Best food steamers 2024: create healthy meals

Best food steamers 2022: Electric steam cookers from top brands
(Image credit: Hamilton Beach)

The best food steamers are fantastic for creating healthy meals with lots of different elements and will make a great addition to any kitchen. They’re an excellent way to preserve the flavor and moisture of ingredients, as well as being better for your health by locking in more nutrients than boiling. Food steamers can also free up valuable space on your kitchen’s stovetop, so you have more freedom over the elements you want to cook.

The best food steamers often come with multiple tiers to 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 rice cookers and the best Instant Pots

The best food steamers we recommend in 2024

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We're on a mission at Top Ten Reviews to review everything we feature in our buyer's guide. While we haven't been able to test every entry in this guide in person, we've instead honed in on top-rated brands and used our knowledge of the best food steamers to help you make the right decision.

The best food steamer overall

Hamilton Beach 5.5 Quart: Best food steamer overall

(Image credit: Amazon)

1. Hamilton Beach 5.5 Quart

The best food steamer overall

Specifications

Tiers: 2
Capacity: 5.5 Quart

Reasons to buy

+
This is the easiest food steamer to use of the models we reviewed
+
The steamer has convenient features like a water-level window and delay start
+
Automatic warm setting

Reasons to avoid

-
Tricky to clean

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 cooking 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.

The best food steamer for professionals

(Image credit: Amazon)

2. Cuisinart Digital Glass Steamer

The best food steamer for professionals

Specifications

Tiers: 1
Capacity: 5 Quarts

Reasons to buy

+
Five liter dishwasher-safe glass pot
+
Five preprogrammed foods settings 
+
Electronic LCD display

Reasons to avoid

-
 Only one steaming tier  
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Expensive

The Cuisinart Digital Glass Steamer is an ultra-high-end steam cooker that has preset modes for cooking seafood, poultry, grains, and vegetables, as well as 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 settings to meet your tastes and preferences, and there’s also an audible alarm that 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 that 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, saving you from bland potatoes or tasteless greens. A deserved entry in our guide to the best food steamers.

The best vintage-style food steamer

Vintage design food steamer in light green with a stainless steel top section.

(Image credit: Getty)

3. BUYDEEM G563 5-Quart Electric Food Steamer

The best vintage-style food steamer

Specifications

Tiers: 1
Capacity: 5 Quarts

Reasons to buy

+
Aesthetic design
+
Compact and lightweight

Reasons to avoid

-
Only one tier

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, yogurt machine, sterilizer, and thawing machine into one handy device. 

It's easy to fill up the bottom tray with water, and it has 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. 

The fastest food steamer

BELLA Food Steamer 13872: Best for steaming food fast

(Image credit: Amazon)

4. BELLA Food Steamer 13872

The fastest food steamer

Specifications

Tiers: 2
Capacity: 7 Quarts

Reasons to buy

+
Cooks food fast
+
Comes with a rice bowl
+
Drawer lets you add water while steaming 

Reasons to avoid

-
No warm setting

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-shaped 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.

The best large capacity food steamer

Multi-level food steamer with stainless steel sections and a black bottom.

(Image credit: Getty)

5. Secura Electric Food Steamer

The best large capacity food steamer

Specifications

Tiers: 2
Capacity: 8.5 Quarts

Reasons to buy

+
Affordable 
+
Digital display

Reasons to avoid

-
Not many different settings

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 prevent 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.

The best food steamer for small kitchens

Aroma 5-Quart AFS-186: Best food steamer for small kitchens

(Image credit: Amazon)

6. Aroma 5-Quart AFS-186

The best food steamer for small kitchens

Specifications

Tiers: 2
Capacity: 5 Quarts

Reasons to buy

+
Large water reservoir 
+
Two tier, with removable middle shelf
+
Window to monitor water level

Reasons to avoid

-
 Basic, cheap construction 

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 bulkier 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 that 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.

The best food steamer for vegetables

(Image credit: Lowe's)

7. NESCO 5-Quart

The best food steamer for vegetables

Specifications

Tiers: 2
Capacity: 5 Quart

Reasons to buy

+
Easy to set up and use 
+
Steamer bowl included

Reasons to avoid

-
Hot exterior when used
-
Not the best rice results we had 

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 are great for preparing various components of meals separately, and it 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. 

How to choose the best food steamer for you

Steaming is one of the healthiest ways to cook everything from beef to broccoli, according to an article 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 in 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 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 avoiding 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.

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 in 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.

Millie Fender
Head of Reviews

Millie Fender is Head of Reviews at Top Ten Reviews. She also works on our sister sites: Real Homes, Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens, and Livingetc. As Head of Reviews, Millie is on a mission to make sure that we are reviewing all of the latest and greatest products for you and your home, whether it's a vacuum cleaner or an inflatable hot tub.