Electric Steamers/Steaming Food

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frigilux

frigilux

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I'm making a concerted effort to alter my diet from one that is ridiculously heavy in refined carbohydrates (pasta, bread, rice, more bread, and oh, did I mention pasta?) to one of more lean proteins and vegetables. I've have very little experience with steaming foods, but that seems an obvious choice of cooking methods for this healthier endeavor.

I ordered a highly-recommeded Hamilton-Beach electric steamer a few days ago, and it should arrive on my doorstep soon.

My question: Does anyone here steam foods? If so, any suggestions along the lines of technique and menus will be greatly appreciated. Does anyone use an electric steamer, and do you like it?

Thanks in advance for your input.

frigilux++9-26-2012-05-35-35.jpg.png
 
Pardon for asking, but what is the deal with everyone ragging on these types of carbohydrates.  They are all part of a balanced diet, moderation.  I will admit, I've moved more toward les-refined grain sources for rice and pasta as well as bread.  Almost no "white" anything.  I eat more of this as well as vegetables and legumes and less chicken, fish, and a small amount of beef.
 
Hmmm

Well we have one, a Russel Hobs, and while I cant really fault the steamer per se, the food ie meat, does not really taste apetising. Vegetables like carrots, brocolli, mostly any vegetables, come out really good. Maybe if you steam a chicken fillet and then flash fry it, it will taste better. But all of the best with the healthy diet. Every bit helps I suppose.

If you really want healthy food at super fast times get a Pressure cooker, they are wonderful.

Regards
 
Steaming

First off I must register a vote of agreement with Bob regarding the eating of carbs as part of a balanced diet, especially if you avoid cream sauces with them.

I steam vegetables and other foods regularly - indeed it is my first choice for vegetables. I have a stove top steamer and also a Miele steam oven which I use when cooking larger quantities.

Living on my own I find a steamer is an ideal way of cooking a variety of single (or perhaps double) portions of vegetables without a great deal of fuss and more importantly pans. I tend not to use a lot of salt either, for which steaming is ideally suited. I cannot recommend it enough.

You would be well advised to look on the internet for recipies or a recipe book as you will be surprised at the variety of dishes that you can cook with steam.

I did have an electric steamer rather like the HB above (mine was Tefal) which was fine for a couple of years, but I did find the plastic detioriated after a couple of years, hence my moving onto the stove top version.

Happy eating

Al
 
Bob and Alistair-- I don't intend to cut refined carbs out of my diet completely---although I'd like to go a week or two without bread, pasta or rice so that I get out of the habit of making them my "go-to" foods.

I have the chemistry and body type of a person who doesn't process refined carbs efficiently, and everything I've read the past five years says that people like me should watch their intake of the "white foods". The problem is that refined carbs make up a ridiculously high proportion of my caloric intake. I simply need to flip the proportion of lean protein/vegetables with my current carb intake.

No Atkins-style diet for me, thanks.
 
hey Eugene...

...I have an Oster steamer that looks similar to that Hamilton Beach without all those fancy/schmancy controls and I really like it. I love cooking in counter-top appliances and the steamer is one of my favorites. When I'm in the mood to eat healthy I load it up with vegetables, even things like peeled sweet potatoes. Lately I've used it for "slightly" less-healthy things like hot dogs and tamales. Unfortunately it does a great job on those too.

twintubdexter++9-26-2012-12-29-12.jpg
 
Used To Steam Foods Quite A Bit Back In The Day

However once one got a microwave rarely bothered as the two basically are the same process and it left less things to wash up afterwards.

If you are *really* going to go whole hog into steam cooking look into a decent pressure cooker. Next to a microwave it is the fastest method to cook so many foods via steam (under pressure of course), and gives great results.
 
Launderess: Having read a few articles about how microwaving kills more nutrients in foods than was previously believed, I decided to go with a steamer. I'm just hoping the parts go in the dishwasher.

Irrational Fears Department: I'm a bit skittish about using pressure cookers. Had one in the '80's and every time I used it, I was nervous about it, so it went to a new home. I have a pressure-flush toilet which operates at about the same pressure, but that doesn't seem to worry me. I guess that's why they're called irrational fears LOL.
 
I have had an electrical steamer for about 15 years and wouldn't cook vegetables any other way other than maybe roasting or stir frying. However, recently I bought a two tier stainless steel steamer off Ebay for £3.00, which I use on the hob and have to say that I prefer it to the electric ones for various reasons; smaller, easier to clean and much faster. As far as techniques, it will be down to experimentation and suggest you get yourself a book - did it come with one? Over the years I have steamed all veggies and potatoes. Avoid using the rice cooker bowl if it comes with one because these are very slow cooking and other methods are much quicker and better. Keep veggies a uniform size for even cooking, steam meat/fish in the bottom baskets if you are using more than one, don't be afraid to stir and test and prevent overcooking. With fish and meat it is less detrimental to overcook because the steam prevents drying but veggies overcook easily, as they do with all methods so keep an eye on them. If you are steaming carrots and mange tout for example, put the carrots on first and then add the mange tout later or they will overcook. Sounds obvious but some people just think you can turn it on with everything and it will all come out perfect then blame the steamer when it doesn't!

