Steamer Reviews

I received this steamer recently as a gift. I have only used it a few times, and only on vegetables but it has been great. The guide gives you advise on how long to cook your food and each time it has been right on. My vegetables were cooked thoroughly and it was nice not to have to use oven space so I make multiple things at one time.

I use my steamer all most every day. I use it for not only for vegetables and rice but fat-free cooking of chicken and other meats. It's so simple, add water, add food, set the timer, and then just walk away. The food comes out perfect every time.

i go to school full time and work and this food steamer is my best friend! it makes cooking dinner so easy! i can put in rice, veggies, whatever in there, set the timer, and do housework or homework while its cooking. rice comes out great everytime, veggies are so easy to cook, and apples are SOOOO good steamed in this. very easy to clean, and definately, DEFINATELY worth it! (i'd even pay twice as much as i did for it.)

I hate to be the lone dissenter here but this machine is not worth the price, in my opinion, because it's a hassle to maintain and you have to be so precise when cooking in it. I wish I had bought a simpler rice cooker like the one Panasonic makes. From the Amazon reviews that cooker seems to be a good one.
This thing makes good-tasting rice but it's a hassle to clean if you had something erupt in it. I got lazy after doing a few rice porridges and this morning I turned it on and pretty soon the whole house smelled like smelly socks! It took me awhile to figure out it came from the cooker. Turns out there's all this dark green mushy mold/fungus growth right under where the steam vent is. I've been popping out the inner lid and rinsing it but the last couple times didn't go after the cover underneath the removable inner lid and I think that's the reason the stuff festered and grew. So do be aware of this and be sure to clean the thing thoroughly each time you use it. Personally, the simpler rice cookers seem to fit my needs better since I'm just looking for a device to cook delicious rice and is simple to clean and maintain.

I grew up with one button rice cookers. The kind I liked the best was one where you would put water on the outside of the rice pot as well as in the inside of the pot with the rice and then press the button. I don't think they make those anymore. Nowadays you have to keep the outside of the pot dry. Kinda a pain after you got it wet washing the rice.

Back when I was growing up we made delicious rice, rice porridge, steamed sausage over rice, steamed chicken and vegetables in broth, bean soup, etc. using the simple one button rice cooker. The trick for some of the dishes is to run the cook cyle twice to cook longer.

I mention all this to explain why just having a rice cooker cooking different things doesn't totally impress me. I'm used to having one that is simple to use and versatile.

With this background, I was a little bit disappointed in the ZAC10 rice cooker although I still think it is an excellent product.

This neuro fuzzy is CUTE. And it makes DELICIOUS oatmeal. It also makes cheaper rice taste better. The keep warm feature works perfectly -- no making a crust. I use the timer feature for oatmeal in the morning - very nice to have.

But it is also awfully SLOW. I'm used to the rice cooker cooking faster than the stovetop method but this one is just as slow if not slower. For 1 small cup of rice it takes 40+ minutes. The machine I grew up with took 20 minutes. Even the quick cook feature on this machine takes 30 minutes.

Theoretically you can't use this as a steamer according to the Ultimate Rice Cooker cookbook I also bought. That's too bad since I am used to steaming things in a rice cooker. I will play around with it though and see if that's really the case.

I am still torn about whether to get this for my motherinlaw this Xmas. She loves oatmeal but cooked in milk so the timer feature won't help her. But still, it makes delicious oatmeal without her having to stand and stir. And it keeps it warm for a long time. What's making me hesitate is that she doesn't eat rice that often and the buttons in the front are rather daunting. (It really isn't as complicated as it looks though) Also the manual has no good recipes. It doesn't even tell you if you can make oatmeal with milk or not in it. (You can.) On the web they have some and if I were to get this for her I would definitely print out some recipes to go with it. This would be an expensive gift not to be used.

If you eat rice alot or like rice, oatmeal, porridge, that kind of thing... a rice cooker is a must and this one is a great one. Just realize that if you're use to a one button rice cooker you'll be giving up simplicity.

I admit, first off, that I have never used a rice cooker before. However, we wanted one because we love rice and most of the time whe we did it 'by hand' or 'according to instructions' it was really delicious or pretty good, and sometimes 'not quite right'.

