Black+Decker Food Steamer

Overview

A cook who wants rice and vegetables steamed without watching a pot gets a plastic base with a removable steam tray and a covered food bowl on top. Steam from the base rises through the tray into the bowl, and a timer with signal bells shuts the heater off when the cycle ends.

Fast Steam heating gets the unit producing steam in well under a minute, so a side of vegetables does not wait on a long preheat. The long timer with automatic shutoff covers slower jobs such as rice. The listing gives no wattage and no stacking tiers, so larger batches must be cooked in rounds.

Who it's for

Dorm rooms, small apartments and anyone cooking one or two portions get a single bowl steamer that fits on a shelf. Cooks feeding a family who want fish, vegetables and rice steamed in one cycle should look for a multi-tier model instead.

Pros and cons

Performance notes

Steam output depends on the heating element bringing the water in the base to a boil, and the Fast Steam design shortens that wait. Cook time is then set by the timer, which rings and cuts power at the end, so food stops cooking without someone standing by. Because food goes in one covered bowl, dense items and delicate ones share the same steam time unless cooked separately.

Specifications