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Nerdy Science in the Kitchen

Best Tamale Steamers (and what to look for)

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Tamale is a Mesoamerican dish that features steamed, corn-based dough which can be eaten with meats and cheeses as well as fruits and vegetables. They originated in Mexico thousands of years ago and have gone through various changes from the indigenous cultures of South America to the United States today.

Tamales are steamed in steamers while wrapped in husks

The Aztec and Mayan civilizations and the Olmec and Toltec civilizations also cooked them and used them as portable food for hunting trips.

Tamales are usually found wrapped in a corn husk since the ancient civilizations considered themselves to be people of the corn.

Tamale Steamers

Tamale steamers are necessary in order to make Tamales because the dish is essentially steamed corn-based dough in a corn husk. Hence, it’s important to get a steamer that can really and truly trust for the job.

Best Tamale SteamersWhy We Like It
1. Chef Craft Steamer Basket the Chef Craft works as a regular steamer and a steamer insert for Instapots
2. Consevisen Stainless Steel Steamer Basket this steamer is both fully expandable and collapsible and easy to store
3. TOPOKO Vegetable Steamer Basket the TOPOKO has a minimalist design that is super easy to clean–just toss it in the dishwasher
4. Vremi Instant Pot Steamer Basket the removable bottom legs of this steamer don’t scratch the pot and it comes with a lifetime warranty
5. Kitchen Deluxe PREMIUM Steamer Basket the Kitchen Deluxe steamer comes with a safety tool, a bonus julienne peeler, and even a recipe ebook

Chef Craft Steamer Basket

This is one of the most durable steamers that you’ll find on the market since it’s food resistant and rust resistant and even corrosion resistant. It’s of very high quality and can withstand repeated use.

Chef Craft Classic Stainless Steel Steamer Basket, 1 Pack

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It has enough space for water to boil underneath and it’s also fully collapsible so that it can fit into very compact and small spaces. It has a steamer basket for instant pot and is easy to store inside other pots and pans.

You can use this for healthier food choices like making tamales.

Consevisen Stainless Steel Steamer Basket

This healthy steaming basket is built with very high-quality stainless steel petals and a food grade plastic handle. It has silicone feet which are great for your health since the steamer will retain 90% of the nutrients that are lost when you’re boiling or microwaving food.

Steamer Basket Stainless Steel Vegetable Steamer Basket Folding Steamer Insert for Veggie Fish Seafood Cooking, Expandable to Fit Various Size Pot (5.1" to 9")

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Hence, it’s great for making tamales which are known for their nutrients and are an all natural dish. Aside from even tamales, this steamer can be used to steam veggies and seafood and eggs and even meats. You can even use it to make baby food and desserts.

TOPOKO Vegetable Steamer Basket

TOPOKO Vegetable Steamer Basket, Fits Instant Pot Pressure Cooker 5/6 QT and 8 QT, 18/8 Stainless Steel, Folding Steamer Insert For Veggie Fish Seafood Cooking, Expandable to Fit Various Size Pot

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This steamer has a minimalist but an amazing design that is constructed from high-grade stainless steel. It is safe to use because it doesn’t have any toxic substance and is the best choice for your health. It is the perfect fit for instant pot since it expands to fit pots and pans of any size. It can also be collapsed into half its original size when you want to put it away for storage.

This makes the TOPOKO vegetable steamer one of the best choices for tamale steamers out there. It has an easy cleanup feature. What is that, you ask? The TOPOKO vegetable steamer is easy to wash because it can be put into any kind of dishwasher. You can also operate it very easily and prepare any sort of meal with the pot. You can use it to prepare all sorts of ingredients from vegetables to seafood and egg and crab as well as baby food.

Vremi Instant Pot Steamer Basket

Vremi Collapsible Vegetable Steamer Basket- Food Safe Round Stainless Steel Steaming Tray - Fits Large and Small Pans, Pots, Instant Pressure Cookers - Extendable Handle and Silicone Feet - Green

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The best part about the Vremi vegetable steamer which can also be used to make tamales is that it provides for very easy cleaning. It is made out of stainless steel and is dishwasher safe. The steamer basket has instant pot accessories, and you can use it to cook great healthy food.

The size can be adjusted to fit your pot, and the handle in the center is telescopic so that its legs fold up. This helps in trying to get the whole basket out when the entire thing is quite hot.

The steamer basket also has rubber feet which don’t scratch the inner pot. The handle and the legs are removable and collapsible so you don’t have to worry about storing it and you don’t have to worry about it being overly difficult to operate.

The best part about this tamale steamer is that it has a lifetime warranty which is free of charge and lifelong maintenance service as well. You can use it to steam anything from tamale to broccoli and yams as well as crabs and shrimp as well.

Kitchen Deluxe PREMIUM Steamer Basket

Kitchen Deluxe Vegetable Steamer Basket - With Extendable Handle - Large - Fits Instant Pot Pressure Cooker 5, 6 Qt & 8 Quart - 100% Stainless Steel - Accessories Include eBook + Peeler | For Instapot

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This Kitchen Deluxe steamer is dishwasher safe and is made of stainless steel. It is for everyone that wants to get more veggies into their diet or wants to eat the best-cooked tamales out there. It includes a safety tool, a recipe eBook, and even a safety julienne peeler.

It’s very easy to clean and has compact storage which expands and adjusts in order to fit the various pot and pan sizes that ordinary silicone steamers and steamer baskets just don’t have. You can use this to turn any pan into a steamer in an instant.

The best part about the steamer is that it opens up like a water lily and is collapsible so it turns in to a small and compact dish that can be stored easily.

The steamer also has a lifetime warranty which will let you replace and return your items for free and even get a refund on top of it.

Tamale steamers are a dime a dozen out there, but if you’re looking for one that will optimize the steaming process, and is easy to clean and then store away, then you should really check out the ones that have been presented on this list.

Kitchen Professor author
About the Author: Rhonda Richardson, Editor

Rhonda grew up with parents who gardened, hunted, fished, canned, and preserved food. Her mother was a professional cook and Rhonda credits her teaching everything from how to make homemade biscuits and gravy to what kind of meals to serve for different occasions. In the kitchen, Rhonda uses a mix of old-fashioned country cooking and up-to-date fads in the kitchen, often experimenting with replacing higher-calorie or fat ingredients with healthier options that still retain the delicious flavors of the originals.

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