Best Food Steamers UK
| Our verdict at a glance – four ways to choose Best all-round: Russell Hobbs 21140 at around £29.99, with 9 litres, 800W and dishwasher-safe baskets. Best for small kitchens: Tefal Ultracompact 9L at around £43.99, with bowls that stack away for storage. Best budget: Salter 3 Tier 7.5L at around £25.49, compact with a three-year warranty. Best premium: Morphy Richards Intellisteam at around £120.00, with 1600W and a synchronised finish. |
Steaming is one of the simplest ways to cook vegetables, fish, dumplings and rice without adding fat, and an electric food steamer makes it close to effortless. Fill the reservoir, load the baskets, set the timer and walk away. There is no pan to watch, no risk of boiling dry on the hob, and a whole meal can cook in a single appliance.
The choice comes down to a handful of practical questions: how much food you need to cook at once, how much worktop and cupboard space you can spare, and whether you want a basic timer or a more intelligent machine. Prices in the UK range from around £25 for a simple three-tier steamer to around £120 for a premium model that helps every part of a meal finish together.
If you already own a multi-cooker, it may steam as well, and our guide to the best multi-cookers UK 2026 covers that route. For dedicated steaming, this round-up covers four electric steamers with active Amazon UK listings, with capacities, wattages, dimensions and prices taken from those listings.
Russell Hobbs 3 Tier Electric Food Steamer 21140 – best all-round food steamer
The Russell Hobbs 21140 is a straightforward, well-priced steamer that suits most families. It is listed at around £29.99 and offers three stackable baskets with a total capacity of 9 litres, which is generous enough to cook vegetables, fish and rice for several people in one session.
At 800W, the listing says it makes steam in under 40 seconds, using what Russell Hobbs calls a turbo steam design. That short start-up matters, because a steamer that takes ages to get going undoes much of the convenience. It has a 60-minute timer, and the two side water inlets let you top up the water without lifting the baskets off mid-cook.
The baskets are listed as dishwasher safe and BPA free, which makes cleaning easy after cooking fish or sticky rice. The listing gives dimensions of around 25.4cm on each side and a weight of about 1.95kg, so it is compact for a nine-litre steamer, and light enough to move between the worktop and a cupboard. Russell Hobbs lists a two-year guarantee, with an extra year if you register it online.
The main trade-off is that it is a plain, timer-based machine. You choose the baskets and the time yourself, and there is no preset or keep-warm function. For most people steaming vegetables, fish and dumplings, that is all that is needed.
- Steams rice, vegetables and fish whilst retaining maximum nutrients and vitamins
- Turbo steam design creates steam in less than 40 seconds
- 800w of power
- 3 basket layers with a total of 9 litre capacity
- 2 side water inlets
Tefal Ultracompact 9L Steam Cooker – best for small kitchens
Storage is the hidden cost of a three-tier steamer, and Tefal has designed the Ultracompact around it. It is listed at around £43.99, with a 9 litre capacity across three steaming bowls and a patented storage system that stacks the bowls, including the rice bowl, onto the base when not in use.
On the cooking side, the listing highlights a 60-minute timer, an indicator light while it heats and a clear water level display. The water can be topped up while steaming is in progress, so long cooks do not have to be interrupted. Each bowl has six spots for eggs, which makes the steamer handy for boiled eggs as well as vegetables. The large rice bowl is listed as 1 litre, enough to cook rice for a family alongside the other baskets.
The listing gives dimensions of 32.2cm deep, 25.2cm wide and 45.6cm high when assembled, and a weight of around 2.6kg. It is taller than the Russell Hobbs when in use, but the stacking design means it packs down considerably for a cupboard. Tefal lists a two-year guarantee, and the bowls are listed as BPA free.
It costs more than the basic three-tier models, so it makes most sense if your kitchen is short on space or you like the reassurance of a big-name brand. For anyone with a roomy worktop who wants the lowest price, the cheaper models below will steam just as well.
- HEALTHIER COOKING: Lower-fat steam cooking maintains more vitamins and nutritional value.
