steamers

[geranium]

Not a recipe question but hoping the cooks out there will be able to answer this. Now that we have ds we eat masses of veg. and I always (over)boil them. Gather steaming would be a much healthier way of cooking. Is is worth buying a steamer? I was thinking of popping over to John Lewis but would appreciate advice first. Anything to look out for? Should they be plug in or just cooked on the stove?

I know you can do this with a plate over a saucepan of boiling water but I don't think I have the right type of plates and I always have so much else on teh stove I think I would rather take a simpler option (if a steamer is a simpler option).

Thanks

I love the new steamer I bought in France. I'm sure JL would have them. It is very big, has two layers and is enamelled.

My most used kitchen tool.

spidermama, does it go on the hob or plug in? What make is it? How do you know how many minutes to give different types of veg - trial and error or does it come with a little book?!

Mine came with a small booklet but it was in French so I didn't get very far with it.

It goes on the hob and you can just poke the veg with a knife to see if it's ready. Things take a little longer but have far more flavour and keep more nutirtion in them. Potatoes are particularly delicious.

You can do fish, or dumplings in the top bit too.

I wouldn't get a plug-in unless have loads of space and would be leaving in out on a surface all the time.

I got a stainless steel one from Argos for about £12 last year. sadly I don't think they do them anymore. I ummed and arrghed over stainless steel or an electric one and decided that the stove top one would be better for me. I use it all the time, brilliant way of cooking veg etc. and even if you do over cook it, it's still in one piece not all mushy in the water. It comes with instructions about how long to cook everything but obviously it's all abit trial and error to start with. I do carrots and cauliflower for about 15 mins and broccoli for about 10.

I have a stainless steel two-tiered one too - i agree that an electric one would involve too much faff

thanks, I'll have a look for a stainless steel hob one. The ones in John Lewis that I vaguely noticed last time I was there seemed to be glass tiers on top of a base so must be plug in.

Got a white plastic two tiered one from Lakeland Plastics. It's a plug in with a timer and I use it lots, definately worth investing in.

asda, matalan do them. really good stainless steel and work great for really cheap cost..... £8ish i think.

I had an electric one which I used for preparing batches of baby food when the boys were tiny. But now I just use a regular metal one over a saucepan on the hob, which is easier for me. (I don't have a lot of worktop space and just found the electric one a bit of a faff.)

I bought a hob top steamer from Argos ages ago for £10, they still sell it because my friend bought one recently after my recommending it. It is brilliant and when not using the top two steaming baskets I use the bottom pot for cooking pasta or soups. (I don't know if it is the same as Furball's but I do know they still have these ones instore, M bought hers two weeks ago.)

Works a treat and not as expensive or fiddly as electric ones I feel (mine is gathering dust since I bought the other one!)