What can I use if I dont have a steamer?

Q: What can I use instead of steamer?

If you dont steam food frequently—‚or if you find yourself in need of a steaming basket, stat—dont run out and buy one. All you need is a metal colander or a baking rack, a big pot, and some aluminum foil, and youve got everything you need to make a steamer at home.

Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.

Table of Contents Show

1. Fill a metal strainer or colander.
2. Grab a wire cooling rack.
3. Use a splatter screen.
4. Try a foil pie tin.
5. Fire up the microwave.
How does steam-cooking work?
How do steamers work?
How can you steam without a steamer?
Colander Method
Foil Method
Cooling-Rack Method
Pie-Pan Method
What foods are best for steaming?
Bottom line
What can I use instead of steamer?
Is there a way to steam without a steamer?
Can I use a strainer as a steamer?
How do you steam carrots without a steamer?

updated May 18, 2020

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Credit: Joe Lingeman/Kitchn; Food Stylist: CC Buckley/Kitchn

Beet and Goat Cheese Arugula Salad

Steaming is one of easiest ways we know to cook whole hearty vegetables, fast! No need to break out a fancy steamer, though, just to make a simple weeknight side dish. You can steam with lots of different tools already in your kitchen. When it comes to cooking, there’s rarely just a single way to do something — including steaming. In the case of steaming veggies, a steamer basket is certainly handy, but you don’t necessarily need one. Now repeat after me: No steamer basket, no problem!

(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

1. Fill a metal strainer or colander.

Choose a saucepan that’s wide enough to hold the metal strainer around the rim, and deep enough that the strainer doesn’t touch the bottom. Add about an inch of water to the bottom of the pan, place the strainer over the pan, fill with veggies, and cook. Depending on the size of the strainer and the amount you’re cooking, you may need to work in batches.

2. Grab a wire cooling rack.

With this method, the wider the saucepan, the better. I’d opt for a Dutch oven or roasting pan here. Add about an inch of water to the pan, place the cooling rack over the top of the pan, top with the veggies, and cook.

Credit: Kimberley Hasselbrink

3. Use a splatter screen.

Splatter screens can do more than contain messes in the kitchen. After filling a wide saucepan with water, place the splatter screen over top, add the veggies, and get cooking.

4. Try a foil pie tin.

Turns out those foil tins aren’t just for making dessert. Be sure to use a saucepan that’s wide enough to fit the pie tin inside, and fill the pan with a thin layer of water. Poke holes in the bottom of the pie tin and place it upside down in the saucepan. Place the veggies on top of the tin and steam away.

5. Fire up the microwave.

I saved the most obvious for last. The microwave is one of the easiest (and fastest!) ways to steam veggies, and it might be one of the healthiest ways, too.

Steaming is one of the healthiest ways of cooking all kinds of foods: vegetables retain more of their vitamins and minerals when cooked this way, and it's great for proteins from the sea like clams and salmon and delicate foods like eggs too. But, what if you don't have a steamer? Not to worry, there are ways to enjoy the benefits of steam-cooking without any extra special equipment. Whether you have a garden full of green beans and need healthy steamed green bean recipes, or want incorporate more omega-3s into your eating pattern and need to learn how to steam fish without a steamer, we have options for everyone.

Related: How to Steam Broccoli

How does steam-cooking work?

Steam cooking simply uses the heat of the steam generated by a small amount of simmering water, or other liquid, to cook food that is suspended above the surface of the liquid. Boiling or poaching can leach nutrients from foods into the liquid. Steaming, because the food doesn't touch the water, allows more nutrients to be retained. For steaming, you need a method of suspending your ingredients over the water, and a tightly fitting cover to ensure that the steam does not escape.

How do steamers work?

Most steamers involve a basket of some sort to elevate food above the surface of the liquid. This may be a removable basket that can be used in a variety of pots or pans, a specialized pot insert or a stackable set of baskets, as with bamboo steamers. There are also electric steamers, which are either small portable gadgets or built-in appliances designed especially for steaming applications.

How can you steam without a steamer?

There are a few easy ways to enjoy steamed foods without a steamer! Essentially, you just need to be able to create a steamy environment for your foods that can be maintained for as long as you need to cook your ingredients.

Colander Method

If you have a heat-safe colander, you can place it inside a large, lidded pot to create a steamer. If you're steaming small items, use the perforated bowl to contain the ingredients. If you're steaming larger foods like corn on the cob or lobsters, flip it over and arrange the foods atop it.

Foil Method

You can make a snake or balls of foil to arrange on the bottom of a lidded pot to be able to elevate a heatproof plate or bowl above the surface of your simmering liquid to create a steamer.

Cooling-Rack Method

If you have a round wire cooling rack that fits inside one of your lidded pots, or the kind of rack that goes inside an Instant Pot, you can use it to elevate a heatproof plate or bowl for steaming.

Pie-Pan Method

Disposable foil pie pans can be easily perforated with a sharp knife (be careful!) or a fork to create a steamer inside a pot.

What foods are best for steaming?

There are all kinds of foods that benefit from steam-cooking. For fish like tilapia, which may dry out, steaming will keep the fish succulent and tender. Shellfish won't get rubbery the way they can with boiling, and chicken breasts, notorious for getting overcooked, benefit from the gentle moist environment to keep them juicy. Any green vegetable, like broccoli or spinach, will retain both their deep green color and many of their nutrients with steaming, and there is no better way to get sugar-sweet corn on the cob than to give your ears a steam bath. Many comfort dishes like dumplings or idli (South Indian steamed rice-and-lentil cakes) are steam-cooked. Baby potatoes get an intensified potato flavor similar to baking, but with that tender texture you usually associate with boiling. Perfect hard-boiled eggs can be achieved by steaming too.

Bottom line

Steaming is a simple way to let ingredients shine. Since steaming requires no submerging in liquid that can leach nutrients, it's one of the most nutritious ways to prepare vegetables. And for any delicate items, the gentle cooking method is very forgiving, so it's a great way to get some kitchen confidence with harder-to-handle foods like seafood.

Start steaming today with these healthy steamed asparagus recipes, or steam up some bright and sweet butternut squash. Happy steaming!

What can I use instead of steamer?

If you don't steam food frequently—‚or if you find yourself in need of a steaming basket, stat—don't run out and buy one. All you need is a metal colander or a baking rack, a big pot, and some aluminum foil, and you've got everything you need to make a steamer at home.

Is there a way to steam without a steamer?

The technique is simple: fill a medium pot with 1/2 inch of water, place three golf ball–sized balls of aluminum foil on the bottom, rest a heat-proof plate on top of the foil balls, cover the pot, and bring the water to a boil. Add vegetables to the plate, cover, and steam until crisp-tender.

Can I use a strainer as a steamer?

Metal Strainer or Colander The closest replacement to a steamer basket is a metal strainer or colander. Place the strainer over a pot of water with the water level lower than the bottom of the strainer. Cover with a lid, and bring the water to a boil.

How do you steam carrots without a steamer?

In a Frying Pan Add about 1 inch of water—just enough to create steam—to a large frying pan with a fitted lid. Add a dash of salt to the water and bring it to a boil. Carefully place the carrots into the water. Then, cover the pan with the lid and leave to simmer.