- EASY TO USE: 60-minute timer, indicator light during heating, 6 spots in each bowl to cook eggs, easily viewable water level and the ability to refill water while steaming is in progress.
- EASY TO STORE: A convenient steam cooker with an ultra-compact storage system – stackable bowls (including rice bowl) store on the base.
- PERFECT CAPACITY: The large 9 L capacity 3-bowl multi-tier system uses three steaming bowls at once, saving time while offering enough for special occasions and everyday use.
- GENEROUS RICE BOWL: A large 1 L rice bowl, ensuring enough rice for the whole family.
Salter 3 Tier Electric Food Steamer – best budget steamer
For anyone who wants to try steaming without spending much, the Salter three-tier steamer is the cheapest option in this round-up. It is listed at around £25.49 and has a 7.5 litre total capacity, made up of three BPA-free stackable baskets and a rice bowl.
It runs at 500W, which is lower than the other models here, so expect it to take a little longer to build up steam. The listing includes a 60-minute timer, a clear water level window and automatic shut-off if it runs dry. The listing also states that tests comparing it with cooking 100g of broccoli on a 1.8kW electric hob showed up to 69% less energy used, which is a manufacturer claim rather than an independent result, but it does suggest that small steamers can be cheap to run.
Dimensions are listed as 19.8cm deep, 21.8cm wide and 28.5cm high, and the weight is around 1.35kg, making it the most compact and lightest of the three-tier steamers here. That makes it easy to store, and a good fit for one or two people or a small household. Salter lists a three-year warranty, which is long for a machine at this price.
The trade-off is capacity and power. A family of four cooking large quantities of vegetables and fish may find the 7.5 litre baskets a little tight, and the lower wattage is slower than the Russell Hobbs. For couples and small households, it is very good value.
- VERSATILE COOKING OPTIONS – This steamer and rice cooker can prepare vegetables, fish, rice and dumplings, helping you create a variety of everyday meals with simple, reliable steaming.
- THREE-TIER CAPACITY – With 3 BPA-free steaming baskets and a rice bowl providing a total 7.5 L capacity, you can cook different foods at the same time, and the stackable design makes storage easy.
- COOKING PERFORMANCE – Tests comparing this steamer to cooking 100 g of broccoli on a 1.8 kW electric hob showed up to 69% less energy used, offering a practical cooking option.
- SIMPLE, PRACTICAL CONTROLS – The clear water level window and built-in 60-minute timer make meal prep straightforward, and the dishwasher-safe baskets support quick, easy cleaning after use.
- ADDED SAFETY FEATURES – Automatic shut-off helps prevent the steamer from running dry, offering extra reassurance while preparing meals for the family.
Morphy Richards Intellisteam 470006 – best premium steamer
The Morphy Richards Intellisteam is a different kind of steamer. It is listed at around £120.00, considerably above the basic models, and the reason is its intelligent timing. The listing describes a synchronised finish, where the timer brings the whole meal together so everything is ready at precisely the same time, even when different foods need different lengths of time.
That is the feature that makes it worth considering. Cooking fish, vegetables and rice in a normal steamer means guessing when to add each basket. Here, the appliance works it out, and the listing also mentions preset timings for different foods and an automatic keep-warm function that holds the meal until you are ready to serve.
It is rated at 1600W with a 6.8 litre capacity, so it is smaller than the nine-litre steamers but much more powerful. The listing gives dimensions of 37cm deep, 31.7cm wide and 26.9cm high, and a weight of around 4kg, so it is a substantial appliance that sits on the worktop. The containers, accessories and drip tray are listed as dishwasher safe, and Morphy Richards lists a warranty of up to two years.
For most households, the price is hard to justify when a basic steamer at around £30 cooks perfectly good vegetables. This one is for people who steam most nights, cook meals with several components and value being able to serve everything hot and on time.
