg in the microwave just wet from being washed. 
Good quality new potatoes are surprisingly excellent when microwaved, keeping a really nice texture, as well as all their flavour. 

zepp76

I use one of these, very good and simple to use. https://www.very.co.uk/tefal-vc145140-convenient-series-steamer-2-durable-stainless-steel-bowls-white/1600243598.prd?sku=sku20538558&cm_mmc=google-_-PLA+-+Generic-_-All-_-PRODUCT_GROUP_p50204762322_%5B*AdID*%5D&utm_campaign=Generic_Electricals+-+Generic+-+Health+Grills&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_term=PRODUCT_GROUP&campaigntype=shopping&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI252T4Yek5gIVBLDtCh2JNA1rEAQYEiABEgJhB_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

LastMantra

For things like cabbage (or finely chopped veg) I like to put a little bit of butter in a pot, veg in, and put a lid on, letting it cook in it's own juice. Give it a little toss from time to time to stop it sticking/burning. 

Otherwise a seive. 

Don't have a microwave but they're fine.

EricTheWeary

I used to have an electric steamer many years ago but it was a bit of a faff. We have a stove top thingy, I guess it was fairly cheap but we’ve had it for years. Just a pan with water in and two top bits with holes in. We do have a bamboo steamer for fish but I’d struggle to say when we last used it. 

ESBlonde

We have a column steamer. Very energy efficient in that you can for example do spuds in the water, carrots in the first tray and greens in the top tray. Stainless steel and very long lasting. There is a suggestion that aluminium pans (and foil) impart poisonous trace elements into the food. Do your own research, it's about a lifetime of absorption, many non stick teflon coatings are suggested to be worse.

tony99

cheap aldi steamer, or cookworks from argos

usually only about £20 or so, last a couple of years then just get another

I cook almost everything in them, chicken turkey salmon from raw from frozen, rice, veggies whatever

if you like veggies super soft just top the water up and give a little longer, I couldn't live without my steamer, but I could easily live with that and no other cooking method

TimmyO

I use an “instant pot” - use it as a slow cooker, pressure steamer, it’s fab 

hywelg

Always steamed our veg, well, cauliflower, broccoli sprouts, cabbage,  beans,  etc spuds, carrots, swede.  still need boiling.  

We have aluminum ones that sit on top of a saucepan, probably 40+ years old. One is ex military stamped
W /|\ D (War Department) .

Good for doing two Christmas puds on one ring. 

Jaycee

tony99 said:

cheap aldi steamer, or cookworks from argos

usually only about £20 or so, last a couple of years then just get another

I cook almost everything in them, chicken turkey salmon from raw from frozen, rice, veggies whatever

if you like veggies super soft just top the water up and give a little longer, I couldn't live without my steamer, but I could easily live with that and no other cooking method

More or less the same here.

3 tier steamer from Asda  Tefal make cost about £30. I cut the root veg i.e. carrots, parsnips in strips as they taste better. Wouldn't be without it.

Legionreturns

Genuinely read that as "Streaming Vegetables" first time out. 

Thought to myself; "that's not gonna get many subscriptions" 

notanon

A steamer is a handy way of freeing up a hob/microwave when doing a busy meal with several pans on the go at the same time.

FX_Munkee

Microwave. Just put the veg in a lidded pyrex with a couple of tablespoons of water. It's literally the only thing we use the microwave for, apart from rice (in a microwave rice cooker). Basically a microwave is a water boiler.