Oster Food Steamer & Rice Cooker ~ Healthy Meals, Hassle-free!

When my brother and his wife presented me with the Oster Food Steamer/Rice Cooker as a birthday gift, I was pleased and perplexed at the same time. I’d never used a food steamer such as this, and I’d never steamed rice a day in my life, so I was excited, yet hesitant, about trying out this new kitchen appliance. I found out that I shouldn’t have been worried at all…

Oster Food Steamer/Rice Cooker…

Features:
Before using this unit, be sure to clean all parts with warm, soapy water, and rinse & dry completely. Wipe the inside of the water reservoir with a damp cloth.

This steamer/rice cooker is white in color with a cord that is about 41” long, and takes up just a little bit of your coveted counter space. The unit includes a generous 6.1 quart steamer, a large 3.8 quart steamer, and a smaller 2.3 quart (10 cup) steaming bowl. So if you were to use the unit to prepare a double-tiered meal, it would take up about 13” of vertical space, and about 14” side-to-side. Each steamer bowl has a unique pattern of slots to allow the steam to escape into the bowls that you are using.

A terrific feature of the 3.8 quart steamer (considered the “lower” steaming bowl) is that there are 8 round indentations where you have the option of steaming eggs in their shells. You can cook them to your liking, whether they are Soft-Cooked or Hard-Cooked; instructions are in the booklet, which is written in English and in Spanish, so that you may know just how this technique is done. You can also prepare “Eggs-in-a-Cup”, where you simply crack the egg into a custard cup, season, and then cook the eggs according to the directions. You have a variety of ways that you can prepare eggs using the Oster Food Steamer/Rice Cooker, including poached and scrambled. I prefer to scramble the eggs, but I love that there are so many ways to enjoy eggs from this steamer.

Also included with the steamer is a lid that fits both the 6.1 and the 3.8 quart steamer bowls. The lid is vented on each end to help steam escape. SAFETY PRECAUTION - As stated on the steamer lid: ”Hot Surface; escaping steam can cause burns; lift cover carefully with potholders.” It is very important to be vigilant when you remove the lid from this steamer, or you may experience one of the worst steam burns ever. So please be careful when removing the steamer lid, and never allow your children to help with this cooking task. Adult supervision is critical.

Other parts that are included are those which are needed to make the steamer work. They include a Drip Tray, Heating Element Sleeve, Heating Element, Water Inlet, Timer, and Light.

The base of the unit has a timer that can be set for as long as 75 minutes. You need to be careful when setting the time, because you can’t turn the dial backward; so be careful when you set the timer. There is a red light that will illuminate once the timer is set, and it will turn off automatically once the timer has “dinged”… yeah… it “dings.” It’s a nice, loud “ding”, so you should be able to hear it go off anywhere in your home, and definitely in your kitchen.

There is also a handy list of foods that are printed onto the front of the base, and the amount of time in which it takes to cook them. Examples include fish (18-25 min.), broccoli (10-14 min.), and poultry (26-30 min.).

A terrific feature on the base is that there is a nearly see-through window on the right side where you can keep an eye on the water level in the steamer. There is a high and low water level setting inside of the steamer’s reservoir base. I nearly always fill the steamer base to the “high” level right from the start so that I don’t have to mess with using the water inlet; the water inlet is a great feature because it allows you to add water accordingly without moving any of the steaming bowls, which would be very dangerous to do. Just use a liquid measuring cup to pour the water into the reservoir base. Be aware that the water level should never go below the Low (Min.) line.

The heating element sleeve is a round piece that protects the heating element, and it also protects your fingers from touching the element which is extremely hot. The steamer will not work unless the heating element sleeve is in place. The sleeve may be removed to help clean the base.

The unit comes with a Drip Tray that catches the condensation run-off from the steamer bowls. This tray will have a varied amount of water that collects into it, but I have never had a run-over due to too much water being in the tray. There is about 1” of tray there, so I have never felt leery of it overflowing.

One of my favorite features of the Oster Food Steamer/Rice Cooker is that it has an Instant Steam Function. What this means is that once the timer is turned to the designated time, steam will be produced automatically in about 35 seconds. It is a fast process, so be sure that you have all of the bowls and the lid in place before you set that timer. I love the Instant Steam Function because I like to have nearly instant results, and this feature never disappoints me.

It’s very important that the unit is not placed under a wall cabinet, because the steam will hit the bottom of the cabinet and could possibly cause steam damage or any other kind of problem with your cabinet. So be sure to keep it pulled out or on a safe surface away from children that is unobstructed.

Also, please know that the steamer unit and all of its components are NOT to be used in a microwave or conventional oven, or on a stovetop.

The Oster Food Steamer/Rice Cooker is so convenient because it allows for Double Tier or Three Tier steaming. All you do is place the largest piece of food with the longest cooking time into the lower steaming bowl, and then place the lower steaming bowl on top of the drip tray and base. Then you place the upper steaming bowl on top of the base unit, or you can place the upper steaming bowl directly on top of the lower steaming bowl. It’s just that simple. Instructions and illustrations are included in the booklet.

