R.S.V.P. Collapsible Vegetable Steamer: No Longer An Ancient Chinese Secret!
Written: Nov 18 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Plethora of uses, well made, can be used in almost any sized pot or pan.
Cons: Metal loop on stem gets extremely hot.
The Bottom Line: While it can be a pain to clean, you won't catch me making veggies without this steamer!
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| Freak369's Full Review: R.S.V.P. 9" Collapsible Vegetable Steamer |
I was addicted to Beef & Broccoli [with brown sauce of course] that a local Chinese restaurant made when we lived in San Diego; no matter how hard I tried to make it at home, the broccoli would either be raw or over cooked. When I asked them what their secret was to getting the broccoli just right, the girl behind the counter laughed and said it was a secret. When I started snooping around online I found out that the secret is to steam the broccoli then add it to the beef [or what ever meat you are stir frying] once it has been cooked. Enter the R.S.V.P. Collapsible Vegetable Streamer; a well made item that can be used in almost any sized pot or pan for almost any type of vegetable. I won't sit here and sing the praises of steamed vegetables over boiled ones but I will say this, they sure taste a hell of a lot better when they are steamed.
R.S.V.P. Nine Inch Collapsible Vegetable Steamer
There are several different sizes to choose from when picking out steamer baskets from R.S.V.P. so make sure you read the details of them closely if you are ordering them online. I have several of them and love using them for vegetables as well as meat. Steamed meat? You betcha! You can slice chicken paper thin then steam it and add it to a stir fry dish. This keeps the meat tender and moist, something that you can't do when pan frying. The beauty of the steamer is that it has collapsible sides so you can adjust it to fit inside almost any sized pot or pan. This is also nice to have to the grill; toss your veggies inside it and then on to the grill. No more chasing ears of corn around or worrying that they will fall between the slats of the grill top.
The only downside to this product is the small metal loop on the stem in the center of the steamer. This is what you use to lift the steamer basket out of the pot or pan and it does get extremely hot. You can use an oven mitt to try and pull it out but if you don't have a good grip on it you run the risk of it slipping and your veggies ending up all over the place. I use tongs or a metal skewer to lift out the basket, I may be a fool but I don't have to burn myself more than five or six times to learn my lesson about steamer baskets. Cleaning this is fairly simple if you do it right after you have used it; the longer you wait the more of a chance there is that food is going to get stuck in the flaps. I never put this in the dishwasher because I am way too paranoid that things are going to get stuck to it [other food items] or it will close up while it is in the rinse cycle and it won't be 100% clean.
In a pinch I have used this to hold fruit and vegetables that haven't fully ripened. I used to just toss them in a big bowl and wait for them to change color but would often end up with fruit flies swarming around. So far the three that I own have worked perfectly no matter what I have used them for; none of them have any rust spots and these things are practically impossible to destroy. Even when I have loaded them up with a lot of vegetables, they have all worked great. The nine inch one gets used the most because it is the perfect size for my steaming pot and it is a lot easier to use and clean up than my solid, one piece steamer. I wouldn't recommend this for fish though; I've never had much luck with whole or partial pieces of fish. You sort of have to bend the piece around the center stem and that makes or a very messy clean up.
You can expect to pay about five dollars for the R.S.V.P. version, others are cheaper in price but you will end up replacing them about once a year [depending on the amount it is used]. Personally I would rather pay a little more for something that is going to last for years than on something that is cheaper but will need to be replaced more often. The company backs this with a nice warranty; if it breaks or is defective they will replace it. The term of the warranty? Five whole years. Since mine gets used on an almost daily basis I know that it is something that will need replaced every few years. Sure I could contact them if something happens to it but the way I see it, I am more than getting my moneys worth from it.
The Bottom Line
The odd thing about this steamer is that not many people know what it is when they see it. When I was cooking on the grill and had small chicken wraps that I wanted to heat up I grabbed this, pressed the flaps open and tossed the chicken pieces into it then smooshed up the sides so they wouldn't roll around. I sure got some weird looks when I was going all this but more than a few people asked me where they could buy one. Whether you are using this to steam vegetables, heat up fruits to remove the skins or other alternative, one thing is for sure, once you use this steamer basket you'll be hard pressed to boil or fry your vegetables again!
As always, thanks for the visit…
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2006 Freak369
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Recommended:
Yes
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