Steaming, a traditional cooking technique in China for centuries has become more and more popular around the globe in the recent years. To steam foods you need a steamer, which simply allows hot steam to penetrate food without the added water.

There are several different types of steamers on the market today. There are traditional bamboo and aluminum steamers as well as electric and microwaveable steamers. They also make inserts to place inside a wok that instantly turns any wok into a simple steamer. And finally, you can create a steamer at home using some simple kitchen items as shown at the end of this video here.

Picking the right steamer depends on what foods you are cooking and how many people you are serving as well as your household budget. Below are the descriptions of the various types of steamers and their individual benefits.

Bamboo Steamers
Bamboo steamers look like woven baskets and come in several sizes, usually small medium and large; as well as several tiers, which can be stacked on top of each other to steam individual portions. To use these steamers you need a pot or wok that fits comfortably underneath in which the water will be boiled and then filter up into the baskets to steam the food.

Bamboo steamers can be used for a variety of steamed dishes and the bamboo imparts a slight natural flavor, while soaking up any excess steam so that it does not drip down onto the food. However bamboo is not good for fish or other odorous foods such as broccoli. These odors can accumulate in the bamboo itself and become difficult to remove.

Small bamboo steamers are usually used for serving and presentation purposes such as in dim sum. Small portions of food are steamed in these individual steamer baskets and then served directly in the basket itself. Such foods include meat and vegetable filled dumplings, siu mai, pork buns, steamed beef balls, and whole wrapped shrimp.

Aluminum Steamers
Medium and large aluminum steamers are readily available in most Chinese markets. Aluminum steamers are great for almost every food and come with a bottom section where the water is added so that no additional pot or wok is necessary. They also sell very large steamers with several tiers, which are great for cooking for parties or large groups of people.

Electric Steamers
Electric steamers are great for those who do not have a stovetop. There are no additional items required, other than the food of course. These steamers are also good for freeing up the stovetop for other various dishes.

Microwaveable Steamers
Microwaveable steamers are very budget friendly and are less of a hassle to use than the traditional steamers. However, depending on the type of microwave used the cooking times may vary drastically and it may take a few tries to have your food perfectly cooked. Also there are some who say that microwave cooking may be unhealthy as well.

My personal preferences of course are the small bamboo steamers for presenting guests with individual portions, and the aluminum steamer for most other dishes, enjoy.