Wraps & Liners

Perforated Steamer Liner Paper

Perforated paper liner that keeps food from sticking to a steamer while letting steam through.

A round, perforated paper liner placed in a bamboo or metal steamer so dumplings, buns, and fish do not stick to the basket. The holes let steam circulate and drain condensation, giving even cooking and an easy lift-out. It saves scrubbing the steamer and prevents delicate doughs from tearing on the slats.

A perforated steamer liner is a pre-cut, food-grade parchment disc or sheet punched with a regular pattern of small holes or slits. It is dropped into a bamboo basket, metal steamer insert, or combi-oven tray so that food sits on a continuous non-stick surface while steam still rises through the perforations to cook it. Without a liner, doughs and delicate proteins fuse to bare bamboo slats or metal mesh, tearing on removal and forcing the cook to scrub the basket between batches. The perforation is the engineering point that distinguishes a steamer liner from ordinary parchment: solid paper would smother the steam, so the holes (typically 1–3 mm) must be evenly spaced and numerous enough to deliver vapor across the full surface.

The product is a modern, disposable descendant of the cabbage leaves, lotus leaves, and banana leaves that traditional Chinese kitchens have long used for the same purpose, and it became a standard foodservice item as dim sum service spread beyond Cantonese restaurants in the late 20th century. Today it shows up in home kitchens, dim sum halls, and professional steam stations alike, and the same product is used in stovetop vegetable steamers, electric rice-cooker trays, and combi ovens. Because the paper is intended to be replaced after each round, it dramatically speeds turnover during peak service and keeps baskets from getting gummed up with starch and protein residue.

In practice a liner is invisible to the diner: it does not impart flavor, does not brown the food, and leaves no trace once the basket is opened. Its job is purely functional — release, cleanliness, and steam management — and a good one does that job so well that cooks quickly stop thinking about it.

Alternatives

Parchment Paper (Perforated)Cabbage Or Lettuce LeavesSilicone Steamer Mat

Types & varieties

Pre-cut round discs

The standard form, sized to common bamboo baskets (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 in / 18–30 cm)

Square or rectangular sheets

Cut-to-fit for hotel pans, large metal steamers, and combi-oven trays

Bleached (white) parchment

Brighter appearance, neutral look under dim sum service

Unbleached (natural) parchment

No chlorine whitening; preferred where a non-bleached material is wanted

Silicone-coated

Higher non-stick performance and higher heat tolerance; slightly more expensive

Hole-perforated

Round punched holes — the most common style, gives even steam flow

Slit-perforated

Short radial or grid slits; tear-resistant and good for thicker batters

Combi-oven liner sheets

Larger industrial sheets sized for combi-steam ovens in professional kitchens

Choosing the right size and grade

Diameter is the single most important decision. Measure the inside of your basket and buy the closest standard size; an oversized sheet will fold into the basket vents and stall steam flow, while an undersized sheet leaves bare slats where food sticks. For high-heat or long-steam applications — large steamed puddings, root vegetables cooked past 30 minutes, combi-oven work approaching 200 °C / 400 °F — reach for an unbleached, silicone-coated liner. Plain bleached paper can scorch or go brittle at the edges, and a brittle liner crumbles into the food.

Tradition behind the modern liner

Before parchment liners existed, Chinese cooks used cabbage leaves, lotus leaves, and banana leaves for the same kind of job: a continuous barrier between food and the steaming surface, often adding subtle flavor in the process. The switch to paper was driven by consistency and speed — a leaf has to be washed, trimmed, and sometimes blanched before use, whereas a disc of perforated parchment drops straight into the basket. The lineage is worth knowing because the older methods still solve a problem paper cannot: if you want the liner to contribute flavor (the grassy perfume of lotus leaf on lo mai gai, for instance), reach for the leaf, not the paper.

Common uses

Lining bamboo steamer baskets for dumplings, bao, and other dim sum so dough does not fuse to the slatsSteaming fish fillets or whole small fish so the skin releases cleanly on removalSteaming delicate vegetables such as asparagus, baby corn, and leafy greens so nothing falls through the gapsLining metal vegetable-steamer inserts to stop small items like peas, edamame, or berries from dropping into the pot waterLining plates when reheating bao or dumplings in a steamer at serviceCatching drips and condensation in a stacked steamer so upper tiers stay cleanActing as a release sheet for steamed cakes, puddings, and custards set in molds or ramekins

Tips & pitfalls

Lay the liner flat, perforations up, and press it gently against the basket so steam rises evenly through the holes — wrinkled liners channel steam unevenly and leave raw spots on the food.
Keep the water level 2.5–5 cm (1–2 in) below the basket; a liner that dips into boiling water soaks through, tears, and can shed fibers onto the food.
For sticky items such as glutinous rice parcels or lo mai gai, lightly brush the liner with oil; for yeasted bao and most dumplings, oil is usually unnecessary and can gum up the bamboo slats over time.
When stacking multiple bamboo tiers, line every tier, not just the bottom — condensation from the upper basket will drip through bare slats and pool on the food below.
Trim oversized sheets with scissors rather than folding them up the sides; folded edges block steam and slow cooking.
If a sheet is undersized, overlap two and pinch the seam so food does not sit across the gap and stick to bare bamboo.
A used sheet that is still dry and intact can be dried and re-steamed once for vegetables; discard any liner that is soaked through, torn, or has touched raw meat or fish.
Store liners flat in a sealed bag — humidity softens the paper and makes it prone to tearing when you try to lay it into a hot basket.

Good to know

Material: Food-grade parchment (silicone-coated or plain wood-pulp paper)
Common shape: Pre-cut round discs
Typical diameters: 6 in (15 cm) for dim sum baskets; 8–12 in (20–30 cm) for larger bamboo and pot steamers
Perforation style: Punched holes 1–3 mm, evenly spaced; some versions use slits instead of round holes
Heat tolerance: Around 220–230 °C / 425–450 °F for standard grades; silicone-coated grades higher
Single-use?: Designed for single use, though dry, intact sheets can often be reused once for vegetables
Pack size: Commonly sold in 50-, 100-, or 200-sheet packs
Approximate cost: Roughly $0.10–$0.30 per sheet at retail