The Best Silicone Steamer Basket: Oxo Good Grips Silicone Steamer
What we liked: The silicone was naturally nonstick and a cinch to clean. The side handles can be interlocked across the top of the steamer during cooking and were cool enough to touch afterward, eliminating the need for tongs or a fork to lift it out of the hot pot. Without a handle in the center, this steamer basket would be excellent for cooking larger vegetables or a long piece of fish.
What we didnt like: When used in the smaller pot, the basket’s handles easily became unhooked from one another and pushed the lid up slightly, allowing steam to escape. Without a sturdy structure, the silicone folds into a sling when liftedwhich could lead to food shifting or falling out from the open sides. Because the walls are slanted, capacity is limited for items that have to be spaced apart from one another, like dumplings.
Price at time of publish: $17.
How To Use A Steamer Basket In An Instant Pot
Fill the basket. First, youll need a steamer basket that actually fits in your Instant Pot. Then, youll add the food youre cooking to the basket.
There are many different types of food you can steam, from your favorite veggies to frozen foods!
There are many steamer baskets manufactured and sized specifically for electric pressure cookers, including stacked steamer baskets, collapsible steamer baskets, mesh steamer baskets, and silicone steamer baskets.
I own and use this mesh steamer basket, which Ive been super pleased with, but you can see a few popular steamer racks from Amazon below.
Add water. Once you have a steamer basket, youll just need to add some water to the insert pot of your Instant Pot. This cup of water is what will heat up and create the steam.
Lower the steamer basket. Youll place the basket into the insert pot. The contents of the basket should be up out of the water.
Steam. Program the steam time according to the recipe youre using and wait for the food to cook to perfection . So easy!
Wash. Be sure to follow the care instructions specific to your model, but washing with soap or water is generally all it takes to keep them clean.
The Best Steamer Basket For Every Kitchen
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Finding the best steamer basket for you is a bit of a personal journey. Whether you’re new to steaming or a seasoned pro, just looking for crisp-tender broccoli or interested in making pillowy bao at home, there is a tool on the market for you. Exploring the options of style and material is a good place to start. Below, we’ve compiled some of the most common steamer basket varieties for your side-by-side comparison with the right tool in your arsenal, you can easily master the art of cooking with steam.
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Mesh Steamer Basket Setmodel # 5252247
- CANAAN HARDWARE AND SUPPLY7 ON THE COMMON LANECANAAN,NH 03741 US
| Country of Origin | China |
- Both the small and large steamer basket in set fit in 6 Qt. and 8 Qt. instant pots
- Both baskets feature raised feet to protect food from boiling water while cooking
- Easily insert and remove baskets with your delicious foods
- Made of sturdy corrosion resistant 18/8 stainless steel mesh
- Limited lifetime warranty
Perfect Steamer Baskets And Inserts For Your Instant Pot
I am often asked about perfect steamer baskets for the Instant Pot available here in the UK so I thought I’d compile them in one place, the Feisty Tapas blog .
The inner pot of the 5.7 litre / 6 litre / 6 quart Instant Pot has a diameter of 20 cm so you need something that will fit in there .
The inner pot of the Instant Pot 8 litre has a larger diameter and you can choose pretty much any steamer basket for that one.
For the 3 litre / Mini Instant Pot, you’ll need something smaller. The umbrella / collapsible type of steamer is perfect for this.
Of course, your Instant Pot also comes with a trivet which you can use to steam ingredients but a steamer basket will make life much easier.
Below are the steaming baskets and inserts that I have and use all the time, as well as the ones that have good reviews from the people who use them regularly.
If you are happy with your steamer basket and it’s not included in this list, please let me know and I’ll add it to the post and probably to my basket collection!
Have you taken the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker leap?
You havent? You must know by now that there is nothing to be scared of, that it has ten safety mechanisms, that it’s virtually silent and that you can set it and go, right?
Even better, it pressure cooks and slow cooks . B
Ready for my list of perfect steamer baskets for your Instant Pot all available in the UK?
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Collapsible Instant Pot Steamer Basket
The nice thing about a collapsible steamer basket is that it opens and closes to accommodate different sizes of pots.
The downside is that they can be somewhat shallow in depth, reducing their ability to accommodate much food.
This particular model is made with stainless steel and includes a safety hook tool to use when removing the basket from the Instant Pot.
