How to choose a steamer - how to choose a steamer
The assortment of kitchen appliances is quite rich with various devices and devices. Recently, steamers have become very popular among housewives.
Let the technology by which the food is cooked not on fire, but for a couple is already very old, but it does not lose its relevance. And why? Yes, simply because this approach to cooking provides people with a healthier food containing more nutrients and vitamins. The article will tell you how to choose a steamer.
How to choose a steamer
Today, except steamers, very often buy multivarks, which also know how to cook food for a couple, but have some more functions that are not available to steamers. But remember that a device specially designed for a particular operation, copes with its task much better than such a "jack of all trades".This directly concerns the multivariate and steamer. The latter benefit from their design.
The main thing that should be noted is two or three food containers. Due to this, at one time a steamer can cook much more dishes than a multivarker.
And the volumes of these tanks are quite large and equal approximately 2-3 liters, which in total gives about five liters. That, of course, several times more than what a multivarker can offer you.
Typically, models with two bowls are suitable for families consisting of 2-3 people. And their triple "brothers" - for a large family. On the other hand, if you want to prepare a complete lunch at a time, let only for two people, a steamer for two bowls may not be enough. Keep in mind that the larger the bowls and the higher their volume, the more difficult it is to heat the foods they contain. And this means that the time for cooking will have to be spent more than planned.
Some steamers are equipped with bowls of different sizes. This allows you to add them as a designer one to one, which saves a lot of space in the kitchen. Especially such an opportunity will be relevant for owners who do not have large areas.
What is inside the
Steamer A larger number of steamers are equipped with transparent food bowls( and multivarks are opaque).This is very useful for scrupulous housewives, who, although fully control the cooking process and see exactly how the products are stacked in the steamer.
Thanks to the large walls, you can easily observe the cooking phase of a particular dish. And deciding to check, located in the lower bowl, you do not have to shoot the top three. Everything will be perfectly visible.
In addition, to begin with, when you do not yet have enough cooking experience in steamers, it will be very useful to look at how the process goes. So at least you will roughly understand, at what stage of readiness is this or that dish.
It should be noted that some models are made of a material that fogs up steam, and therefore it will be difficult to consider something in a double boiler. But it is believed that opaque bowls are much more resistant to shocks and any other damage. But when choosing a double boiler, pay attention to the transparent bowls. Now you know which steamer to choose and find a device that is completely suitable for all parameters.
Most models of steamers have a special container, into which the juice that is released during cooking and evaporated water flows. Therefore, keep in mind that if you cook several dishes at the same time, you risk "impregnating" foods from the lower bowl with juice from the top.
Of course, this is not something too horrible( especially when you are preparing several dishes similar to each other, for example, only vegetables or only fish).
If it's too important for you that the food is not soaked with foreign smells, buy yourself a steamer with several pallets. In addition, consider models that are equipped with deep pallets( from 2 or more centimeters).Then you will never have a situation where the capacity is overflowing with juice, for example.
7 signs of a good steamer
To learn how to choose a good steamer, you need to read these moments:
Control
Specialists and experienced housewives believe that the best choice for any steamer is mechanical control. Including such a device is quite simple, you need to turn the switch, which is also a timer. It's very fast, simple and incredibly convenient.
Steamers with electronic control type have a small display on the bottom of the bowls, showing the modes in which cooking is currently taking place.
Typically, these steamers are equipped with a huge number of all sorts of functions, including still useful, like delaying cooking and keeping food warm.
It would seem that it could be better? But steamers with electronic control have some drawbacks. For example, when selecting a mode, you need to very, very carefully press the buttons, otherwise you can spoil the products. You do not want it, do you?
And these steamers are broken for some reason much more often and faster than their mechanical "brothers".
Volume of bowls
Usually the volume of bowls varies within one and a half to three liters. Choose a steamer for this calculation so that you have enough food for all members of your family.
Be sure to pay attention to the volume of the bowl that is intended for cooking rice. Its volume in various models varies from 0.7 to 2 liters. Even with a large steamer, the volume of the rice bowl may not be enough to feed all the hungry family members.
And indeed, this is only the name of the "bowl for rice," you can cook absolutely any porridge in it.
Bowl shapes
As mentioned above, choose steamers and according to this indicator. Decide for yourself what is more convenient for you: to have all the cups of the same diameter and easily change them in places or that they all are different in size, thereby saving you space.
Power of steamer
This is a very important indicator. Correctly select the power of the device. Usually it is from 600 to 2000 watts.
It would seem that the higher the power, the faster the steamer should cook. But it is not always the case. The speed of the preparation of food depends on other parameters of the device. For example, on the volume of the bowls and features of the design.
Pallet height
By choosing a steamer with a very small pan, you risk constantly draining condensation from it.
If you do not do this, the pallet is overfilled and its contents can get on the heating element. The pallet should be no less than 1.5 cm in height. And even better 2-2.5 centimeters.
Pay attention to the steamers having handles on the pallet. So it will be very easy for you to shoot it, and pour out the contents, excluding the possibility of burning yourself.
The water level indicator
A very convenient thing in the steamer, although it can not be called absolutely necessary. So you can always be aware of how much water is left in your steamer.
Water hole
In order for the steam cooker to function normally, it is necessary that the heating element be completely immersed in water. If the water level is not enough, the device simply turns off.
Some models of steamers have a special hole, through which it is very easy to add water.