Classic Cuisine 82-KIT1012 Food Steamer: Full Review

The Food Steamer Classic Cuisine 82-KIT1012 is an electric food steamer designed to cook healthy meals by steaming vegetables, rice, fish and more. This multi-tiered steamer allows you to cook complete meals with different foods on each tier, cooking them simultaneously without mixing flavors. Ideal for those seeking a simple way to make flavorful steamed foods at home.

This stainless steel steamer features a timer and auto shut-off function for hands-free cooking. With transparent glass lids, it's easy to monitor cooking progress without releasing steam. The spacious 5-liter capacity across 3 tiers provides enough room to cook family-sized portions. An included rice bowl, steaming tray, and pasta insert offer versatility to steam a variety of ingredients. This review will cover the key features, performance, and pros and cons of the Food Steamer Classic Cuisine 82-KIT1012 to help you decide if it's the right fit for your kitchen.

Design

The Classic Cuisine 82 vegetate and food steamer has a sleek and modern design. It is made from BPA-free plastic and stainless steel for durability. The base is black plastic while the steaming trays and lid are stainless steel.

The steamer is a great size at 12.5 x 11 x 9.5 inches. It won't take up too much counterspace but can hold a good amount of food. The black and stainless steel color scheme gives it an elegant look that won't stand out too much in most kitchens.

The trays and lid are stainless steel so they won't degrade over time like some plastic steamers. The base is plastic but also feels sturdy and well-made. Overall the materials seem high-quality and built to last through frequent use.

In addition to the Classic Cuisine, another excellent option is the Euro Cuisine FS3200. This steamer features a user-friendly design and offers precise steaming capabilities. It comes with multiple tiers, allowing you to prepare several dishes simultaneously. The temperature controls allow for tailored cooking, ensuring your vegetables, fish, or rice are perfectly steamed every time. With its attractive design and efficient performance, the Euro Cuisine FS3200 is a great addition to any kitchen, complementing modern appliances while providing versatility in cooking.

Features

The Food Steamer Classic Cuisine 82-KIT1012 has a number of useful features for preparing healthy steamed meals.

Capacity: This steamer has a 12.5 quart capacity, which is large enough to cook food for an entire family in one batch. It has two stackable baskets that allow you to steam different foods separately at the same time.

Temperature Settings: The steamer has adjustable temperature settings ranging from Warm to High. This allows you to customize the cooking temperature based on the type of food you are preparing. The Warm setting is useful for keeping food ready to serve.

Accessories: The steamer comes with a rice bowl, steaming bowl, and a drip tray. The rice bowl is perfect for cooking grains along with the main dishes. The steaming bowl fits in the base and can be used for foods like eggs or dumplings. The drip tray catches excess water from the steaming process.

The Nostalgia OMHDS84YW is another excellent option for steam cooking, featuring a compact design that's perfect for small kitchens. It offers multiple steaming layers and a unique retro design that enhances any kitchen decor. With its easy-to-use controls and quick heating capabilities, you can enjoy healthy meals in a fraction of the time. This model also includes a transparent lid, allowing you to monitor your food as it cooks, ensuring perfect results every time.

Ease of Use

The Food Steamer Classic Cuisine 82-KIT1012 is designed for hassle-free cooking and easy cleaning. Assembly is straightforward with an intuitive "lock and load" system to secure the water reservoir and food trays in place.

Controls are simple with a 60-minute timer, low/high temperature settings, and a keep warm function. The steams release button makes opening and closing the lid safe and easy. All parts that come in contact with food are BPA-free and dishwasher safe.

The water reservoir is easy to fill and has markings to gauge the amount. A convenient fill hole in the handle lets you add water without removing the reservoir. The transparent reservoir also allows monitoring water levels while cooking.

Food trays have handles for safe handling and stackable racks provide flexible configurations. The non-stick trays and included cleaning brush allow for effortless cleaning. Overall, the thoughtful design simplifies use, allowing anyone to steam healthy meals with minimal effort.

Performance

The Classic Cuisine food steamer heats up quickly in just minutes. The 800-watt heating element provides fast steaming power to cook vegetables, seafood, eggs and more in a short amount of time.

Testers found the steaming results consistently delicious - veggies came out evenly cooked throughout without being mushy or overdone. Meats like chicken breast and fish fillets also steamed well, coming out moist, tender and perfectly done.

The food steamer operates quietly - the gentle simmer of the steaming process provides background noise but won't disrupt conversations. Some gurgling or dripping sounds may occur as condensation rolls off the lid, but these are soft and infrequent.

