The word "steam" is usually associated with a bath or sauna, which are very useful for health. Electric steamer can also be called a bath, not only for humans, but for food. Between these two baths have an undeniable unity - they both enhance human health. If you have - a supporter of a healthy lifestyle, do not forget to go to the bath and be sure to use a steamer. If that is you do not, then this article will tell you how to choose the steamer.

Steamer. What is the "beast" is?

If you have never seen this machine, you should get to know him before you proceed to the choice of a double boiler. The device is quite simple steamers. It consists of three parts:

1. Base. In this part of the steamer is all electrical components of the device. They are required to heat the water that is poured into a special container, which is in the same department of a double boiler. Everyone knows that the boiling of water vapor is released. That he used for cooking in a double boiler. Included steamer into the socket using a wire with a fork. Driving through the steamer can be located in this part of the double boiler control panel.
2. Steam basket. Depending on the type steamers baskets can be from one to three units. They are made usually of high quality plastic suitable for food. On the bottom of the basket has holes, through which the steam enters them. At the very top of the basket has a tight lid.
3. The pallet. The pallet is needed in a double boiler condensate and juice from foods, which is released during cooking. Most Steamer basket is designed for all but one pan, but there are some models in which the number of pallets equals the number of baskets.

As you can see, nothing tricky in the structure of a double boiler no. All they work on the same principle. Therefore the choice of steamer depends primarily on the characteristics of the device.

What is the pressure cooker for you?

Surely you do not just met people, a kitchen which cause various types of household appliances. At first, you think that these people - these chefs, but often it turns out that all the equipment was purchased through a consumer boom. Often half of such devices are idle or simply very rarely used.

In order not to make similar mistakes and not waste money on unnecessary equipment obviously, you need to know why you need one or other appliances. Of course, explain why you need a vacuum cleaner or washing machine is quite simple. But with kitchen appliances, things are much more complicated. It is important to determine exactly what you need to choose a steamer for you, because the steamer must first meet all your requirements.

Before we tell you how to choose a double boiler, it is worth considering the main advantages of the acquisition of the unit. So, the pros steamers:

• Steamer in the first place will be an indispensable tool for people seeking a healthy diet. Thanks to a double boiler in food retains all the vitamins and minerals that are destroyed by cooking or frying. Actually, fried general use is not recommended.
• Steamer - a great helper in the household. With this unit, you can not only cook delicious and healthy food, but also defrost food. In addition, the steamer is simply indispensable for pregnant women and mothers, because the first is the best food is the one that is prepared for a couple, and for the second steamer can serve as a sterilizer baby bottles and plateaus.
• In a double boiler, you can also reheat food. Furthermore, in a double boiler can prepare several dishes simultaneously, the number of which depends on the number of steam baskets. Therefore, if this technique to estimate the number of baskets - the best steamer is one in which the basket more. It is not necessary to use all the basket always, but when you want to cook a few meals, steamer baskets with several fine saves time when cooking. A great option when you're expecting guests and need a lot to prepare. And when cooking a few meals do not have to choose foods with the same cooking time. Simply put foods that are prepared long in the lower basket, and those that are prepared quickly - at the top.
• Meals in a double boiler will never burn up, and nothing in it will never run away. Therefore, the steamer is very easy to clean. Plus - in a double boiler dishes never get dryish. And if you happen to forget to turn off the unit or it will boil away all the water - steamer switches off itself. In this regard, to determine what is best steamer, you can not, because all the steamers are designed so that they can be easily preparing food, they are easy to clean and can be switched off independently of the timer, or when they forget about the hostess.
• Steaming is one of those kitchen appliances that need to be at any housewife. Even if you do not know how to cook - still purchase this device. Cooking in a double boiler - it is very simple, only need to put the food in a steam basket, pour the water and turn the unit on the right time.
• If you have little time to cook, you are a very busy person, the problem with a dinner in the presence of a double boiler you will not. In a double boiler has a function as a delay preparation. The maximum delay time can be 12 hours. That is, you can early in the morning to put the necessary products in a double boiler, set the timer for a certain time - and you come to the steamer to cook a delicious and healthy food. If you suddenly do not linger planned somewhere, the pressure cooker for several hours to heat the food regularly. Therefore, in any case, the time you come home to a hot meal on the evening of cooking which usually has neither the strength nor the desire.
• For students steamer will also be an excellent assistant. Usually, in hostels electric stoves are prohibited in order to, God forbid, there was no fire. A shared kitchen to cook do not want to for a variety of different reasons. This is where the steamer and save you from starvation, because you can prepare meals in the comfort of their room.

