I've owned the Black & Decker Flavor Scenter Rice Cooker for at least 12 years now. I can't quite say that it's indestructible, but it sure keeps on ticking. I use it for steaming both rice and vegetables and its performance is reliable. Steamers are often touted as the means to a healthier diet. If you're making a commitment to eat less fat and more steamed foods, that's great. But don't count on an appliance to effect a lifestyle change you're half-hearted about.

The Rice Cooker works in a straightforward manner. The base unit has an oval basin with a heating element in the center. The basin is filled with water (there are two different fill lines marked for different cooking times), and the steaming chamber fits on top. If you wish, you can also use the Flavor Scenter layer as well. As I recall, this is a little mesh basket designed to fit between the steam chamber and the water basin. All the steam then wafts through this narrow channel which can be filled with herbs or other seasonings. I tried this "scenting" tray once or twice, was unimpressed with the results, and never used that part of the steamer again. During one of my five residential moves since then, I lost or tossed the Flavor Scenter and have continued happily using this appliance without it ever since. I set the cooking time with a timer dial that ticks audibly while the cooker is heating and cooking. When the time runs out, there's a loud ding! and the cooker shuts itself off.

Most often I use the Rice Cooker, unsurprisingly, to cook rice. There is a boat-shaped basket for this purpose that fits inside the oval steaming chamber. Ours is a two-person household, so I rarely start with more than a cup of uncooked rice. As indicated by the name however, the steamer basket accommodates up to 7 cups of cooked rice. Just don't make the mistake of putting that much uncooked rice in the basket.

We have also cooked other grains in the steamer, such as spelt and farro. Steaming rice or other grains has become a completely brainless cooking event in our kitchen. Whatever grain you want to cook in the steamer, you must also add water to the steaming boat. This seemed a little odd to me at first, since I wanted to steam the rice, not boil it. I was also surprised that steam heat alone could bring standing water to a boil. I don't know exactly what's going on in that basket with the water added to the grains. But it works. By using the Black & Decker Rice Cooker, we get perfectly cooked rice and other grains without fail.

The steaming chamber can also be used without the basket to cook vegetables (fresh or frozen), or even meats or prepared Chinese dumplings. I have found that our favorite vegetable, broccoli, steams very well in the Black & Decker. The steam chamber is large enough to hold a several fistfuls of asparagus stalks, probably six ears of corn on the cob, and several large crowns' worth of broccoli. Even if you have a big family, you could steam enough food in this rice cooker for a generous vegetable side dish. Steaming vegetables takes a little more vigilance and skill than steaming rice. You still need to decide how long the vegetables are going to need to cook. I usually wing it, setting the timer for 10 minutes and checking for doneness. The owner's manual comes with guidelines for cooking time, water fill level, and suggested seasoning to pair with different vegetables. But if you're like me, you'll read over the manual to get the gist and then add it to the manuals in the filing cabinet. I just keep an eye on the vegetables when I cook them.

Over the years, the Rice Cooker/Steamer has taken its share of knocks. One of the first things I noticed was that when I washed the base unit with a scrubbing sponge, the numbers printed around the dial started to scrub right off. I noticed quickly enough to preserve the markings well enough to continue using the cooker, but it would have been better if the dial numbers were marked in a more permanent fashion, such as raised molding. I'm careful only to use the soft side of the sponge now when cleaning the steamer.

More recently the plastic parts of the appliance have proven somewhat fragile. The steam chamber, made from a clear acrylic sort of material, developed a crack which eventually split one side. We're frugal in our household, so this was mended with a drill and some baling wire. One handle of the rice basket has also cracked, but this hasn't really required any repair. The nice, white, modern looking basket has also dulled to a yellowish, aged plastic hue. We don't much care, but I'm duly reporting the details.

If you're picturing a battered looking, decrepit rice steamer in my home, you're on the right track. This thing isn't pretty. It's not the best designed appliance we own. But we can say this for it: it still works. I would guess that we use it, on average, once a week. There was that three-and-a-half-year period while we were living in Belgium that it wasn't used at all. We didn't take very many AC electrical appliances with us to Europe. So this rice cooker sat in storage for nearly four years, and worked just fine the first time we fired it up again. As far as the heating element and the timer are concerned, we've never had any cause for complaint at all.

There is a slight burn risk with this steamer, as with any appliance that cooks food or boils water. Anyone who uses this steamer will get the hang of it pretty quickly. You need to keep your hands to the sides when taking off the lid, and either use a pair of forks to remove the rice basket, or get good at doing it really fast with your bare hands. Also, the heating element on the base unit gets very hot very quickly. A determined or unsupervised child could end up with a nasty burn on the hand if the heating element is touched. If a child were to pull the whole unit off a countertop while it was running, the burn could be a lot worse, with boiling water and steaming hot rice spilling everywhere. So proceed with caution if your household contains toddlers.

Perhaps less obvious than a burn risk, this rice cooker should not be used when tucked under kitchen cabinets. The steam really pours out of this machine, and over time the undersides of the cabinets could be damaged, just where it's difficult to spot the damage.

I have to say frankly that I'm surprised an appliance I've owned for so long is still on the market. Mine has certainly been well used and the use shows in several places. But I can't complain at all about the mechanical or electrical parts of the Black & Decker Flavor Scenter Rice Cooker. If you're in the market for a rice cooker, this one should provide you with years of steady service. If you're looking for an appliance that is pretty and is going to stay pretty, keep looking.

Some of my other favorite kitchen tools:

• Oxo Good Grips Kitchen Tongs - sturdy and safe to use with non-stick pans
• Oxo Good Grips Offset Bread Knife - does its job well and safely
• Swing Away Can Opener - the one I kept after trying all the others
• Taylor Instant Read Pocket Thermometer - the most necessary tool for cooking roasts of any kind
• KitchenAid Standing Mixer - indispensable for certain kitchen tasks, and incredibly strong
• KitchenAid Santoku knife - a nice intersection of a chef's knife and a utility knife
• Cuisinart Mini-Mate Food Processor - grind those spices or make pesto in a trice
• Endurance Precision Pierced Colander - drains like a dream, and made of stainless steel
• Lodge Cast Iron Dutch Oven - ideal for stews and no knead bread
• Bron Mandoline Slicer - the Cadillac of the kitchen
• Magnabar Knife Holder - extra storage space for my best kitchen tools




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 20.00