Should I Buy An Electric Steamer?
I am pregnant, and supposed to eat healthier food, my husband was suggested to go on a medical diet, and Im also thinking about the time I’m going to introduce solid food to my child, so I want to avoid fried food, fat… And I thought about buying a steamer, because a friend said it would make it easier for me to cook when the baby comes…However, what are the advantages of a steamer, in terms of time of cooking, taste? What I mean is, is it worth the buy, or should I stick to boiling and grilling on the gas cooker? I’m short on money and I don’t want to buy it and then find out it it is useless, clogging my kitchen.
I agree with the first poster. I despise extra appliances cluttering my tiny kitchen. I use a large (2 quart) measuring cup or a corelle casserole pan. A regular size bunch of broccoli takes about 6 minutes- 1 lb carrots about 7 minutes.
I used to have a steamer- it was kind if bulky and had 4 pieces and after regular use- 5-6 months the plastic started looking very ugly.
btw- if you do the measuring cup, cover with plastic wrap tightly, leaveing a small opening at the spout- the you can drain the water off without dirtying the colander.
take care!
one more thing- if you are not going to nurse the baby- the glass measuring cups are great for mixing formula.
I have one and use it on occasion, but don’t think it’s a time saver. A crock pot is a time saver. the steamer is nice to have on hand, but if you are low on money…..forget it. You may use it a lot for the first couple of months, but the newness will wear off and you will get bored with it. I used mine a lot until my kids were born, then i no longer had time to mess with it.
I have one and do not find it is any quicker or easier than stove top or microwave. I do know a lady that made her own baby food in it than puree. That part would be a money saver.
Save your money. Use your microwave or small amount of water to steam your veggies or do stir fry. Might use extra virgin olive oil when you do need some type of oil. We all need oil in our daily intake.
You could indeed buy an electric steamer, but you say your budget is somewhat constrained…so buying a cheaper one you could use on the stove-top would be a better choice and will give you the same results.
Steamed foods are usually quite flavorful and retain more of the nutrients in your food. The difference between boiling, baking, roasting and steaming, in terms of vitamins and the like, really is minimal. Cooking destroys some vitamins no matter the method of cooking. On the other hand, avoiding fat in your foot is not at all a bad idea. Most of us get far more fat in our diets than we need. Just don’t go wild and try to eliminate ALL fat from your diet – we NEED some fat in our diet in order for our bodies to be able to absorb and utilize the fat-soluble vitamins – Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamin K.