Helpful Hints; Steaming Guide - Cuisinart CookFresh STM-1000 Instruction And Recipe Booklet

HELPFUL HINTS

• Steaming times stated in the Steaming Guide and
Recipes are only to be used as a guide. Times may
vary depending on the quantity, size of pieces,
spacing and placement of food on the steaming
tray, and personal preference.
• For the most consistent results, food pieces should
be similar in size.
• Steaming times will vary according to size,
temperature, freshness of foods and personal taste.
• Meat, poultry and seafood should be thawed
completely before steaming.
• Never add seasonings, broth or herbs to the water
reservoir.
• No liquids other than water should be used in the
water reservoir.
• When using recipes, follow quantities as closely as
possible for best results.
• Some foods, such as grains and rice, can be
steamed in ovenproof dishes and covered with
aluminum foil. See the recipe section for examples.
• For high altitude cooking, steaming times may need
to be increased.
• For optimum results, do not overfill steaming tray;
distribute evenly in a single layer.
• Ready-to-Eat Cues: Vegetables and fruits will be
easy to pierce with by the tip of a knife or tines of
a fork. Their colors will also brighten. For meats
and chicken, check the internal temperature. The
recommended temperature for chicken breast is
165°F. The recommended temperature for fish is
145°F.

STEAMING GUIDE

PROTEINS
Food
Chicken breast
Clams
Crab legs, fresh
Crab legs, frozen
Fish fillet, thick, e.g., salmon
Fish fillet, thin, e.g.,
flounder/sole
Fish, whole
Fish, whole
Lobster tail
Mussels
Shrimp
Shrimp, frozen
Amount
4 chicken breasts, about
1½ pounds total; yields 4
cups cubed
1 dozen
1 pound
1 pound
¾ pound
½ pound
2 pounds
1 to 1½ pounds
4 lobster tails
2 pounds
1 pound
1 pound
• To check on food during the steam cycle, always
press the PAUSE button to stop flow of steam.
Wait a second before lifting the lid.
• Always lift the side of lid farthest away from you
first, to allow steam to escape away from you.
• Times indicated are based upon use of fresh
vegetables, meats and seafood (frozen chicken or
meat are not recommended). Steaming times will
vary according to size, temperature, freshness of
foods and personal taste.
• Preset times are a good guide, but as you use your
steamer, you may want to adjust the time to get the
exact results you want. Less time will produce a
"crisp-tender" vegetable; more will give you a softer
texture.
• Be sure to cover foods placed into steamer in
dishes to avoid steam condensing in bottom of
dish. We suggest using aluminum foil.
• Always use tongs to remove food from the steamer.
Use mitts or potholders to lift tray out of steamer
before removing food.
• The steamer is a great way to cook dried beans.
You'll find they cook evenly and do not break up as
readily as those cooked on the stovetop.
• Use the REHEAT button for bringing food up to
serving temperature. The recommended serving
temperature for food is at least 165º F.
• Steaming is the best cooking method when it
comes to making baby food: Steam food until
very tender. Process in either a blender or food
processor, adding breast milk or filtered water,
1 tablespoon at a time, to desired consistency.
Preparation
Trimmed of any excess fat
Scrubbed
Rinsed
Rinsed
Rinsed
Rinsed
Cleaned and rinsed
Cleaned and rinsed
Rinsed
Scrubbed and debearded
Peeled and deveined
N/A
8
Function Time
Poultry 15 to 20 minutes
Seafood 6 to 8 minutes
Seafood 8 minutes
Seafood 10 minutes
Seafood 15 minutes
Seafood 6 to 8 minutes
Seafood 20 minutes
Seafood 15 minutes
Seafood 10 minutes
Seafood 6 to 8 minutes
Seafood 6 minutes
Seafood 10 minutes