Couscous & steaming
Cooking Couscous Without a Couscoussier
You do not need to buy a couscoussier to make properly steamed couscous. The principle — cook the grain in rising steam over a simmering stew, never boiled in water — can be achieved with kit most kitchens already have: a stockpot and a snug colander or steamer basket. Here is how to rig a reliable stand-in and get grains nearly as light as the real thing.
- Read
- 7 min
- Guide
- Couscous & steaming
- Updated
- 19 July 2026
At a glance
- Any tall pot plus a well-fitting colander or steamer basket can replace a couscoussier.
- The join must seal so steam is forced up through the grain, not out the sides.
- The three-steam, rake-between method is the same regardless of the pot.
- Instant couscous is a genuine time-saver, but true steaming gives a lighter grain.
Improvising a steamer
The couscoussier is just a tall pot with a perforated basket on top, so recreate that. Choose a stockpot or large saucepan for the stew or salted water below, and find a metal colander, sieve or steamer insert that seats inside or on top of the rim without falling in and with its holes clear of the liquid. The grain goes in the upper vessel and cooks in the steam rising through the holes.
The one detail that makes or breaks the improvisation is the seal at the join. If steam escapes around the gap between pot and colander, the grain cooks slowly and unevenly. Bridge that gap with a strip of damp cloth wrapped around the seam, or a rope of flour-and-water paste, so steam is driven up through the couscous.
The technique
Once your improvised steamer is sealed, the method is identical to using a real couscoussier.
- Moisten the grain: rub the dry couscous with a little water and oil so it separates and swells.
- Wait for steam: add the grain only once steam is rising through the empty basket.
- Steam and rake: steam 15–20 minutes, tip out, break up clumps, sprinkle salted water.
- Repeat: steam and rake three times in all, working in oil or butter partway through.
- Finish: fluff thoroughly, mound, and moisten with a little broth to serve.
When to reach for instant couscous
Boxed instant couscous, which you hydrate with hot liquid and fluff, is a real convenience on a busy night and far better than boiling raw couscous into paste. It will never be quite as light and separate as three-times-steamed grain, but with good stock, a knob of butter and thorough fluffing it makes a perfectly good weekday side. Treat it as a different, quicker dish rather than a failed version of the traditional one.
If you find yourself making couscous often, the real pot is a modest and worthwhile buy — see the couscoussier guide. For the full traditional method, read how to use a couscoussier, and for rolling the grain, the gsaa bowl guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make couscous without a couscoussier?
Yes. A tall stockpot with a snug metal colander or steamer basket on top works well, as long as you seal the join so steam rises through the grain. The three-steam, rake-between method is the same as with a real couscoussier.
What can I use instead of a couscoussier?
A stockpot or large saucepan for the liquid below, topped with a colander, sieve or steamer insert that seats securely with its holes above the liquid. Seal the gap with a damp cloth or flour-and-water paste so no steam escapes around the join.
Is instant couscous as good as steamed?
Instant couscous is quick and convenient and far better than boiling raw couscous, but it is not quite as light and separate as grain steamed three times. With good stock, butter and thorough fluffing it makes a fine weekday side; treat it as a faster, different dish.
How do you stop improvised couscous from clumping?
Moisten the dry grain with oil and a little water before steaming, then rake it out and break up clumps between each of the three steamings, adding water in small sprinkles. Working a little oil or butter through partway keeps the grains separate.