Rice Cooker vs Steamer

In this modern age, everyone is so busy in his/her works that it becomes challenging for the majority of persons to spare time for them. Particularly when they wish to eat delicious and mouthwatering foods, but due to their hectic routines, they are unable to cook such foods just because of the unavailability of time.

As time is so precious that nobody has excess time to waste hours just doing the cooking. So, keeping in mind, brands are working on reshaping their products so that people can cook healthy and delicious food in no time.

rice cooker vs steamer

Today, we will discuss the differences between two of the most prestigious and stunning products available in the market rice cooker vs steamer.


What is Steamer?

Food Steamers are appliances that cook food using steam. Place the food in trays called ‘baskets’ and let hot steam do the rest.

Getting a food steamer just for the vegetables you serve with dinner might seem like a waste when you can just use the microwave. However, if you’re looking for a convenient way to speed up your cooking or cut down on fat, a food steamer could become your new favorite appliance.

Types of Steamer?

There are three main types of food steamers you’ll find on the market; Electric food steamers that you pour water into, stove-top steamers that go over pots or pans filled with boiling water, and more traditional wooden steamer baskets also go on your stove or ceramic bases. Stove-top steamers can be metal or silicone, and electric food steamers usually have plastic or glass steamer baskets.

What are the Benefits of Steamer?

Food Steamer is a great option for anyone doing their best to eat healthily. Steam cooking meat removes fat and lowers cholesterol, as well as taking out the need to use oil or fat for cooking with!

Steaming vegetables helps keep all the vitamins and minerals in the food, unlike other cooking methods. Many food steamers can stack multiple steamer baskets to cook a whole meal at once! Steam cooking means cleaning up is a snap since there’s no oil or a ton of dirty dishes.

What can you cook in a steamer?

Answer: all sorts of things! A quick google search will show you thousands of recipes. Steamed vegetables alone can be pretty boring or flavorless, but adding spices to the water flavors your food hassle-free. Stack an appetizer, main dish, and side dish on top of each other and enjoy a fast, healthy meal.

From things you might expect like dumplings and vegetables to out-of-the-box ideas like tamales, there are things you can steam for every time of day. You can make eggs for breakfast, meat and veggies for lunch, or dumplings to go with dinner with ease. Seafood is also a popular choice for steam cooking, as it brings out the flavor in fish very well.

What kind of Steamer should I get?

Well, that depends, but there’s one for every type of cook and budget. Someone without a lot of free counter space should probably get a stove-top steamer. Small steamer inserts can be as cheaper than $10, while bigger stove-top sets average at about $25-$50. If you’re a traditionalist who likes wooden steamers, those are often around $20-30 as well.

People who want more modern features like timers or auto shut off might like an electric food steamer more. Simpler models start at about $20, and ones with all the bells and whistles can be up to $1000, but most sit comfortably around the $40-60 range and will do everything you need.