We've had this a few months now. Let me tell you this thing makes it 'delicious' every time. It's great.

We love the rice from it (we have tried white, mixed, and brown).

What's more this makes DELICIOUS oatmeal!!!! We tried the 'instant oats' in it, and those are way too mushy for our taste -- very creamy. I suppose if you like it like that, it's OK -- but we don't. At the same time I bought the cooker, I bought a rice cooker cookbook from Amazon at the same time, and it said for oatmeal to use 'steel cut oats' (also called pinhead oats) in the rice cooker. My goodness!!! What a difference. The steel cut oats have wonderful flavor, and a much firmer, much more delicious texture. We some cinnamon, brown sugar, maybe some dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, whatever), and maybe a touch of ground nutmeg, and WOW! Wake up in the morning with incredible oatmeal smell in the air - it's heaven. The porridge setting makes the oatmeal virtually perfect every time (You MUST read the instruction book first -- it looks complicated but after you actually use the rice maker a couple times it's really easy!!)

Anyway -- I've never written a review here before, but after buying this rice cooker I just had to. When I ask my wife "Want oatmeal in the morning"? usually I get the response "Yummy! I'd love it."

We both love this rice cooker with it's fuzzy logic that makes porrige and rice taste great. I highly recommend it.

To those (very few) people that don't like it I say "READ THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL BEFORE USING!!" And to the person that said it's hard to clean - BS. This thing is so easy to clean. Pop the inner lid out and rinse or wash it, and pop the inner bowl in the dishwasher and you're ready to go for the next day.

I just set the rice cooker for oatmeal at 6:30 tomorrow morning. Know what? I'm going to wake up to a delicious, healthful breakfast. My thanks to all the previous reviewers who gave this good reviews.

This thing is great.

This rice cooker has really impressed me. I became very frustrated with my inexpensive one that spewed starchy water on my kitchen counter and resulted in rice being consistently stuck to the bottom. This rice cooker did not do either one of the things I just mentioned. The rice is perfect every time. This rice cooker delivered on every promise it makes. Being Asian, rice is an extremely important part of my life. Rice is a blessing and represents all the blessings in life. This rice cooker's non-stick pan allows me not to waste one grain.

I have used other rice cookers, but this one has spoiled me.
Stop using instant rice! Just start the rice in the morning and
when you are ready for dinner, the rice is warm, moist and ready
for that quick stir fry or mexican burrito recipe. You have never had such fresh tasting rice ready to use when you get home
tired and face cooking dinner. I use basmati, jasmine, brown, or pearl. All come out just great. And I use my Zojirushi as a roll warmer when needed. Works great. This is not a vegetable
steamer, not reccommended for that, but the best rice cooker.

I'm not Asian but my husband is. Because of the inlaws my children love rice and seaweed. I was given this rice cooker by my inlaw to make rice for her son, well it's still going strong and I have not had any problems. The unit is beyond easy to use and I make 4 cups of rice as a standard for our family and keep it plugged in for 3 days and the rice stays warm and ready to eat. That's the way my Mother in Law did it, and I have done the same without any problems.
Oh and never, ever use any metal items in the rice cooker or you will ruin it. The plastic spoon is really all you need for fluffing your rice once it's finished cooking.

I was a bit hesitant to spend so much on a rice cooker. From my 20+ years of making white rice almost daily, a rice cooker is a rice cooker. After using this machine everyday for 2 months, I find it to be no different from the many others I had used of similar style (ie a non-removable outer lid and a removable inner lid), except that it has something I desperately in need of --- a timer. The quality of the cooked rice is the same, though it takes almost twice as long to cook and reheat as other cookers. As another reviewer mentioned, I too don't particularly care for the condensation dripping, but I did not find the gross build-up. I find this cooker to be more bulky than my previous 10-cup cooker. However, because of the timer, I am very happy with this machine.

I recently acquired this rice cooker after having to deal with a year's worth of scorched rice that came from my previous rice cooker (a Toastmaster).

This machine is awesome!! Not only does it make a perfect pot of rice every time, but having the different settings makes it so much more than just a rice cooker. The first morning I owned it, I used it to make the best oatmeal I've EVER had (the steel-cut kind, not the instant)! It's very well designed, easy to use, and very easy to clean thanks to it's non-stick cooking pot. It also has an extended keep-warm function, which keeps rice warm and yummy for up to 12 hours. The timer function is a nice touch, too - I can program it in the morning when I leave for work, and when I get home my rice is waiting!

