Using a steamer...

[Yorkiegirl]

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This is from my steamer booklet:
fruit = 13 - 20 minutes
veggies = 15 - 30 minutes
eggs = 10 - 18 minutes
rice = 20 - 35 minutes
Poultry = 15 - 25 minutes
fish = 8 - 15 minutes

I would cook the stuff for the minimum time - see what they are like (are they cooked) if not keep adding on 5 minutes.
If you would like recipies - I have a stemer recipie book in front of me. Loads of fish ones. Also says how to do rice. Let me know if you want any

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I do majority of my vegetables in a steamer. I find that carrots and potatoes take the longest at around 25 minutes, depending on size and how cut. I always put these on the bottom one too. Things like baby corn, baby courgettes, green beans, peas, broccolli, etc. take about 10-15 minutes. Spinach and aspargus only take about 6 or 7 minutes max (on top tier).

I have done chicken and fish int he steamer but not for a while. I think a chicken breast takes about 20 minutes, a piece of white fish (depending on thickness) about 10 minutes.

Never tried rice, sorry!

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according to my book here goes:
put 200g of basmati rice (although I am sure that you could use other), with 300ml of wather and a pinch of salt together. cook for 20 minutes. seperate the grains of rice with a fork and add a knob of butter (you could leave that out if you wanted).

I think that you can cook most things in it. My book even suggests spaghetti (150g spaghetti, 500ml of water, 1 spoon olive oil, 30 g butter - steam for 20 minutes). I will have a look and see if there are any other good recipies

sorry to interrupt, but are the machines any good? Recommendations? No. of tiers, electronic etc ta

I love my electric steamer and use it all the time for veggies. PILs enjoyed the steamed veg so much that they have now got one too and again, they use it all the time too. Ours is a Tefal one with threee tiers and a rice holder thing.

But I think you generally only need two tiers. I am not bothered about doing rice either so that isn't important to me.

may I bump this up in order to rave about my new electric steamer - I am now cooking virtually everything in it. Rice - trick is to add boiling water to it (rather than from cold) then it cooks v easily, I find it takes 25 mins for brown rice. couscous is fabulous, quinoa easy peasy, pasta came out a bit soggy but that was first go, I think I left it too long. All these grains and things need to be in a 'rice bowl' with their own cooking liquid to which you can add flavourings.

The best thing is being able to leave the steamer to do its own thing with no stirring or sticking. eg recipe for quick baby feeding; arrive home with cross hungry baby under one arm, put down keys and go straight to freezer, empty small bag of frozen mixed veg into steamer and turn it on for 6 minutes whilst still holding baby. Remove coat, sort out nappy, etc. When steamer pings chuck all veg into blender, add cold milk from fridge, whizz up and feed to rapturous babe. Steamer is also brilliant at defrosting things ( we don't have a microwave) and it releases much less steam into the air than a stove-top type.
Ours is a kenwood which is oval shaped, so sticks out less on the worktop, but I expect they are all pretty good.