Make Your Own Steamer With Disposable Plates

If you don’t have a reusable steaming basket in your kitchen, but you do have a few disposable plates at hand, this DIY steaming basket is easy to make and gets the job done just as well without cluttering up your kitchen with another gadget.

Steaming baskets aren’t terribly expensive, but you do have to go out of your way to find them these days — it’s been a while since I’ve seen one in most department stores, even though they’re easily available online. Disposable plates, however, are cheap purchases at supermarkets, and we’re firm believers that every kitchen should have a roll of baking paper — that’s all you need for this hack.

Just poke some holes in one of the plates, and flip it upside down in a pot or casserole dish and add some water. Roll out the other one as flat as you can make it, put the parchment paper on top, and poke holes through both of them. Then add them to the pot on top of the first plate. Add a little cooking oil and toss in the veggies. That’s all there is to it — all you have to do is keep an eye on the veggies to make sure they’re nicely steamed.

If you steam often, you’ll probably want to invest in a basket (full disclosure: I have one myself). If steaming is a rare thing in your household, this trick is worth a shot. What do you think? Have a better method? Let’s hear it in the comments below.

How to Make an Impromptu Steamer [America’s Test Kitchen]