Black & Decker Divided Food Steamer
|
Category: Kitchen See more product details |
|---|
(Click here)
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Black & Decker Divided Food Steamer
Customer Review: Good but could easily be perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had two of them. Used exclusively for rice--my mother used a stovetop rice steamer, which works a treat but try to find one in Yankeeland, so when I saw the B&D on the shelf at the department store I grabbed it. Worked fine for a couple of years but then one day I made a bonehead move and ran it with no water. It still worked after but leaked like a sieve. So got a replacement. That one worked for several years then the timer stuck one day, boiled all the water out, and same story.
If they would just put a sensor in it to tell when the water was boiled out and shut it down it would be perfect--that would not be hard to do (B&D--if you're listening, put a thermocouple on the heating element and a little bit of logic to sense a temperature rise consistent with the water being gone).
My first one had the small bowl, the second one the large, and one side effect is that with the two bowls I could stack them and have a two-tier steamer.
Did not replace the second one--I would have but at the time there wasn't one to be found, so instead decided that two things the Japanese know are electronics and rice and got a Panasonic "National" Asian-market fuzzy logic induction rice cooker which is pretty much bulletproof. But the 30 buck B&D did as good a job, maybe better.
Now I'm developing an interest in steamed foods and am thinking about getting another one.
Customer Review: Great steamer, but cheaply made
Summary: 3 Stars
I've had this steamer for about 3 years and just recently got rid of it. It's a very useful kitchen tool - it does a great job of steaming vegetables and rice and frees up space on the stove. It's easy to use and easy to clean.
However, the reason I got rid of it is that within six months of buying it the problems started. While it still worked when I got rid of it, the cheap plastic construction meant that it became more of a hassle to use than it was worth.
Here's a list of all the things that went wrong:
- the little plastic feet on the bottom came off
- the steamer started leaking whenever I used it, I always had to put a dishtowel underneath to prevent water leaking all over the counter
- the timer started sticking to the point where you couldn't rely on it anymore. It would get to a certain point (20 mins left) and would just stay there. If you didn't catch it, the food would keep steaming indefinitely.
So, while the steam still works, in order to use it, I had to prop it up with dish towels and use an external timer - not a very convenient kitchen tool after all.
While the problems I had with the cheap construction didn't affect the steaming function, it definitely made me reconsider buying a Black & Decker steamer in the future.
Customer Review: Yes, it does cook rice.
Summary: 5 Stars
I read reviews of a similar model (still B&D) and there seemed to be strong disagreement over how well this cooks rice. Granted, people who eat steamed rice everyday may be better served by a proper rice cooker, but for my household, this is absolutely capable (we eat steamed rice approx 4-5 times a month).
For other foods, it's worked great. I was a little skeptical about how often I would use it, since I have a metal basket steamer insert, but now that I have a very limited space on my range, this appliance is one of my biggest helpers. I never boil any sort of vegetable anymore, since I can steam them more easily and, of course, they retain more vitamins. I'd say I use the steamer 4 or more time a week, so it's never packed away.
I haven't tried out the flavor/scenter apparatus yet, though.
One note: the recommended steaming times in the users' manual may be a little too long for your preference. As always, watch and check the first couple of times you use it.
All in all, I have been surprisingly pleased with this.
Customer Review: B & D Food Steamer
Summary: 4 Stars
Overall, I am very pleased with the performance of this product. I use this product up to 10 times in the average week. This is the 2nd B & D Food Steamer I have had. I had the previous one since 1992 and LOVED it. The element gave out so I replaced with the updated version hoping I could use the basket, bowl and lid from the old version and I can. A bonus is that the basket is larger on the new unit, so I can stack them and steam two different things at once if I want to. The only things I would change are that I wouldn't use white for the bowls because when I use paprika and saffron in my rice it stains (the old versions were clear and much easier to clean). I thought the old version clear lid was much more sturdy and there was more space between the bowl and basket so that when I tipped the lid up the water on top fell outside the bowl. I also miss the curly cord as it was much easier to manuever in a small kitchen and I didn't have to worry about it falling into the sink.Customer Review: Perfect for Steaming Artichokes
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned different generations of the Black & Decker (Flavor Scenter) Steamer Plus for over 11 years. In fact, I always own two of them--one to steam veggies, and one to steam rice. While the steamers are cooking my veggies and rice, I pop the main course (meat or fish) on the grill, or in the oven, for the easiest dinner prep ever. I love the Black & Decker steamer so much that it is my standby gift for wedding and new home gifts. Only once has the rice not cooked to my satisfaction, for a reason I could never ascertain. My original steamer (that did not have the flavor scenter) lasted for 8 years before giving up. I haven't found the flavor scenter to be anything more than a gimmick, but perhaps I haven't used it properly. I love the fact that you just put the food in the steamer and let the steamer do all of the work.