Reviews you can trust.
See why.The Best Bamboo Steamers
Steaming mad? A bamboo steamer is just what you need.
Top Picks
Hcooker 3 Tier Kitchen Bamboo Steamer with Stainless Steel Banding
What You Need To Know
Bamboo steamers are great for cooking lots of food efficiently. Our favorite is the Juvale 10 Inch Bamboo Steamer with Steel Rings for Cooking. It does a great job of steaming different foods, and it’s well-made and durable to boot. If you’re cooking for an especially large crowd, we also like the Hcooker 3 Tier Kitchen Bamboo Steamer with Stainless Steel Banding, which comes with t...
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
This bamboo steamer cooked dumplings, bao, salmon, and greens quickly and efficiently. The thick bamboo slats in the base of each tier were durable and didn’t chip or shred. And because those tiers were reinforced with steel bands, they kept their shapes better than those of the other models, remaining perfectly circular and easy to align after 10 washes.
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
This all-bamboo steamer basket was well-made enough that it kept its shape throughout testing, never warping or shedding more than a very occasional fiber or two. The thick bamboo slats in its base stayed intact nicely. Best of all, it did a great job of steaming dumplings and bao.
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
This model is a great option if you’re steaming food for a large family or crowd. It has not only three tiers instead of the two that are more common but also a slightly larger diameter than the other models we tested, fitting a few more dumplings and bao. (It still fit in our favorite skillet and sauté pan.) And with tiers reinforced by steel bands and thick, solid bamboo slats, this model stood up to extended use well.
Recommended
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
With a height of 2.8 inches per tier, this extra-roomy steamer is ideal if you like to cook taller foods. It did a great job of steaming dumplings and bao. It’s just a tiny bit less durable than some of the other models we tested. Made only of bamboo, its tiers warped slightly out of alignment after several washes, though we were still able to use it and the warping did not affect its performance. Its thin bamboo slats were also a tad flimsy; a few of the ties that secured them unraveled slightly over time.
Recommended with reservations
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1.5 stars out of 3.
Two copies of this steamer arrived in less-than-stellar condition, with lots of loose fibers that had to be pulled off before use. And some of the ties on their thin, flimsy slats came undone after a few washes. Over time, the all-bamboo tiers warped a bit, making it a bit tricky to line them up securely. Still, the tiers fit well enough to contain plenty of steam—they did a perfectly good job of cooking both dumplings and bao.
Reviews you can trust
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.
Miye Bromberg
Miye is a senior editor for ATK Reviews. She covers booze, blades, and gadgets of questionable value.
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Start Free TrialAbsolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!
Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.
Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!
John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.