Food steamer recommendations

Addiscomber

The pan on hob type steamer is my choice too - more versatile than an electric one and no cluttering up precious worktop space. Economical too because you cook so much on a tiny gas flame once the water has boiled. If you hunt around for recipes you can do a entire meal, pudding and all, if you have a large enough one. There are lots of recipes here on the Tefal site http://www.tefal.co.uk/tefal/magazine/recipe_results.asp?RelatedProducts=1&dept%5Fid=220&mscssid=SNFFV3FE08298LVFR6TFGUM7QT13FHQ6


Edit: I have just seen that some of the recipes that come up in that list do not yse a steamer - their search function is obviously a shade dodgy!

Mother_Hub

I have an electric steamer 1 of the best things that I have bought. I steam my veg including potatoes, rice, fish, and I use the water from my veg to make lovely gravy.

Pink.

Hi immoral_angeluk,

I have an on the hob steamer very similar to the one that brummiebabe linked to. I use it if I'm steaming a lot of veg but one of my favourite kitchen gadets is like this one. Mine didn't cost anything like that one...about £2.50 I think from a local kitchen store, and it fits any size of saucepan.

There's an older thread on buying a steamer that might help:

Food steamer

I'll merge your thread with that one later as it helps to keep all the suggestions together.

Pink

Psykicpup

I have both - a 'hob' type & an electric one! & i wouldnt be without either!
To use just fill with water (or start pots) & then place veg above - timing can be tricky at first - I allow about a third to a half of the amount of time bring a pan of whatever to boil & cook as leccy steamer steams almost instantly!
I have never tried meat but fish takes literally mins - I usually overcook as I'm not ready !!! broccoli & cauli are delish cooked this way....

prophecy_grrl

Hi

I have an electric steamer that I bought from Argos in the January Sales a few years back for about a tenner. I use it loads, for fresh and frozen veg, new pots are lush steamed as are corn on the cobs. I have also cooked salmon in there, very nice but takes a while. All in all a good buy, the veg is crisper as the water doesn't 'go through' them (as my mam says about my boiled pots - they fall apart in the pan!)

HTH x

milkydrink

I have an elestric one & I would NEVER be without it:D .
It saves having lots of pots on the hob, cooks three veg at once:D .
It doesn't boil them dry & burn them:mad:
It doesn't boil over & spill water everywhere:mad:
You get concentated "juice" collects in the bottom, great for gravy:D

Robert Dyas usually have an offer on them:D

Queenie

brummiebabe wrote: »

Hi - I swear by my steamer....but it's not a 'plug-in' one, but a kind of 3 tier saucepan thing that goes directly on the hob ....

Me too!!

I have cooked potatoes/pasta in the base with the water while having fish and vegetables steaming in the top two tiers.

I have an eye level grill on my cooker (yes, old fashioned but useful ) and if I'm grilling something like chops, I bring the steamer to the boil, then take it off the hob put it on the top of the grill and the heat from the grill keeps the steamer bubbling = 1 whole meal cooked via the grill Economical.

You can also steam puddings, fish, chicken so it's not just for vegetables. The water in the base is great for using up in gravies and if you have steamed potatoes (rather than boil them in the base with the water) the water is good for using in your bread machine.

Never bothered with an electric steamer, never felt the need. My 3 tiered traditional one gives me far more freedom and versatility because at a push, it has also done double duty as a colander.

rosh12

I love my steamer- I have an electric one, and it is so easy. They always seem to be reduced in the sales e.g. at Debenhams (ours is a Tefal- a prezzie from the sales from my lovely inlaws), and most (big) supermarkets seem to halve the price too whenever the sales are on.

One thing I would say- the timings in the instruction book for veg etc are SO wrong... eg lots of the veg timings say 20-30 mins. It only ever seems to take 8-15 mins depending on quantity etc!

Justie

we have a couple of foldaway ones which are great as they're cheap and fit any but the smallest of pans. You can find them in most kitchen departments and some cheaper than this - if you have nonstick pans you need to check that the feet won't scratch them but otherwise they're universal. http://www.lakeland.co.uk/product.aspx/!1139

competitionscafe

M&S do a decent 3-tier stainless steel one and I think they have 20% of all homewares at the moment. I got mine a few weeks ago and it's excelllent.
http://www.marksandspencer.com/gp/product/B000NX3Q5A/sr=1-1/qid=1175858108/ref=sr_1_1/202-4136681-2145412?ie=UTF8&node=48454031&m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&keywords=&mnSBrand=core&size=9&rh=&page=