How to get the best results from your steam cooker

1)  Always check that your lid is securely fitted onto the steamer. This is so the steam can be kept trapped inside the pan, allowing for a short cooking time.

2)  The water should be boiling before adding the food to the steamer.

3)  Leave a small gap between the food and the liquid in the base of the pan. The water should not come into contact with the food, as this will boil, not steam it!

4)  Defrost all foods like fish, poultry and meat before steaming. Frozen vegetables, however, can be steamed.

5)  Try to choose equal size portions of food (for example, chicken breasts) and cut vegetables into even-sized pieces. This will encourage an even cooking time.

6)  Arrange all your foods in the steamer so that there are gaps between them. This allows for the steam to circulate and cook the food evenly.

7)  Arrange the foods you are cooking into an even layer in the steamer. Again, this promotes evenly-cooked results. The larger or thicker the piece of food, the longer the cooking time will be.

8)  Foods such as vegetables, fish, meat and poultry can be placed directly into the steamer. However, with other foods such as steamed puddings, put then in a covered dish to prevent these from becoming too wet.

9)  Foods that are likely to drip such as fish, poultry and meat should be placed in the bottom tier of the steamer so they do not affect the other foods that are cooking at the same time.

10) Use the top tier for the food that requires the shortest cooking time, and if needs be, add it to the steamer when it is necessary to do so. The top tier is furthest away from the source of the steam, so will always take slightly longer to cook.

11) When cooking large quantities of food, swap the tiers halfway through to encourage even cooking.

12) Cover foods only when contact with the steam might cause the dish to spoil; for example, steamed puddings.

13) When cooking foods for a long period of time, keep an eye on the water, as you may need to top this up in the base of the steamer.

14) Try not to lift the lid off during cooking, as this will cause steam to be lost and the cooking time to be lengthened.

15) Cooking times when steaming will vary depending on the quality and quantity of the food, so always check before serving. If you feel the food is not quite done, simply replace the lid and allow to steam for a few more minutes.

For lots of steaming recipes, read Steaming with recipes: Rediscover the benefits of this simple method of cooking (£6.99, Robinson) by Annette Yates.