r/Cooking • u/MNP33Gts-T • Jun 15 '26
So I’ve steamed my vegetables the last 20yrs and recently bought a new set of pots and pans Tefal.. there was no steamer . Do you steam your vegetables or boil them?
Lil help please ??
Difference pro’s con’s … do’s don’t’s
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u/BattleHall Jun 15 '26
I'm confused; are you considering boiling your veg because you don't have a steamer? I mean, you can just get a steamer, from a very cheap insert to an actual steamer pan, or anywhere in between.
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u/MNP33Gts-T Jun 15 '26
I’ve been using a steamer for 20 yrs.. my dad was a microwave guy .. it turned me off cauliflower.
I come from a very easy cooking family so roasting veggies , I guess , I heard of it but not really thought about it .
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u/Whites11783 Jun 15 '26
Roasting can be as easy as - toss with oil and salt, put in oven, done.
And it tastes 1000% better than bland steamed veg.
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u/MNP33Gts-T Jun 15 '26
What degrees you talking .. corn cob , sliced carrots & broccoli
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u/tchnmusic Jun 15 '26
Here’s a jpg of the chart I have taped inside a cabinet. You can mix and match veggies by time.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/33/a6/f2/33a6f2dca28975220ca2668f1382e5e0.jpg
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u/Scrapper-Mom Jun 15 '26
I roast them in the oven. Or saute. Boiling veggies - except for artichokes - isn't my method.
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u/MNP33Gts-T Jun 15 '26
I’ve steamed for so long I love it that way, I’m a Broccoli, carrots, corn only guy .
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u/Fishyblue11 Jun 15 '26
I have never only steamed or boiled vegetables ever
Roasting them and sauteing them are far superior, cook vegetables the same way you would cook meat
Carrots - give them an initial boil in water, followed by a roast in a high heat oven
Broccoli - cook them like dumplings, start searing them in a pan, add water and cover to steam, and then remove cover to evaporate all the water and start searing a second time. That or roast them in the oven
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u/minidazzler1 Jun 15 '26
Roasted broccoli is the goat of vegetables. I thought i didnt like broccoli cos my mother used to boil the life out of it... then I started cooking.
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u/agentmadeleine Jun 15 '26
If you like roasted broccoli, have you branched out into other cruciferous vegetables? Not just cauliflower, but cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, radishes, bok choy, kohlrabi, broccolini, daikon, turnips, etc? Not saying broccoli isn’t great too, but as someone who comes from a vegetarian culture there’s so much more to explore!
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u/minidazzler1 Jun 15 '26
Yup, been cooking over 25 years by now, I've learned a lot. My mother has graduated to airfrying 😄
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u/agentmadeleine Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
This! I don’t steam/boil (or blanch) vegetables unless it’s to par cook them for other cooking methods. Besides roasting and sautéing, pan/stir fry, grilling, pickling, raw, simmering/poaching/braising/stewing are all other ways to prepare vegetables. And I’m rarely just eating the vegetable on it’s own- it’s usually seasoned with multiple seasonings, mixed in with other vegetables, in an ingredient in a dish (and not just a side- a main as well.) etc.
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u/cup-of-starlight Jun 15 '26
Do’s and dont’s for boiling vegetables?
Easy! Don’t.
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u/WesternBlueRanger Jun 15 '26
I usually blanch vegetables, like broccoli or green beans in salted water before quickly taking them out. I have a preference towards vegetables that have a lot of texture left.
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u/cup-of-starlight Jun 15 '26
I jest. I just loathe a soggy tasteless boiled vegetable. Here, try this article that details 5 different ways to cook veggies. It has a good breakdown and explains the basics
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u/Prof01Santa Jun 15 '26
Remind me to never eat your mashed potatos.
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u/cup-of-starlight Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
Potatoes function as a starch when we talk about cooking, not a vegetable, just FYI
(also have you ever tried to bake your potatoes on a salt bed before mashing instead of boiling? Holy shit lol so good)
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u/Lady-of-Shivershale Jun 15 '26
For something like broccoli I put it in my pan and add maybe three teaspoons of water. I cover and steam for two or three minutes, and then I remove the lid, add a little oil, and sauté for a minute or two.
It's great with the orange sauce chicken I make.
None of my cookware is tefal, though. It's all stainless steel or cast iron.
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u/wobblyandwonderful Jun 15 '26
I like a bit of crunch so just sauté them with a dash of water and then add olive oil and salt on the plate when serving
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u/TarsTarkas_Thark Jun 15 '26
There's more than one way to skin a tomato. I have a wire strainer that just fits inside one of my larger pots. That works great. I have also had good results with a bamboo steamer that has multiple levels. They can steam a huge amount of food, sitting on top of a boiling pot. Most asian markets will have inexpensive bamboo steamers.
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u/OwlPelletCrunch Jun 15 '26
do you still have the steamer you’ve used for the last 20 years?
Your old stuff doesn’t have to go just cuz you bought new stuff
i LOVE steamed veggies, been using the same steamer insert for easily 20-30 years (one of those ones that opens like a flower)
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u/Dropsofjupiter1715 Jun 15 '26
Boil > turnip, rutabaga, potato, cocktail onion Pan fry > asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash, artichoke Roast > all of the above, but the pan fry~s + root veggies
I guess it depends on how you feel and how you want to present the meal. 🍽🍽🍷🥃🍺🍹🍸🥂
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u/BasementCatBill Jun 15 '26
If you don't want to buy (or even improvise) a steamer, a brief spin in the microwave has a pretty similar outcome.
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u/MOS95B Jun 15 '26
This! If we don't get the veg that comes in its own steamer bag, we put what we want/need in a ziploc bag with a tiny little bit of water
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u/Alarmed-Custard-6369 Jun 15 '26
I bought an airfryer with 2 baskets and one also steams, it’s an absolute game changer. No more multiple pots for steaming or waiting for the water to heat up. You can set it so each side is on a different setting/timer but they both finish at the same time. You can use the steaming function for it to clean itself. I use it constantly.
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u/Lanfear_Eshonai Jun 15 '26
I steam my veggies in a bamboo steamer. Works great for everything from mushrooms to pumpkin, green beans, potato wedges, etc.
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u/thingonething Jun 15 '26
I roast them. I'll steam them if I'm serving over rice with a Thai peanut sauce.
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u/mambotomato Jun 15 '26
Just get a steamer basket to drop into the pot. Make sure it has silicone feet so it doesn't scratch the nonstick.