The best food steamers often come with multiple tiers so you can cook an entire meal in just one appliance. They also usually have digital controls so you can adjust the heat and intensity of the cooking process depending on your preferences. Food steamers aren’t only great for cooking vegetables either, as some appliances have larger tiers to accommodate meat or fish, with the tiered design allowing the flavors to mix as cooking goes on. A good number of food steamers in our guide also have built-in cooking settings for different types of food. These smart appliances can cater to meat, vegetables, eggs, and potatoes, taking the work out of your hands when it comes to setting specific times for the steaming process. If you’re inclined towards fuss-free appliances, this guide also has alternatives that are easier to use and cost less too. The size of food steamers can range up to a 12-quart capacity, which means every family should be able to find one to suit their needs. For more appliances that focus on healthy living, check out the best air fryers (opens in new tab) and the best blenders (opens in new tab).
1. Hamilton Beach 5.5 Quart: Best food steamer overall
The Hamilton Beach 5.5 Quart is an affordable two-tier food steamer with a removable divider for large items. Using its digital display, you can set it to steam, delay start and warm, and it includes a rice bowl for steaming rice and small foods. This steam cooker is more versatile than others; the delay start feature is unique to this model, and a post-cooking warmer is found on very few of the food steamers we tested. These features, coupled with its low cost, make it a good investment for healthy cooking. You can prepare a whole meal at once using this one convenient appliance. Food cooks faster in the bottom tier, so you should put food that takes longer to cook below and use the top tier for items that have shorter cook times. For instance, you would place chicken and potatoes in the bottom bowl and green beans or squash on top. It can accommodate small items or large foods, such as corn on the cob or a head of broccoli. You can also cook seafood, poultry, hot dogs, hard or soft-boiled eggs, and rice.
Buy the Hamilton Beach 5.5 Quart here (opens in new tab)
2. Cuisinart Digital Glass Steamer: Best professional food steamer
The Cuisinart Digital Glass Steamer is an ultra high-end steam cooker which has preset modes for cooking seafood, poultry, grains and vegetables, as well as a manual control. It can also reheat food to serving temperature, and keep food warm once it’s finished cooking. The electronic LCD display allows you to adjust your cooking setting to meet your tastes and preferences, and there’s also an audible alarm which sounds when your meal is finished. The Cuisinart Digital Glass Steamer is a significant investment, but the five liter glass pot is high-quality and will get plenty of use in your kitchen. It’s also nice to have a glass steamer pot if you are wary of even BPA-free plastic when cooking food. The pot only has one level, but the tray which lines it can be used to easily lift food away and flipped to act as a steamer stand for versatile use. The major drawback of steamers with only one tier is that your food will all have to cook on the same level of heat, and if you want to add or remove something from the pot you’ll have to open the glass lid and lose the steam. However, you’ll find cooking meals all-in-one a convenient way of preparing meals, and your food will take on the flavor of the component parts which saves you from bland potatoes or tasteless greens. A deserved entry in our guide to the best food steamers.
Buy the Cuisinart Digital Glass Steamer here (opens in new tab)
3. BUYDEEM G563 5-Quart Electric Food Steamer: Best food steamer with a vintage design
Food steamers are often not the most aesthetically pleasing kitchen appliance so when we find one that has a stylish design, we think it’s important to shout about. The BUYDEEM G563 can be heated up within one minute, making it great for quick dinners or snacks. It also has multiple functions, integrating a steamer, stew pot, yoghurt machine, sterilizer and thawing machine into one handy device. It’s easy to fill up the bottom tray with water and it has an auto power-off protection, so when it’s running low on water it will shut down automatically to prevent the pot from burning. It will also be a good choice if you have a smaller kitchen as it’s super compact and lightweight at only 9.47lb.
4. BELLA Food Steamer 13872: Best for steaming food fast
You can fix healthy, tasty chicken and as much as five cups of rice with the BELLA Food Steamer 13872. It starts steaming in about 30 seconds, so you can quickly start cooking chicken without using unhealthy oils. The two-tiered basket keeps different foods separate, and this steamer cooked faster than any other model we tested. The steamer comes with a five-cup rice bowl. You add water to a drawer-shape area, and a water level indicator shows you how much is in there. If the water level gets too low, the machine shuts off automatically. You adjust the temperature using a simple dial, and a green indicator light lets you know the steamer is working. All of the BELLA Food Steamer 13872’s removable parts are dishwasher-safe.