However, in my opinion, thats just one more thing to fumble with when trying to remove hot food, and one more thing to keep up with in a sea of kitchen tools. But, it does help to keep your hand away from the steam.
The manufacturer says the steamer can expand to fit 3-quart, 5-quart, 6-quart, and 8-quart models, as the steamer can have a diameter between 5.5 and 9.5, depending on how far it is expanded.
I appreciate that it collapses down, giving it a small footprint for easy storage.
It does have silicone wrapping around the feet of the basket. Silicone feet can sometimes be difficult to keep clean.
But if you want a flexible option that can fit more than one size pot, this collapsible model could be the best steamer basket for you.
Instant Pot Silicone Steamer Basket
As you can tell by the name, this product is an official IP accessory. It is made from high-quality food-safe silicone and it resists to high temperatures .
However, it doesnt have legs of its own and its not very big . On the other hand, you can buy two or three of these and stack them. This way, you can steam different types of foods, on different levels. In terms of circumference, it can be safely used with different pressure cookers .
Lastly, the basket is easy to clean and doesnt retain bits of food.
The verdict: Its a good steamer basket that wont leave a dent in your budget. However, its not as convenient as the first two products Ive discusses since its not very spacious and it doesnt have feet.
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Instant Pot Green Beans
If youre noticing a trend, vegetables do incredibly well in the Instant Pot. Try pressure cooking plain green beans in the steamer basket for a quick and healthy side dish.
I made these for my Instant Pot class just plain pressure cooked green beans and then added some garlic butter on top! So simple! You could also just do a simple squeeze of lemon and a dash of salt.
Try my famous Instant Pot Bacon Green Beans!
Is There A Steamer Basket For A 3
Most Instant Pot steamer baskets wont fit in the smaller 3-quart Instant Pot mini pressure cooker.
However, there are some steamer baskets that have been specifically designed to fit in the 3-quart Instant Pot, such as this stainless steel basket and this silicone basket.
Be sure to double-check sizes before purchasing to ensure the selected steamer basket will fit within the circumference of your model!
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For Capacity And Versatility Flatter Was Better
Serious Eats / Ashlee Redger
During testing, we found stainless steel models to be more adaptable than the silicone and plastic modelsnot because of the metal itself, but because of the structure it provided. A static basket- or bowl-shaped steamer basket, like the MSC International Joie Silicone Steamer was fine for steaming piles of veggies, but offered limited space for food that needed to be placed in a single layer or with room in between pieces, like dumplings. Once expanded, the foldable petals of the stainless steel models offered additional surface area to set items without overcrowding. During testing, the Joie Silicone Steamer could only hold five dumplings around its base the average for the metal steamers was 16!
Even between the stainless steel steamer baskets, there were some differences. Some models like the KitchenAid had petals that expanded down into a flatter layer, which made it easier to cook more food at once. It also made it less likely that the food would shift while moving the steamer into the pot or during cooking, which could result in sticking or tearing of the outer layer on delicate items like dumplings.
Kitchen Deluxe Vegetable Steamer Basket
I like how this basket is designed for consumer convenience. It pulls together into a very compact size for easy storage. It is also fitted with silicone feet so it wont scratch any surface is it is placed on.
This basket is designed to be removable, and it comes with an extendable handle to make it easy to take out of the pot and rest on your counter so that you can serve the vegetables from the steamer basket.
Its not just for steaming vegetables in the pot but also keeping them warm after theyre done steaming.
One of the things I love about this basket is beautiful design that opens out like a flower bloom. On top of that, this steamer basket can adjust to fit the size of the pot it is being used for.
That means you can use it in pretty much any Instant Pot. Its large enough to handle some of the bigger vegetables and is designed for versatility and ease of use. Its not as easy to clean as the completely silicone baskets, but it still cleans without too much trouble.
The basket is made from stainless steel that is safe for the dishwasher or the sink and that should last you for a long time.
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Everything You Need To Know To Choose The Best Instant Pot Steamer Basket And Put It To Use
An Instant Pot steamer basket is a versatile accessory for your pressure cooker. Find out how to choose the right one and how to use it to simplify cooking!
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Instant Pot accessories are a great way to expand the uses of your electric pressure cooker, allowing you to go beyond the typical soups, stews, and grains.
I have entire lists of useful Instant Pot accessories and accessories for pot-in-pot cooking, including everything from bundt pans to cheesecake pans to glass dishes for reheating food in the Instant Pot.
