The Best Food Steamer in Australia

Dinner already needs enough attention without another pot to watch. If you’re looking for the best food steamer, we’d buy the Russell Hobbs RHSTM3: its 4.7 out of 5 from 140 reviews at The Good Guys, flexible three-basket setup and lower price than the other picks make it our first choice.

Choose the Tefal VC1451 if stainless steel bowls matter more to you, or the Sunbeam Vitasteam Deluxe if you want an included rice bowl. All six picks were in stock at Amazon Australia when checked.

The short answer

The best electric steamers in Australia

• Best overall: Russell Hobbs Cook@Home RHSTM3
• Best for stainless steel bowls: Tefal Convenient Series VC1451
• Best with a rice bowl: Sunbeam Vitasteam Deluxe ST6650
• Best for larger batches: YOPOWER 24L Food Steamer
• Best lower-cost steamer and cooking pot: kawu ZG06
• Best for a dedicated hotpot mode: Dysokan BEAR DZG-HA0N7

Product		Price
	Russell Hobbs 9 Litre Food Steamer Stainless Steel (RHSTM3)	from $59.00 at Amazon · 2 shops	$59.00 at Amazon
	Tefal Convenient Series Food Steamer (VC1451)	from $86.00 at Amazon · 2 shops	$86.00 at Amazon
	Sunbeam ST6650 Vitasteam Deluxe 3 Tier Electric Food Steamer	from $63.96 at Amazon	$63.96 at Amazon
	YOPOWER Electric Food Steamer 24L with Water Tank & Purification Filter (143610300)	from $151.90 at Amazon	$151.90 at Amazon
	kawu Electric steamer (ZG06)	from $72.90 at Amazon	$72.90 at Amazon
	Dysokan BEAR Electric Food Steamer with Hotpot (DZG-HA0N7)	from $103.20 at Amazon	$103.20 at Amazon

1. Best overall: Russell Hobbs Cook@Home RHSTM3

If you want a steamer for ordinary dinners without spending extra on scheduling functions, start with the Russell Hobbs RHSTM3. We think it’s the best buy for most readers.

You don’t need to assemble all three baskets for a small meal. Being able to use fewer gives you a sensible way to scale dinner up or down, while dishwasher-safe removable parts should make clearing up less of a chore.

Its 4.7 out of 5 comes from 140 reviews at The Good Guys. That’s a useful number of ratings behind the score. An Australian owner on ProductReview.com.au also recommends it for quick, easy operation and excellent results after adjusting cooking times.

Our take is that this is where you should spend your money unless another pick solves a specific problem. It costs less than the Tefal and Sunbeam. The catch is the timer: a cook longer than an hour won’t fit into one setting.

Our verdict: Buy the Russell Hobbs for everyday steaming at a sensible price. It’s our strongest all-round recommendation.

2. Best for stainless steel bowls: Tefal Convenient Series VC1451

If you specifically want stainless steel cooking bowls, the Tefal VC1451 gives you a straightforward two-tier setup. It also addresses the cupboard-space problem: Tefal says the bowls stack upside down for compact storage.

The external refill spout is the other reason we’d consider paying more than the Russell Hobbs. It gives you a dedicated place to top up the water, rather than making refilling an awkward part of the job.

Australian owners on ProductReview.com.au recommend it for its stainless steel bowls, compact storage and easy cleaning. It was ranked number 2 in Steamers on Amazon Australia when we checked. We found no independent owner rating at the retailers we check.

Two tiers give you fewer separate cooking levels than the three-tier Russell Hobbs or Sunbeam. Don’t pay the extra if that layout will frustrate you.

Our verdict: Choose the Tefal for its stainless steel bowls and convenient refilling. We’d keep the extra money and buy the Russell Hobbs if those features aren’t priorities.

3. Best with a rice bowl: Sunbeam Vitasteam Deluxe ST6650

When you want rice alongside the rest of dinner, an included bowl is a practical reason to choose the Sunbeam Vitasteam Deluxe. Its listing includes a 6-cup rice bowl, so that accessory is already accounted for.

The timer switches the steamer off at the end of the set cooking period. That’s useful when you’re managing the rest of a meal, though you’ll still need to choose the right cooking time.

Australian owners on ProductReview.com.au recommend it for simple timer-controlled cooking, quick steaming and vegetables that retain their colour and flavour. It was ranked number 9 in Electric Steamers on Amazon Australia when we checked. We found no independent owner rating at the retailers we check.

It costs more than the Russell Hobbs despite matching its stated total capacity. Our take is to buy it for the included rice bowl, rather than assume the higher price means better steaming.

Our verdict: Buy the Sunbeam if the rice bowl will get regular use. Otherwise, the Russell Hobbs is our better-value choice.

4. Best for larger batches: YOPOWER 24L Food Steamer

If you regularly prepare several portions at once, the YOPOWER 24L Food Steamer is worth considering. Its stated 24-litre capacity gives you a reason to look beyond the two 9-litre models above.

