Boiling Vs. Steaming: Best Way To Cook Your Vegetables

Boiling vs. steaming, which is the better option to prepare your food? When it comes to cooking vegetables, these methods are highly recommended by the best chefs worldwide.

Sustainable (primarily plant-based) diets and healthy eating are gaining popularity over recent years due to the rising trends on the internet to call for better dieting. Boiling and steaming are easy to do and have various health advantages over other cooking methods.

Without further ado, let’s dive into this interesting topic to know which cooking method is better for you.

Steamed Vegetables And Carrots — Choosing the right cooking method for your taste and health is important.

A Complete Insight About Boiling

With its simple nature, boiling has been an essence of processing food since the very dawn of humankind. Here is a brief look at its history and basic facts!

History Of Boiling

Boiling Pot Of Vegetable Soup — Boiling is one of the earliest methods in cooking history.

Boiling is one of the most ancient and basic ways to cook food. In ancient times, people typically chose this moist method to cook starchy food tubers and separate fat from meat. The scene of tribal people sitting around the campfire with the boiling pot of stew marked the dawn of civilizations.

Cooking stew with meat, vegetables, and roots in one large pot was a prevalent practice in many cultures worldwide. Many researchers believe boiling dates back 30,000 years (during the Upper Paleolithic) when people used hot stones to heat water in the pit.

Historical theories suggest that humans invented boiling after roasting and before baking. Since boiling requires containers to hold water and endure high heat, pottery plays an important role in this method.

The Nature Of Boiling

Chopped Green Vegetables — Don’t throw away the water after boiling your veggies since it contains nutrients from your foods.

Boiling is a method of cooking in which the liquid is vaporized in heat. By heating the liquid to a certain temperature, also called boiling point, the liquid goes through a phase change into its gas (vapor) state. The boiling point of water is 212 °F / 100 °C.

Boiling is a moist type of cooking which means using water for cooking the ingredients, as opposed to dry cooking. Other water-based liquids such as stock, wine, or milk can also replace the water in boiling.

The main purpose of boiling is to eliminate organic impurities and transform raw foods into cooked foods, extending the food’s shelf life and giving it a milder taste than raw foods.⁽¹⁾

Learn about the stages of boiling water to understand more about its nature.

Watch this video: The Four Stages of Boiling Water

A Complete Insight About Steaming

Like boiling, this method is an ancient practice that many cultures have long applied to process their foods. Different cultures used different ways of steaming, though.

History Of Steaming

The earliest steam cooking evidence was found in China. It dates back to 5,000 BC. In Arizona, people found evidence of steam pits used in cooking about 10,000 years ago.

The first “modern” humans in Europe learned to cook food by wrapping the ingredients in wet leaves and cooking them in hot steam or smoke.

While steaming was not popular in the west, cultures like Asia or North Africa relied heavily on this cooking method. Steaming uses less water and fuel, allowing people who dwell in barren lands to save more resources around this time.

Vegetables Steaming Cooking Method — Steaming is extremely popular in Asian cooking.

The Nature Of Steaming

Steamed Korean Dumplings Mandu — Steaming takes advantage of heat to cook food.

Steaming is a method that employs moist heat to cook food. Water is boiled and vaporized into hot steam; the steam then brings heat to the food. When steaming, the food doesn’t touch the water. Water boils at 212 °F (100 °C), so the food is cooked in the steam at the same temperature.

You can steam with high pressure. These methods required specialized cookware. The steaming process will happen in an air-tight steamer that enhances the steaming process by pressure.

Learn how to steam crunchy vegetables in a pressure cooker.

Watch this video: How to Steam Vegetables in Pressure Cooker

Boiling Vs. Steaming – Major Differences Between The Two Methods

These two cooking approaches have many key differences, making them useful for different purposes and situations. Here is a brief table for you to compare them side by side:

Factors	Boiling	Steaming
Cookware	Pan, pot	Steamer, pot with tray
Time of cooking	Longer duration	Shorter duration
Texture	Soft, watery	Crunchy and crispy
Taste	Slightly bland	Intact
Color	Darker	Bright
Bacteria elimination	More bacteria killed	Fewer bacteria killed
Nutrient loss	Nutrients go into the liquid	Low
Boiled water uses	Water, drink, broth, etc.	No use

Method And Process

In boiling, people use all kinds of pots and pans that can contain large amounts of water. The vegetables should be submerged completely in water, so the cookware should have high sides.

With the method of steaming, there is a special cookware called a steamer. It looks like a pot or a pan with a holed tray to let the steam through, with the bottom intended for containing boiling water.

A steamer usually comes in multiple pots stacked on each other. This enables you to cook many dishes at once. You can also use a steamer basket and a regular pot to start steaming.

Time Of Cooking

The time required for boiling is quite long since the main purpose of boiling is to eliminate most bacteria and cook the foods entirely, making them safer to eat. Meanwhile, steaming aims to cook the vegetables slightly, so it takes less time.

