Cooker Vs. Steamer
The kitchen is home to a range of appliances that all demand counter space, all demand electricity and are all designed to prepare different foods. Although an automatic cooker such as a slow cooker or rice cooker is very different from a steamer, versatility in a number of areas make the cooker a more integral part of a well-appointed kitchen than a steamer. Does this Spark an idea?
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Steaming
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Both pressure cookers and steamers use steam to cook their food. These items create a great deal of pressure by filling the cooking chamber with steam. This steam then penetrates and cooks the foods inside. While pressure cookers create steam from the water in the bottom of the pot which is mixed in with all the food, steamers tend to store their foods in chambers located just above the water receptacle. The difference means that none of the vegetables, fish or meats stands a chance of becoming soggy or mushy when they've gone into the steamer. Pressure cookers, however, expose food to direct contact with water which can create mushy or soggy food if cooked improperly.
Range
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While the steamer may cook crisper vegetables, it falls short compared to the range of the pressure cooker. From large cuts of beef to pork loin and whole chicken breasts, the pressure cooker can house food of all sizes. Additionally, the pressure cooker can cook foods with a range of spices and flavorings simmering in the water. Steamers, by contrast, have a limited range of possible dishes and are designed to work simply with water.
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Rice Cooker
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Rice cookers, like pressure cookers and steamers, cook food by creating an intense steaming environment. Rice cookers are especially designed to cook rice and have cooking control dials and switches that are preset for different amounts of rice. Settings on rice cooker also include warming settings that can keep rice fresh for up to 12 hours. Steamers do not have warming features, but are capable of cooking rice and have a great deal more versatility than most rice cookers.
Health
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One clear advantage to steaming is the healthfulness of the food. Steamed vegetables retain their natural flavor and often contain fewer fats or additives than vegetables cooked in slow cookers or pressure cookers. Additionally, meats and fish cooked in steamers are healthier than the meats left to simmer in flavored sauces or mixes.
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