Black & Decker Food Steamer

1001 nights later, having used this handy little appliance almost each & every night, we finally had to admit that we'd been wrong, completely wrong, totally wrong! This is no affectation! Not only did our vegetables, rice, couscous, etc. come out perfectly every time, steaming preserved their nutrients & this little steamer was incredibly easy & convenient to use. I've even used it to sterilize my younger child's bottles & to steam foreign stamps off envelopes for my son's collection. The only small appliance we all use more frequently is our electric kettle! This steamer's compact size, however, makes it easy to store & all of its plastic bowls/covers/baskets fit easily in the diswasher for easy after-dinner clean-up. After nearly 10 years it still works as well as it did that first night!

You need this steamer. You may not realize it till after you've owned it for a bit, but if you don't find yourself discovering multiple uses for it, well, your imagination is lacking!


One of my favorite kitchen appliances!   May 28, 2004
Ms Windsor Lewis (Bellevue, WA)
68 out of 69 found this review helpful

I've been really happy with this little steamer. It does exactly what it's supposed to and it does it well. My in-laws, from Germany, were really impressed with it when we made a seafood dinner last summer and it has also doubled as a (small) humidifier when my Chihuahua puppy had a bad chest cold. The steamer's other benefits are that it travels easily to friends' houses for impromptu dinners, it cleans up very quickly and it takes only a small amount of storage space.


Loved It   October 14, 2002
Lynda J (Fort Worth, Texas USA)
31 out of 33 found this review helpful

My 6 year old Black and Decker Steamer just went out. I am looking for another one of the same brand but larger. I discovered that there were weekends that I was having to make two batches of rice. My 9 year old foster son can eat an entire batch on his own which leaves me out if the cold.
I have used it for rice, veggies, fish, It is also one of the best ways in the world to warm things up. I have even used it to steam tamale's. It is great to start the rice and about half way through top if off with veggies.


Small steamer with obsolete technology   November 19, 2005
Joy of cooking (Bay Area)
29 out of 35 found this review helpful

This was the first steamer I ever owned. I purchased it back in '89. I would not recommend it owing to the slow speed at which it steams and the small basket size. The newer oval syle with the insta-steam function generates instant steam and the steam is more evenly distributed. This model has a large heating element visible in the reservoir. The entire reservoir must be heated to 212 deg. before you get steam. Spend a few bucks more for the oval steamer with the insta-steam function. It cooks faster, better and is easier to store.


Excellent Product!   June 17, 2003
27 out of 27 found this review helpful

I have had one of these for nearly 9 years and just had to replace it because the motor died. Tip: if you replace it with same model, don't throw out your steam basket and lid because then you have two for you new one. This isn't just for veggies as most people assume. It has a great guide giving you steam times for all sorts of foods, but I've used it for steaming Salmon, wontons, clams, shrimp(forget having the store steam them!), veggies, rice, fruit(for making baby food). It's so inexpensive and soooo useful. I've bought several for people who have "wow'd" over my use of it!