If you're looking for a rice cooker that will last a very long time, this one's a great investment.

This is the machine that made my husband love rice. He was never that enthusiastic before so I figure it's a big accomplishment.
The instruction manual that comes with the machine leaves a lot to be desired, however if you have a good recipe book like "The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook", the possibilies are endless.
In regard to the review about the machine being difficult to clean-I don't understand that comment. The inner lid pops out and you're supposed to clean it after each use- always comes clean for me and I use the cooker to make oatmeal which always makes a lovely gooey mess.
I've used the machine since July at least 6 times a week and I absolutely love it. My advice to anyone having trouble... file the instruction manual and buy "The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook". Problem solved.

Zojirushi makes excellent rice cookers, and they deserve their great reputation, and their home in many Asian and non-Asian kitchens.

This cooker makes perfect rice every time, to the consistency you desire (regular, soft, hard, etc.). It's foolproof and helps make sure that dinner won't be a disaster.

Supposedly the neuro-fuzzy logic helps it make decisions to get it right. But I think the main asset of the extra-cost electronics on this unit is greater programming flexibility. E.g. you can set it to start cooking and have it ready when you get home.

However, a few negatives prevent me from giving it a 5-star rating:

1) The unit's electronics are powered by a lithium battery which supposedly lasts about four years. When it dies, you have to bring the unit to a service center to get the battery replaced at your expense.

If you think four years is the lifetime you expect out of this cooker, this won't be a problem. But if you don't like this, look toward the non-neuro fuzzy models and save your money.

2) A more serious problem: it takes longer to cook rice with this cooker (and most electronic rice cookers) than the old-fashioned way (with a pot over a stove). Regular rice is supposed to take 40-49 minutes in the cooker. I can cook rice on the stove in about 25 minutes (5 minutes to boil, 20 minutes for the rice).

The tradeoff is that I can make more errors on the stove (cook the rice too long, too short). However, when you're trying to whip up dinner quickly, the extra time of the rice cooker might frustrate you, and you'll find yourself bypassing it and whipping out the pot.

Do you cook rice with any kind of regularity? If the answer is yes, then you know how easy it is to botch. For those of you who have perfected the technique, you still know the attention necessary and the pain of clean up (especially if you've tried to keep rice warm for any extended period).

Most any rice cooker beats the heck out of stove-top hands down when it comes to ease of prep and clean up. Zojirushi's Neuro Fuzzy cooker adds consistancy and reliability to the mix. Use this and you will NEVER worry about keeping an eye on the pot. You will ALWAYS be happy with the end product and clean up is a cinch.

Think outside the box of white rice with this unit...porridge, exotic long grains, fried rice, jambalaya and absolutely everything else that I have tried...it knows how to get perfect results.

Are there downsides? Yes. The measuring cup is an off size (try not to lose it). The machine is pricey. The battery eventually dies. You may wait a few extra minutes. Should you care about these downsides? No. It's just that good. Look at the ratings and read the reviews...not one hint of regret...there's a reason.

The icing on the cake is the great kitchen kitsch of an elephant logo and the "Neuro-Fuzzy" designation...it gets more attention from visitors than my KitchenAid stand-up.

I bought this little beauty almost a year ago and at first balked at the price, but it has more than proven itself. We make rice almost every night and this is so convenient. I especially love the easy clean-up (compared to stovetop rice pot). I usually use the "quick cook" feature as I'm cooking after work, and that works fine, too> We've tried all kinds of rice, and even steel-cut oats. I have not had a single complaint about this great machine. Pay attention to the size you buy, though. The 5-cup doesn't make a lot, probably only enough for two people.

Yes it is a great gadget and no I did not give it five stars. There is only one flaw, if you fill it to its maximun it can overflow and be a bit messy. My solution is to sit it inside the sink when frothing so the mess is contained. Another solution is to just put a bit less in but that is too easy. The only comment I truly wanted to add to the other reviews is that it can froth NON FAT milk. It amazes me that non fat milk can be whipped to a consistenty that is so thick and satisfying. If you are a dieter and have a sweet craving I highly recommend using 4oz of strong coffee or expresso that you brewed in your Bodum French Press, a packet of artificial sweetener all in a large mug (like 10-12 oz), then top with your warm frothed milk and a shake of cinnamon. That is nirvana and a very low cal way to get a big sweet fix!