Boiled Mix Vegetable Soup In Pot — Boiling is better if you want your foods to be cooked more thoroughly.

Textures, Tastes, And Colors

Boiling softens the vegetables a great deal since submerging them in boiling water makes them mushy and sometimes watery. Meanwhile, steaming makes the foods crunchy and crisp, which tastes better in your mouth than sloppy vegetables in long boiling.

Boiling breaks down the substances in your vegetables into the water, thus depriving them of their original taste. In the case of steaming, it tends to maintain the original flavors of the vegetables better.

For example, steaming is better than boiling potatoes since the spuds are not entirely soaked in water, helping the flavor become more robust.

After boiling, the vegetables usually turn darker if cooked for a long time. The color of the vegetables is partly imparted into the boiled water. Meanwhile, vegetables in steaming retain their bright color, much like their raw state.

Magenta Cabbage And Carrots Steamer — Steaming is superior in terms of taste, texture, and nutritional content.

The Loss Of Nutritional Content

Green Bean With Purple Sweet Potato — Boiling steals nutrients from your vegetables more than steaming.

Regarding the nutrient loss in the cooking process, boiling robs the vegetables of more nutrients. The longer your vegetables are boiled in the water, the more nutrients are lost.

On the other hand, steaming preserves more nutritional content. Steaming does cause nutrient loss but is not considerable.⁽²⁾

Cooked vegetables are easier for your body to digest and consume. Raw vegetables include some defensive layers and complex cellular structures that might be hard to break down. The heat in cooking will bring these down and render nutrients more accessible.

Regarding heat treatment, steaming is still better at the job since it provides enough heat to make the nutrients more available while keeping the nutrients intact.

Boiling kills off more bacteria and harmful microorganisms, which makes the food safer to consume. Meanwhile, steaming just barely cooks the vegetables up without eliminating much bacteria.

The water used in boiling shouldn’t be disposed of since it contains many nutrients leached out from the vegetables in the process. You should drink it or save it to cook soup or stew. Meanwhile, the water in steaming is just boiled water with no nutrition.

In cooking baby food, steaming is better in terms of preserving the nutrients since the nutrient loss in the steaming process is minimal. However, it may be safer to boil vegetables to get rid of the bacteria, and you can also use the excess water as stock for pureeing.

Learn how to steam your vegetables with style!

Watch this video: How to Steam Vegetables | Cook Vegetables

Pros And Cons Of Boiling And Steaming

Both methods of cooking come with their advantages and disadvantages. Understanding them will help you become more flexible in cooking!

Upsides And Downsides Of Boiling

Mixed Vegetables With Carrots — Boiling is the best way to remove bacteria and other unwanted harmful microorganisms.

When it comes to boiling advantages, the safety and simplicity of these methods are at the top of the list. Boiling is one of the simplest and safest ways to cook food. It reduces the risk of you getting poisoned or ill by bacteria.

It’s also more suitable for large-scale cooking. All you need is a large stock pot, and your huge batch will be cooked in one go. Boiled food is easy to digest too.

However, boiling also has some downsides. Besides the loss of some nutrients, the taste and texture of boiled veggies are not very appetizing. However, you can improve that by adding other herbs and spices or eating with sauces.

Upsides And Downsides Of Steaming

Steamed Green Broccoli — Steaming has multiple upsides that outweigh its downsides.

Steaming offers a lot of advantages and very few shortcomings. One advantage of steaming is that it helps shorten the time of cooking and retains the original quality of vegetables. Steamed veggies are also delicious, nutritious, and appetizing.

The only shortcoming of steaming is that it doesn’t cook the vegetables thoroughly, which may have little effect on eliminating germs and bacteria.

Learn how to steam veggies in the microwave if you don’t have a steamer at home.

Watch this video: How to Steam Vegetables in the Microwave

Boiling And Steaming: Which Is Better To Cook Your Veggies?

The answer depends on your cooking purposes. If nutritional values are what you are opting for, then steaming is your go-to. As stated above, nutrient retention is the biggest advantage of the steaming method.

Boiling is not that bad if you can consume the water you boil your vegetables in. That’s where the nutrients inside your vegetables head to.

Moreover, boiling the vegetables purges the harmful bacteria from your greens, which is safer for you to consume. Although boiled vegetables alone can be a bit bland, cooking them in soups or stews can greatly enhance the flavor.

Steaming Of Hot Boiled Vegetables — Both cooking methods are great, but one outshines the other in certain aspects.

Tips For Boiling

There are some tips that you should keep in mind to get the best result from boiling. Here are some points you should know:

Before Boiling

Always wash the food thoroughly before boiling it. Even though boiling can kill off detrimental bacteria, it cannot remove the dirt and excess substances like pesticides or germs on your ingredients. Washing your ingredients is one of the most important steps of preparation.

