Nowadays, it is common knowledge that if you want to be healthy, that starts with a healthy diet. The cornerstone of a healthy diet is, of course, plenty of fresh vegetables.
But when it comes to cooking them, it can be hard to keep finding tasty but healthy recipes.
That is why the best vegetable steamer can be a very useful investment. It makes cooking vegetables quick and easy, producing perfectly cooked food time after time.
As such, for you to have the right equipment, we will look at five vegetable steamer models on the market right now.
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Best Vegetable Steamer Reviews
There are many vegetable steamers in the market, but these five are among the most popular.
1. A/C Food Steamer
We’ll kick off our list with this entry from A/C. On the surface, it may seem like a pretty straightforward vegetable steamer, but it packs many very interesting features.
Review
First, we must note that this is both a large and powerful steamer. It is capable of kicking out some 800 watts of steaming power. That helps to keep cooking times down, with most vegetables ready to eat in 20 minutes or even less.
That, in turn, will help keep your utility bills down! After all, who wants to pick up the bill of a steamer that takes hours to cook anything?
This design’s other big stand-out feature is how it makes storage nice and simple. It does this using a very impressive stacking system, where each layer “cascades” into the other.
The bottom tray fits into the middle tray, which fits into the top tray. That makes storing this device very easy, and it doesn’t take up as much room as many other designs of a vegetable steamer.
That design choice is also one of the drawbacks of this machine. Yes, it is easy to store, but the self-contained design means that the top tray can’t go directly onto the steamer unit.
That’s a shame, as the top layer is the biggest compartment, so it would be nice to be able to use it on its own sometimes.
However, it is a very useful design, especially if storage space is a premium in your kitchen.
PROS
- BPA-free
- Easy storage
- Powerful steam
CONS
- Top baskets don’t fit on the base
2. Rosewill Electric Food Steamer
Next up is this vegetable steamer from Rosewill. Price-wise it is from the lower end of the market, but despite that price tag, it is bursting with a range of impressive features and design points.
Review
Its speed and power are among the most impressive aspects of this steamer. It can be up and running in under a minute, producing steam in around 40 seconds or so.
That speed can be a godsend for cooking dinners on busy weekday nights!
It is also nice and big, packing a 9.5-quart capacity, providing ample space to cook for a family. The controls are nice and simple to use, and the side inlets are a very impressive feature.
They allow you to top up the water reservoir during use without removing the cooking trays above. That is an outstanding feature and one that, quite frankly, we wish was incorporated into more vegetable steamer designs.
As we mentioned, this is a cheaper model of a steamer. That price tag doesn’t affect the quality of the tool in any way, with one exception. The markings on the front are made in ink that is not waterproof!
That means they can be accidentally washed away if you excessively clean the device’s outside. Just be aware of that and take care when cleaning. Nonetheless, this can be an excellent steamer for a very reasonable price.
PROS
- Great value for money
- Easy water top-up while in use
- Can generate steam in under a minute
CONS
- Front markings are not waterproof
3. Magic Chef 3-Tier Vegetable Steamer
Next up is this very attractive and large food steamer from Magic Chef. Packed with a huge range of features, it also has a slightly higher price tag. How much quality are you getting for your money?
Review
The first thing to note is that this device boasts quality construction. Nowhere is this more evident than in the materials used. The base unit has an attractive but also tough stainless steel exterior. It looks great and is also easy to clean.
The steaming baskets are made of plastic, but it is both BPA-free and dishwasher-safe. Those are two features that we really like in a food steamer. The other big stand-out is the eye-catching LCD.
That screen, though, is the design’s source of strength and weakness. This screen allows you to use the “easy touch” program on the plus side.
What this really boils down to (no pun intended) is pre-set cooking times tailored to individual food types.
That can be a good thing as it saves you time setting up the cooking machine. On the other hand, there is no ability to set a timer. For that reason, you can’t set a bespoke cooking time.
For example, if the veggies are a little tough, you need to rerun the program and manually end it before the veggies overcook.