Best Food Steamer to Buy

Bestseller No. 1
BELLA Two Tier Food Steamer with Stackable Baskets & Removable Base for Fast Simultaneous Cooking - Auto Shutoff & Boil Dry...
  • FOOD STEAMER: With 7.4 quarts of cooking capacity & 2 separate steaming containers, you can cook a full meal with sides with one simple turn of a...
  • ALL YOU NEED: A 2-tier design allows you to cook multiple items at once for quick & easy meal preparation—simply set the timer & watch it work!...
  • GUESS-FREE COOKING: The water reservoir view window ensures you'll always know whether you have enough water to finish the job at hand, and a...
  • KITCHEN ESSENTIALS: BELLA offers a full range of high-quality products including air fryers, waffle irons, toasters, coffee makers, electric...
  • MIX IT UP: The kitchen should be fun. With BELLA It can be. We provide you with quick & convenient kitchen solutions to simplify your hectic...
  • Quick start heating system that allows you to be steaming in as little as 30 seconds! Steam your favorite foods from fish, red meat, poultry,...
  • 2 basket cooking system allows you to separate vegetables and meats so you can prepare different dishes simultaneously for special dietary needs
  • Vegetables are kept as close to their natural raw state as possible, while heating through thoroughly while retaining their original color,...
  • Features auto-shutoff with boil dry protection so you are ensured foods are being cooked safely
  • No oil, no smoke, no mess - cleaning up is easy. Steam baskets and rice cup and dishwasher safe for easy clean up
SaleBestseller No. 2
Baby Bullet BSR-0801N Turbo Food Steamer
  • Large capacity lid allows for a variety of uses
  • Base has 5 easy settings and a built-in indicator that lets you know when food is done
  • Includes cooking tray, defrosting trays, egg cooking tray and sterlizing tray
  • Use included measuring cup to measure the perfect amount of fresh ingredients for your baby food
  • Easy cleanup
  • Included Components: Baby Steamer Power Base, Steamer Lid, Sterilizing Tray, Egg Cooking Tray, Cooking Tray, 2 Defrosting Trays, Measuring Cup
SaleBestseller No. 3
Steamer Basket Stainless Steel Vegetable Steamer Basket Folding Steamer Insert for Veggie Fish Seafood Cooking, Expandable to Fit...
  • HEALTHIER COOKING CHOICES – The steamer basket with high quality stainless steel petals, food grade plastic handle and silicone feet will...
  • EXPANDABLE and COLLAPSIBLE – Vegetable steamer basket collapsed diameter is 6 inches. It expands to 11 inches once petals are stretched out....
  • FOLDABLE LEGS & REMOVABLE CENTER POST – Three foldable legs with silicone will not scratch your pot. They are 1.8 inch in length to keep food...
  • MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS - Not only can it be used as a food steamer basket, but also can be used as a strainer or fruit container. You can also use it...
  • MONEY-BACK GUARANTEED - We pride ourselves in having the best steamer insert. As such, your satisfaction is guaranteed. For whatever reason, you...
SaleBestseller No. 4
Ovente Electric Food Steamer 5 Quart with 2 Tier Stackable BPA-Free Baskets, 400W Stainless Steel Base, Auto Shut-Off and...
  • Safe and Convenient – This food steamer comes with a 60-minute timer with 15-minute intervals that requires little supervision. It is also...
  • Easy and Quick (Just Add Water) – With 400 watts of power your favorite vegetables seafood meat eggs or dumplings will be fresh hot and ready...
  • Deliciously Healthy – This kitchenware uses a cooking method that requires no oil and maintains your food’s natural structure and color while...
  • Time-Saver – Comes with two stackable containers for a total capacity of 5 quarts so you can cook different types of food simultaneously.
  • US-based Customer Service lets you buy with confidence. Ovente warranties that the product shall be free from defects in material and workmanship...

Last update on 2023-05-02 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

1. Hamilton Beach 37530A Digital Food Steamer (5.5 QUART)

Hamilton Beach 37530A Digital Food Steamer (5.5 QUART)
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Who does not likes the kitchen accessories when they ease down your cooking and makes it more tasteful. Hamilton Beach 37530A is a digital food steamer that you would surely want because of the impeccable feature this product holds

What features this product have that make it reliable?

The Hamilton Beach 37530A food steamer is the finest product you will ever see when it comes to this product’s dimensions. The stackable-2 tier streaming feature of this product makes it less space taking so that you can keep it safe with your kitchen accessories.

As we have told you earlier, it has 2 stackable tiers that help cook multiple foods simultaneously. For example, if you are cooking fish in the above tier and want some steamed veggies to make it a whole meal, don’t worry. You don’t have to wait for the fish to cook. You can stack the veggies in the below tier to steam them to excellence.

The product helps in steaming the veggies to perfection, so they come out juicy and healthier. You can even stack the larger amount of food in this product by simply removing the center divider to cook more in less time.

Does this product take away all your stress related to cooking?

It has the automatic switching to warm feature that surely makes it impeccable. Once the food is cooked, it automatically indicates the steamer. It gets switched to warm so that you get the juiciest sizzling food without being anxious about the food getting cold.

The most impeccable feature about this product is the digital touchpad to control all features, such as; setting the timer, switching it to different modes, etc.

The drip tray and rice bowl of this incredible product are dishwasher safe. They can be cleaned easily to make your food more hygienic and healthier.

2. Oster Double Tiered Food Steamer (5 QUART)

Oster Double Tiered Food Steamer (5 QUART)
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Finding the finest product at reasonable prices is hard nowadays. However, some products really help in the kitchen, worth every penny of your hard-earned money.

