Calling all curio collectors: For my folkx who are always on the hunt for unique conversation pieces in their homes, the cast iron chicken steamer is the perfect addition to your menagerie. I recently got my hands on a chicken steamer thanks to US Stove, and I’m in love. The chicken is quite rustic in nature, but doesn’t give grandma’s kitchen. It is cute and quaint, not too overly realistic, giving the perfect amount of stylized country chic. With its unique shape and material, the chicken steamer can find friends in your Labubu photorealistic paintings and your tongue-in-cheek cross stitches. It’s a versatile novelty both in aesthetics and in function. Don’t we all love a doodad that does something?
Intelligent Design with Rustic Appeal
The chicken steamer’s design is more than aesthetically pleasing—it’s made to optimize user experience. The cast iron design makes cleaning a breeze, especially when used as a simmer pot or essential oil diffuser. Different from other simmer pots on the market, US Stove’s cast iron chicken steamer is not covered in a paint/enamel design on the outside. You may think that this dulls the design, but this works in the little chickie’s favor. From personal experience, decorative enamel begins to chip and deteriorate after general use. You see, I am a collector of cookware with character, which has led me to buy pumpkin-shaped cast iron dutch ovens, heart-shaped frying pans, and other uniquely shaped items. The side and shape are never the issue: it’s the material. My pumpkin dutch oven is cast iron, but the lid has an enamel finish. Within five uses, the paint began to chip and fall into my food, which means that it has been relegated to display use only.
I haven’t had this issue with the chicken wood stove steamer at all. With it being simply cast iron, it is going to look and feel brand new much longer than other options. Of course, cast iron comes with a special set of cleaning instructions that you must follow to maximize the chicken steamer’s lifespan, but that’s a small price to pay. The steamer has a nice weight to it, holding firm on your stove top or wood burning fireplace. Knocking over this little guy is going to be quite tough, which is a plus in my book because my cats love to treat every item in my home like a bowling pin. The weight makes the steamer feel expensive without actually breaking the bank.
Say Goobye to Dry Air, Chapped Lips, and Persistent Cold Symptoms
Living in a log cabin has its perks, but the dry winter air is not one of them. I have had a fireplace for many years now, and even though I love the snap, crackle, pop of a roaring fire, I don’t love how much it dries out my sinuses. Having a wood stove steamer on hand is so nice, as it gives me the perfect excuse to warm up the house and add moisture into the air. Gone are the days of dry skin and chapped lips, near-constant cold symptoms, and pesky nosebleeds. If you are allergy-prone (like me) and aren’t great at remembering to fill up your humidifier (also like me), make an event out of alleviating your sinus distress with the chicken steamer. Give it a name, like Mr. Cluckers, and say Thanks a lot Mr. Cluckers when it starts steaming from the tail feathers. Have fun with it—the design demands it!
My favorite way to use the chicken stove steamer is as an aromatic diffuser. Simmer pots are such a fun seasonal activity to add ambiance to your home using ingredients in your kitchen. My personal favorite scents include using cinnamon sticks, cloves, and apples to create the perfect apple cinnamon aroma. I prefer this method over the artificial scent of candles, especially because creating a simmer pot better sets the mood for holiday parties or can be a nice way to reset the home at the end of a chore day.
If you don’t have a wood burning stove, don’t worry! You can still have plenty of fun with this little guy!! The chicken steamer fits perfectly on top of stove burners, giving you the same benefits you’d get from keeping it over a fire while fitting with your home appliances. This duality makes it perfect for those in tiny homes or mobile homes, while also being a renter-friendly solution to dry winter air. The cast iron steamer is small, making it easy to store during the hot summer months.
Enchanting Functionality, Charming Aesthetic
All in all, I think the US Stove cast iron chicken steamer is such a fun addition to my home. Not only is it adorable sitting on my mantle, it functions as the perfect cozy addition to remedy those harsh winter nights. The ability to use the steamer as a simmer pot shifts it to a “multi-purpose appliance” which is important when your home is small and (already) filled with many single use appliances. Whether you are a wood stove enthusiast or a renter dreaming of a cottage-core life, this chicken steamer is perfect for you.
