Detailed Guide On How to Clean Metal Streamer Basket 2023

Having difficulty in how to clean your metal streamer basket everyday? If yes then don’t worry as we have provided a detailed guide over here.

Cooking your food in a streamer is a great way to cook it without having to lose the nutrients. Not only it is a way to preserve the nutrients and taste but also it is the simplest way to cook veggies and chicken. I love to eat steam chicken as much as the next guy. But earlier I didn’t have a decent streamer’s basket and I only used collapsible basket which was very hard to clean.

As soon as I cooked, I had to start cleaning. And even with the immediate cleaning, there will be pieces of chicken stuck to the streamer’s basket. Hence, I decided to metal streamer’s basket. But the problem remains the same, “How to clean metal streamer basket?” without damaging the metal. To find the answer of this question, I did some digging and came up with the following suggestions.

Table of Contents

How to Clean Metal Streamer Basket?

Why we use streamer basket?

Steamer basket is used in stove top steamer. It allows your food to cook quickly and gently. It just requires 1 ½ inches of water in the pot to produce steam. This steam will pass through the perforation and cook the veggies and meats. Steamer basket comes in many styles such as collapsible, steel and bamboo steamer basket. But people like to use collapsible steamer basket, as it is easy to clean and can be folded for the compact storage.

How to cook food using steamer basket?

A steamer basket is the most common way to manually cook your veggies, meat and other food. It is a common way to cook your veggies. This simple basket is inserted into the pot or pan. After that, you can put the pot either on stove or on the microwave. The idea behind using steamer basket is rather simple and it is done by adding water in the pot, put the veggies in the basket and close the lid of pot. As the water will boil, the steam will remain inside the pot and it will cook your food.

If you are cooking vegetables then the time required will vary on the quantity and type of veggies you are cooking. Normally, your veggies should be soft enough to let the fork pass through them but they should be firm. Soggy vegetables indicates that you left them to cook for too long. Cooking meat is a little bit trickier. Fish will start to flake once the thickest part is done. And incase of chicken, it should be cooked all the way through the center.

What causes the staining to metal steamer basket?

Whether you are cooking sticky rice or vegetables or meat, using steamer basket is the only way to have perfectly cooked yet crunchy meal. But using a steamer basket, presents a challenge because it is hard to clean. When the water is heated, it leaves oxide stains to your pot as well as the steamer basket. Moreover, if you let the food steam for large amount of time then it may stick to the steamer basket. And it will be very hard to get off. I am going to tell you few tips and tricks on ensuring that you can use your favorite basket over and over again. I have a metal steamer basket that is almost a decade old. It is important that you know how to clean your steamer basket in order to not throw it away each time you use it.

Tips and tricks to clean your metal steamer basket:

The tips I am going to share is regarding cleaning your metal steamer basket. Some of them are preventative measures so that you do not have to clean or scrub the steamer basket after each use. My goal here is allow you to be best steaming cook with well maintained steaming equipment.

Cleaning a new metal steamer basket:

When you buy a new metal steamer basket, you need to wash it thorough which means you need to let it soak in warm water for at least a day. The reason why you need to clean the brand-new steamer basket is that they can be package with using dirty hands. To allow yourself the piece of mind when cooking, clean it first.

Things and tools required for cleaning metal streamer basket:

Unscented dish soap
One lemon
Metal steamer basket
Pot or bucket that can perfectly fit the steamer basket

Instruction:

Fill the pot with warm water.
As it is filling up, add a drop of unscented dish soap and squeeze one lemon into the pot.
The suds will start to appear.
Submerge the streamer basket into the pot and let it sit in it for six hours.
Rotating the steamer basket in order it can remain fully submerged into the pot.
Remove the steamer basket from water and wash it in the sink. At this point residue of chicken or veggies that have sticked to your steamer will be soft. And they will easily come off gently scrubbing.
Allow it to air dry
Cook your favorite food again.

When to replace the metal steamer basket?

You will know when to replace metal steamer basket. It is generally when you see discoloration in the metal. You have to replace it because your food such as veggies or meat will start to stick more with the basket. There are many good options you can choose from with in the steamer realm but after years of search and apartment changing, I have only found collapsible metal steamer basket the perfect fit for me. It is easy to clean, takes very little space and can expand or contract according to your choice.

Also Read : How to Clean Oven Racks With Foil

Tips to using metal steamer basket:

Since you know how to clean the metal steamer basket and you will be using it much more than ever. So, here are few tips in using steamer with metal steamer basket and making tasty dishes.

Don’t add much water: The most important component of steaming is water. Hence the key of good steaming lies in adding the correct amount of water. When you are using steamer basket on the stove then add one or two inches of water in the pot. Once the basket is in the pot, do not add more water that will run up the basket. This is the easiest way to ruin your meal. Moreover, do not add too little water. As you will burn your pan from cooking and your food will not be done yet.
Always boil the water first: If you are new in this steaming veggies or food then it is a common mistake that you will add water in the pot and throw the veggies in the basket at the same time. But try boiling water first and then add your veggies or meat in it. You will find that it tastes and cooks much better this way. Make your water to boil, add veggies and close the lid of the pot. You can also experiment by turning heat up and down of the pot.
Do not steam your food for longer time: This is where steaming gets tricky. The home chef faces a problem that they need to put everything on the table at the same time and it should be tasty and hot. Steaming vegetables just need few minutes and hence it should be the last thing in your to-do list. You will find yourself in situation where your vegetables and other food will be cooked before you are ready for it. Turn off the heat and take out the veggies from the pot because they will become soggy. Place veggies in the cold water and it will remain crisp.
Use stocks and herbs to enhance the steam: The most common way of steaming veggies and meat is using water but there is no restriction that you need to limit yourself there. You can infuse different flavors in your food. Use chicken or vegetable broth instead of water. Or you can add flavors the water before boiling such as lemon, garlic, salt, etc. If you are feeling extra adventurous then add some herbs such as rosemary sprigs, sliced garlic or lemon grass. In this way, you will get hint of flavor before having to use herbs directly on your food. But also keep in mind that these herbs will change the time of your cooking. As it will impact the time your water comes to boil.

Conclusion:

Steaming your food is the only way to cook it. On the weeknights, I put the pot of water and in stove and steam whatever food I have left in the fridge. Steamer have gotten the bad version, as it represents soft vegetables or meshed cauliflower but the trick of steaming lies in the proportionate amount of water and the time you take to steam your food. Moreover, cleaning the metal steamer basket is really easy. Hope you enjoy steaming more than ever.