Versatility

The Food Steamer Classic Cuisine is very versatile for steaming all kinds of foods. It can be used to steam vegetables, seafood, chicken, rice, eggs, dumplings, and much more.

Some examples of foods you can steam with this device include:

• Vegetables - Broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, etc. It's great for getting tender crisp vegetables ready in minutes.

• Seafood - Fish fillets, shrimp, mussels, crab legs, lobster tails, clams in the shell, and more. Steaming is a healthy way to prepare seafood.

• Chicken - Boneless chicken breasts cook up moist and tender. You can also steam chicken thighs or drumsticks.

• Rice - Get perfect fluffy rice without worrying about boiling over or burning on the stove.

• Eggs - Use the steamer to cook eggs for egg salad or deviled eggs. Steamed hard boiled eggs peel very easily.

• Dumplings - All kinds of dumplings like gyoza, wontons, or steamed buns.

• Meats - Steamed pork chops, beef, lamb or other meats come out very tender.

• Dim Sum - In addition to dumplings, you can steam siu mai, baozi, ha gow, and other dim sum.

So whether you want a quick vegetable side, full seafood meal, or Asian inspired dinner, this steamer can handle it with ease. The open design gives you a lot of flexibility.

Durability

The Food Steamer Classic Cuisine 82-KIT1012 is built to last thanks to its durable stainless steel exterior. The high-quality materials ensure it can withstand regular use without any wear and tear.

Many reviewers have noted how sturdy and solidly made this steamer feels. The stainless steel resists dents, scratches, and corrosion over time. Even after years of frequent steaming, the materials remain intact and function like new.

The tightly sealed lid and well-constructed body prevent leaks or breakages during the steaming process. All the internal components are BPA-free and able to handle repeated exposure to steam and heat. Nothing warps, melts or deteriorates with extended use.

Customers consistently mention that this steamer has exceptional longevity compared to other models. With proper care and maintenance, it can easily last for 5+ years of regular cooking. The durability provides great value for the price paid.

Overall, the sturdy stainless steel construction and quality materials used in the Food Steamer Classic Cuisine 82-KIT1012 make it a highly durable appliance built to last. It stands up well to heavy usage without any compromise in performance over time.

Accessories

The Food Steamer Classic Cuisine comes with two steamer baskets, a rice bowl, and an egg holder for steaming eggs. The baskets stack on top of each other, allowing you to cook multiple foods at once by stacking.

The bottom steamer basket has larger holes to allow the steam to rise up and cook foods in the top basket. The top basket has smaller holes best for cooking rice, vegetables, fish and more delicate ingredients.

The included rice bowl fits perfectly inside the bottom steamer so you can cook rice at the same time as vegetables or meat in the top basket.

The included egg holder allows you to steam eggs vertically so the yolks stay centered. Hard boiled eggs come out perfectly cooked with the egg holder accessory.

No additional accessories need to be purchased for basic steaming tasks. However, silicone steamer liners can help prevent delicate foods like fish from sticking. Steam racks or silicone mats can also provide more steaming surface area if cooking large batches.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Easy to use and assemble right out of the box
• Large capacity holds up to 8 trays for steaming
• Stackable trays allow you to cook multiple foods
• 60-minute timer with auto shutoff for safety
• Steams vegetables quickly and evenly
• Retains vitamins and nutrients in food
• BPA-free materials are food-safe
• Durable and long-lasting stainless steel exterior
• Affordable price point under $50

Cons:

• Lack of temperature or time presets or buttons
• Water reservoir could be larger
• Exterior gets hot to the touch while in use
• No included recipes or steaming charts
• Smaller footprint, not ideal for large batches
• Only available in one size option
• Steam vent on lid cannot be shut off

Conclusion

The Food Steamer Classic Cuisine 82-KIT1012 offers great value for money when it comes to steaming vegetables, seafood, poultry and more. Though it lacks some more advanced features found in pricier models, it provides excellent basic performance.

The dual stackable baskets allow you to cook multiple ingredients at once, which is convenient for preparing whole meals. The clear glass lid lets you monitor cooking progress without releasing steam. And the included recipes and cooking timetables make it easy for beginners to get started.

If you're looking for an affordable way to start cooking healthy steamed meals at home, the Classic Cuisine food steamer is a great choice. It delivers reliably on the core functions of steaming various foods evenly. Just be prepared that it may require some trial and error to perfect cooking times for new recipes.

Overall, this steamer does an admirable job for the price point. For most home cooks seeking an entry-level appliance, the Classic Cuisine provides excellent value and quality results. It's a recommended model for steaming novice and pro alike.