But one of the most versatile accessories you can own is an Instant Pot steamer basket!
Stackable Instant Pot Steamer Baskets
Stackable steamer baskets allow you to steam more than one thing at a time, each in its own separate compartment.
This food-grade silicone basket made by Instant Pot can fit inside a 5-quart, 6-quart, and 8-quart Instant Pot, and its essentially the silicone counterpart of a traditional bamboo steamer.
Because it doesnt have feet of its own, youll have to place this one on top of a trivet to keep it up out of the water.
And while you can just use one of these if desired, you can also stack two of these on top of the trivet in order to cook more than one food at a time. This can be useful if youre cooking different foods that you dont want touching each other.
One steamer basket isnt very deep on its own, but it will accommodate a small amount of food. Stacking one steam rack on top of the other increases your cooking capacity.
This silicone model is dishwasher safe, too!
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How Do I Use A Steamer Basket In My Instant Pot
The concept is rather simple – the steamer basket goes directly into the inner pot of the Instant Pot. First, you have to add the required quantity of water so the IP can build pressure and create steam.
Next, place the veggies or dumplings in the basket, close the lid, and set the timer. The last step is a bit tricky and requires a bit of trial and error because you cant sample the state of your veggies while steaming. The secret is to time the cooking according to the type of vegetables and their state . Also, if youre steaming dumplings, the time will be different.
Lastly, you can add seasonings if you want, but I prefer adding them at the end after the steam has done its job.
As a side note, the steaming function is not just for veggies and dumplings. You can also steam meat such as oysters, fish, or even chicken. The secret is to adjust the timing and the pressure according to each type of food.
Best Instant Pot Steamer Baskets
Because there are so many different options available on the market, Ive narrowed them down to five popular but different steamer baskets, so you can choose the one that best suits your preferences.
If you want the best Instant Pot steamer basket, these are high quality options that I feel are definitely worthwhile choices.
Some models come with a limited warranty from the manufacturer, so be sure to check the product listing for updated information.
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Stackable Stainless Steel Steamer Insert Pans
This set comes with two tiers so that you can cook different foods at once. They help you to pull off pot-in-pot cooking and are designed to be durable and easy to use.
You can cook multiple foods in these at once angry even use a steamer basket as a dessert pan . Its also great for reheating food without having to worry about your pan changing the flavour or affecting the quality of the food.
It works with a number of 6-quart Instant Pot designs as well as the 8-quart cooker. The long-lasting, food grade stainless steel makes for a high quality product that should prove reliable for many years.
It comes with two different lids for different steaming and cooking purposes. The attached handles make it easy to take the steamer basket out of your Instant Pot.
Best Steamer Basket To Buy
I have a preferred steamer basket, but as long as the steamer basket is heat/oven/pressure safe, it can be used in a pressure cooker.
There are two main types of steamer basket:
The stainless/mesh baskets that I have are really solid. Theyre most similar to metal colanders, but unlike a colander, they have straight edges/sides and a handle. This is what I have, but it does take up space in your kitchen.
If youre short on space, you can always store your steamer basket inside of the Instant Pot when not in use.
The silicone baskets are really nice and great for smaller spaces. I go more in depth about silicone baskets below.
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The Criteria: What To Look For In A Steamer Basket
Serious Eats / Ashlee Redger
A great steamer should be a workhorse in the kitchen and convenient to use, with a handle thats easy to lift and maneuver . It doesnt need a telescoping handlebut if it has one, the handle should expand and collapse easily, so it doesnt drop by surprise when the basket is loaded with ingredients. For households that mostly steam vegetables, a silicone bowl-shaped steamer is an easy-to-clean solution. For larger meals or items that need to be spaced out, a stainless steel steamer basket that can expand down into a flat layer not only offers more surface area to steam on, but is practical to fold up and store away.
What Is A Steamer Basket
In short, a steamer basket is a standard accessory that fits inside an Instant Pot and allows the steam to penetrate the veggies. It usually has stilts and handles so its easy to use, and it can be made from stainless steel , mesh, silicone, or other food-grade materials.
Luckily, there are lots of different products on the market and everyone can have their pick. For instance, you can get a stacked basket, which allows steaming on different levels and of different foods. There are also sectional steamers, which you can use while cooking other foods.
Still, the main purpose of the steamer basket is to hold the food and make sure the food doesnt touch the water or liquid . This way, the food is exposed to the hot steam and becomes tender and ready to eat.
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