Steamer: reviews, benefits and harm. Steamers: review of models, prices

Do I need to have such a device in the kitchen as a steamer? The feedback, benefits and harms of this device have already many times become the topic of discussions on forums in the network and in a talk show on television. Let's consider manufacturers who are engaged in the production of this type of equipment, and try to find out whether any food steamers and food cooked in them bring any harm.

Company Saturn

Technics from the company Saturn for almost twenty years (since 1996) is present in the market of home appliances and fills a niche, which consists of the essentials of each hostess. Having started its activity in the Czech Republic, over time the manufacturer began to cooperate with more than 90 factories in Turkey, Taiwan and China.

Steamers, which offer the company Saturn - is an excellent option for the general public. Prices for steamers are determined by all possible parameters and lie within the limits of 20 to 50 US dollars. So, let's consider the parameters by which the models of steamers available from the Czech manufacturer differ from those in production and from sale.

The main parameters that interest any consumer

1. Power. The value of this parameter for the steamer can be 400 W (the most simple and low-cost options), 800 W, 850 W, 900 W. The most powerful steamer SATURN (model ST-EC1180) has a power value of 1000 watts.

2. By the way this dishwasher controls the steam cooker with mechanical control (handle-switch) and electronic (push button control with display).

3. Number of tiers and their capacity. These characteristics directly "say", how many dishes can be cooked simultaneously and in what volume. There are two options - two or three-level steamers, a capacity of 2 liters, 2.5 liters, 3 liters, 4 liters. Also, tiers can be equipped with special slots for cooking eggs. If there are any, they are either four or six.

4. A separate item is the volume of the container for rice. Its value ranges from 0.5 liters to 1.5.

5. Water reservoir. Preparation in a double boiler requires (in the case of low-power devices) from 0.25 to 0.44 liters, for more powerful devices it is necessary to 1.2-1.8 liters of water. Most options have a water level scale; Where it does not exist, there is added the function of auto shut-off in case of insufficient quantity.

6. Timer. There are timers usual, which after a certain time simply turn off the device (the function "auto-turn-off" is present in absolutely all models), while others are additionally equipped with a sound module for notification of the end of work. The time for which you can start a timer is 60 minutes (mostly), and a couple of variations with 75 and 90 minutes.

Product Reviews

What is more often said about the company SATURN, namely about such a device as a steamer, reviews (use and harm, ease of use, etc.) from customers:

- Steamers look stylish and perfectly fit into the interior;

- there is a guarantee of two years;

- quickly and deliciously get dinner, without being distracted by its preparation;

- there are no books of recipes and instructions, but, fortunately, there is the Internet;

- Affordable prices combined with high quality.

PHILIPS Company

It is a firm that exists since 1891 and is engaged in three areas - medical equipment, lighting innovative equipment and consumer products. Since 1914 the company has opened its first office in Russia in St. Petersburg, and now there are no less than eight major cities. Now there are 115,000 employees in the state, and the company's profits are estimated in billions.

The first steam cooker Philips appeared in 2008. Since the launch, it had many functions, and the latest models, all the more. The most simple steamer Philips can be bought for 20-25 dollars, and the price for the most powerful model reaches 150 dollars.

There are several simple options - two tiers, a normal timer and mechanical control, and the rest have many additional functions (maintaining heat, turbo heating, an indicator warning of a small amount of water), pre-set cooking modes and so on. Removable parts of steamers can be washed in dishwashers.

Steamer PHILIPS, specifications

1. The power of the steamer from PHILIPS starts at 900 Watts. The most powerful ones have a value of 2000 W, and an intermediate value of 1350 W also occurs.

2. Method of management. More models with electronic control, but there is also a mechanical one.

3. Number of tiers and their capacity. Two or three tiers with a volume of bowls from 2.5 to 3.5 liters, in which there are cavities for cooking eggs in the number of six pieces.

4. Capacity for cooking soups, rice, stewing dishes. Is present in all models, except for bunk. Also, steamers are equipped with a special container for herbs. It is located at the bottom of the device, directly at the steam outlet in front of containers with cooked food. You can put your favorite seasonings in it, so that the dish can be saturated with their aroma.