I love drinking latte's and this one is the easiest way to get frothed milk. After i put it in my cup, i put my cup in the microwave for 20 seconds and it frothes more. Put a little cinnamin on top and enjoy. Good product.

This product is amazing and much better than the other Bodum frother. You can make enough froth for around 4+ cappucinos or so. Using skim milk, you can froth milk thick enough to stand up a long handled stainless steel coffee measure in the container. Froth for 1-2 minutes and then microwave for 30-40 seconds and let it sit a bit before using. If you enjoy good coffee drinks, you need this!

Less than a week after receiving the pot, the bottom started to come apart. Little circles of aluminum were visible at the center of discolored splotches where the allegedly stainless coating was inadequate. And this without any abuse (or even going into the dishwasher). Just awful.

The experience got worse trying to take advantage of the "limited lifetime warranty" from Farberware. Their 800 number is just a recording that promises you necessary information and then starts over from the top without providing any actual information. In other words, it's an endless loop promising you details on how to seek service but then looping again. Before it starts over, it suggests you try their website . . . which also has no actual information about warranties or how to get service. A complete, abismal run around.

I'm sending it back to Amazon and letting them deal with this turkey. But in general, a very unhappy experience.

Wow! What a bargain! With great Farberware quality at this awesome price for a 6qt plus a steamer! I use the steamer all the time plus the 6qt is perfect for spaghetti for my family.

But perhaps better...

I bought this, the "cute as a button" 3 qt. stock/sauce pan and the 16 qt. stock pot at approximately the same time. The quality appears excellent, and the extra heavy base is completely flat, and distributes heat wonderfully.

I came shopping for the large pot, since it was time to replace the aluminum one I had been making beer in for 15 years, and thought it time to get a stainless version. While I was here, I got this and the other. I couldn't be more pleased..

Each has been used and has performed even better than expected.

I have a mish-mash of different cookware, purchased individually, because not all pans in any set are equal... These stock pots rank right up there with the more expensive brand names - and surpass some...

;0))

PK is a happy camper!

I've dreamed of owning this steam generator iron for a long time, and thanks to Amazon's wish list, I received it as a Christmas gift. The timing was great since I'm in the middle of sewing bridesmaid and groom's mother wedding dresses. I haven't put the iron down yet. It works great and I'm not sure how I ever survived without it.

It actually makes the ironing task so much easier. It produces a large amount of steam that helps to make flat seams and sharp hems. I've even used it vertically to steam wrinkles out of velvet and hanging curtains.

This iron is lighter and a little smaller than a regular steam iron so it provides more flexibility in getting into smaller seams. You need to plan where you will be placing the unit when you sew. The steam generator is big, and shouldn't be placed on the ironing board because of space restrictions and stability. There is ample cord length so it can be placed on the floor or a table close to the ironing board. The manufacturer recommends tap water for use in this iron. It is cleaned by emptying it out and refilling it every 10 uses.

My only complaint is that it needs a view window or some type of indicator for determining when it needs to be refilled. It's a guessing game to try and figure out how much water is still in the unit. This is minor when compared to the great performance of the product.

Spend the $, get the best
Steam generation is continuous making the aweful job of ironing as easy as it can be.
I've stopped taking my shirts to the cleaners for pressing. This iron is so easy to use and so effective that I now starch my own shirts with liquid starch. I just dip the shirts in a starch bath in the sink and then spin them out in the washer spin cycle, then hang them to dry (wrinkles and all).
When I go to press them, the steam produced from this iron penetrates right through the dry fabric and starch reactivating it for a crisp press that's better than professional.

Unbelievable- this iron makes me actually look forward to ironing. I have had 4 frinds bring their ironing here and they all want one. I have heard of this iron for over 10 years and thought - how dumb to spend so much money on an iron. I wish I had bought one ten years ago and if it broke today I would go out tomorrow and buy another! Honestly- 1/3 the time and the whole pile of levi shirts and pants looks newly bought! I wish I could sell this product on commission- I'd be a millionaire.

