5 Benefits of Bamboo Steamer vs Metal Steamer for Perfect Dumplings

Meat dumplings are a wonderful and delicious dish that many people like cooking at home with great sides instead of buying them from restaurants. When you cook them yourself, you not only have the opportunity to control the ingredients that you use so you can keep them as healthy as you’d like, but you can also control the taste, as well.

If you’re going to be making meat dumplings (or tamales or fish) for the first time soon, then you might be struggling with choosing the right steamer. The right steamer can mean the difference between success and failure, so choosing the right steamer is a very big deal.

Steaming is the cooking method used for making meat dumplings, but there are both bamboo and metal choices, so which one is the best?

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Pros of Bamboo Steamers

Regardless of what food you’re using a bamboo steamer for, studies show that they have many benefits over other types of steamers, including metal. The main benefit of using a bamboo steamer for steaming your dumplings and any other foods is the fact that the bamboo material assists with the retention of nutrients, flavor, and texture. 

Another awesome advantage of using a bamboo steamer as opposed to a metal one for making your dumplings is that you won’t have to worry about soggy dumplings. Because the bamboo material absorbs any excess humidity or moisture, it keeps it from ruining your dumplings. Your dumplings will come out in the perfect texture, so they will quickly become a big hit. 

Easy to care for 

Bamboo steamers are also significantly easier to clean. When using them, it’s necessary to use parchment paper to cover them. Once you’re done using the steamers to prepare the food, all you’ll need to do is remove the parchment paper and either rinse the steamers or wipe them down.

There’s no need to scrub or do any heavy-duty washing. This can free up time for other kitchen duties. 

Attractive when serving in them

Bamboo steamers are also quite attractive. When you’re serving a fancy, great-tasting meal (like meat dumplings,) you want to display them in attractive cookware. Bamboo steamers are attractive, and you and your family or guests can appreciate the delicious dumplings as well as the steamer they are cooked and served- in.

It’s easy to serve food directly from the bamboo steamer, which is a definite plus, because not only is it an elegant way to serve your scrumptious dumplings, but it also minimizes the necessity to dirty other dishes on which to serve the dumplings. Everyone will have their plates and simply grab the dumplings directly from the bamboo steamer/serving dish.

Evenly distribute heat during cooking

Furthermore, unlike metal steamers, bamboo ones distribute heat evenly during the cooking process, which is extremely important. The dumplings are cooked evenly, inside and out. There’s no need to worry about them sticking to the inside of the steamer, which is a common problem with metal steamers.

The evenly distributed heat prevents sticking, as food sticking to your steamer can be a real pain. You don’t have to worry about that with a bamboo choice.

Earth-friendly

Finally, another advantage of choosing a bamboo steamer is that they’re environmentally-friendly.

Authentic bamboo steamers are made without chemicals or other potentially harmful ingredients, which is a plus for you and your family, as well as the environment.

The negative aspects of bamboo steamers

There are negative aspects of using a bamboo steamer as opposed to a metal one. One negative aspect is that bamboo steamers absorb humidity and odors.

Imagine serving meat dumplings that smell exactly like the last dish that was cooked in it. That could be a disaster, especially if it was something that was very pungent, like seafood. 

Additionally, bamboo steamers aren’t very durable, despite their attractiveness and other positive aspects. This means that bamboo steamers must be replaced much more often than other types.

Metal steamers and their positive and negative aspects

While bamboo steamers make an excellent choice for cooking meat dumplings, it doesn’t mean that metal steamers can’t be good, as well. In fact, many cooks prefer metal steamers as opposed to bamboo choices for a number of reasons. First of all, metal steamers are very resilient, increasing their ability to last for many years. Bamboo steamers are likely to require replacing a lot sooner, which is not cost-effective. 

Faster cooking

Some dishes require a hotter steamer for faster cooking. Metal steamers are able to easily accommodate this need. In addition to making the dish nice and crispy, metal steamers enable you to enhance the flavor and texture of bread cooking by cooking more rapidly.

This is a definite plus, because everyone wants crispy, flavorful bread as opposed to soggy bread with little flavor. 

High cost

Metal steamers can be very expensive in comparison to bamboo choices. This can be a deterrent for many cooks who don’t have large budgets for kitchen supplies. Bamboo steamers are a lot more affordable and seem to have significantly more benefits than metal steamers do.

However, it doesn’t mean that metal steamers are inferior to bamboo choices. Metal steamers are an enduring choice that is much preferred by some cooks who would never use a steamer made of any other material. 

Despite the fact that metal steamers are more expensive initially, their long-lasting durability means that it won’t be necessary to replace them often. For many cooks, they have never had to replace a metal steamer, even if they’ve been cooking for many years.

Frequently Asked Questions