Sistema Microwave Food Steamer with Removable Steamer Basket | Large 3.2 L | Red/Clear

Very easy to use and clean , great products have a few from range , this one is a very good capacity for family or if love veggies . I use frozen sweetcorn/peas and then layer with fresh broccoli and mangetout , normally takes about five minutes , broccoli takes the longest so may want to give broccoli longer depending how soft u like it . That amount will give u a whole plate of veg . Other veg is ok to steam also play around with it to suit your tastes and quantities . It has a steam vent on top which must be open when using in microwave , nice sturdy base and clip and lock tabs for when in use , be careful lifting out after using as it will have boiling in water in bottom , need to check every few minutes as the water level goes down . Fill the bottom with cold water through the inner basket and then can see how much water is in there add veg and go beat results try and make carrot etc similar sizes so cooks evenly . Mine started to smell a bit of broccoli as I was always cooking that in it but better than half hour of it steaming or boiling on hob . Also freed up cooker space for other items . I wash and dry thoroughly before putting back together and stores neatly in my microwave when I’m not using . I have never steamed fish in it but would like to as I have a second idea likley just keep one for fish only . Prefer this to the electric steamer that I had as if I decide I need to use the outer tub for sausage rolls for a picnic I could just take out basket so versatile for other things if wanted to .

I have had one of this type before and it works very well for steaming all my veg on one go, easy to clean too, it tell you how to use it but doesn't give any guidance on steaming times, I know what to do from experience, but it's not difficult to judge timing.

It is 9 inches square x 3.5 inches deep. The basket is 8.25 inches square x 2.5 inches deep. They also stack perfectly if you have more than one. The usual good quality from Sistema, and does as advertised steams food perfectly. At first you need a bit of trial and error with your microwave as far as cooking times go,but it isn't dificult to get perfect results. Made to last years of normal use which will save on energy costs by using microwave cooking. I found by following the water level instructions it didn't fill the inside of the microwave with clouds of steam while in use. Very happy with my purchase.

Very good at what it says on the box.

My review is about the 2.4 litre Sistema Microwave Steamer with Removable Steamer Basket. As a regular user of the Sistema noodle bowl (which is very versatile and useful), I was excited to learn about this steamer as I was looking for a quick and easy way to cook frozen vegetables (mainly broccoli and Brussel sprouts). This product works very well for that purpose and is easy to clean in the dishwasher. I wasn't sure which size to go for, so just went with the 2.4 litre version - this is ample for one person as you can fit a really generous portion in there. It would also suit two people but the portions won't be as generous. I think the smallest option would be a bit small for one person who wants a healthy portion. In regards to how to use it when cooking frozen sprouts and frozen broccoli, I just put all the veg into the steamer basket, add a little bit of water, put the lid on, open the vent and just cook it for 10 minutes on full power. The sprouts cook this way really well (I like them quite soft) - the broccoli cooks well enough too, but the sprouts really do cook well this way. When it's done and drained I like to put all the veg back in the tub, add some salt/pepper/butter (or olive oil) and give it all a good shake before serving. I would recommend this product as it makes it really easy to steam vegetables in the microwave (which is supposedly the best way to cook them in terms of keeping their nutrients). It's so much easier than boiling (which loses nutrients) and you don't have to worry about it boiling over. The only negative point is that you basically have to guess how long to cook stuff for in order to get it how you like it. I tend to cook the same stuff each day so it's not so bad. But I'm sure the more you use it, the easier guessing cooking times will get. UPDATE: Over a year has passed and I now own four of these containers. They are incredibly handy for steaming vegetables but they are also really useful for other stuff - I often use mine for salads, or cooked pasta which will be reheated in the microwave. I also use them for storing other stuff in the fridge, like cooked chicken - just remove the basket and it's basically a plastic tub like any other (although probably not air/water tight. So for all the uses it has, I think these are great and even after more than a year, they are still in good condition (I've run them through the dishwasher countless times too).

Super item easy to use and works well

This is a very well made steamer and certainly worth the money. The actual build quality is as good as or better than any microwave cookware I have had in the past. The actual size is about as big as will fit in my microwave and still turn. Capacity wise I find I can cook enough carrots, boiled potatoes, sprouts and some peas for 2 people and it would certainly allow good portions of an individual vegetable for four people. I suppose it depends on how generous you are with your portion size but I like a good size portion. Cooking times in my 800w microwave are fairly straight forward and the same as other steamers I have had. The trick is always to put hard vegetables around the outside edges, so this is where I put my new potatoes and carrots, the next layer in is the sprouts and finally I put frozen peas in the middle. Remember to prick the carrots and potatoes to stop the steam build up and cook for 10 minutes. I find everything comes out cooked just about right with the peas still being firm and not mushy with their skins falling off and the potatoes being about the same as a 20 minute boil in the pan. I always find the most difficult vegetable to microwave cook to be fresh carrots and experimentation has for me anyway found 1cm thick slizes, pricked with a fork to give the best results. All in all this is a great steamer and offers more capacity than my round large one and also my microwave pressure cooker.

On one hand I feel I should praise the effort, because availability of BPA free containers is so limited and this one has very good design and features, and as such, this container is a must have in every kitchen (I honestly believe at some point in near future we will be looking back at BPA and phthalates in and around food the same way we think of lead and mercury now). It has epic steam tray, it doesn't stain, without a steam tray it makes for a nice, deep container to repackage your ready meals into and despite its big size it's designed to fit perfectly on a turn table of a standard 17 litre + microwave. On the other hand it's a bit of a fail for use with any food that needs 10+ minutes cooking time. Because of the hard plastics used, this container heats like crazy. Way more than any container I have ever had. I'd even say it could be dangerous to use by kids. It gets hot. And I mean HOT. If you take the typical floppy, thin, food tray that usually comes with supermarket ready meals as a benchmark, at least after 10 minutes + 1 minute standby you can safely lift those trays up and remove them from microwave by the corners without burning your fingers. The Sistema container after 10 minutes reaches such extreme temperatures that it's impossible to hold it by any part of the container. The see through top has four handles on the corners and is fastened to the container with four clips, but the lid becomes very soft in high temperatures despite top vent and it bends easily. And as you hold the container with roughly 5 pounds of boiling food or liquid inside by two corners of the softened lid it often lets the scorching air/steam out of the corners thus burning your fingers even further. Forget about "cool to touch stem" and marketing blurb, know its shortcomings, never ever, ever, and I mean ever, try to lift it with just two out of four clips fastened (they will fail), don't let kids use it without oven mitts and it will be perfect. You will love it. You will have to. It's not like there is a lot of choice of BPA free kitchenware anyway.