Having the best food steamer is one of the greatest additions anyone could have in the kitchen. And for us who love healthy eating, getting one for ourselves is certainly necessary because it lets us prepare colorful and nutrient-dense dishes all the time.
However, just like getting the right sausage stuffer, choosing among the myriad of selection of food steamers on the market can become a challenging task. That is why I’ve decided writing this review on my top five picks on food steamers.
In A Hurry? This Is The Best:
But before anything else, let’s first talk about the benefits on why we should have a food steamer in the kitchen as well as what features or considerations should we factor in to make that right decision.
Why Get a Food Steamer?
- Healthy
- Easy Cooking
- Maintenance of Color, Taste and Shape of Food
- Versatile
A food steamer can cook virtually all types of foods. We don’t only cook fresh vegetables on it, as most of us consider, but also legumes and grains. The best part is that we do not need to use oil in cooking, another healthy way of cooking.
On the other hand, we can also make use of olive oil or coconut oil before serving our meal if we desire.
Features to Look for
- Size
- Maintenance
- Accessories
- Timer
You can also find steamers that come with timers that you can set based on your desired cooking time.
On the other hand, some units do not come with accurate timers, which stop before the time set.
Speaking of timers, they can display a digital clock, which is something common in modern models.
These timers are said to be more accurate than the clockwork timers do. In some models, they also include a delay function, which can set your appliance to turn on later in the day based on your preference.
Best Food Steamers of 2023
Rosewill BPA-Free, Quart (9L), 3-Tier Stackable Baskets
Pros
- This product is a two-tier steamer that lets you multitask in cooking, and it comes with two transparent bowls that let you cook two meals at the same time.
- It can hold up to 6.1 quarts of food, meaning you can conveniently steam carrots, seafood, and legumes, to name some with ease.
- It also includes an easy to use interface, which gives you an easier time in operating the appliance. Some features of the interface include an LCD, a 12-hour delay timer, and a keep warm system. Along these lines, you can set its delay function so that it will automatically turn on in your desired time. It can also keep your food warm for an hour.
- It includes a quick 900-watt heating element that can heat the water and generate steam fast.
- It is also easy to clean and maintain.
Cons
- The unit is built to fit North American Electrical Standards
Viante CUC-30ST Intellisteam Counter Top Food Steamer
Featuring the Intellisteam innovation, this Viante product deserves attention! It also grabs our top spot on this list for its great features. Did you know that this product comes with three different compartments? With this feature, you can cook different types of dishes all at once, vegetables on one, meat on the other or seafood on the last. The choice is up to you!
The best part is that each compartment has its temperature and timer control, meaning you can take total control over your cooking without any worries about overcooking or undercooking and you can deliver fresh, healthy and perfectly steamed dishes for yourself and loved ones all the time.
The product is also innovative with its feature that lets us automatically set the start time so that all our dishes will be finished cooking at the same time – meaning we can always depend on healthy cooking and eating each time.
The Viante steamer also comes with dishwasher safe accessories that we can clean up so quickly without any hassles, ideal if you’re looking for a low maintenance product that can keep up with your busy kitchen and work schedule.
It also features a visible water gauge, which allows us to see how much water is exactly on the steamer, hinting us the perfect time to refill it when needed.
Plus, this product comes with a digital control, which translates into a more accurate steaming process.
Pros
- Water gauge
- Allows cooking three dishes at the same time
- Digital control
- Three different compartments with each have its control settings
Cons
- The product isn’t affordable, but it might be worth your investment if you’re looking for a top performing steamer in your kitchen, especially if you always steam seafood, vegetables, and meat.
Cuisinart Digital Glass Steamer
We always love steaming food for its health giving goodness for our families, but our task will be easier if we find a steamer that can cater to our needs with its top features and performance. I always appreciate how Cuisinart is keeping up with its high standards – and this STM 1000 is one of those innovations from the brand that I find very impressive.This is a digital glass steamer, which lets us have a glimpse of what is happening in our cooking.
It also comes with an excellent steam system, which can ensure high quality performance from the top down, cooking evenly and fast! It delivers an optimal performance and cooks in less the time as compared to other steamers on the market.
It also includes a 5-liter glass cooking pot that is something ideal for a family of five or larger and that is one feature we can depend on for cooking loads of stuff, including rice, chicken, fish and vegetables – and so on. The pot is also dishwasher safe, meaning cleaning up is a breeze especially with our busy schedules.
The steamer also boasts its one-liter tank capacity, which lets us conveniently put water by lifting it off to fill.
It includes an LCD control panel – with complete functions for start, stop, pause and reheat – wow!
For more accurate cooking, the product comes with pre-programmed food settings. This feature is perfect for amateur cooks like us – thanks to Cuisinart for putting that as a priority.