The Oster Double tiered food steamer is the essential product for you if you have a busy schedule and still want sizzling food cooked to perfection in no time.

What are the features of this incredible product?

When it comes to the features, this product has everything that your food needs to be cooked to perfection. It is a reliable food steamer for vegetables, meat, fish, and even poultry.

The steaming feature of this product helps to make the food healthier by eliminating the need for food to be cooked in oil. It steams your food to the point of excellence, where every bite feels juicy.

You can cook multiple dishes in this steamer at the same time. It has a stackable double-tiered design, which helps you to cook the whole course meal in no time. It can cook your fish to perfection and allows you to steam veggies at the same time, so you get the perfect whole course meal for yourself without waiting.

The finest feature of this product is that this product has transparent steaming bowls that allow you to see the process.

Is it an easy and hassle-free product to use?

Yes, the steamer bowl of this incredible product nest so that you can store it with your further kitchen accessories in much lesser space. It has a capacity of 5 quarts and comes along with two transparent steaming bowls to make your food preparation more flexible.

The product has an automatic 60-minute timer so that your food can be prepared to perfection but it also has the auto shut-off feature to prevent your food from burning. It automatically shuts down once the process is completed or if there is no water left.

The product has the power indicator light so that nothing gets messed up while turning it on. It is an easy to clean product and is dishwasher safe as well to help you keep it extra clean for your food hygiene.


What is a Rice Cooker?

A Rice cooker is an electronic device that consumes very little energy and can be used for either boiling rice or steaming it. Rice cookers origination goes back to Japan in the 1950’s era, and Toshiba made it.

In the beginning, rice cookers were only made to cook perfect rice, but with the passage of time, it has gone through a number of positive changes, and now it can not only be used for cooking rice but for many such other dishes as well.

It consists of a number of articles in it, such as a thermostat, cooking bowl, and a heat source that it gets from electricity. This rice cooker is really easy to wash just because the companies have provided a detachable non-stick inner pot for your convenience. The warming temperature can be set to 150 F, and similarly, the cooking temperature can be set to 212 F.

Benefits of using a Rice Cooker

It can cook luscious rice in less time by maintaining a boiling point temperature. If you are a lover of eating steamed or boiled veggies, here is a perfect choice. These cookers can not only steer vegetables but also make risotto.

You need not stir it up as you would do on the stovetop. You can go to your work leaving behind the food in these cookers as it will automatically turn off when food is perfectly cooked, but if you do the same thing on the stovetop, you will get nothing but food fully burned.

This amazing thing about rice cookers is that almost every rice cooker has the option of warming up the food for a long time, which means even if you go to work leaving behind the food in your rice cooker, it will surely let the food warm for almost full night. Many rice cookers even come with an amazing time of 12 hours of warm-up capacity.

Fore more amazing kitchen appliances and their differences check our other blog posts:

Different types of Rice Cooker

1. Standard Rice Cookers

We are all very familiar with these rice cookers as they are the traditional rice cookers and are used for cooking rice only. Whereas it comes with some variations that include a detachable power cord and one of its good features, it automatically gets turns off when rice gets cooked as it is provided with a thermal sensor.

2. Improved Rice Cookers

These rice cookers are comparatively more convenient in usage as they are the better versions than standard rice cookers. You can cook white rice in these amazing cookers, and brown rice can be cooked perfectly. Standard rice cookers do not have timers, but they have timers in them, making life easy in many ways. You can boil white rice, brown rice, and even vegetable easily.

3. Multi-functional Rice Cookers

As the name suggests, they are multi-functional so that they will have several functions compared to standard rice cookers and improved rice cookers. Apart from cooking various rice types, it can also cook Sushi rice, porridge, cereals, risotto steamed fish, and vegetables. The aesthetic look makes it more attractive with its wonderful led functions.

4. Induction rice cookers

These rice cookers are among the super rice cookers due to its superb functions provided. They can warm the food for a very long time as compared to other rice cookers, but obviously, it will also consume more electricity than usual. Similarly, they are even more expensive than the others.

Prices

Rice cookers are mainly divided into four main ranges.

