How does a steamer work?

Food cooked in a double boiler has beneficial properties, no matter what anyone says about its taste. There are many recipes for healthy and tasty food. To better understand the steam cooking process, this article will cover a number of questions regarding how a steamer works and a number of nuances regarding its correct operation.

Steamer device

The main element of the device is a housing with a water tank and equipped with electronics for controlling power and operating modes. There is a sensor on the body that shows the water level in the device. In addition to the light, some models also provide an audible signal to indicate a lack of water. If necessary, add it.

The trays are used to collect condensed moisture and to protect the generator from water getting into it. There is a rule for cooking in a double boiler - the number of trays must correspond to the number of bowls, otherwise the smells of the dishes being prepared will mix with each other, and as a result, it will not be possible to cook, for example, fish and vegetables at the same time, since they will completely smell of fish. In such cases, you can simultaneously cook either one dish in several bowls at once, or such products, the smell of which will not spoil the neighboring dish being prepared in a double boiler.

Bowls are made of metal or plastic.Metal bowls are favored by their durability, strength and reliability, while plastic is lighter. Some types of plastic may become colored during use in the color of the product, for example, beets.

The package may differ from the standard one, which includes bowls, and contain such elements as a grill, additional trays for condensation, containers for liquid and bulk products, a probe for checking the readiness of the dish, as well as a brochure-collection of recipes.

Principle of operation

When power is applied, the water is heated and brought to a boil. Steam from a container with water enters the basket with the food being cooked in it through the holes, due to which the cooking process occurs. In order to save energy, a special ring has been designed to accelerate the movement of steam and is part of the heating element. Thus, food is cooked exclusively by steam, which helps to retain a noticeably greater amount of nutrients in it. Another advantage is that there is no need to add oil when cooking.

The device consumes quite a lot of electricity; there are models with 2 or more kilowatts. As a rule, a model with three bowls consumes within 1 kW, which is quite enough for normal cooking. There is no point in buying more energy-intensive steamers, although cooking will happen faster, energy costs and the load on the power supply network will increase significantly, which is especially noticeable in winter.

Control options

There are two types of steamer control systems - mechanical and electronic.

The principle of operation of the mechanical system is simple - the timer is manually set by rotating the existing time relay knob, on which the corresponding divisions are marked. After a certain time has passed, the device turns off. This system is simple and reliable, and the device starts up noticeably faster.

An electronic control system involves a panel with buttons and a display that displays the selected operating mode. The number of operating modes of such a device is an order of magnitude greater; it is possible to turn on the steamer after a certain time, turn on the heating mode after cooking, and some other useful functions. The downside of electronics is its sensitivity to power supply fluctuations in the network, as well as the need for a long time to configure the device before starting.

Steam basket

The sizes of steam baskets vary from one and a half to three liters; if we are talking about a container for rice and similar dishes, it is 0.5-2 liters. The kit may include containers of the same size or different ones. If the baskets are the same, then the dishes can be freely swapped in the steamer, but if not, this possibility disappears. As a rule, baskets are made transparent so that it is possible to observe the progress of food preparation. However, during the cooking process, the container can become so foggy that it becomes unclear what is happening in it. In addition to plastic and metal, sometimes baskets are made of special glass. It is believed that such containers are the least likely to emit any substances when heated, although manufacturers claim that plastic also does not emit anything when heated.

Important! The steamer should be located on a strictly horizontal plane that is not afraid of heating. The location of the furniture should be such that nothing stands within a radius of 20 cm with the device, nothing should be located above it at a height of less than a meter, since water vapor released during operation can damage the interior items. You cannot cover the top of the device. If there are small children at home, it is necessary to take security measures to prevent their access to a working steamer..