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The Best Steamer Basket of 2024
Are you sick of eating oily foods that leave you feeling sluggish? If so, you should consider using steamer baskets as a healthy cooking alternative. This method of cooking does not require any butter or oils. Not only will this method of cooking provide you with more nutrients, but you may also be able to avoid unnecessary acne caused by oily foods. Steamer baskets are essential, and to help you get an idea of what baskets are worth purchasing, we have reviewed and rounded up the best steamer baskets of the year. The Consevisen Steamer Basket is our personal favorite pick, and the other options follow closely behind!
Our Top Picks For Steamer Baskets
View all ContentsThe Best Steamer Baskets
Best Overall
The Consevisen Steamer Basket features a practical design that will enable you to adjust the size in accordance with your needs. The steamer can expand up to 11 inches in diameter, so you can make large portions if needed. Also, the steamer comes with a detachable handle that you can use to safely lift up the steamer without burning yourself. With a small hole at the handle’s top, you can use a fork to keep your hands safe from steam.
This steamer basket features collapsible legs to keep food away from boiling water. Plus, the silicone feet keep pot surfaces safe from scratches. It comes with durable stainless steel petals and a highly polished surface to prevent food from sticking. All that said, it’s no surprise this is our best overall choice on the list.
Pros
- Cleaning is hassle-free
- Versatile use as fruit basket and strainer
- Easily adjustable size
Cons
- The handle is made out of plastic
Most Innovative
The Risa Steamer Basket is an innovative product designed to bring a revolutionary steaming experience to the kitchen. This steamer is made from FDA-grade, food-safe silicone that is 100% BPA-free and BPS-free. It is also dishwasher safe and heat resistant up to 230 degrees Fahrenheit. This steamer has a stackable design that allows for multi-level steaming with its own Risa pan and lid. One of the standout features of this steamer is its ability to resist stains and odors that are associated with traditional cooking methods and materials.
As this product is made from food-safe silicone, it prevents bacteria growth and makes it easier to clean. Its stain-resistant design holds up against cooking oils and other ingredients, while its odor-resistant feature makes sure your kitchen won’t be filled with irregular smells. When it comes to using this steamer, it has many advantages over traditional methods of cooking vegetables, dumplings, and more. With its stackable design, you can cook multiple dishes at one time in a shorter period. It also gives you the freedom to adjust levels for more precise steaming based on the type of food and desired texture.
Pros
- Made of food-safe silicone
- Holds up against cooking oil
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Little pricey
Optimal Quality
This Sayfine steamer basket features 18 overlapping petals made from stainless steel that imparts excellent durability and increases its overall longevity. Unlike its contenders, its handle and foldable feet are also constructed from the same material to prevent rusting, corrosion, bending, or warping. Its slim handle features a large O-ring to simplify immersion in deep cook pots or removal from boiling water without exposing your hands to steam.
The three foldable legs keep food above the boiling water, ensuring 90% of nutrients are retained. With a customizable size, it fits most pressure cookers, enabling you to use the cooker you have in your kitchen. When not in use, its petals can be folded to achieve a small and compact structure for convenient storage.
Pros
- Durable and long-lasting material
- Very easy to maneuver
- Light-weight design
Cons
- Unprotected feet can scratch pots
Most Adjustable
Featuring 18 flexible petals, this Zocy Steamer Basket can be customized to fit different pots, from pressure cookers to small soup pots. When not in use, you can fold it into a closed bud structure and keep it inside your cabinets with no space crunch. It features an all-stainless steel construction to enhance durability and longevity. Regardless of your use, it won’t rust or lose flexibility.
This steamer basket comes with a long handle with an O-ring to enable easy insertion and removal from the cooking pot. It also keeps your hand safe from steam and improves maneuverability. You can remove the handle to make extra space for larger food items. The legs are foldable and when opened, they isolate the food items to be steamed from boiling water.
Pros
- Versatile use in the kitchen
- Legs lay flat inside the pot
- Petals open and close smoothly
Cons
- Might wobble when heavy
Budget-Friendly
This affordable Joseph Joseph steamer basket features self-adjustable petals to fit different cooking pots and help you steam different food items with ease. Its long handle is equipped with a forklift hole at the top to ensure hassle-free removal from boiling water and maximum safety from steam. It also comes with three legs to keep the bottom safe from heat and isolate the food items from water.