You should boil the water first and then put the food in later. That will help retain more nutrients and texture of the food. Root vegetables like potatoes should have their skins on them to retain nutritional content.

Vegetables Washing Kitchen — Wash your ingredients carefully to keep the boiled water clean and safe to use.

While Boiling

Make sure the water covers the food completely. That way, the food will be cooked more evenly and faster. You should choose cookware with a well-fitted lid to prevent the steam from going out. Foods get cooked quickly and better with the steam inside.

Don’t forget to turn your food a bit while boiling. The bottom part of the cookware is more heated, so keep turning the sides of the food to cook it more evenly.

Boiling Water In Pot — Seal the pot with a lid to cook veggies faster and more thoroughly.

After Boiling

Boiling Mix Vegetables Pot — You should always keep a timer next to your boiling pot.

You should not boil food for too long. Once it gains a certain softness and ripeness, take the food out of the water. If you cook food or leave it too long in the water, it will lose its texture, color, and taste. Over-cooking also takes away nutrition.

Learn how to boil your vegetables properly and retain their best quality.

Watch this video: Learn How to Cook Fresh Vegetables in Water

Tips For Steaming

Steaming is not a complex cooking method, but there are some tips that you can apply to step up your steaming process. Here are some tips you should follow to steam any food properly:

Before Steaming

Don’t add too much water. It will take longer to boil and contribute nothing to the cooking process. If the water level is too high, it can splatter into the food, causing a wet and mushy texture. However, putting too little water can burn the cookware.

Always boil the water first. Only add ingredients to the basket once your water is boiling. Adding them too soon will cause them to turn soft. You may want to turn down the heat so the steam can slowly cook the food.

You can use stock and herbs to improve your food’s tastes. You may think steaming with any liquid other than water would be useless since the liquid will be vaporized anyway. But the aroma in broth and herbs can impart on your veggies through steam, enhancing their flavors.

Steamed Green Broccoli In Skimmer Pot — The steam heats the food on all sides, so you don’t have to turn it at all.

While Steaming

Make sure you close your lid tightly while steaming. If you cook with a loose-fitting lid, the steam will escape, and it will take longer to cook your food. This will alter the taste of your food. In some cases, your food can be undercooked if too much steam escapes.

Cooking Steamer In Table — The steam is the key factor in this cooking method, so never let any bit of it escape!

After Steaming

Cooking In Steamer — Keep track of your steaming process for the best result.

Don’t let your food linger in the hot steam for too long. They shouldn’t sit in the steamer with the lid closed after finishing cooking. Doing so will make your foods over-cooked and lose their firm texture.

FAQs

You have acquired so much knowledge about boiling and steaming methods in cooking. Let’s go further into this topic with these useful related queries:

Is steaming healthier than grilling?

Steaming is better for your health. This approach uses hot steam to cook food in an enclosed environment. It also eliminates the need for added fat in the entire process, saving you from consuming unnecessary fats. It also retains nutrients better than most methods of cooking.

Is overboiling your vegetables bad?

You should always keep an eye out for your vegetables when boiling. Over-boiling ruins the tastes and textures of your vegetables and takes away their visual appeal. Moreover, over-boiling further diminishes the nutrients in your greens.

How to know when boiled vegetables are done?

Cook vegetables until they get soft but still crunchy to bite. You can test by eating some of them. You can make your boiled vegetables firmer by immediately submerging them in icy cold water after boiling. The sudden temperature change gives your veggies a crisper texture.

Should I boil vegetables with the lid off?

You should cover the pot when you boil vegetables to save time and energy. Once the water has reached the boiling point, you can take the lid to prevent boiling over.

If you want to cook soup and need the moisture to stay inside, just close the lid and open it once in a while to avoid boiling over.

Can I microwave instead of steaming?

If you don’t own a steamer, you can steam your veggies in the microwave! You will need a microwave-safe container like a bowl and something to cover it. The lid will trap the heat inside the bowl and the dry steam that cooks your vegetables.

Should I steam or boil meat?

It depends on your purpose. Steaming is the best way to retain the flavor and nutrients of the meat because it will not break down into stock water. Meanwhile, boiling meat will make it more tender, and you can have fatty stock water to cook other dishes.

Try Both Methods Since Cooking Is An Act Of Exploration!

Boiling and steaming are good in certain cases and less useful in others. As someone with cooking enthusiasm or a desire to level up your skills, you should try both methods and see the result for yourself.

Right and wrong in cooking are subjective. Cooking never comes with an absolute answer, so feel free to explore different possibilities!

Before saying goodbye, please let me know about your experience in the comment section. Don’t forget to share this helpful article with other cooking enthusiasts!

References

Boiling (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation.
Staff, E. (2019) Maximize your foods nutrition by healthy, Easy Steaming, Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter.