Neat IdeasMicrowave steamer - Adjustable Vented Lid …Healthy Eating

I bought one of these in a shop about a year ago when they first came out. I was so impressed with it I went to buy another. But alas, the shop didn't do them any more. So I decided to look on Amazon, low and behold I found them (you can usually find what you want on Amazon)Anyhow, about the product, a microwave steamer, it has a bowl which is rather like a colander, which will hold enough broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, runner or french beans to give a reasonable portion each, for a family of 4 adults. You also have another bowl in which to put boiling water (from the kettle), you put the colander bowl on top of the dish holding the hot water, put the lid on top of that, 5 minutes in the microwave on full power and your veg is perfectly cooked. We like our veg a little on the crisp side, but not too raw.Just a little guide line for anyone else buying one of these steamers:Cauliflower 5 - 6 minsBroccoli 4 - 5 minsCarrots thickly sliced or chunked 6 - 8 minsFrench beans - 7 - 8 minsRunner beans - 6 - 7 minsFrozen peas - 5 - 6 mins (cooked from frozen)Sprouts - 6 - 8 mins (depending on size of sprouts)If you buy more than one, when your first veg has finished cooking, just make sure that the vent is closed, put a clean tea towel over the top of it, and your veg will stay piping hot while the next veg cooks. If I have two veg to cook I put the first one on for 1 minute less than I have stated above as it will cook a little further while you are waiting for your second one to cook.Finally, when you are ready to serve, you can drain if you wish, but there is no need, just use whatever you normally use to serve veg, straight from the steamer, it will not be wet and soggy like veg would be if you lifted it from a saucepan with a slotted spoon, nor will it have cooled as though you had waited for it to drain properly in a colander. Just nice firm, piping hot veg.

Just the job. I've already ordered another.

This looks like a sturdy piece of kit which is well made for the price. It does stain easily- carrot stains on first usage which does not wash off. Does not effect the operation though. Followed the instructions to the letter ie placing a substantial amount of hot water in the base before using. Carrots and potatoes do well but no better than putting them into a microwaveable pan with a couple of tablespoons of cold water and takes a lot longer. I have not been able to get the hang of doing broccoli. It is either too hard or too limp. This is the same if I do it in just a microwaveable pan. It seems to use only about a third of the water in the base with two thirds left over. Seems a waste of energy. It is a faff to boil water in a kettle first to provide the hot water. I have resorted to putting a couple of table spoons of cold water in the base which seem to give no worse results in a quicker time. The construction does not allow for heating of liquids as you would in a pan. But then, it is not suppose to. To sum up: Very good value for money for what you get. Not sure if it works as a steamer but works well as a microwaveable container for a variety of foods but not all!

very handy

I am really pleased with this. I like that it has an adjustable air vent so that steam may be let out, thus avoiding scalds. It is also such a great size. I have a tiny microwave, it is second hand but I am pretty sure it is Argos own-brand cheapest model available. Therefore, tiny. This steamer fits in perfectly with several inches of room to spare on the sides and top. The only issues I foresee with this is making spinach, but I will compact it if need be. I also like that the holes in the bottom are a little larger, not 'mesh' like, making it easier to clean and dry. I have found the plastic has already discoloured slightly (faint yellow) when making sweet potatoes, but I wouldn't rate it down for that reason alone.

I was sick of my electric steamer containers looking scratched and grubby, so I got a stainless steel one to sit over a pan of boiling water. Then I got sick of that taking up a lot of room.So I tried this. I just put boiling water in the lower tray, laid some broccoli, cauli and green beans into the dish section, put on the lid and microwaved for approx six minutes.The veg was still crunchy and had kept it's flavour.I am very happy with this gadget.The only downside is handling it when hot. When you remove the unit from the microwave you hold the handles on the base of the unit, but there are no handles on the middle section, so lifting it off when the water is scalding is dangerous, so you have to scoop the contents out. I would like to be able to lift the middle section off so I can carry it across to the plate. But apart from that I am happy.

Although this is primarily designed for cooking a complete meal for one in the microwave, we were looking for something that will cook veg for two while away in the camper (we have a multi-cooker for the fish / meat). By veg I mean such as broccoli, cauli, cabbage, half corn-on-the-cob, chopped/sliced carrot, etcWe have tried it out at home and this steamer is just perfect for our intended purposeIt has three parts: 1/ a bottom where you put the water 2/ a lid with an adjustable vent 3/ a steamer tray where you place the items to be steamed, all of which fit together very neatlyAs others have said, it generally only requires a rinse under the tap afterwards, especially if you are only cooking the sorts of veg mentioned aboveAlso it cooks fine with cold water if you give it a bit longer. For example a few sprigs of broccoli and a couple of half corn-on-the-cobs takes 5 mins in the micro, to our taste anyway. We use tongs to remove the cooked veg to avoid any risk of scalding from the hot water in the bottomIn fact we are so impressed with this little steamer that, at the price, we will order another one to keep permanently in the kitchen!

It's easy to use and easy to clean. First time I cut baby carrots and broccoli, they didn't taste quite as they used, but were quite edible and much quicker than using a pan of boiling water. Will keep this....tomorrow I will try some fish. So easy when there is only one of you !