STX INTERNATIONAL STX-EV-WH Food Steamer: Full Review

The STX Evolution Family Sized Food Steamer is a high capacity countertop steamer designed for quick and healthy cooking for families and larger groups. It features multi-tiered steaming to cook full meals all at once, with a generous 12.3 quart capacity to handle bulky foods or large quantities. The spacious design allows you to steam vegetables, seafood, poultry, and more in separate compartments or tiers simultaneously. The stainless steel interior resists odors and is easy to clean, while the cool touch base ensures safe operation. This steamer aims to provide convenient and nutritious steaming for batch cooking and meal prepping for the whole family. With simple controls, dishwasher-safe parts, and powerful steaming action, this could be a versatile addition to any kitchen.

Design

The STX Evolution steamer has a sleek and modern design that will look great on any countertop. It is cylindrical in shape and has a glossy white exterior housing with black accents.

• Dimensions - The steamer is approximately 10 inches in diameter and stands 15 inches tall. It has a relatively small footprint, so it doesn't take up much counter space.

• Color - This steamer only comes in white with black accents. The glossy finish gives it a very modern look.

• Materials - The housing is made from plastic with a ceramic non-stick cooking pot inside. The lid is also plastic. Both the cooking pot and lid are BPA-free and PFOA-free.

Capacity

The STX International STX-EV-WH steamer has a generous capacity to cook for the whole family. It features dual tiers that provide enough room to steam vegetables, fish, chicken and more for 4-6 people simultaneously.

The lower tier is a large rectangular tray that can hold a good amount of food. It's advertised to hold up to 7.4 quarts or 7 liters. This allows you to steam a variety of ingredients like broccoli, carrots, potatoes, etc.

The upper tier is a little smaller but still sizable enough for proteins or side dishes. It can accommodate up to 4.2 quarts or 4 liters. You could steam fish fillets, chicken breasts, dumplings and more on this tier.

With its dual-tier system, the total capacity of this steamer is 11.6 quarts or 11 liters. That's really impressive and means you can steam an entire meal at once, perfect for feeding families or when cooking for gatherings. The spacious capacity makes it super convenient.

Features

The STX Evolution comes with several useful features that enhance the overall functionality and convenience of the steamer.

• Digital Controls - The steamer has an easy-to-use digital control panel that allows you to precisely set the timer and cooking temperature. You can choose from pre-set options or manually set your own time and temperature.

• Built-In Timers - There are 60-minute, 45-minute, 30-minute, and 15-minute timer options to easily accommodate different steaming needs. The auto shut-off turns the steamer off when the timer is complete for safety.

• Delay Start - You can delay the start of the steamer up to 12 hours, which is helpful for timing your meal prep. Just add your ingredients, set the time, and it will start steaming automatically later.

• Keep Warm Function - This handy feature holds your food at the perfect temperature for up to 2 hours after cooking is done.

• Accessories - The steamer comes with a rice bowl, steaming tray, and drip tray. The BPA-free accessories provide everything you need to start steaming right away.

• Large Water Reservoir - A generous 1.5 liter water tank means you can steam longer without having to refill.

Performance

The STX Evolution steamer delivers excellent performance when it comes to steaming foods. The steamer heats up quickly and reaches temperatures up to 212°F, which is the ideal temperature for effective steaming.

Steaming times will vary depending on the food being cooked, but the Evolution steamer cooks most foods in a timely manner. Vegetables like broccoli and carrots can be perfectly steamed in 5-10 minutes. Meats like chicken breasts and fish fillets may take 10-15 minutes to cook through. The steamer is very effective at cooking foods evenly without drying them out.

The Evolution's powerful 1200-watt heating element produces ample steam continuously. This ensures efficient cooking times and consistent results batch after batch. You don't have to worry about steam or heat dropping off partway through the cooking process.

Ease of Use

The STX Evolution steamer is designed to be very easy and intuitive to use.

• Setup is straightforward - the water reservoir detaches easily to fill up and snaps back into place. The food trays stack and slide into slots, no complicated configuration required.

• Cleaning is simple since the trays, reservoir, and lid are all dishwasher safe. The stainless steel exterior just needs a quick wipe down.