5. Water reservoir. Variations in volume - 1 liter, 1.1 liters, 1.4 liters, 1.5 liters, 1.6 liters. All options have a water level scale, and are equipped with a shut-off function in the absence of water in the tank.

6. Timer. As in the steamers of Saturn, there are regular timers, and the time you can start them is 60 minutes. In other cases, there is a digital timer, in places with an indicator of the remaining cooking time, and with an audible alert about the readiness.

Other aspects

The company PHILIPS, more precisely its steamer, reviews (use and harm, problems of use, etc.) from the consumer has the following:

- Ecopassport for all products. The emphasis is on the fact that the firm is concerned with the issues of the cleanliness of the environment and human health.

- Expensive, but also excellent multifunctionality.

- Steam cooker, instructions for use which are useful to any hostess, has this instruction manual in case of complex technological equipment. In simple steamers it is not.

- Technical aspects of management are not always clear and precise.

- It is inconvenient to wash the bars, food is clogged in them. Those who do not have dishwashers need to buy brushes, because it is not very easy to clean the sponge.

An interesting kitchen appliance is a steamer-blender. So, for example, Avent steamer from PHILIPS - a unique device for young mothers.

In it, you can prepare food that will retain its useful substances as much as possible, thanks to heat treatment by steam, and immediately make a mash from it.

Steamers from German manufacturers

Other companies also pay attention to the release of a popular in-home device. Braun - a company engaged in the production of household electrical products, offers a small assortment of this product, all in three positions.

They are all of the same type, have the same characteristics. Braun (steamer) is a powerful steam generator for 850 watts, mechanical control with a timer up to 60 minutes, auto shutdown after cooking. The total volume of the bowls (there are only two) - up to 6.2 liters. All models have two-liter containers for rice, as well as a basket for cooking eggs. The models vary in design and in price. Approximate cost is 40-60 dollars.

If we talk about the company Braun, the steamer reviews (use and harm, technical side) have the following: among the minuses of these devices, consumers indicate the absence of an indicator of the amount of water. Occasionally, there are complaints about the quality of the timer. Otherwise, most buyers respond only positively.

What is the question of the dangers of steamers?

The main thing that worries consumers is the effect of steam on plastic containers. Undoubtedly, plastic is convenient, both in everyday life and in production. But under the influence of elevated temperatures, plastic releases a certain number of chemicals that, with constant regular ingestion, can lead to disruption of the endocrine system. Such studies were conducted recently by the guys from CertiChem, PlastiPure and the staff of Georgetown University. The research was based on materials actively used in the market, including those that are announced, as not containing bisphenol-A. This chemical has a high activity, and the same Braun company mentioned above, in its characteristics for steamers, indicates the high quality of the product material and the absence of BPA in it. But according to the results of the experiment it is clear that in addition to this bisphenol, in plastic there are many other substances that negatively affect the human body.

What is the way out of this situation?

If you are very frightened by the fact of using plastic in steamers, which is understandable, but you want healthy food, then the way out of this situation can be a saucepan-steamer.

Its advantage is that the material from which it is made is, most often, stainless steel or anodized aluminum. In general, a pan that you use daily, but it's not simple, but a saucepan-steamer. The principle of operation is the same as that of an electric appliance, corrected for the lack of a timer and means of warning. You should monitor the cooking process yourself, for having enough water and so on. It is even easier to use a basket for steaming.

It can be placed in a suitable container on the premises, and a steamer is ready. Instructions for use are simple - put the food, cover, monitor the water. This is the easiest and cheapest way to get healthy food, unless, of course, you put this for yourself as a priority in nutrition. Fans of fried food will not be so used to it, and it is very difficult to force to consume fish or vegetables cooked for a couple. Of course, in foods cooked traditionally, on sunflower oil, there are a lot of harmful substances released at elevated temperatures, which cause diseases of the cardiovascular system. But if you think about your health and are looking for a way to at least reduce possible risks, cooking for a couple can be a way out.