Read our BELLA Food Steamer 13873 review (opens in new tab)
5. Secura Electric Food Steamer: Best large capacity steamer
The Secura electric food steamer generates steam in just 15 seconds, making it a good choice for those who often make dinner in a hurry. The digital display is easy to read and adjust to the desired setting, as well as easy to wipe down when you’re cleaning up. It also has two tiers that can be stacked on top of each other, so the steamer can easily be used for vegetables, fish, chicken, or grains. With a non-slip upper knob and anti-scalding handle, it’s also much safer to use. Auto-shut off also means that when there is no water in the machine, it will automatically power down to avoid the pan from burning - great for added peace of mind. At 8.5 quarts, this Secura model has a substantial capacity that will be useful for larger families. Many steamers come with a standard 5 quarts, so it’s definitely a strong choice for those who love to host or batch cook. The stainless steel design is also an added bonus - it will look super sleek on a surface.
6. Aroma 5-Quart AFS-186: Best food steamer for small kitchens
The Aroma 5-Quart AFS-186 can be heated up within a minute and will fit up to five quarts, allowing you to cook multiple foods at once with its two-tier system. The top shelf has a curved lid, so you’ll have to put longer or more bulky items on the bottom tier of this steam cooker. This food steamer is easily cleaned in a dishwasher, which saves you scrubbing the slatted tray by hand. Because it’s narrow and tall, this food steam is also easy to store. The Aroma 5-Quart AFS-186 has a window which allows you to monitor the level of water in your steamer. You can’t top this up without turning off the steamer, so be sure to fill it up before cooking. The Aroma 5-Quart AFS-186 allows you to set your timer with the dial on the front of the base, and its handy chart which sits right beside the dial will tell you how long you need to steam various foods for, which is a lovely touch.
Read our Aroma 5-Quart AFS-186 review (opens in new tab)
7. NESCO 5-Quart: Best food steamer for vegetables
If you want a simple food steamer to make mealtimes easier, or if you live alone or in a small household, the NESCO 5-Quart could be the best food steamer for you. It has three tiers, which is great for preparing various components of meals separately, and also comes with a rice bowl, which is a handy tool for adding some versatility to your cooking routine. If you want a food steamer for cooking vegetables specifically, this is a great one. We say that because we weren’t in love with the results when we tried the rice we cooked in it. This steamer doesn’t come with the more high-end functions of other models we reviewed, but for the price, it’ll do everything you need it to.
Read our NESCO 5-Quart Review (opens in new tab)
Why buy a food steamer?
Steaming is one of the healthiest way to cook everything from beef to broccoli, according an article (opens in new tab) published by Healthy Options. Among other things, eating steamed food can help you lower your cholesterol – steaming meat removes fat, unlike frying, baking and grilling. Also, you don’t need to use butter, oil or any other fat to cook meat when you use a steamer. Steaming is also an excellent way to prepare vegetables since it cooks them thoroughly without sapping them of essential vitamins and minerals. In addition, steamed vegetables retain their taste, color, juices and freshness better than those cooked other ways. Other cooking methods, such as boiling, can destroy naturally occurring vitamin B, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, biotin B12, pantothenic acid and vitamin C as well as minerals like calcium, phosphorous, potassium and zinc. An article (opens in new tab) published online by Shape Magazine also encourages steaming many foods, especially vegetables, chicken breasts, fish and shellfish. “It’s perfect for fish and shellfish because it doesn’t dry out the delicate flesh. Halibut, cod and snapper steam particularly well,” the article states. Shape recommends jazzing up your steamed meals with herbs and other natural flavorings and to avoid using salt, which will wash off. For example, you can steam a fish fillet in foil with some garlic, grated ginger, onion, basil leaves and a bit of lemon juice.
How to choose a food steamer
Size Food steamer size is measured in quarts, and most models are 3 quarts or bigger. They also usually have one to three tiers. When you buy a model with more than one tier, you can stack different items and steam them at the same time or cook large foods and big batches. If you buy a combination rice cooker and food steamer, the size is relative to the number of cups of rice the cooker makes. The larger the rice cooker, the larger the steamer basket will be. Small steamers are great for cooking a single dish, while a three-tier model can cook a whole meal. Versatility Dedicated food steamers can accommodate a variety of foods, but if you often cook rice, it makes sense to get a rice cooker and food steamer combo. These machines typically limit the variety of food you can prepare at the same time because there is only one basket for steaming other foods. Still, if you usually eat rice and meats or vegetables together, a food steamer and rice cooker combo is a convenient way to prepare a meal. Ease of Use Food steamers come in electronic and stovetop varieties. Electronic steamers have timers, so you can set them and do other things while you wait for your food to cook. Stovetop varieties need some monitoring – you have to keep an eye on water levels and perfect your timing so your food is cooked the way you want it. The best steamers are dishwasher safe so there are no pots to clean.
3. BUYDEEM G563 5-Quart Electric Food Steamer: Best food steamer with a vintage design
