Top 10 Best Food Steamers in the UK 2021 (Russell Hobbs, Morphy Richards and More)

There are various factors you'll need to decide upon when choosing a food steamer. While you should definitely consider the type, capacity and materials, you may also be interested in advanced features such as timers and keep warm functions. In this section, we’ll cover all of these aspects and more! 

The first choice to make is whether you want to go manual or electric. They will both provide the same delicious, wholesome food, so you don’t have to worry about the outcome – it’s just a matter of how you prefer to cook. 

With manual food steamers, you place your ingredients inside the tiered steamer pans over a pot of boiling water on the hob. The steam from the pot then travels up through the ventilation holes in the pans to cook your food.

These are simple, straightforward and can be the most economical option when it comes to upfront costs. However, they’ll require more attention as they don’t have any advanced cooking functions, such as timers.

Electric steamers are certainly much more common nowadays. With these, you simply place water inside the reservoir of the machine, plug it in and switch it on. This will free up more space on the hob and will allow you to easily steam fish or veggies while you prepare the rest of your meal.

Digital steamers also tend to have convenient cooking features such as timers, keep warm functions and auto-shutoff. However, they are likely going to be significantly more expensive. 

Next, you’ll want to consider the size and capacity of the steamer. Generally speaking, the more tiers the appliance has, the greater the capacity. Food steamers usually come with 1 - 3 tiered sections. So, the full capacity of the steamer will be the total usable area of all included tiers combined.

For a family of four, we recommend a steamer with a capacity of 9 litres or more. However, for couples and single person households, you may prefer a smaller 5 - 6 litre appliance as large steamers can be cumbersome and difficult to store.

The material the steamer is made from will directly affect its performance and durability. Metals such as stainless steel and aluminium are commonly used as these conductive materials will warm up quickly and retain heat well, meaning that your food will steam faster.

Plastic is often the material used for the steamer pans. This is because it's lightweight, making it an excellent choice for multi-tiered options as it's easier to stack. While it's not particularly insulating, plastic is waterproof and won't become damaged by steam.

If you're concerned about getting the cooking done in a hurry, you could opt for a glass steamer, as these will often cook food faster than plastic. However, they're going to be heavier and more fragile, which is why they are only available on single-tiered models – not great if you want to cook more than one dish!

If you’re looking to buy an electric steamer, then you’ll want to consider the power output. This is measured in watts, if you're unsure which one to choose, remember that the higher the watts, the faster the cooking speed.

For the average family, a food steamer that runs somewhere between 800 – 1000 W should be ample. If you have a busy household and would prefer a shorter cooking time, then look for a product that is 1500 W or above. 

Just be aware that the more powerful your appliance is, the more energy it will also consume. So if you're looking to keep the electricity bill down, you may want to choose a more energy efficient model.

Advanced functions and features are generally reserved for electric appliances, so you can skip this section if you've already decided on a manual steamer. 

The first feature we recommend is a timer. Ideal for those who have a million things going on at once, it will automatically turn the device off once the cooking time has elapsed, ensuring your food doesn't turn to mush. These steamers will often also have a keep warm function, a handy feature that prevents the cooked food from going cold while you wrap up the rest of your meal.

Finally, if you find you can be a bit forgetful in the kitchen, you might want to seek out a food steamer with an auto-shutoff function. This function will lower the chances of any electrical accidents by turning off the appliance after a set amount of time. 

Now that you know the food steamer essentials, here are the top 10 best to buy online in the UK. We've listed all our favourites in ranking order, so you'll no doubt be whipping up a healthy feast in no time!

Eating healthy shouldn't be a chore. By choosing the right kitchen appliances, you'll be well on your way to making nutritious home-made meals and snacks at home. Forget the fast food, check out the links below to kick-start your health food journey today!

Whether you're prepping fish or steamed vegetables, you're going to love how efficient cooking is with a food steamer. Hopefully after reading our buying guide, you will feel better equipped to choose the right one for you and your families eating habits. All that's left to do is look up some healthy recipes to dazzle their tastebuds! 

Author: Lewis Clark