Cooking with a steam cooker: 5 things to consider

Other kitchen applicances
Updated on 27 Jul 2023
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A steamer is an electric appliance that allows you to prepare food by steaming it. You can cook anything in it: Vegetables, potatoes, rice, meat, fish and more. You use water to make the steaming process possible, but you can also replace it with broth or wine. This way you add even more flavour to your food. Most steamers have several levels so that you can steam the food separately.

Healthy and delicious results

By using a steam cooker, the flavour and texture of your food, as well as the vitamins and minerals, are better preserved. Moreover, you don’t need any oil or fats, making the preparation maximally healthy. Doesn’t sound wrong, does it? With the right use of the steam cooker, you will indeed achieve delicious results. However, there are some things you need to take into account. We list 5 of them for you. 

1. A steam cooker takes up extra space on your countertop

A set of pans, a sandwich maker, coffee machine, kettle and now also a steam cooker:  it does add yet another appliance to your countertop. Or to store in your kitchen cupboards, of course. Before you possibly buy a steam cooker, think about how often you will actually use it. Certainly those who usually only cook for themselves will find this point worth reconsidering. 

2. A wet worktop

When you’re cooking, your kitchen worktop won’t stay spotless, of course. That’s not a bad thing either, but remember that a steam cooker gives off a lot of steam, which settles into water on your worktop, but also on the underside of your kitchen cabinets. So turn on the extractor, but know that even after cooking, you will probably need to wipe your kitchen with a cloth to rid it of excess water. 

3. No crispy preparations

Because a steam cooker uses steam and does not add cooking fats, you will not be able to create a crispy coating on your food. In many cases, this is not necessary either, but when preparing meat or fish, you may find this a miss. 

4. In a steam cooker, it is difficult to prepare sauce

Most people prefer to have their dish accompanied by a sauce. Although you could in principle steam this, the steamer basket creates a challenge here. The sauce will leak through, making a mess. Want to enjoy a sauce with your food? Then it is best to prepare it separately. That means you still have to do a separate operation. 

5. The price

Fair is fair: a simple steam cooker does not cost the jackpot, but you will still easily pay at least 100 euros. The exact price depends on several factors, including the type of material and the size of the steam cooker. Usually, the plastic versions are the cheapest and you pay more for the stainless steel ones. The latter last longer. 

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