The external tank can be refilled without lifting the lid. For longer steaming sessions, that should make water top-ups less disruptive. We’d choose it for batch size and refilling convenience before giving much weight to the long list of maker claims.

It was ranked number 7 in Electric Steamers on Amazon Australia when we checked. We found no independent owner rating at the retailers we check, so its place here rests on sales rank and the listed features.

This is the dearest pick in the guide. That’s hard to justify for a small side dish.

Our verdict: Consider the YOPOWER when larger batches are the reason you’re buying a steamer. For ordinary meals, we’d spend less on the Russell Hobbs.

5. Best lower-cost steamer and cooking pot: kawu ZG06

If another appliance needs to do more than steam vegetables to earn cupboard space, consider the kawu ZG06. The maker says removing the steaming layers turns it into an electric cooking pot.

That two-job design is its main appeal. It costs less than the Dysokan BEAR below, so we’d start here if you want steaming and pot cooking without the higher spend.

It was ranked number 8 in Electric Steamers on Amazon Australia when we checked. We found no independent owner rating at the retailers we check. The listing also doesn’t give a capacity in litres, so don’t take “large capacity” as enough reassurance that your usual meal will fit.

Our verdict: The kawu is worth considering if you’ll use both cooking functions. Confirm its capacity first; we’d choose a model with a stated volume when meal size is the deciding factor.

6. Best for a dedicated hotpot mode: Dysokan BEAR DZG-HA0N7

If you want to steam one evening and cook hotpot another, the Dysokan BEAR Food Steamer offers a dedicated hotpot mode. It’s a more expensive way to get that flexibility than the kawu.

Read the capacity breakdown before buying. The 11.5-litre figure includes the cooking pot beneath the trays; it isn’t all steaming-tray space. Our take is that this makes sense for someone who wants the different cooking functions, rather than someone shopping on the headline volume alone.

It was ranked number 14 in Electric Steamers on Amazon Australia when we checked. We found no independent owner rating at the retailers we check.

Our verdict: Consider the Dysokan BEAR if a dedicated hotpot mode is a feature you’ll use. For steaming alone, the extra cost doesn’t persuade us.

How we chose

These reviews are based on owner ratings and review counts, the supplied independent recommendations, maker specifications, and price and stock checks. Picks with a solid owner rating or an independent recommendation come first; products selected on Amazon Australia sales rank alone follow. Within those groups, we considered price and the needs each model addresses. All six were in stock at Amazon Australia when checked.

Food steamer buying guide

If you want dinner to need less attention

Look for a timer with automatic shut-off. It ends the cooking cycle at your chosen time, but it doesn’t work out when the food is done for you. Choose cooking times from the appliance’s instructions and adjust them for what you’re preparing.

For straightforward timed steaming, we’d start with the Russell Hobbs. Paying for scheduling or extra cooking modes makes sense only if you’ll use them.

If you’re cooking several foods at once

Separate tiers give you places to arrange different parts of a meal. The Russell Hobbs lets you use one, two or three baskets, which is useful when your portion size changes from day to day.

Don’t judge capacity by the headline number alone. Check whether it describes steaming baskets, a cooking pot, or both. And if a listing gives no litre figure, confirm the usable space before buying.

If cupboard space is already tight

Check assembled dimensions against your benchtop and storage dimensions against the cupboard. Stackable or nesting parts help after dinner, but they don’t tell you how much space the appliance needs while cooking.

The Tefal’s upside-down bowl storage and Sunbeam’s nesting design are reasons to consider them when storage is a priority.

If refilling water is the awkward part

A visible water level helps you see when a top-up is needed. An external refill point gives you a way to add water without opening the cooking chamber.

The Tefal has a visible level and refill spout. The YOPOWER uses a detachable external tank. Follow the model’s instructions for refilling.

If you won’t use it because cleaning is a chore

Check what comes apart and which parts are explicitly dishwasher safe. “Easy to clean” doesn’t mean every component can go in the dishwasher.

The Russell Hobbs lists all removable parts as dishwasher safe. For the other models, check the manual before choosing a cleaning method.

If you want the best steam cooker for the money

Buy for the meals you’ll actually make. Our value choice for everyday steaming is the Russell Hobbs.

Don’t pay for a large capacity, hotpot mode or delay function unless it solves a problem you already have.

If you’re checking warranty and returns before ordering

Amazon Australia is the only stocking retailer in the supplied data for the Tefal, Sunbeam, YOPOWER, kawu and Dysokan BEAR. Check the warranty and returns terms for your chosen listing before buying; for the Dysokan, confirm how the maker-listed 12-month warranty applies to your purchase.

If you’re deciding between electric and stovetop steaming

An electric food steamer has its own heating base and needs a power point. A stovetop setup uses a pot and steaming insert heated on the stove.

All the reviews above cover electric appliances. If you’re happy using a pot you already own, consider whether you need another appliance before making room for one.

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