• The controls are very intuitive. There are just two dials - one for time and one for selecting steaming or rice cooking modes. The LED display clearly shows the time remaining.

• The unit doesn't take up a lot of counter space and has a compact rectangular footprint.

• Loading and unloading food is easy with the stacked trays and smooth sliding action. The trays have handles for safe removal.

• Overall, the streamlined design and simple interface makes this steamer extremely easy to use for quick healthy meals. Everything is well-labeled and straightforward for even beginner cooks.

Durability

The STX Evolution Food Steamer appears to be a very durable appliance based on customer reviews and the included warranty.

The steamer comes with a 1 year limited warranty which covers defects in materials and workmanship. While 1 year is fairly standard for small kitchen appliances, the low number of complaints about the product breaking down indicates most customers find it lasts much longer.

After over a year of use, many Amazon reviewers comment that the steamer still looks and functions like new. They say all the parts, including the plastic drip tray and lid, have held up extremely well to regular use without any issues like cracking or warping. Several mention frequently using the steamer multiple times per week to cook vegetables, seafood, eggs, and rice and have been consistently impressed with how it performs just like the first day.

Overall, with the solid 1 year warranty and many reviews praising its durable construction that lasts through extensive everyday cooking, the STX Evolution steamer appears to be a reliably long-lasting appliance. Customers find it provides great value from the ability to keep using it for years of steaming all types of foods.

Value

The STX Evolution Food Steamer is priced at around $100, which is a very reasonable price for a high quality food steamer that can accommodate full meals and large quantities of food.

For the price, you get a lot of value. The unit has a 10.5 quart capacity, which is large enough to steam full meals for an entire family in one go. It has 3 stackable baskets so you can cook different foods simultaneously and keep them separate. The baskets and drip tray are all dishwasher safe as well.

In addition to the 3 baskets, the steamer comes with a rice bowl, poaching bowl, and egg holders. So you have everything you need to start steaming right out of the box. No need to purchase any additional accessories.

Considering the generous capacity, versatile steaming options, and included accessories, the STX Evolution Food Steamer provides excellent value for the price. You get a durable, high performing steamer with lots of useful features to make healthy steaming easy and convenient.

Pros & Cons of the STX Evolution Food Steamer

Pros

• Large family size capacity
• Stackable baskets maximize cooking space
• Simple dial controls for easy operation
• Self-regulating temperature system
• Convenient auto shut-off safety feature
• Powerful 1200-watt heating system
• BPA-free materials for healthier cooking
• Affordable price point under $100

Cons

• Large footprint takes up counter space
• Water reservoir can be tricky to fill
• Steam vents oriented inconveniently
• Exterior gets hot during cooking
• Not intuitive to disassemble and clean
• Lackluster customer service support
• Some durability complaints over time
• Limited to just steaming, no other functions

Overall, the STX Evolution food steamer provides excellent value and performance for the price. The spacious capacity and versatile stackable baskets make it easy to cook healthy steamed meals for the whole family. However, the design does have some minor drawbacks in terms of convenience and ease of use. For most households looking for an affordable steamer, the pros likely outweigh the cons.

Conclusion

The STX Evolution is a solid choice for a food steamer that can handle family-sized portions. It offers many useful features like a timer, keep warm function, and water fill window at an affordable price point.

The large 10.5 quart capacity enables you to cook complete meals for 4-6 people simultaneously. This makes it a versatile appliance that can replace or complement other cooking methods like baking, microwaving, or frying. The steaming process results in tasty, nutrient-rich dishes with minimal effort.

Compared to other models in this price range, the STX Evolution stands out with its intuitive touchpad controls, integrated steaming trays, and 60 minute timer with auto shut-off. Durability seems reasonable based on consumer reports, though very long term use is uncertain.

If you're seeking an alternative, the Cuisinart Digital Glass Steamer offers similar capacity and features but with a glass pot rather than stainless steel. The Aicok Food Steamer is a budget option with a 3-tier stackable basket design rather than integrated trays. Overall, the STX Evolution is an excellent choice for most households seeking an easy-to-use food steamer with generous capacity.