  1. Rice cookers under 30$
  2. Rice cookers under 50$
  3. Rice cookers under 100$
  4. Rice cookers under 200$

Best Rice Cooker to Buy

Bestseller No. 1
Aroma Housewares ARC-914SBD Digital Cool-Touch Rice Grain Cooker and Food Steamer, Stainless, Silver, 4-Cup (Uncooked) / 8-Cup...
  • Multi-Functional Use – Whether you're in the mood for a hearty jambalaya, steamed veggies and rice, or even a delectable cake, you can...
  • User-Friendly Programming – Easy-to-use with 4 preset digital functions and automatic Keep Warm mode when the cooking is finished.
  • Nutritious & Delicious – The built-in Steam function allows for nutrient-rich meals to be prepared above while rice, soup, or any other meal...
  • 15-Hour Delay Timer – The programmable delay timer is great for families on the go, delivering delicious meals ready when they're needed, up to...
  • Compact Capacity: 4-Cup (Uncooked)/8-Cup (Cooked). Its compact capacity is perfect for preparing small individual meals or delicious side dishes.
  • Accessories – Includes a Bonded Granite nonstick inner pot, steam tray, rice measuring cup, and serving spatula. Power consumption: 120V/60Hz...
  • Upgraded Inner Pot – The provided 8x Bonded Granite nonstick inner pot that is more durable than ceramic and traditional pots, has a completely...
  • Item holds up to 2 to 8 cups of cooked rice. 8 cups is the cooked rice capacity. Rice must be cooked in the cup that comes along with this...
  • Steams meat and vegetables while rice cooks below
  • Easy-to-use, programmable digital controls with automatic Keep-Warm and White Rice and Brown Rice functions
Bestseller No. 2
Aroma Housewares Aroma 6-cup (cooked) 1.5 Qt. One Touch Rice Cooker, White (ARC-363NG), 6 cup cooked/ 3 cup uncook/ 1.5 Qt.
  • Perfectly prepares 2 to 6 cups of any variety of cooked rice
  • Simple, one-touch operation with automatic Keep-Warm
  • Great for soups, jambalaya, chili and so much more!
  • Full-view tempered glass lid
  • Easy-to-clean, nonstick removable inner pot
  • Includes Rice Measuring Cup and Serving Spatula
SaleBestseller No. 3
Aroma Housewares ARC-363-1NGB 3 Uncooked/6 Cups Cooked Rice Cooker, Steamer, Multicooker, 2-6 cups, Black
  • Multi-Functional Use – Whether you're in the mood for a hearty jambalaya, steamed veggies and rice, or a belly-warming soup, you can accomplish...
  • One-Touch Operation – This cooker is a proud member of our “set it and forget it” mentality. The one-touch operation is fool-proof – just...
  • Simultaneous Steaming – With the included steam tray, steam foods above while rice, soup, or any other meal simultaneously cooks below,...
  • Automatic Keep Warm – Switches to Keep Warm mode automatically once the cooking cycle is completed to keep your foods at perfect serving...
  • Convenient Cooking & Cleaning – With the included nonstick inner pot, you can rest assured that cooking will be a breeze. When the cooking is...
  • Compact Capacity – 6-cup cooked capacity yielding 2 to 6 cups of cooked rice. Its compact capacity is perfect for preparing small individual...
  • Accessories – Includes a nonstick inner pot, tempered glass lid, aluminum steam tray, rice measuring cup, and serving spatula. Power...
  • Capacity: yields up to 6-cup cooked rice (3-cup uncooked)
  • Removable Nonstick Cooking Pot with External Steam Tray
  • One-Touch Operation with Automatic Keep-Warm
Bestseller No. 4
BLACK+DECKER 6-Cup Rice Cooker with Steaming Basket, Removable Non-Stick Bowl, White, RC506
  • 6-Cup Capacity - Prepare anywhere from 1 to 6 cups of cooked rice, great for small or large meals, and for leftovers. ETL Listed
  • Automatic Keep Warm - The rice stays ready for serving! The rice cooker automatically switches to the “keep warm” function after cooking is...
  • Nonstick Rice Pot - The nonstick rice pot is completely removable for easy dishwasher cleanup. Dimensions are 10 x 9.0 x 5.5 inches
  • Food Steaming Basket - The included food steaming basket lets you make healthy meals with vegetables, fish, and more. Measuring Cup and Spoon...
  • Volts: 120V. Wattage: 300W

Last update on 2023-05-16 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

1. Aroma Houseware Digital Rice Cooker (ARC-150sb)

Aroma Houseware Digital Rice Cooker (ARC-150sb)
view on amazon

Buying a product that assistances you in the kitchen in doing the finest cooking is always your priority because nobody can sacrifice the taste of their food.

