As im sure you already know, the bamboo steamer has been in use for centuries in beautiful Asia for perfectly steaming food. Over the course of many years, this ancient cooking gem has become an important tool for cooking in good old Usa. The Joyce Chen steamer has tons of different uses besides basic cooking. Did you know that Joyce Chen makes the best bamboo steamer in the world? Guess what? since i like you so much, lets talk about the uses and care instructions for your steamer which will help you use your joyce chen bamboo steamer to its utmost!

1. Ok.. so how do i use a bamboo steamer for preparing food?

Great question. Your bamboo steamer has multiple layer containers which allows us to cook different foods, separately all at once, how cool is that? Every last layer is built with an open interlace bamboo bottom allowing hot steam to pass through for cooking purposes. FYI: Your steamer must be positioned over a pot of boiling hot water. Please make sure your steamer fits deep enough inside your pot for safety (i had to learn the hard way lol).

2. Ok ok, so how do i place food inside the steamer?

Well, you can lay your food directly inside your bamboo steamer, but this just makes for a hard clean up. But dont get me wrong, there are materials you are able to use to line your steamer. Illustrations are:

* Parchment paper (my favorite). Just cut the paper in a circle (doesn’t have to be perfect) and lay it across your steamer.

* Banana Leaves. Did you know that fresh banana leaves are the perfect liner for your steamer?

The banana leaves also spreads wonder flavors through out your food, so try it.

* Lettuce leaves.

3. What about the steaming?-

What i like to do is place 2-3 inches of water in my pot and enable it to boil. Next i place the steamer layers on top of the pot of boiling water. Next i place foods inside the steamer and cover with the bamboo lid and steam until my food is done. This may appear to be common sense, but please carefully remove the steamer to avoid serious burns. I have found its best to use bamboo tongs to remove your foods from your steamer for safety purposes. PLEASE, dont allow your boiling pot of water to dehydrate. A terrific tip is to place any coin inside your pot of boiling water. If you dont hear your coin, guess what.. your out of water buddy.

4. So how do i take care of my steamer?

Once your done cooking, wash your steam trays with soapy, warm water. Please dont allow your steamer to soak in water. Do not use a metal scrubber for cleaning, try using a nylon scrubber to remove stuck food. Keep in mind your steamer IS NOT DISH WASHER SAFE! Once your done washing your steamer, allow it time to air dry because humid climates (such as the climates here in Florida where im located) may force your steamer to mold. Other than that, your all set. I hope you enjoy your bamboo steamer as much as i do. Enjoy and have a wonder day [my friend|dear friend].

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