Vegetable steamer - any good?

Citygirl1

I am thinking of getting a simple veg steamer as my sister in law has got one and said its the best thing she's ever had. Yet a friend today has told me that steamed veg is tasteless so I don't know what to do now.


I am usually a ready meal kind of girl but have started buying veg in packs already prepared and the steamed bags of veg that you can put in the microwave but I am trying to save money and eat more healthily.


I do have a slow cooker and sometimes do batch cooking. I live alone and work full time, but the veg seems rather stewed in there, though its is handy for cooking mince.


I don't want to too many gadgets in the kitchen but want to find a quicker, healthier way of cooking.

boliston

I actually picked a steamer up from sainsburys (£25 for a 3 part steamer - saucepan + 2 steaming pans with holes in bottom so you can use them in "double decker" format) a few days ago and its a lot better than boiling! I've only done carrots & broccoli in it so far and I normally steam the carrots for about 12 minutes then also chuck in the broccoli for a further 6 minutes and the results have been very good - the veg seems cooked without the "sogginess" that boiling can sometimes give.

bossymoo

I think steaming preserves the taste, rather than boiling it out! Each to their own. I have an electric steamer and really should use it more. They can be a faff to clean sometimes but I love how well it cooks veg.

elsien

I don't have an electric steamer, just the saucepan type. I prefer things like broccoli cooked in the steamer as the texture is better. I wonder if your friend is someone who boils her veggies with lots of salt as obviously with a steamer that would be different, and that's the main thing I noticed to start with.

boliston

Not totally sure what the advantages of an electric steamer is compared with on that goes directly on a gas hob - i assumed using gas would be cheaper as it's about a third of the cost per kwh compared with electric and possibly less heating up time.

jayII

We've had this £10 one for years and it's used most days for frozen or fresh veg.

We also have an electric one but these days we mainly use that for salmon and new potatoes when we have that. It's a lot bigger than the 'pan' one but is horrible to clean, hence the infrequent use.

SailorSam

I've got an electric steamer which is handy 'cos it has a timer on it but now i usually use the stainless steel one on the hob. The veges are much better once you get the hang of it.

pinkladyvenus

I got an electric veg steamer from a car boot £2. It is the only way I will cook my veg now as it tastes so much better than boiled.

saraih

I've got a steamer pan, double decker it and put potatoes in the bottom, veg in the top. The veg is way nicer from it as long as you don't overcook it. It's great for wilting spinach as well, just a few seconds when you've dished up the rest.

I use it most days and the current pan is eleven years old. Well worth it. You can also do rice, fish portions, dumplings and puddings. It's a kitchen basic IMO.

edit: do make sure to get one with pans deep enough for your needs, some are quite flat.

notanewuser

I have had steamer baskets that you just put in a normal saucepan for well over 15 years now. They're brilliant as they can be used in big or small pans and cost no more than £5 each.

MrsAtobe

I'm with saraih on this, potatoes in the bottom, then the next longest veg to cook in the middle tier, then the shortest cooking veg on top. Mine was from Asda.