Let off steam! (Tesco Value Steamer 3TS04W)

Name: anwar7

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Product:	Tesco Value Steamer 3TS04W
Date:	29/06/07 (498 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: see review

Disadvantages: see review

Like most people I try to eat as healthily as possible and like to make sure my family get optimum nutrition. It is a well-known fact that many vitamins and minerals are lost through the cooking process, especially vitamin c. With this in mind I decided to buy a steamer. Steaming food especially vegetables ensures that you get to eat food that has retained most of its vitamin content.

Having decided to buy a steamer I then set about to do a bit of research. There are lots of models on the market and you could pay around £70 for a well-known brand. I read a review about the Tesco value steamer (model 3ts04) and was impressed. I was also surprised by the low price tag of just £9.97. I decided to take a trip to my local Tesco to have a closer look. I compared the Tesco steamer with the more expensive Tefal, also on display, and although the Tefal was £19.97 I really could see little difference.

What do you get for your money ?
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The steamer is part of the Tesco value range and comes in a white box with blue stripe. The steamer consists of a white plastic base unit and 3 clear plastic oval bowls and a plastic lid. There is also a drip tray. The instruction book is simple and written in several different languages. I have to admit that the steamer is not as robust looking as some of the more expensive models but with a 9-litre capacity can cope with coking a meal for a family of 4.

How does it work?
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This steamer is really easy to use and having read the instruction book I was ready to start steaming! The base of the steamer needs to be filled with clean tap water to the maximum level shown. It is important only ever to add plain tap water and never to fill beyond the maximum level shown. The drip tray fits in the base to collect the water whilst cooking. The oval pans then fit in order onto the base put on the lid. Set the timer for the required number of minutes, turn on and you are ready to go!

You can use either 1,2 or all 3 baskets as the lid will fit any of them.

The idea is simple-the water is heated up by the element that produces steam. The steam permeates through the bowls via holes in the bottom of each bowl.

If, during steaming the water unit dries up then the unit will automatically switch itself off.

When the steamer is working the indicator light will shine. When your time is up an alarm sounds with a single ring to let you know the food is ready.

The instruction book gives approximate times to steam various foods as well as telling you how much water to add to the base unit. The instruction booklet also lists any special notes. For example when cooking carrots it advises you to stir halfway through the cooking process.

The timer has pictures of some of the more common foods you are likely to steam with the suggested steaming times.

My experience.
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I have been using this steamer for about 6 months now and am generally very happy with it.
I have used on an almost daily basis and so far it has not let me down. Food in the bottom basket will cook more quickly than food in baskets higher up. I usually put potatoes in the bottom basket (cut into small pieces) and other vegetables in the top baskets. I find the steamer works best if you don’t over crowd the vegetables. I like vegetables to have a bite so don’t usually allow as much cooking time as the instruction booklet suggests. If at the end of the cooking time you are not happy it is easy to reset and steam for a few more minutes. The steamer is fantastic for cooking asparagus!

The steamer can also cook meat fish and poultry. Any meat suitable for grilling can be steamed. I have only ever used it to cook chicken and fish, as we don’t eat red meat. If you do eat red meat then steaming will mean most of the fat will drip away.

Fish steams particularly well and I add some parsley and lemon to the fish, which really gives a lovely flavour. It is possible to cook fish from frozen in the steamer although it takes a bit longer.

Chicken breasts are another food that this steamer does well with. I find that chicken breasts can dry out in the oven but steaming ensures they remain moist. The only downside is that you really need to choose chicken breasts of similar size to ensure they all cook at the same time. As an idea chicken breasts take about 15 minutes to cook. If you cook meat it needs to be placed in the bottom basket so that any juices do not drip onto other foods.

This is a compact steamer but I wouldn’t advise you to position it under a work surface as when in use it does produce a lot of steam. When I first used the steamer I did have it under my work surface and found my cupboards and windows running with water! It now lives on a work surface by a window. Remember to ensure adequate ventilation when you are using the steamer.

When the food is cooked you do need to be around to remove it from the steam as son as possible. I once left vegetables in the steamer for 5 minutes or so after they were cooked and result was a soggy mess!

The bowls get very hot so you need to be careful when you lift the lid. The bowls do have moulded plastic handles so can be lifted out with an oven cloth.

It is possible to cook rice in the steamer but again I have never done so can’t comment on the results.

I definitely think vegetables taste wonderful cooked by steam. They retain their crunch and soggy vegetables are now a thing of the past in our home.

This steamer is just about big enough to cook a complete meal for a family of 4. However if I’m cooking chicken of fish then I cook my potatoes or rice separately as there simply isn’t room to fit everything into the steamer.

Cleaning the steamer is easy and it really only needs a quick wash in warm soapy water. However you can place the baskets in the dishwasher.

The verdict
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I think this steamer is really good value at less than £10. It is fairly basic to look at but certainly does the job it was designed to do. I have just looked on the Tesco web site and have seen that this steamer has been discontinued. However it is still available in by local Tesco so hopefully will be in yours too. If you are looking to buy a steamer then I would highly recommend this model to you- you will be steaming if it sell out!

Summary: a great value steamer