The Aroma houseware digital rice cooker is the product you need to make your rice, meat, and vegetables the fluffiest ever possible.

Is this product flexible?

The aroma houseware digital rice cooker is a multi-functional product that you surely need in your kitchen to ease down your cooking hardships.

It cooks not only the rice but also the jambalaya and steams veggies to perfection. You can easily achieve flexible yet the finest cooking with just this one product.

Suppose you are cooking rice and you have to wait till they get prepared so you can cook another dish. It’s time-killing isn’t it? Well, this product has two dividers to cook multiple things at the same time.

You can steam veggies while the rice or soup is preparing below, and the steaming veggies are getting prepared to perfection in the above compartment.

The multi-cooker feature in this product makes it different from the others. The feature not only includes cooking your favorite food to perfection. But it also allows you to steam, STS (saute-then-simmer), and a slow cook option to make your meals more nutritious and healthy along with the yummiest taste.

Does this product has enough capacity and reliability in cooking?

Sometimes you have to be concerned about cooking when you are having a get-together or a party at your home. The food is running late because of insufficient time. Still, with this product, you can cook multiple dishes, and also it has enough capacity to cook 20 cups of rice at the same time. This feature surely makes this product reliable enough.

The aroma homeware digital rice cooker has an output of 120V and 60HZ. It has less space taking dimensions to help you keep it anywhere alongside the other kitchen accessories.

Is it easy to use?

The product has a user-friendly programming feature, which makes it more reliable for you. It has the set and forgets feature, which helps the cooker to sense and switch to warm automatically once the food is cooked to excellence.

The product also comes with accessories to make things more flexible for you, such as; non-stick inner pot, rice measuring cup, and a plastic rice spatula.

2. Black+Decker White RC5280 Rice Cooker

Black+Decker White RC5280 Rice Cooker
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Purchasing a worthy product with your hard-earned money always feels pleasant because of the services it provides and the flexibility that comes into your life along with that product.

The Black+decker white rc5280 rice cooker is the product you need to make your cooking more flexible and tasteful than ever.

What makes this product impeccable?

The Black+Decker white RC5280 rice cooker has the family-sized capacity to ease down your concerns about serving food on time. The Extra spacious cooking bowl helps you cook 28 cups of rice at the same time, which assuredly is time-saving and a reliable feature.

The following product can be used for multi-purposes at the same time. You can cook stew, pasta, or even steam veggies while the rice is cooking to excellence so that you don’t have to worry about serving appealing food on time.

The product includes a steaming basket as well, which assuredly allows you to make healthier and nutritious things with meals such as; fish and steamed veggies to give your meals a more taste and make them healthier than ever.

How does this incredible product save you time?

It comes with a removable non-stick cooking bowl to help you keep it extra clean with easy cleaning to make your food more hygienic and healthy.

The Blue+decker white RC5280 has automatically switching to warm feature once the rice is cooked to perfection. This helps prevent food from burning and keep it warm so that you don’t have to be anxious about the food getting cold.

It comes with handy accessories that make this product more flexible for you. The measuring cup helps you cook the perfect amount of rice. The plastic cup helps prevent the non-stick cooking bowl from unintentional scratches.


So, What’s The Verdict (Rice cooker VS Steamer)

If you like quick, healthy food, a steamer is perfect for you. If you’re looking for a new skill in the kitchen to master or want dinner to cook faster with less mess, you have nothing to lose here. Getting food steamer can change the way you cook forever.

Both (rice cooker vs steamer) are quite effective in their respective zones. You can choose either a rice cooker or steamer, but that depends on your requirement. Rice is undoubtedly one of the most consumed foods today. If you are a big fan of rice, then a rice cooker is no less than any blessing.

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