It also includes a stainless steel tray and glass lid plus a stainless steel rim – making it resistant to rust, corrosion and other signs of wear and tear.
Pros
- Preprogrammed food settings
- Large pot
- Large water tank capacity
- Glass lid
- Stainless steel tray
- Stainless steel rim
Cons
- The preprogrammed cooking settings might not accurately work over time.
- The product is obviously not as affordable as others are in the same category.
Hamilton Beach Digital Steamer
If you’re switching to healthy eating lately and you want to minimize the oil in the food you are serving to yourself and loved ones, then you probably need a steamer like this T-fal electric steamer.
It is a two-tier steamer that helps you achieve balance, not only in your meals, but also in cooking. Each of the tiers is of 2-quart capacity, meaning you can cook more food at once. Just turn the levels over when you’re done using it for easy storage.
It also comes with digital controls of up to one hour of a timer. You can just set it and then leave, and then go back later. Just make sure that you put enough water in the reservoir, though.
It is also a small product that won’t take much space in your kitchen. You can also store it in the cabinet after use. No matter how small your kitchen may be, you won’t have a hard time in storing this compact yet powerful steamer at all.
It is backed up with one-year limited warranty, translating to the brand’s trust on its products. That’s good to know, don’t you think?It can be used in steaming most types of foods, including meats, seafood, and vegetables.
Pros
- Easy maintenance
- Compact size
- Easy storage
- Digital control timer settings
- Two-tiers, each with two quarts capacity
Cons
- Might be damaged if you operate it without water or used another liquid when cooking
- Might not be the most affordable option
Tiger JAX-T18U-K 10-Cup (Uncooked) Micom Rice Cooker
Who does not know about Hamilton Beach? Well, it is just one of those brands that up to this day continues to impress me [and sure you too]. Today’s featured Hamilton Beach is a digital steamer, which works intelligently in steaming our healthy dishes, including seafood and vegetables.
It is innovatively designed to give us more cooking options. In fact, this model comes with two tiers of detachable dividers – that we can use as a divider to remove the tiers or separate them for larger food cuts or portions.
It also works automatically, switching to the warm settings when our food is cooked – wow!
The steamer is large enough to accommodate a broccoli head or corn. But that’s not all. This digital steamer can also be used in steaming fish and lobster. It can also be used in cooking mussels and clams, as well as hot dogs and chicken breasts. Now if you love eggs, you don’t need to boil water in the pot, but just cook them upright – soft or hard cooked – in this powerful steamer.
Pros
- Large enough to accommodate your cooking needs
- Can be used for eggs, meats, seafood, fish and most types of vegetables
- Digital settings
- Warm settings
Cons
- It is built to work compatible with North American Electrical Standards.
- The steamer might be damaged if you operate it without water or if you used another liquid on it.
- It might not work efficiently if you block its steaming holes by overcrowding it with food to steam.
BELLA (13872) 7.4 Quart Healthy Food Steamer with 2-Tier
Are you looking for a worthwhile appliance investment – that can include a slow cooker, a food steamer, and a rice cooker? Well, you might not have to look any further than this Tiger Steamer, which works not only as a steamer but also as those I have mentioned.
The product can accommodate up to 10 cups of uncooked rice, meaning it can be used if you don’t want to use your rice cooker for the day.
It comes with 10 preprogrammed cooking menu settings that can provide you with convenience when you don’t have the time to figure out how long a specific dish must be cooked.
The inner pan is thick enough with 1.8 mm, meaning you can also depend on this product’s durability and lasting performance.
It also comes with an easy to clean and remove steamer cap and inner lid, which might be ideal for us if we are running out of time but we want to clean it up before storage.
It also includes a logic system for ensuring proper cooking temperature for perfect dishes all the time.
Best part is that it comes with a cookbook and a cooking plate, which I find great bonuses. For example, I can just use the cookbook when looking for recipe ideas in case I am running out them, too.
Pros
- Cookbook included
- Cooking plate
- Multifunctional – rice cooker, slow cooker, and steamer
- 10-cup rice cooking capacity
- Intelligent cooking system
Cons
- Built to work compatibly with North American Electrical Standards
- Might not be big enough to handle big cuts or portions of foods
Hamilton Beach 37530A Digital Food Steamer, 5.5 Quart
Pros
- This steam tower works efficiently when it comes to steaming as compared others on the market. One of the reasons is that it is a 9.5-quart capacity unit, which is double the size of the competition. I recommend this one if you love steaming a large amount of seafood, for instance. In the process, you don’t have to cook them in batches.
- It has a lot of room for all your cooking needs! As said, it can accommodate up to nine quarts of food at the same time; thus, you can cook in one go, especially in the holidays. This unit is also impressive with its three tiers that can make it easier for you even to steam large quantities of food and ingredients at once.
