Caraway’s New Steamers Are One of the Only Food ‘Gadgets’ I Keep in My Kitchen—Here’s Why
As a very amateur home chef, I'm always the last one to hop on a cooking trend. Don't judge me, but... I still don't have an air fryer. I don't own an Instant Pot or a sous vide, either, and I literally just purchased my very first garlic press from Marshall's last week. Progress!
Suffice to say, I'm an old school "essentials only" kinda gal. I believe in nice cookware, which is why I invested in Caraway's famous nonstick cookware set a while back. (And yes, it really is as good as the internet says.) But besides a high-quality set of pots and pans and a few nice baking dishes, I don't have many food-adjacent accessories. This includes a formal steamer. Until recently, I've always just MacGyver'd my own steamer of sorts using a large sauté pan and a pasta colander, which worked well enough on nights when I needed to eat my greens. And then I got my hands on Caraway's new Steamer Duo ($120), and my whole world changed.
The Steamer Duo Includes a large and small steamer that are made to fit inside the brand’s Dutch Oven and Sauce Pan, respectively.
Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic, but my cooking world totally changed, as these nifty steamers shed light on what I've been missing all these years: perfectly cooked broccoli, warm, never-mushy dumplings, even fresh, juicy shrimp. Yum.
True to Caraway's neat-and-tidy design ethos, the steamers are crafted to fit snug within the brand's existing pots (which are sold separately, BTW): the Dutch Oven ($135) and the Sauce Pan ($115). This makes storage a breeze, since you can just plop them inside each pot, freeing up space in your cabinets to store other cooking gizmos and gadgets. When you're ready to steam, you just fill up the pot with some water (about 1-2 inches will do), insert the matching steamer, fill said steamer with whatever it is you're cooking, and put the pot's lid on. Easy, breezy, beautiful... Covergirl steamed broccoli.
Speaking of steamed broccoli, I decided to put these steamy steamers to the test on just that. Because yes, they were pretty, and yes, they were nifty, but how did they actually hold up in the kitchen?
Actually testing the new Caraway Steamer Duo
To test, I pulled out my Caraway Dutch oven, filled it with a bit of water, and turned on the stove. Next, I nested my steamer into my Dutch oven to confirm that it really does fit perfectly—when inserted, it acts almost like an extension of the pan itself. Then, I cut up some fresh broccoli, threw it in, and topped it off with the lid. Six minutes later, I had perfectly cooked broccoli that was just the right color, texture, and taste. (With a little lemon and salt, of course.)
I immediately noticed how easy it was to transport the steamer out of the pot, thanks to the stainless steel handles on either side of the body. When I was done, I pulled out the entire basket, dumping the broccoli out onto a serving dish before tossing it into the sink. The stainless steel handles are sturdy and don't transfer heat, so no you don't have to worry about burning yourself if you pick it up without using a dishtowel or oven mitt.
And even though broccoli isn't the most messy of dishes to make, I appreciated how easy the steamers were to clean afterwards. A simple rinse with soap and water did the trick. The stainless steel body is coated in the brand's signature non-toxic ceramic coating, which makes doing dishes super simple. It's just as non-sticky as the matching pots and pans, so you never have to worry about food getting crusted on or stuck behind. The coating is entirely non-toxic, too, so you can won't have to worry about toxins or chemicals leaching into your food while you steam.
Arguably one of the best parts about these "gadgets" is the fact that they're multifaceted. Got fresh produce you need to wash? Drain it in here. Straining pasta or rice? It doubles as a colander. One gadget, so many different ways to use it.
Whether you're like me and are on the fence about loading up on trendy cooking accessories, or are the first to jump on the first fad you see on foodie TikTok, these steamers deserve a place in your kitchen. The only downside is they're technically only compatible with Caraway's cookware (which also deserves a place in your kitchen, if you can swing it.) But if you've already got the brand's Dutch Oven or Sauce Pan (or are comfortable with the steamers not fitting *perfectly* in your other pots and pans...) get the Steamer Duo here or shop each individually below.
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