It’s not the worst thing in the world; it would be nice to set a normal clock timer sometimes!
PROS
- Non-toxic
- Easy to clean
- Pre-programmed
- Attractive construction
CONS
- Unable to set bespoke steam types
4. Aigostar Food Steamer
This is a simple but effective steamer with a very reasonable price tag.
Review
This product comes with an impressive 800W of power and a 9.6-quart total capacity. It is pretty fast to heat up, though not quite as quickly as the Rosewill model we checked out above.
The three layers are stackable, making for easy storage, and no BPA is used in any of the materials that make up this machine. That is, frankly, something that we are always happy to see.
This model is very simple, with a price tag toward the lower end of the scale. Meaning this is another model that provides excellent value for money while at the same time not really being packed with any innovations or surprise design points.
It’s just a simple, easy-to-use device that will quietly go about doing exactly what you need it to do.
There may be no high-end features, but the worst thing we can say about it is that it didn’t come with a manual or any instructions, kind of highlighting how good this product actually is.
It may not be the most eye-catching model on the market, but it will deliver quality steamed vegetables time after time for a very reasonable price.
PROS
- Easy and neat to store
- Toxic-free
- Simple to use
CONS
- No instructions provided
5. Secura 2-Tier Food Steamer
We’ll finish up with something a little different from Secura. This is a premium-level vegetable steamer with a price tag to boot. So, what exactly are you getting for your money here?
Review
The first big feature to catch your eye is the construction material. While it does knock the price tag up a little higher, there are a number of benefits of stainless steel when used in constructing a vegetable steamer.
For one, there is no danger of chemicals leaching from the basket walls. They are also a little sturdier and can be longer lasting than other materials.
Metal is also an excellent heat conductor, allowing the steam heat to really flow with speed and power through this device.
Nowhere is more evident than the ultra-quick start-up time of this model. It can generate steam in as little as 15 seconds, which is a very useful feature in a busy family kitchen.
You may think that you are getting less capacity with the fact this is only a two-tier model. Looks are deceptive, though, as unlike the other models we looked at today, you can cook in the base of the unit too!
This is because of a very impressive design employed where the heating element is essentially hidden.
So as well as steaming vegetables, you can also use the bottom section, for example, to heat soup or stews. That dual-purpose design, while not cheap, is certainly very impressive.
PROS
- Made of quality materials
- Multi-purpose
- Easy and fast to operate
CONS
- The most expensive item on the list
Related: How To Steam Broccoli Without A Steamer.
FAQs
How long does it take to steam vegetables in a steamer?
The cooking time for steamed vegetables will depend on the type of vegetable being cooked. For example, spinach will only take 3 minutes to cook, whereas something like cauliflower or broccoli may take up to 10 minutes.
Root vegetables like beets, carrots, and potatoes usually take between 10 and 15 minutes to steam.
How much water do you put in a steamer to steam vegetables?
You’ll need to add about one or two inches of water to the pot. This will ensure the water doesn’t boil dry and your veggies steam properly.
What are the disadvantages of steaming?
The main disadvantage of steaming is that it takes longer to cook than other methods. Additionally, it can be more difficult to control the cooking temperature with steam, leading to overcooking or undercooking your food.
Finally, steaming generally results in less flavorful food than other cooking methods.
Conclusion
It’s a really tough call choosing the best vegetable steamer from this list because they are five high-quality items. If we have to pick a winner, it’s hard to look past the Secura 2-Tier Stainless Steel Electric Steamer.
Yes, full disclosure is the priciest item to make our list today. But at the same time, we felt there were enough features and outstanding design points to justify that selection.
As we pointed out in our review, stainless steel is just a great material to work with when it comes to vegetable steamers.
Then there was the dual functionality of the design thanks to that hidden heating element. When space is at a premium in many kitchens, it is always a big plus point when a tool can handle multiple tasks.
This vegetable steamer is then a well-built and very well-designed product that easily justifies its slightly higher price tag.