How to Choose a Commercial Steamer

Professionals wrestle with the decisions of how to efficiently and economically provide delicious and nutritious food to their clients.

Cooking with a commercial steamer may fulfill this requirement since it is an efficient and healthy avenue to prepare various types of food. Not only do steamers cook and reheat vegetables, they cook many kinds of foods including, but not limited to, meat, fish, tortillas, eggs, and rice.

A steamer is the quickest way to cook vegetables while retaining their nutrition, color, moisture, and texture. Most food can benefit from being cooked this way because the steamer holds in the savory juices without the use of cooking oils or fats.

The benefits of a commercial steamer are an efficiently run kitchen and happy customers that return time and time again due to the deliciousness of the steamed food.

What Commercial Steamer is Right for Your Business?

How do you decide which type of steamer is optimal for your business?

There are several factors to consider. The size and type of steamer required for your cooking needs is important. How fast do you need to cook your food? What kinds of food will you cook? How much of the food will you be cooking? Will you need to steam several types of food simultaneously?

Since steamers differ in size, their sizes are calculated based on the quantity of half size (10 x 12 inches) or full size(12 x 20inches)steam pans their compartments can hold. The capacity of a full-size steamer may hold up to 16 full-size steam pans, whereas a smaller steamer may only hold up to 6 steamer pans. Your decision will be based on the needs of your kitchen.

The capacity of a full-size steamer may hold up to 16 full-size steam pans, whereas a smaller steamer may only hold up to 6 steamer pans. Your decision will be based on the needs of your kitchen.

Types of Commercial Steamer:

Pressure Steamer

This is an ideal commercial steamer for venues that have high quantities of food needing to be cooked tastefully and efficiently. It can reduce your cooking time by 70% compared to conventional cooking. The food, in a tightly sealed compartment, slowly fills with steam and allows the food to be cooked quickly at a max temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit, thus saving energy.

The pressure steamer is not the best steamer for fragile foods, but ideal for starchy vegetables and dense and starchy foods.

The pressure steamer has evolved with time, and safety features maintain the pressure to safely and efficiently cook your food. The food no longer has the bland “hospital” taste that it used to have from pressure steamer. It creates crowd-pleasing, delicious and tender vegetables and meats.

This is not the best steamer for fragile foods, but ideal for starchy vegetables and dense and starchy foods. The pressure steamer has evolved with time, and safety features maintain the pressure to safely and efficiently cook your food. The food no longer has the bland “hospital” taste that it used to have from pressure steamer. It creates crowd-pleasing, delicious and tender vegetables and meats.

The food no longer has the bland “hospital” taste that it used to have from pressure steamer. It creates crowd-pleasing, delicious and tender vegetables and meats.

Convection Steamer

Another type of steamer is the convection steamer. It is more straightforward to use than the pressure steamer, and it is difficult to overcook food items. It cooks at a constant temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit without pressure. The convection steamer is more widely used because it is less expensive than the pressure cooker.

The steam is circulated in the convection steamer causing the food to cook quickly and evenly. convection steamers are functional for a variety of reasons: steaming, thawing, reheating, poaching, and par-cooking. You can cook a variety of foods simultaneously without having the transfer of aroma or flavors.

They are ideal for cooking hard-boiled eggs and frozen vegetables in minutes. The vegetables maintain their vibrant colors and the meats are tender and juicy, not shriveled and dull.

The steam is circulated in the convection steamer causing the food to cook quickly and evenly. Convection steamers are functional for a variety of reasons: steaming, thawing, reheating, poaching, and par-cooking. You can cook a variety of foods simultaneously without having the transfer of aroma or flavors.

They are ideal for cooking hard-boiled eggs and frozen vegetables in minutes. The vegetables maintain their vibrant colors and the meats are tender and juicy, not shriveled and dull.