Hot & steamy

The Black & Decker Flavorscenter Rice Cooker/Steamer has a permanent and prime location in my kitchen. It never gets stashed in a cupboard or stuffed on top of the fridge with the rest of my small appliances ( am I giving away too much about the state of my kitchen?)
I keep it right up front were I can grab it and use it every day, which is about how often it gets turned on. I make rice, love rice, veggies and seafood in it as well as cook large batches of eggs for egg salad and for tossing in a lunch bag.

I originally bought it when I was looking for a rice cooker but got intimidated by the high prices and opted to buy this instead. The appliance is made up of the base, which contains the heating element and is where you add the water for steaming. A lid of sorts fits on top of the base and has a small mesh covered "well"thru which the steam has to pass for adding flavorings such as garlic or herbs to enhance the taste of the items you want to steam, this is also where excess water and drips collect from the foods you cook. On top of that is the main cooking space which is a clear, hard plastic container where you would place the items you'd like to steam. Inside this container is a smaller, white "basket" which you use to cook rice. It has two handles to lift easily out of the container.

So why bother with yet another appliance for doing things you can easily do on top of the stove? Well first of all, I have a bit of a fascination with small appliances. Yup, we all have our oddities and this is one of mine (have more interesting ones but I ain't telling, not right now anyhoo.) Don't know what it is, I just love my gadgets! Maybe it's because I HAVE to spend time in the kitchen, with 3 hungry boys to feed I can't escape cooking every day, well almost every day, sometimes we have pizza. Gadgets make it fun.

This particular one is one of my favorites because I can make dinner good, nutritious and simple without having to exert hardly any energy at all. Just wash your veggies and drop them in the basket, fill with water and turn on the timer. Sit down at the computer and surf 'til it "dings" and serve. I like simple foods so a mix of root veggies with a side of meat perhaps is often the fare my kids have to contend with. Add some oregano or basil, maybe some coarsely crushed garlic to the "well" and the veggies will taste wonderful with just a brushing of butter or olive oil. Rice WILL cook perfectly if you follow the directions that came with the cooker. I always make a full basket which is 2 cups of rice and 2 ½ cups of water set timer for 50 minutes and it's perfect.

I also use it to reheat foods. Some things just do not taste good when reheated in the microwave. If you reheat yesterdays roast in the steamer however, it tastes moist and juicy like it was just cooked.

Cleanup is easy, just rinse the individual parts and pop in the dishwasher.

My only complaint is that for cooking rice I really would have liked to be able to make more than just the 2 cups (dry measure) allowed by the size of the basket. So if cooking rice is your chief reason for wanting to buy this appliance I'd probably look elsewhere.