Steaming

For the most part, steaming vegetables is a great technique. When you steam a lot of vegetables, the ones at the bottom of the steamer cook faster than those on the top. Stirring them works but is a hassle.  It is best to use a wider pan with the veggies layered more shallow.

There are some exceptions. Whole brussels sprouts do better being blanched. If you slice them in half lengthwise or shred them first steaming works great.

Another example is green beans. The beans at the bottom of the basket can turn to mush while those at the top may be perfect. Blanching beans, brussels sprouts, asparagus and the like in a lot of water actually give you more control over your food while steaming harder veggies like carrots makes sense. Likewise, steaming fragile vegetables like zucchini makes more sense because blanching them they will absorb too much liquid.