Unless you have the kitchen real estate, having another bulky pot and lid taking space in your cabinets isn’t really a viable option. So when you need to steam dumplings or vegetables, this quick impromptu hack will have your food steamed easily and in no time.
While steamer pots are and were a staple in kitchens, these combination pot companions aren’t always a given. Most pot sets nowadays don’t have them in the set and are a separate, often expensive, purchase. That is where this tip from 1.min.ideas on TikTok comes in.
In a stock pot or large saucepan, lay spoons with the bottoms up. Lay the spoons in an asterisk pattern, with the spoons going outward from the center point.
Next, lay a ceramic plate on top of the spoons. Make sure the ceramic plate is heat-proof and there’s no metallic or glitter coating that could get damaged in the cooking process.
In the gap that’s between the plate and the saucepan, gradually pour in water, making sure not to get the water onto the plate’s surface. Just like with a standard steamer, you don’t want to add too much water; you only want enough to boil without it evaporating completely.
Once the water has been simmering for a few minutes, add what you want to steam on top of the plate. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for several minutes.
This is a great way to steam things without having to purchase excess bulky kitchen equipment. If you are cooking things like pierogies or dumplings, line the plate with parchment paper, which will prevent sticking.
To watch the full hack from start to finish, click the link here.