Like I said, experiment and you will learn very quickly how well they work, how much more taste vegetable in particular have, and they maintain a vibrant colour too if cooked for the right length of time.

Steamers are also great for steaming whole chickens if you need a lot of moist chicken meat for something. I could go on for hours but won't!
 
Update: The steamer arrived and is getting a lot of use. Works beautifully, and if you season chicken breasts well, they taste great steamed. The two clear compartments are not dishwasher safe, but I've washed them several times already using the Quick cycle on the LG, which has a wash temp of 110-120.

I've cut back on (not eliminated) refined carbs (sweets, bread, pasta, rice) and have managed to drop a few pounds, already. I'm finding that eating healthier is more fun when you have an appliance to fiddle with, LOL.
 
Steaming a chicken sounds interesting! Would you have a reci

No I don't have a recipe, I came upon it by experimenting. I catered for a family garden party for QEII's Golden Jubilee and amonsgt other things, I did Coronation Chicken and Jubilee Chicken. Because of the amount I had to prepare, 50 people, I decided to by whole chickens and cook them myself. Rather than roast them, which can lead to drying out, I decided to steam them whole. At the time I had a large enough steamer to be able to steam 3 at a time and the best way I found was to stand them up (as they were in life!) resting on their legs open end down so the steam went up inside the cavity. You need to keep an eye on the drip tray and empty it regularly but I guess they were done in 45 mins and as moist as can be. I skinned them and removed the flesh from the carcass whilst they were still hot and the meat just fell off. Great for all sorts of uses and gorgeous as Coronation Chicken. I had no idea how long it would take to cook them so I was regularly checking and also used a meat thermometer. I have done it a few times since but admittedly not for some time. I do steam chicken breasts regularly on the hob in my other steamer and if you season them and serve them with something suitable they are delicious and moist.
 
Hoovermatic/Paul

I love Cornation Chicken we had good friends form England here and now moved to Greece.  It is so good.  Could you share your recipe and also the Jubilee Chicken.  Is it curry based like the cornation?

 

Thanks in advance
 
Seriously......I must have about 12 of these things.....all of them Black&Decker.....a few of them stack.....LOVE THEM!

I use them for everything I can think of...and some things you wouldn't....but comes in handy.......sometimes you have to think outside the box

cut potatos for mashed....or slice long ways for a baked potato

hot dogs come out great...and the buns steam on top

hardboil eggs......combine with the potatos from above....potato salad in a jiffy

use to re-heat foods.....like fried chicken....hot and moist!...

sterilize toothbrushes and sponges....

the ideas are endless....just experiment.....you'll be suprised at what you will discover
 
A saucepan and a cheap Ecko steamer basket that can be found in any grocery store sundry aisle works as well as any dedicated veggie steamer machine IMO, except for the dedicated Japanese rice cooker machines, and even then, you can make steamed rice just fine in a saucepan with a lid and a little attention.

I like carbs - but my affection for them leads to packing on the pounds unless I match physical activity with my carb intake. So I have to try to relate miles of walking to scoops of mashed potatoes... and now that I'm older and my metabolism is slow, I really have to work to up the body furnace to be able eat how I want.

If I were wanting to buy a countertop cooking device, I'd buy one of those French sous-vide machines - they're based on vacuum-sealing meat and cooking it in a vacuum sealed bag at precisely controlled temperature. Perfectly cooked medium rare 125F lamb chops, etc.
 
Did I mention I got ALL of mine at thrift stores for 2 or 3 dollars.......

but your right.....a vacuum sealing device has multi purposes as well.....especially since it vibrates and has suction capabilities with the optional external hose port....

think outside the box!...

imagine.....to pay a price for an appliance that has only ONE purpose.....senseless

and to think....there was a time when one BEAT their clothes on a ROCK by a STREAM.....and only have one thought the whole time!
 
Hey, if countertop curiosities work for you that's great. Most of the stuff I've bought over time, like the Presto hotdog electrocuter, the air popcorn popper thing, the thing that was supposed to soft-cook and poach eggs, the George Foreman Quesadilla maker and so on have turned out to be duds as far as I'm concerned.

But if you've found stuff that really works, more power to you!

The one and only good countertop appliance I ever bought was the Dazey Stripper, ca 1995. My better half loves that thing, and it's getting hard to find blades for it. Once it dies, it's back to potato KP duty for me!
 

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