As you can see, steamers undeniable advantages. Now let's look at how to choose the steamer, steamer which is the best and which company to choose to be a steamer you.

A little about the characteristics of a double boiler

The main characteristics of any steamers - a power and control system. Before you decide what is best to buy a steamer, you need to know about these characteristics in more detail.

Some people believe that power is the most important parameter of a double boiler and then the best will be the steamer, where the greatest power. But in fact this is not true. Most steamers now have the opportunity to control the power - from 650 to 2000 watts. Of course, the higher the power, the faster the food will be prepared. But other than that, at the time of preparation still affect the volume of steam baskets, quality used for cooking foods and the construction of a double boiler. Well, what is better to buy a steamer? Tu, the most powerful, or some other? Rather, we can say that the filter should be no power, and all the parameters steamers together.

Before choose a steamer, carefully read what she has control system. At first glance it seems that the management steamer is no big deal. But there are some nuances. Thus, the control system steamer can be of two types:

• Electronically controlled. Steamers with this control system more functional, because they often have features such as the postponement of the preparation, heating cooked food for any length of time. Such a control system equipped with a display on which is displayed, and all modes of steamers.
• With mechanical control. In a double boiler with control also has its advantages. Firstly, it is not necessary to activate some strange modes, press a bunch of buttons. Suffice it to set the timer for all the necessary cooking time - and the appliance will be accepted for the job. It's simple to indecency, and break there really something and nothing.

How to choose a steamer?

Well, here we are closer to the main topic of this article. How to choose a good steamer? Steamer which company is best? What are the best models of steamers should be considered first when determining their choice? These questions will try to answer in the course of the article.

To begin, turn your attention to the pan. Rim height of the pallet should be 2-2, 5 cm. Below the rim will add problems, because in the process of cooking have several times in the pan to drain accumulated condensation that takes you a while, you'll have all the time to monitor the process of preparation. If you do not drain the excess moisture from the pan - it can damage the steamers, due to moisture in the heating element. In addition, it is better to choose a double boiler, which is fitted with a pallet. Since the condensate pan is hot, handle protection against possible burn water.

If you do not want to produce in the lower steam basket during cooking several dishes were impregnated with juice products from the higher baskets, the better to choose a double boiler with several pallets. If you think that vegetables soaked in meat broth - it is a very good, you can choose a double boiler and one tray. In addition, complete with many Steamers are bowl for cooking rice, which can be folded out of the top products of steam baskets. In this case, leakage of juice from the upper floors of a double boiler will be excluded.

Well, strictly speaking, all the main points that you should pay attention to choose the right steamer. According to all the above, decide for yourself what is best to choose a steamer in your specific case.

You can also explore the vastness of the Internet, ask what kind of a double boiler to choose: reviews people have bought a particular model steamers, to help you get an idea of ​​a good steamer. How to choose a steamer: reviews these people will help you to lay down your own opinion about what you need from the steamer, which is not very much, and that does not need. Then you can make yourself mentally general view of an ideal double boiler.

Choosing a good cooker, you can also pay attention to such minor, but sometimes very useful little things, as an indicator of the amount of water volume and the amount of steam baskets, their transparency and form. If they are to have any relevance in determining what is best to choose a double boiler, then let's look at those "little things" in more detail.

Other nuances in the choice of a double boiler

The presence of the indicator in a double boiler water in the tank helps keep track of the apparatus, how much water is in the steamer to the top of the cooking. This element is probably the most useless, because every time before cooking pour fresh water is not difficult.

