10 INCH DOUBLE DECKER CHINESE BAMBOO STEAMER

These elegantly designed, beautifully constructed, and remarkably inexpensive Chinese bamboo steamers have much to recommend them.   They can be used to cook a wide range of ingredients;  one of these double decker wonders can cook several different ingredients (noodles, fish, vegetables), constituting a whole meal, simultaneously.  Food cooks quickly and without the need for oil, resulting in meals that are low in calories and high in health benefits. 

You can place the steamer in a skillet full of bubbling water, but a wok, with its sloping sides, is less likely to scorch the bamboo.  And you can steam in sake, wine, beer, dashi or broth instead of water.  Whole sprigs of cilantro, scallion, ginger or garlic can be added directly to the basket with the rest of the food for flavor. Although the steamers are not dishwasher safe, they are easily cleaned, especially if, in the case of protein, the basket is lined with parchment paper before steaming.  And smells don’t linger.  A quick scrub under hot water and a thorough air dry before storage is all that’s required.