The Ultimate Guide for Maintaining Bamboo Steamers

Bamboo steamers are widely used in Chinese cooking, that is, food can be cooked in a closed but not airtight environment and under strong steam. The bamboo base on which the food is placed is designed to be about one centimeter higher than the bottom of the outer edge, which allows the bamboo steamer to sit on a pan or wok without touching the boiling water.

Compared with metal or electric steamers, bamboo steamers naturally absorb water. During the cooking process, steam either escapes through the braid of the lid or is absorbed by the basket. This powerful function means that there will be no condensation on the surface of the food, making the steamer a perfect device for steaming delicate dishes such as steamed buns or dim sum. BAMBOOMAKE shared the following maintenance tips for bamboo steamers, we hope they can be helpful to everyone.

1. For a brand new bamboo steamer, boil a large pot of water and then submerge the steamer for a few minutes. Take it out and wipe it dry with kitchen paper, and put it away after it is completely dry, preferably on a shelf.

2. Depending on what you are cooking, you should always put a layer between the food and the steamer to prevent adhesion, such as small squares of baking paper for buns, or heat-resistant plates for sauces. After cooking in the steamer, you can clean it with a sponge or use a gentle brush to remove food residues. Please do not soak or use cleaning agents, as this may damage the material.

3. How to keep the bamboo steamer smooth

(1) Take a nail file (or gauze for woodworking) and rub the gap of the steamer grid back and forth with the nail file to remove excess burrs. Grind away the residual burrs, which can prevent the burrs from hurting your hands during use).

(2) Rub the surface of the steamer with a nail file back and forth to remove excess burrs.

(3) Clean the steamer basket with running water to prevent the ground burrs from remaining in the gaps of the steamer basket.

(4) Then use the same method to rub the surface of the steamer cover back and forth to remove excess burrs.

(5) Clean the steamer cover with running water.

(6) If the steamer cloth is handmade straw mats, wash the mats with running water.

4. Steps for daily maintenance

(1) Pour enough cold water into the pot, pour in a little cooking oil, then put the straw mat in the steamer, and the bamboo steamer in the water.

(2) Cover the steamer lid and cook the bamboo steamer on medium heat for 20 minutes to boil the yellow water in the bamboo (pay attention to the amount of water in the pot during the cooking process to prevent the water from drying out).

(3) Take out the cooked bamboo steamer and let the water dry, and then evenly brush a layer of cooking oil into the steamer compartment (bamboo needs to be maintained with oil. Brush a layer of cooking oil inside the steamer compartment to allow the bamboo to absorb oil and prevent mildew).

(4) Put the bamboo steamer in the sun and let the oil slowly soak into the bamboo.

If you want to know more information after reading the above, you can get a comprehensive solution by contacting us.

As an experienced bamboo tableware supplier, we are equipped with an extremely comprehensive management system and a professional service team. We have carried out comprehensive quality control from product selection, manufacturing, and export. At the same time, we will also provide professional customized services according to the actual needs of customers. If you are interested in our bamboo steamer, please contact us immediately!