Updated: 23 Oct 2009

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Introduction

We tested 7 electric food steamers priced from $80 to $189.

Electric steamers allow you to steam different foods together - and you can cook lots at once instead of juggling food in batches as you do with other steaming methods.

We look at how well they cook, how easy they are to use, and what to look for if you're considering buying one.

Models we tested

This report contains test results and recommendations for the following electric food steamers:

Checklist

If you're thinking about buying an electric food steamer, here's what to consider:

Do you really need one?

Steaming is a healthy way to cook. There’s no need to add fat and the food retains its nutrients. Steaming produces tender results because foods aren’t exposed to intense dry heat – so it’s perfect for cooking fish, chicken and vegetables or for reheating meals.

But there are many ways to steam food other than an electric food steamer – you can use a microwave, a bamboo basket over a wok or a steaming rack in a saucepan on the stovetop.

The main advantage of an electric steamer is you can steam different foods together. They’re also handy if you’re feeding a crowd – you can cook lots at once instead of juggling food in batches as you do with other steaming methods.

Will you save time?

Unless you’re steaming a large amount of food, you won’t save time. Broccoli cooks in the microwave in about three minutes but takes eight in a food steamer. Rice cooks in 12 minutes in the microwave or in 15 to 20 minutes on the stovetop – it takes 30 to 40 minutes in a steamer.

Features to look for

• Baskets with removable bases let you stack the baskets to get one double-height (or even triple-height) basket – great for extra-large or bulky food items. The downside is more parts to keep track of and assemble.
• Interchangeable baskets mean you can swap them from one level to another (food cooks fastest in the bottom basket, slowest in the top).
• Programmed cooking times save you having to calculate the steamer time.
• Easy-to-access external water inlet makes it easy to top up the water level during cooking.
• Easy-to-view water gauge lets you see when the steamer needs topping up.
• Dishwasher-safe parts are easier to clean. But most are plastic so they come out of the dishwasher wet and need to be dried.
• Large juice collector/drip tray makes it easier to dispose of moisture – or you can keep it for making stock.
• Accessories such as egg supports (for steaming eggs in their shells) and a rice bowl add versatility.

Tips for good steaming

• Similar-sized pieces helps everything be ready at the same time. If sizes vary, place smaller pieces in the top basket.
• Having space between food allows maximum steam flow.
• Maintain the water level in the base of the steamer during cooking – but keep it at less than two-thirds full.
• If you’re cooking several foods at once, place meat and fish in the bottom basket so they can’t drip on to foods below.
• Letting steam escape will increase the cooking time. So fit the lid well – and don’t remove it for long while the food is cooking.

 

What we found

Top steamers

We tested 7 electric food steamers. Each rated "good" or better in its overall score; and all except the Cuisinart FP2207A produced “very good” or “excellent” results in the cooking tests. With a bit of trial and error to get the timing right, you may do even better than our testers.

Because food steamers are a single-purpose appliance and most can steam food well, our overall score gives more weight to ease of use than cooking performance.

Steaming performance

Complete meal
All steamers except the Cuisinart – which produced uneven results – cooked a complete meal of salmon, broccoli and rice evenly. But they all required more cooking time than we expected.

None did an outstanding job of cooking rice: they took a long time (30-40 minutes) and the results were only average. We think you’d be better off using a rice cooker or microwave – or the “absorption” stovetop method.

We expected there to be some mingling of flavours when three foods were cooked at the same time. But very few of our tasters found the flavours migrated from one food to another.

Tip: Place stronger-smelling foods in the lower baskets so flavours don't drip down from above.

Baby potatoes
The Kenwood FS470 and the Sunbeam ST6820 VitaSteam Electronic were the best at steaming baby potatoes: all their baskets produced perfectly cooked potatoes.

The other steamers – apart from the Cuisinart – were “very good” but each had a small number of slightly overcooked potatoes in its bottom basket. The Cuisinart left a few potatoes in the top basket undercooked.

Ease of use

Controls
Controls on all the steamers were easy to use and understand – although we had to reach for the user manual the first time we set the George Foreman GF3TS timer: it’s a little confusing when you’re not familiar with it.

Storage
All steamers had three baskets, so they’re bulky to store. But the baskets in all except the Sunbeam can be stacked inside each other to make them more compact.

Cleaning
The steaming baskets can be fiddly to clean, particularly if they have removable bases like the Sunbeam and the Cuisinart do.

All the baskets have small holes where food can become trapped.

The baskets in the Breville BFS400, Cuisinart FP2207A, George Foreman GF3TS and the George Foreman GF3TSM can be washed in the dishwasher. However, they take up a lot of dishwasher space and (because they’re plastic) they need to be air- or hand-dried. It may be easier to handwash them.

All base units were fairly easy to wipe clean. The stainless-steel finish on the Cuisinart needed extra attention to keep it shiny.

General ease of use
The baskets on the Sunbeam can fit into any position; the top and bottom baskets on the Kenwood and Breville models can be swapped around.

Having interchangeable baskets can be useful – foods at different levels cook at different speeds. When the lower baskets are removed the top basket can fit on to the base and continue to cook without having to transfer food from the top basket to the bottom basket.

The external water inlet (which lets you top up the steamer’s water during cooking) was easy to access and fill on all except the George Foreman GF3TSM – its inlet was narrow and so it filled slowly.
 

We recommend

• 

  Kenwood FS470

  $90

  Good points

  Excellent cooking performance. Top basket fits in lowest position if required. Baskets stack inside each other for compact storage. Has LCD display screen with pre-set cooking times. Has keep-warm function. Has egg supports.

  But

  Lid isn't transparent (so you can’t see the top layer). Not dishwasher safe.

  Comment

  Basket bases not removable.

  User Reviews 0
• 

  Breville BFS400

  $100

  Good points

  Very good cooking performance. Top basket fits in lowest position if required. Baskets stack inside each other for compact storage. Has egg supports. Dishwasher safe.

  But

  Lid isn't transparent (so you can’t see the top layer).

  Comment

  Basket bases not removable.

  User Reviews 0
• 

  George Foreman GF3TSM

  $80

  Good points

  Very good cooking performance. Baskets stack inside each other for compact storage. Has egg supports. Top-shelf dishwasher safe.

  But

  Each basket has a set position and can't be swapped around during cooking. External water inlet is narrow and slow to fill.

  Comment

  Basket bases not removable.

  User Reviews 0
• 

  George Foreman GF3TS

  $80

  Good points

  Very good cooking performance. Baskets stack inside each other for compact storage. Has keep-warm function. Has delayed-start function. Has egg supports. Top-shelf dishwasher safe.

  But

  Each basket has a set position and can’t be swapped around during cooking. Timer can be confusing to use the first time without referring to the user manual.

  Comment

  Basket bases not removable.

  User Reviews 0
• 

  Kambrook KFS300

  $100

  Good points

  Very good cooking performance. Top basket fits in lowest position if required. Baskets stack inside each other for compact storage. Deep large-capacity baskets. Has egg supports.

  But

  Supporting rings for bottom and middle baskets are fiddly extra parts. Not dishwasher safe.

  Comment

  Basket bases not removable.

  User Reviews 0
• 

  Sunbeam ST6820 VitaSteam Electronic

  $110

  Good points

  Excellent cooking performance. Baskets can be placed in any position. Basket bases are removable. Has delayed-start function. Has egg supports.

  But

  Baskets can't be stacked inside each other (so the steamer takes up a lot of storage space). Not dishwasher safe.

  User Reviews 0