Forget about Minute Rice
Pros:
versatile, cuts fat down or out, easy to use
Cons:
none
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
The Black & Decker Flavor Scenter Handy Steamer is a great small appliance every busy family should have. It works great for rice as well as any other kind of food you can steam. Forget about pasty Minute Rice. With a little planning, this steamer cooks regular rice in about 40 minutes, and by adding flavorings of herbs or broth you get great tasting rice instead of bland sticky Minute Rice. Of course, if you need to whip up some rice on the spur of the moment, hey Minute Rice is your gig then.
The Black & Decker Flavor Scenter Handy Steamer has several parts to it. There is the main base with the heating unit in it, the electrical cord to plug it in, and the timer knob. You put water inside the base, which is where the steam comes from. On top of the base sits a tray that catches drippings, from steam, water or fat that drips from what you are cooking. Next there sits on top of the tray, a clear bowl. If you are making vegetables, meats/fish, or other chunky types of food, this is where you would place the food. There are holes in the bottom of the bowl so excess moisture and fat can drip into the tray below. If you're making rice, there is a white bowl with handles that can sit inside the clear bowl. Lastly, there is the lid for the top to keep the steam in.
My Experience and Use
We love to use the Black & Decker Flavor Scenter Handy Steamer for making several different dishes. For making rice, we prefer to use Basmati rice as it has a nicer texture and cooks better. We usually will add a couple cubes of chicken bouillon with the rice for flavor. Our other favorite thing to cook in our steamer is potatoes and pork sausage. We just cut some potatoes up into chunks, and lay them in there with a pork sausage (not the little sizzler link types). All the fat from the pork sausage drips down so it's not swimming in it like it would be if you cooked it in a pan or pot, plus it flavors the potatoes somewhat.
We received the Black & Decker Flavor Scenter Handy Steamer as a Christmas gift, but I believe I've seen them in the stores for about $30. This is one gift that hasn't gotten stuck in the corner of cupboard never to be used. In fact, many times we just leave it sitting on the counter because we use it so much. The Black & Decker Flavor Scenter Handy Steamer is easy to use by just about anyone (age 12 and up probably), easy to clean, and makes it easy to cook healthy food for your family.