Constructed from polypropylene and silicone, this steamer basket resists high temperatures, preventing melting or warping while steaming the food items. It is free from BPA and other chemical products to ensure 100% safety of the food items. On top of this, it can be cleaned in the dishwasher.
Pros
- Suitable for nonstick pots
- Visually pleasing color
- Resists damage due to heat
Cons
- Handle can’t be removed
Steamer Baskets: A Buying Guide
Whether you want to improve your health or enjoy steamed food, using a steamer basket ensures hassle-free cooking. But before you get too excited and make a purchase, you should understand what features make up a good steamer basket. To help you with this cumbersome task, we have curated a complete buying guide to help you invest in the perfect steamer basket.
Steamer Basket vs Steamer Pot
A steamer basket is easier to use than a steamer pot.
Steamer baskets are used mainly to steam different types of food items and retain most nutrients. On the other hand, a steamer pot is suitable for cooking Asian delicacies.
You can easily store the steamer basket, owing to its collapsible structure. But the steamer pots are bulkier with a non-collapsible structure, making storage a bit more difficult.
Factors To Consider When Buying a Steamer Basket
Cooker compatibility
You cannot place the steamer basket directly on the stovetop or inside the microwave. The only way to use it is by placing the basket inside a cooking pot and letting the boiling water steam the food items. You can find a lot of different cooking pots, from pressure cookers to soup pots, large open pots, and more. You must check if the chosen steamer basket is compatible with the pots you have in your kitchen. While you can adjust its size by collapsing or expanding the petals, you need to be careful about the size range.
Flexibility
While looking through all steamer basket options, you should check if their petals are flexible or not. If they aren’t flexible enough, you will have to struggle a lot when you are expanding and collapsing their size. Similarly, if they are excessively loose, cooking will take more time and the basket might not keep the food items in place. Ultimately, your chosen product’s petals should have apt flexibility.
Material
Most steamer baskets are made from stainless steel. This is a great material because it is known for exceptional durability, longevity, and resistance to rust. Thanks to the use of alloy steel, the basket won’t show any sign of melting when exposed to high heat. A few products are manufactured from silicone and polypropylene to reduce weight and boost heat resistance. Bamboo steamer baskets are popularly used for Asian cuisine. In most cases, the handle top is made from plastic while a few products feature an entirely stainless steel handle.
Handle
The handle is one of the most important aspects of a steamer basket. It helps you by acting as to move the steamer around when it is hot, and when pushing or pulling on it you can adjust the size of the basket. When you are purchasing a steamer basket, you will want to not only make sure it has a handle, but also a removable one. A removable handle is preferred because you can take the handle off when storing the basket, which will allow you more room to store other items.
Legs and feet
All steamer baskets come with foldable legs that you can expand according to your requirements. Once the legs are erect, the basket will gain more height from the pot’s base, ensuring the food items are isolated from boiling water. In some products, the legs feature silicone-covered feet to protect the pot from scratches.
Price Range of Steamer Baskets
While steamer baskets may look the same, their prices vary between $9.80 and $22.95. For instance, Stainless steel baskets are much costlier than the ones made from silicone. Similarly, if your chosen steamer basket features a removable handle with a forklift loop, its price will be higher than others.
Applications of Steamer Baskets
While steamer baskets are used for steaming food items, they also have several other applications. For instance, you can use it as a filter to strain the liquid after boiling any food item. Similarly, you can use it to wash fruits and vegetables with ease.
Steamer Baskets FAQ
How can I clean a steamer basket?
If the chosen steamer basket is dishwasher safe, you can put it straight into the cleaning appliance and reduce your efforts; otherwise, it needs to be hand-washed.
Are steamer baskets nonstick?
No, the steamer baskets are not nonstick. But as you are steaming the food items with no oil or any other marination, they won’t stick to the basket’s walls.
What food items can I cook using a steamer basket?
A steamer basket is perfect for steaming asparagus, green leaves, salmon, tuna, carrots, bell peppers, and many more food items.
Can I close the pot’s lid after placing the steamer basket?
Yes, you can close the pot lid after immersing the steamer basket inside it only when the handle is collapsible. If not, you need to keep the pot open and allow the steam to cook food.