For a failry expensive product, it fails to live up. To start with, it doesn't have an "On/Off" button, which means that you have to pull the plug out of the outlet everytime you're finished. The water level is extremely hard to see when filling, which invariably leads to one filling more than the required limit. On Auto steam, water gets depleted in around 10 mins of ironing. The power steam burst is quite weak as well. To be fair, I do have to say that the iron does a good job.

This iron is worth every cent I paid for it and more. It's easy and comfortable to use. This iron has a sole plate that just glides across any fabric without catching on it and making more wrinkles. Since it has more holes in the soleplate you get more steam and they don't get clogged with hard water and starch. The sleek design is easy on the hand and the weight of the iron isn't too heavy or too light. I would highly recommend this iron to anyone.

From a guy that does most of the ironing around the house, this is a great iron!

My previous iron was a $100+ iron made by Rowenta. That iron lasted about 3 years before it began making clicking sounds and would stop heating. I decided to purchase this iron based on the high reviews here.

Bottom line is that ironing is made much easier with this iron.

Plus
This iron spews out lots of steam and makes removing wrinkles easy. It has a steam burst button which works well because I can press it up to 3 times in succession and still get a decent burst. The Rowenta was able to send out one strong burst of steam, but the 2nd one was pitifully weak.

The water spray button and the steam burst buttons are easy to press. After a couple of hours of ironing with the Rowenta, my thumb would cramp up. I have a pretty strong grip, so it takes a lot of work for my hand to cramp up.

The long power cord is a big plus. This means I don't have to work near an outlet.

Minus

The iron could hold more water. Because it produces a lot of steam, the iron tends to use up its water fairly quickly. This is not a problem since the filler cup that comes with the iron makes adding water a breeze.

It is a little difficult to see the water level at the filled position. However, when the water level is low, I have no problem seeing it.

Upon first use, I was very dissapointed. There was very little steam generated by this machine. I decided later give it a second chance. After all, if there was any more steam being created, it would burn the skin!! After using a towel to cover my head I was more pleased with this spa. Keeping the steam contained with the towel helped me to feel the steam. I am happy with this purchase and I will be using it every night.

I received this about a week ago and just used it for the very first time. I have never purchased a facial spa or facial sauna before. I chose this is because Conair's quality never disappoint me and this has the smaller cone for sinus relief. I have bad allegies during winter and spring seasons. Now, I don't need to jump into the shower to relief my sinus problems. It is easy to use, easy to clean and it heats up fast.

After using the facial sauna for 8 minutes, I put on the mask. I found it a lot better than just using the mask on cleansed face only. By using the facial sauna, it opened up the pores.

I didn't regret on purchasing this product and I highly recommend it!

Okay, truth be told, this is not the exact model I have. I received the model 3701AXA for Christmas. I guess you would say that I have the baseline model of this machine. No frills, no added features, just the plain steam spouting conical facial spa.

I was skeptical about how effective this little machine would be. I washed my face with biore warming facial cleanser as I waited for the steam to begin. I placed a towel over my head to keep as much steam in as possible. Immediately, I could feel my pores opening up and my face feeling that numb, clean, tingly feeling. After a while sweat began to fall off of the tip of my nose. Normally, this would be an uncomfortable thing, but it was almost like I could feel the impurities leaving my face.

About half way through the container of water, I went to the bathroom to look in the mirror. What do you know? I could hardly see any impurities in my pores! Even the little dark pores in the crevice between my bottom lip and my chin were gone. (I have been trying to get rid of those for some time now.)

I decided to wash my face again with biore since my pores were so completely opened up. Then I went back to the spa to let the steam remove any remaining residue from the cleanser. Once all the water had left the container, I decided I was finished. I went back to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face to close my pores while they were so refreshingly clean.

Overall, I would rate this experience as a 9 out of 10. I feel so clean and relaxed. I never write reviews, but I am just in awe of this little machine. My face looks and feels so soft! I would guess that I will be using this machine at least once a week.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS DEVICE!

(Again, I am using just the basic model, but I would think that any other model would be at least this great, if not better. Steam is steam, right?)