If the preparation of any food delayed for a long time - from an hour or more, it may be necessary to add water to the reservoir. Then it would be useful to a small hole through which water can be added without disconnecting or removing the steamer basket with food. But at the same time, this opening is unlikely to be useful, as for such a long cooking time is likely to be empty tray which will have drained. And in this case, still have to turn off the steamer and shoot baskets, at the same time it will be possible to add fresh water.

Transparency steam baskets - this, of course, at first glance beautiful. After some time, the whole family sitting around the dinner table and talking, looking at preparing foods in a double boiler affair between a very pleasant and interesting. But in this case make no mistake - baskets are transparent only for the time being, in the cooking process, they still zapoteyut from the steam and see through the walls of the baskets will be anything if not impossible, it is very problematic. Therefore, when deciding what to choose steamer, the transparency of the baskets do not pay attention. The quality of the cooking and the taste is not affected.

But the amount of steam baskets and volume - setting a pretty important. As already mentioned, in a double boiler is from 1 to 3 baskets. These amounts range from one and a half liters to three and a half. If you have a large family, and you like to cook a variety of foods, then you will have the best pressure cooker in which the three baskets. And the larger the family - the greater must be the amount of baskets. For a person who lives alone, for example, for a bachelor or student, is more suitable small steamer with a single basket. If the family is small, then the best option would be a double boiler with two baskets. That is, the volume and the number of baskets is sufficiently important indicator when choosing a double boiler, but it is purely individual. Only you can determine which is the best steamer is for your family, because only you know how many people in your family and how much food you consume at a dinner or lunch.

Also plays a role, though not large, the form of steam baskets. Here it is not a round or square, and that in some steamers, one smaller than the other basket and arrange the only one the only way - to put a large basket of small, and on it - even less. Swap these baskets can not. A possibility to change the basket sometimes happens quite often. It happens that the products from the bottom of the basket is already prepared, but from the top of the basket is still damp. In this case, change the upper basket from the bottom. This is due to the fact that the lower tier steamers products cook faster, and the top tier - longer. Therefore, it is better to buy the steamer, form baskets that are identical, so you can freely change the basket places.

Here, in fact, all you need to know about the steamers, to make the right choice. But some firms choose steamer - is another question. Of course, the manufacturer is also quite important in the choice of a double boiler, because it depends on the longevity of the company and its unit price. Currently there are steamers with a price of 800 rubles to 7000. If the manufacturer steamers matters to you, let's briefly look at what firms steamers better all others.

Five of the best manufacturers Steamer

There are five of the best models of steamers, which most people respond positively. What kind of a double boiler to choose - a lot of people yet, they say that the best models Steamer - is: Tefal, Scarlett, Philips, Moulinex and Braun.

• Steamers company Tefal. Especially popular here are models VC1014, VC4003, VC4008 and VS4003. These models apparently greatly differ from each other. But it unites them is that they have many useful functions, volume basket. In addition, all these steamers have three steam baskets. Among the features: a quick steam, delaying the start of cooking, keeping warm. But modeliVC1001 can safely give the title of "Best Steamer 2011" among compact models.
• Steamers company Philips. Particularly popular models HD9120 and HD9140. Both have three steam steamer baskets, they also power the same. In addition, these steamers have a very reasonable price.
• Moulinex. Popular models - MV1000 Principio and MV1003 Accessimo. In these models, 2 baskets, they are quite compact and easy to use, too. In addition, the second model is a function of water filling during cooking.
• Braun. The best steamer this company is the model Braun FS20. Steamer is equipped with two steaming bowls of frosted plastic. Power steamers - 850 watts, which is high for a budget option steamers. In addition, complete with a steamer goes dark bowl, designed for those products that can stain the steamer basket.
• Scarlett. The most popular models - Scarlett SC343 and Scarlett SC1143. These models use its popularity primarily due to a very low price. Pretty good steamers, and most importantly - the compact. And the life of them quite large.

So, summing up all considered Steamers, we can say that the best steamer 2011 can be called Philips HD9140. That it is the most popular among all strata of the population.