- It also has easy to use controls, which can provide you with ease of cooking. You can just set those controls based on your preferences and leave, and then go back later. All you need is to throw the food inside it, and then set the timer to let the unit do the work for you.
- You don’t also need to worry about overcooking or burning food with this large steamer. Thus, it may be the safe and smart choice for you if you would love to use a food steam that works precisely and provides enough room for all your dishes.
- It comes with a one-year limited warranty, which is one of its most useful features that it has for giving you that peace of mind that your purchase is backed up by a guarantee.
- With its three tiers, you can also multi-task and steam different types of food per level. You can also steam an entire meal in only one unit.
- As a bonus, this model comes with a grain steamer and a rice steamer.
- [I love this feature!]It comes with impact and heat resistant materials, letting you look forward to a durable and high-quality food steamer.
Cons
- This unit is a bit pricier than others in the same category are.
- It might consume more power because of its larger size than other food steamers on the market might do.
BELLA (13872) 7.4 Quart Healthy Food Steamer with 2-Tier
Pros
- This steamer is a medium-sized food steamer that works perfectly for anyone looking for an efficient and fast steamer that can help him or her come up with nutritious and delicious meals in less the time. Your loved ones will surely be impressed with the delectable dishes that you can prepare for them anytime.
- The unit comes with a two-tier design, allowing you to steam various types of food at the same time; thus, you can multitask and cook vegetables on one tier and then meat on the other.
- This unit is also a versatile steamer that lets you cook potatoes, seafood, legumes and grains. If you’re looking for a unit that works perfectly for all these foods and more, then you might want to give this appliance a second look. It also lets you cook a wide range of foods, including wild-caught fish, jasmine rice and farm-raised chicken, to name a few.
- It also comes with transparent sides that let you see what exactly is happening inside. Your kids can also see the colorful foods you are making for them through these sides.
- It is also easy to clean and maintain. Thus, you will not have to worry about spending so much time in cleaning it after use.
- It can also fit perfect in the cabinet without taking much space.
- When food is ready, the steamer automatically turns to warm. It also has a digital touchpad that makes setting the functions and timer very quickly.
Cons
- This Hamilton Beach unit isn’t that affordable.
Aicok Food Steamer, 9.5 Quart Vegetable Steamer
Pros
- It can accommodate up to seven quarts of food, and it comes with two tiers, which allow you to steam two types of dishes at the same time. Its size is also ideal for a small family.
- It includes a power indicator light that indicates when it is on or which cycle it is working.
- It is dishwasher safe, meaning it is very easy to clean and maintainIt comes with transparent steaming bowls, too, allowing you and your kids to see what is happening inside while colorful foods are being cooked.
- It also comes with a quick start heating system, letting you steam food in less than a minute.
Cons
- It might be a bit small for some families.
Secura 2 Stainless Steel Food Steamer
Pros
- It can accommodate up to seven quarts of food, allowing you to steam a larger quantity at the same time. It also comes with two steaming baskets.
- One of the best features this unit has it is five-cup rice bowl that you will love and 12-egg capacity nesting basket, which is just perfect when boiling or steaming eggs.
- The unit comes with a monitor for its reservoir, which allows users to check the water level without any hassles. Thus, you can prevent your steamer from drying out of the water. Additionally, it comes with an external water filling function that let you fill the steamer’s reservoir without you having to detach it from the unit.
- It comes with a 75-minute timer that lets you just set your appliance and leave it! And when food preparation is complete, the audible alert will notify you.
Cons
- The product may be a bit pricier than other food steamers on the market are.
Conclusion
So have you finally decided on which best food steamer to get? If you still have doubts, let me tell you one thing – the most important part of the selection process is to determine your needs and lifestyle, as well as your budget and most important features you’re looking for. And for that, I think the best that we can depend on is the Viante CUC-30ST Intellisteam Counter Top Food Steamer that has a compact and solid built and performance as well as intelligent settings and functions that make it an ideal choice for busy and modern homemakers like us.
While I believe that our Cuisinart STM-1000 CookFresh Digital Glass Steamer deserves attention as well, I think that Viante proves more helpful in cooking most types of foods as well as in providing us with better capacity and cooking system. Nonetheless, you can choose from any of these, which I believe are the strongest contenders in the food steaming appliances category.
Related Posts
What You Need to Know About the Best Japanese Rice Cooker
Are you shopping around for the best Japanese rice cooker? Before buying one,...
Read More
Products recommended in the post contain affiliate links. We may receive a commission when you buy something through our posts.
Why Trust Us
You will find what you are looking for at Black Friday Weeks. From classic to luxury brands, you'll find both. We will help you to select appliances that fit your needs, budget and lifestyle. Whether you want to stop by to learn more — or plan to make a major purchase — we’ll treat you like family and assist you every step of the way. Shop with us today to receive friendly and experienced help along the way.