A guide to steam cooking

Give your vegetables the care they deserve - keep them crisp, moist, and packed with nutrients. Steaming cooks them gently, locking in vitamins and flavours for healthier, tastier dishes.

Wellbeing starts with what you eat, and steaming is making a comeback in our kitchens, driven by a desire to eat better without sacrificing taste.

From utensils, techniques, and tips - this is your guide to reviving this timeless cooking method. 

Why cook on steam?

Steaming is like the Swiss Army knife of cooking - versatile and efficient. Nearly any food can be steamed, making it a healthy, easy-to-use method perfect for daily meals or healthy batch cooking. 

Let's explore how you can make it part of your kitchen routine!

Advantages of steaming

Steaming is a quick and straightforward way to cook. This method uses steam to gently cook food without causing damage. For crunchy vegetables, perfectly tender fish and meat, and fluffy, soft grains.

No need to add fat - the flavours are already perfect. And the best part is, you can’t burn your dish! This makes steaming ideal for beginners, busy cooks, and chefs focused on creating healthy meals.

Steaming cooking for healthy cuisine

When it comes to nutrition, steaming works wonders. Unlike boiling, which leaches out water-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins C and B), steaming preserves up to 30–50% of the good stuff.

Steaming is the ultimate go-to for healthy eating. It's perfect for special diets like anti-inflammatory or hypotoxic plans, ideal for those with food intolerances, the elderly, babies, and even athletes. 

Simply put, it’s for anyone looking to boost vitality and health while still savoring delicious, flavourful meals, with no extra fat required!

How does steam cooking work?

Steaming is an easy, fast cooking method perfect for both beginners and seasoned cooks. As water in the pan heats up, it turns to steam, which surrounds the food in a perforated basket above. 

Since the food doesn’t touch the water, it cooks gently at around 95 to 100°C, helping to preserve heat-sensitive vitamins.

The importance of water in steam cooking

Water is, of course, the key ingredient here, even if it doesn't end up on your plate. It influences the quality of the steam and therefore the taste of the food.

How much water should you use?

You only need enough to generate steam without the pan or cooker running dry in the middle of cooking. Generally, you should have 2 to 5 cm of water in the bottom of the pot or pan.

⚠️ Caution: Check the water level carefully before starting a long cooking cycle.

What type of water should you choose?

The ideal choice is water with a low mineral content (such as filtered or spring water). This is especially important if you’re in a hard water area!

➡️ Tip: If you want to add a twist to your recipes, add stock to your water or fresh herbs to subtly flavour your dishes.

Steaming utensils

You might already have a simple kitchen tool that lets you start steam cooking without much effort or extra expense.

Steam cooker

This is the most well-known option. Electric steamers are quite practical: add water to the base, stack the baskets and start cooking.

Some models allow you to keep food warm. Plus, you can cook a complete meal in the different baskets all at once.

The steamer basket

Do you already have a casserole dish in your kitchen arsenal? Good news: you can steam your food by adding a little water to the bottom and placing a steaming tray or basket on top. Don't forget to close the lid!