- Synchronised finish: The intelligent timer brings the whole meal together to finish at precisely the same time
- Pre-set timings: Pre-set time guide for different foods
- Auto keep warm function: Automatic keep warm function ensures food is kept perfect until you are ready to serve
- Healthy eating: Cook a healthy meal all in one
- Dishwasher safe: Dishwasher safe containers, accessories and drip tray
How to choose an electric food steamer
Capacity and tiers
A three-tier steamer with a total capacity of 7.5 to 9 litres suits most families. Smaller households can manage with a compact model, but very small baskets limit how much fish or chicken will fit. Look at the shape of the baskets as well as the total litres.
Power and speed
Higher wattage generally means faster steam. The 800W Russell Hobbs and 1600W Morphy Richards heat up faster than the 500W Salter, though the difference is mostly noticeable when you are cooking a large amount.
Storage and cleaning
Steamers are bulky, so check the height and whether the baskets stack for storage. Dishwasher-safe baskets and a removable water reservoir or side inlets make regular use much easier.
Getting the most from a food steamer
A few habits improve results with any steamer. Cut food into similar-sized pieces so it cooks evenly, and put the items that need the longest cooking, such as carrots or chicken, in the bottom basket closest to the steam. Delicate foods such as fish and leafy greens go in the upper baskets, where the steam is gentler.
Do not overfill the baskets. Steam needs to circulate between the pieces, so leave a little space and avoid packing food down. Adding herbs, sliced ginger or lemon to the water gives food a light flavour, although it is worth cleaning the reservoir afterwards.
Descale the water reservoir or base periodically in hard water areas, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Limescale reduces efficiency over time, and a quick clean after each use keeps the steamer working well for years.
Steamer or multi-cooker: which is better?
Many multi-cookers and rice cookers include a steaming function, so it is fair to ask whether a dedicated steamer is worth the space. The answer depends on how you cook. A stand-alone steamer offers far more capacity for the money, with three baskets that let you cook several foods at once, and it heats up in seconds rather than minutes.
A multi-cooker, on the other hand, replaces several appliances and usually steams from a single insert, which limits how much you can cook at a time. If you regularly steam a full meal for the family, a three-tier steamer is the more practical tool. If you steam only occasionally and would rather own one appliance, a multi-cooker or rice cooker with a steamer basket may be enough.
Steamers are also among the cheapest appliances to buy. With the models here starting at around £25, it costs little to try, and the simple design means there is little to go wrong.
Food steamer FAQ
Is a food steamer healthy?
Steaming cooks food without added oil or fat and avoids the loss of nutrients into cooking water that can happen with boiling. It is a good way to prepare vegetables, fish and chicken with very little fat.
How long does it take to steam vegetables?
Most vegetables take between 8 and 20 minutes, depending on the type and how small the pieces are. Broccoli and green beans are quick, while carrots and potatoes take longer. All of the steamers here have timers of up to 60 minutes.
Can rice be cooked in an electric steamer?
Yes. The Tefal and Salter listings both include a rice bowl, with the Tefal bowl listed at 1 litre, and the Russell Hobbs listing says it steams rice as well as vegetables and fish. The rice cooks in the steam alongside the other baskets.
Which food steamer is best for a small kitchen?
The Salter three-tier steamer is the smallest and lightest at around £25.49, and the Tefal Ultracompact at around £43.99 is designed to stack down for storage. Both suit limited worktop or cupboard space.
Is the Morphy Richards Intellisteam worth the money?
Only if you steam regularly and want everything to finish together. At around £120, it costs several times more than a basic steamer, and the synchronised timing is the main reason to pay the extra.
The final word
For most kitchens, the Russell Hobbs 21140 at around £29.99 is the best all-round steamer, with 9 litres of capacity, a quick 800W start-up and dishwasher-safe baskets. Choose the Salter at around £25.49 if budget is the priority, the Tefal Ultracompact at around £43.99 if storage space is limited, and the Morphy Richards Intellisteam at around £120 if you want intelligent timing that finishes a whole meal together.
Whichever you pick, choose a size that suits the number of people you cook for, and enjoy simple, low-fat meals with almost no effort.
Related guides
If you are still deciding, these related Kitchen Kit guides are worth a look:
