Customer Reviews

Dr. Weil 9817 The Healthy Kitchen 2-Tier Electronic Food Steamer

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I originally bought the Richard Simmons steamer and it performed well, but then I learned of BPA (bisphenol A) plastics and their associated health concerns. I contacted Salton via snail mail and via e-mail and both times I asked if the "Richard Simmons" steamer bowls -- which featured the suspicious number "7" marking -- contained BPA. I received no response. Concerned, I threw away my Richard Simmons steamer. I waited until I found a steamer -- the Dr. Weil 9817 "Weil by Spring" model -- that was SPECIFICALLY ADVERTISED AS BPA-FREE. I was delighted when the steamer arrived and the box in which it was shipped specifically indicated the steamer was made of BPA-free plastic. It works just as well -- if not better -- than the Richard Simmons steamer. I'm a happy camper now.

I bought this steamer august 2008 and had to have it replaced (under warranty) April 2009 because the lid came apart and started cracking. Now, Sept 2009, the replacement steamer is broken and the 1-800 number for customer service is disconnected. I would not buy this item again. It does not hold up for the frequent user. I use it 2-3 times per day.

I just received the steamer and was disappointed that it didn't include the rice basket. I called customer service and they said they're not including the rice basket anymore (strange since it's a new product...maybe it doesn't make rice very well??). Customer Service said they had a few extra and is sending me one at no charge but the place I ordered from [....].net has a 7 day return policy so it won't give me enough time to see if the rice basket works well enough before I have to send it back.

The other thing I don't like is that after the food is finished steaming and you remove it, the steamer starts up again at 99 minutes - even if you press stop. In order to get it to stop steaming I had to unplug it.

The preset menu selections for fish, eggs, rice, vegetables, duck, etc...seem great but based on what and how much you are cooking you have to adjust the times after you look up in the manual how many minutes they recommend. Then it's trial and error. Their recommended time for asparagus and broccoli completely over cooked both of them. The time recommended for a soft boiled egg was too long and it came out hard.

I was pleased with how it cooked salmon and it's fairly easy to clean. Maybe I was just expecting too much.

As another user indicated, the rice bowl is no longer included. The substitution was a black plastic (polypropylene) bowl the size and thickness of a plastic margarine tub. Seriously??

Despite this, I thought I'd give it a shot. Salmon came out overdone, though still moist. The time indicated for soft-cooked eggs is about twice as long as necessary. Veggies - I tried green beans, broccoli, spinach - kept their color wonderfully, but again the suggested times seem far too long for crisp-tender or even tender. Mine ended up uniformly mushy. But chicken was still undone in the middle when I used the poultry setting.

I'm underwhelmed and returning it.

I absolutely love this steamer - I as well, tried to find a BPA Free steamer and this is the only one! Wow! Completely amazing how companies market something as "healthy" when steaming food in a non-BPA free container is only leaching chemicals directly into the food - how is that "healthy"?! Oh, I also use filtered water in my steamer to be extra careful. ;)

I love to steam organic chicken, organic broccoli and organic long-grain brown rice - all at once - just becareful - usually I have to take the broccoli out much sooner so it doesn't get soggy, then the chicken and then finally the rice - so I try keep the food warm as I wait for the rice to steam - that takes the longest ... but it's worth the wait. So, watch the times on the different things you're cooking especially when you cook a couple of different things at once and watch out for the steam when you remove the foods.

I wash the containers by hand and find they are a little tough to get fully clean - they are never as clear looking as they were before you started using them, so even though it's a bit aggrivating to scrub and scrub with a sponge(of course not a with a hard scratchy or wirey sponge/brush) it's still all worth it - I even steamed wild salmon fillets in it - delicious! So, my advice, if you are truly looking for a way to eat healthy and have it be quick and easy - this is it! Your whole meal in one vessel and it cooks the food while you're attending to whatever else you need to do - one word - awesome! I use it so much - I even leave it on my countertop - it's one of my favorite appliances. I recommend this highly - so stop debating and buy it now!

Bought this to replace a Black & Decker. Chose this as it is BCP free plastic. It works very well but is quite large n requires a lot of water to fill each time. Personally, i preferred the smaller B&D, but this has no particular problems.

I bought this last week and it's the best 80 dollars I've spent in a long time. It cooks the food fast and throughly. I made Tilapia with green beans and potatoes and it was done in 25 min! Effortless and delicious! Easy to clean up too.

Absolutely amazing! We love this steamer! You get the benefit of great tasting vegetables and all the vitamins! Very easy to cook with and clean up!

I have been in love with this steamer since I picked it up on sale. It has worked seamlessly at cooking rice and steaming veggies. The trouble is that after 6 months of being used once or twice a week it has stopped working. The electronic dial doesn't turn and the unit won't steam. It's such a disappointment because I have loved this steamer and there is no place to fix it. So enjoy this product until it breaks!!

I liked using the product but there are 2 major design flaws: (1) When the timer runs out, it starts again at like 80 minutes. So if you set your vegetables to steam for 20 minutes and you fall asleep, you'll end up cooking the vegetables for 100 minutes. (2) When you pour water into the side where you're supposed to put water, it leaks.