Joyce Chen 26-0012, Bamboo Steamer, 3-Piece, 12-Inch

Es la primera vez que pido una vaporera por internet y en verdad estoy encantada con ella, sin embargo, no le puse las cinco estrellas, ya que la base de bambú (dónde se colocan los dumplings, etc) tenía algunas partes fuera de lugar, pero las pude acomodar de vuelta. :)

I love the size but when we opened the box the there was a small torn in the middle of the cover. See attached pic.

I bought this to make Chinese pork buns in Eileen Yin-Fe Lo's The Chinese Kitchen: Recipes, Techniques, Ingredients, History, And Memories From America's Leading Authority On Chinese Cooking . I was immediately happy with the nice solid construction of these, was not disappointed when I tested them using the recipe. This can also be used to heat up frozen dumplings, such as Trader Joe's which are pretty good. How to use: This steamer can be used directly in a wok over water without any other equipment. To figure out how much water to use, first place the steamer in the wok and see how much space is left underneath. Then remove the steamer, add water, bring to boil and place steamer directly on top; The sides of the wok will prevent it from slipping and touching the water. As the dumplings steam you can see the steam coming up through the top. The FIRST time you use this, first wash thoroughly and rinse, soak all parts including the lid completely submerged in very hot water for a half hour (I used my sink plugged up for this). Then put the entire thing together and steam for a half hour while empty, turn off heat, and let cool. This causes the bamboo to expand and contract and the layers to fit together perfectly--I have used others without taking this step and I do see the difference in how nicely they fit together. This item has two tiers. My dumplings came out identical in the top and bottom tiers, which is awesome. My one disappointment with this is that there is ring adaptor attachment available that can allow this to fit on a regular pot rather than a wok. I do often use mine on a regular pot because I don't like putting water in my woks regularly. However, most regular pots are slightly smaller in diameter than this, resulting in the steamer hanging a bit off the edge. The result is if the heat is high, the flames can lap up and scorch the outside. I've ruined several and one time actually started a fire I had to put out! To combat this problem, there is a metal ring available (not from Joyce Chen) for the 10-inch steamers, but sadly not for this one! My solution is to turn the heat down a bit and sometimes moisten the bottom portion during steaming with a wet towel. Still, I sure would like an adaptor!

It arrived today, I tested it with some veggies, and yes, works fine, but the quality is poor. There is no good finishing, and a lot of splinters, so I am afraid I will hurt myself while cleaning it, and also worried that those splinters will get lost in my food, when stirring it on the steamer. I've read many reviews and I thought this is the best quality, but this was big disappointment. I am not sure if I would want to return it, ad now I am afraid all those steamers have so poor quality. Also the trays are kind of loose (those horizontal parts), and my food (cauliflower) already stuck in between them and the ring. I think I will return it.

I had one of these that came with my wok, and I never used it so I put it in a yard sale. What a mistake! Since I changed my diet and began eating healthier I use it to steam many things. These are not only great for steaming but very versatile and I use it for other things as well. One is carrying pies to picnics and group dinners. This is well made, it’s beautiful and the price beat out one function pie carriers! Glad I got this one and I’ll never take it for granted like my old one!