Are food steamers worth it?: A Deep Dive into Steaming with the Duronic FS95 Food Steamer (2024)

FAQs

Are food steamers worth it?: A Deep Dive into Steaming with the Duronic FS95 Food Steamer? ›

Locks in Nutrients - Using a steamer offers numerous benefits that elevate both the taste and nutritional value of your meals. Unlike traditional cooking methods that often strip away essential vitamins and minerals, steaming preserves nutrients, ensuring your food retains its health benefits.

Absolutely! Food steamers offer many advantages. For starters, they are a healthier cooking option, perfect for those mindful of their food intake or looking to maintain a nutritious diet. Steaming retains more vitamins and minerals than many other cooking methods and doesn't require oil.

A steamer can replace an iron if your intention is to remove wrinkles from fabrics, especially delicate fabrics that cannot be ironed like silk, woolens, and items with pleating. However, you won't get the crisp, pressed polish of ironing—steaming creates a smooth, casual finish.

The only real concerns with steaming food are flavor and overcooking. However, there are lots of ways to jazz up steamed food: Steam foods in broth or stock.

Although they may not have gotten quite as much hype as air fryers or slow cookers, steamers are highly energy-efficient cooking appliances. Steaming is also an incredibly healthy way to cook because you don't need oil, and it preserves the texture of delicate ingredients such as fish.

You will need about ½-1 lb/person as an appetizer or 1-2 lbs/person if it's the main course. One pound will get you about 12-15 clams. The best way to clear the grit out of steamer clams is to put them into a large bowl or basin and add ⅓ cup sea salt to 1 gallon of cold water ratio.

It cooks the vegetables and softens them up, but because they're not immersed in water, they don't lose as many nutrients. The process is time consuming and there is wastage of fuel. However, the disadvantage with steaming is that it is a slow method of cooking.

Ideal fabrics for steaming? Wool, wool blends, synthetic wool-like fabrics, cashmere, silk, silk blends, and other delicates. Fabrics to avoid: suede, waxed jackets, and anything plastic — it might melt. Steam any sort of lining first, and always steam items from top to bottom.

What foods cannot be steamed? ›

Veg to avoid steaming:

Any large chunks of hard veg, such as potatoes, squash or celeriac.

Steaming the food for too long

Steaming is an extremely fast cooking method, so oversteaming is a common misstep. Overcooking the slightest can result in a mushy mess you won't want to serve your guests or family.

Locks in Nutrients - Using a steamer offers numerous benefits that elevate both the taste and nutritional value of your meals. Unlike traditional cooking methods that often strip away essential vitamins and minerals, steaming preserves nutrients, ensuring your food retains its health benefits.

Reduces energy costs.

As mentioned above, clothes steamers are quicker than irons, thereby saving you electricity.

“In testing, steamers were less effective than irons on stubborn folds and wrinkles, particularly on the hems of heavily creased shirts, jeans, and cotton sheets,” Jackie says. “If you wash and dry dress shirts—or any button-down shirts—at home, an iron is a better tool for keeping them crisp.”

Handheld garment steamers beat irons in terms of convenience because they are lightweight and require little space. A disadvantage with a steamer is that creases cannot be pressed into fabrics. Your dress shirt won't look crisp if you use a steamer.