Customer Reviews

Trudeau Stainless Steel Vegetable Steamer

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I loved this little steamer when I first picked it up. It folds gracefully into a dish shape that fits variable width pans, it folds back into a disc for compact storage, the little holes in the metal are nicely spaced and the right width to let enough steam out but not let bits of the food being steamed fall into the boiling water. So far so good.

But, it has a plastic handle and little plastic feet that sit in between it and the inside of the pan you boil water in. When I first saw this I thought: "Huh. Plastic in a high-heat cooking tool. Ah well, it's probably some sort of strong, heat resistant plastic." Well yes, up to the temperature of boiling water, sure. But the temperature of the pan the little feet are sitting on is a bit hot for it. The feet (and part of the handle) actually melted into the metal disk and the bottom of the pan when I left the steamer on for a few minutes after taking out my steamed veggies. The smell of burnt plastic was just awful, and took forever to get rid of. And the pan I had sat the steamer in is now ruined- I'm not going to cook with it now that there are bits of plastic congealed on it and it smells like chemicals.

Conclusion: theoretically good design, but shoddy materials.

This may sound odd, but this is the first steamer that I have ever had. So needless to say, I do not have others to compare it to. However,I find that I use it more than I thought I would! The unfolded steamer fits perfectly in the pot that I most use for vegies and the like, and when I pull out the sides (the steaming tray) it fits nicely up the sides of the pot. Besides your basic steamed vegies, I find that it's perfect for warming up leftovers like rice, leaving it hot and fluffy. I like that the handle extends, so you can keep the cover on it while cooking, but you can extend the handle for easier lifting. And you can't beat the price!

Super design, but it's BIG ... needs a large pot. Good for a 5-Quart 'Dutch Oven' - pot diameter about 10-inches. This steamer is too large for a standard 3-Quart pot - unfortunate that some people were disappointed that way.

It has rubber/plastic feet - won't scratch the pot. Plastic center handle has low specific heat - no worries about burned fingers - also extends 2-inches - better lift stability. Over the years we've had several steamers - this is the best design. (Weight: 11-ounces)

The steamer was bigger than I expected it would be. It still works as expected, it just will only fit in my biggest pot to do the steaming.

For me, the whole point of this product was the large size, and the ability to pull the steamer out of the pot by the extendable handle. (I like to steam a lot of broccoli at once, in a large pot.) PROBLEM: When trying to lift the "loaded" steamer out of the pot, the handle pulled right off. The handle should be strong enough to lift the weight of the loaded steamer, otherwise what's the point of the large capacity? Very disappointing.

Works great. Love the large size. Didn't mind the price based on the features, BUT I wonder about the quality of the stainless steel (probably made in China with poor materials and poor quality control like many things these days). I left it in a covered cooking pot in the refrigerator for a day or two with broccoli in it and it rusted in places (some places where it was touching the pot, some places where it wasn't touching anything), plus left rust marks in places where it touched my nice new (expensive) stainless steel pot. Not happy about that. If it's not meant to withstand that process (cook, cool, put in fridge for a couple of days), then my bad. Otherwise, the quality of the stainless steel is not up to what it should be. Not sure if I'll continue using it, as most of the rust won't come off the steamer, even with steel wool (telling me it's impurities IN the stainless steel of the steamer), but doubt I'll buy another one from this manufacturer.

Trudeau Stainless Steel Vegetable Steamer This product is well made and steams my vegetables well. Other products that I have used in the past were not well made and the leaves for the steamer basket fell apart. Before purchasing this product you should make sure that it fits into your pot because it is larger than other steamer baskets I have used in the past.

In just 4 months of light use, three of the four crummy, rubbery (and non-heat-proof) black feet have fallen off. Two of the stainless steel leaves in the basket fell off after 5 uses, so now the basket doesn't collapse down properly without a lot of frustrating arranging of the leaves in a particular order. It's become one of those annoying MENSA puzzles, which I really don't have time for when I'm trying to steam a little broccoli for hungry people. Because of its large base, the steamer's basket fits only one of my saucepans - the one which already happens to have a built-in steamer attachment. This thing has no business in a working kitchen. I bought the Trudeau steamer to replace the last cheap steamer we had, which broke after a year of use. If you pick this one up by the handle, you'll burn yourself as it swings. And if you try using a fork or tongs to remove it by the tiny wire at the top, the whole steamer, heavy with vegetables and water will usually slip right off and plonk hard down into the hot water bath, swaying on its rickety feet and burning you badly. If some of your leaves break off, as mine did, vegetables fall out of the basket as you lift it and into the water below, again, splashing you with boiling water. I have wanted to throw this steamer across my kitchen more times than I can count. As another reviewer noted, the black plastic trunk does not seem at all heat-proof. Not good if you're a person with powerful burners.

I almost ordered the Good Grips steamer because I do like their stuff but I chose this one for way less money and am glad I did. I can't imagine another model working any better. The smallest pot you could use this in would have to be 7-1/4" diameter inside. I use it in my large "dutch oven" type pot which is 10" diameter. I can fit two heads of cauliflower plus one rutabaga (everything cut up) in when I use the steamer in my big pot. Being summer it's great to get things cooked in one session then have them cold from the 'fridge for adding to salads, etc.

Works VERY well. I plan to purchase another one. I have a medium size dutch oven which it fits perfectly. I would recommend this product to anyone.