If you want to cook rice – which can be brown rice, long grain and wild rice, regular and long grain rice, and even instant rice – you just use the included Rice Bowl. You put the rice and liquid into the rice bowl and place the bowl in the lower steaming bowl and cover with the lid. After the rice is steamed, you can then add your seasonings. The instructions for steaming rice are included for all of the mentioned varieties of rice.

When I steamed rice the very first time, I was a little bit disappointed because it was quite soft. I'm sure it was my own fault because I may have used too much water. If you want firmer rice, which is what I prefer, you should decrease the water mixed with the rice by the amount that is on the chart in the instruction booklet.

You can even reheat breads and leftovers in the Oster Food Steamer/Rice Cooker. When reheating leftovers, just add the food to the rice bowl and cover with aluminum foil and set the timer. Experimentation is always best to know how warm you want your leftovers to be. Just don’t cover breads when you’re reheating them, or they will become very soggy.

The Oster Food Steamer/Rice Cooker can also be used to steam fish and seafood. I’ve never steamed fish or seafood (yet), but most likely will in the very near future. The instructions will show you how to steam seafood such as clams in the shell, crab, shrimp, fish steaks or fillets, and even lobster. So for those of you who love your seafood, this is an easy and healthy way to prepare your favorite seafood dishes.

This unit can be used to cook meats such as meatballs, chicken, and hot dogs. I have steamed beef hot dogs for my girls, and it’s worked like a charm. It only takes about 10-16 minutes for the process, so it’s quite convenient.

Another surprising way to enjoy the Oster Food Steamer/Rice Cooker is that you can make Banana Bread in the steamer, using the rice bowl. I was so skeptical of this that I nearly laughed when my brother gave me the recipe. There was no way in the world that I could believe that you could possibly make bread in a steamer. But you can… the recipe will follow at the end of this review, so get your printer fired up!

My favorite reason for using the Oster Food Steamer/Rice Cooker is to steam vegetables. My family and I live on fresh vegetables, especially when they’re plentiful from our Farmer’s Market. You can also use the steamer to steam pre-frozen vegetables, either from your own personal freezer or bagged vegetables from your grocery store. The frozen vegetables should be placed into the rice bowl and covered with aluminum foil before steaming.

The variety of vegetables that you can steam in this terrific unit is endless. Everything from artichokes to corn on the cob, to potatoes to squash, and even spears of asparagus. The included booklet will tell you how to steam a wide range of vegetables that will please you and your family. I will admit – we use the Oster Food Steamer/Rice Cooker mainly for steaming vegetables and I just absolutely love everything about it.

Cleaning and Care

Cleaning the steamer is very easy. One of the most important things to remember is that you need to give the steamer a chance to cool before you begin the cleaning process. Always be very careful of any left-over water in the reservoir base and in the drip tray. Never submerge the unit into water; clean the outside and inside of the base with a wet cloth. You can either wash the lid, steaming bowls, rice bowl and drip tray in soapy water, or you can put any of these parts into the dishwasher, using the top rack.

Since the bowls are completely collapsible, you can “nest” the bowls for easy storage.

At times you may have a scale build up on the heating element, and if that is allowed to go on then the steam could turnoff before the food is fully cooked. You should clean the reservoir after about 7 to 10 uses with a vinegar and water process; something like you’d use to clean your coffee maker. The process on how to clean the steamer is included in the user’s booklet.

To empty excess water from the reservoir, just turn the untit upside down and the water will pour or trickle out.

Final Thoughts…

I just really love my Oster Food Steamer/Rice Cooker. I’m so happy to provide a healthy alternative of how to prepare steamed foods and vegetables for my family. I use it nearly every day and I would truly be lost without it.

Again, I have to stress that this unit should be watched carefully, and children should never be allowed to be near it when it is in use. Little hands could be severely burned or the unit could be pulled down from the counter, so please always use extreme caution where your children – and even your pets – are concerned.

Here is the Banana Bread recipe that I promised. This recipe, along with a few others, is available on the Oster web site. This banana bread is so moist and incredibly flavorful. I have steamed up dozens of these loaves to freeze and enjoy as a yummy snack. Enjoy!

Banana Bread - using the Oster Food Steamer/Rice Cooker ...

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
2-3 ripe bananas mashed (1 cup)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add bananas, margarine, milk and egg.

Pour into greased and floured Rice Bowl. Cover Rice Bowl with aluminum foil to prevent water from entering. Be sure the foil creates a tight seal around the Rice Bowl.

Fill Water Reservoir to Max level.

Place Rice Bowl in Steaming Bowl. Steam for 60 minutes.


Thank you so much for reading my 100th review!

Contact Information
Sunbeam Customer Service
P.O. Box 948389
Maitland, FL 32794

Phone: 1-800-334-0759
Web: http://www.oster.com

Oster provides a limited 2-year warranty on the Oster Food Steamer/Rice Cooker.