Brice S.
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2013
This cookware is amazing. This is a truly well crafted stainless steel set. The pasta insert works great but the thing I love more is the steamer insert. The steamer insert paired with the solid lit make the best steamed vegetables. I am really impressed. The clean up is a snap too. Make sure to clean with non-abrasive surfaces, such as the soft side of the sponge, not the rough side(usually green SOS material). Cloth also works well. In addition I noticed a reviewer say that it scratches easily. The only way I can see this scratching easily is if the pot was cleaned with abrasive material (rough scrubbing), metal utensils (always use soft plastics and wood!!!) or harsh cleaners. These are basic rules for any stainless steel set.This pot works great for stews and soup stocks. The pasta insert is nice, but cooking pasta is pretty fool proof.I bought this set for about $80 and it is money very well spent. I am very happy with my purchase. I fully recommend this set to anyone that wants to steam vegetables, tamales, meats etc. We eat a lot of pasta in our house so being able to cook the pasta while the vegetables steam up top is a huge perk. Also, I had the option of going with a pot set or a plastic electric steamer, but be aware that almost all plastic steamers have BPA. I have a toddler I could not go that route. I have had experiences in the past with electric steamers (plastic) leaving food taking weird, almost plasticy. With this pot (and any stainless steel set) you will not have to worry about strange plastics and strange tastes. Buy this set, you will love it.I've included cooking times for people that are not familiar with steaming. Stick to these times and you won't fail. You will notice that there is a variant in time (example 6-10 min). Shorter cooking times produce crispier vegetables and slower and longer cooking times product softer vegetables. Make sure not to over cook though. Remember, the point of a steamer is to cook the vegetables without losing precious nutrients.Vegetable, Size/Preparation, Time in minutesArtichokes, Steam whole artichokes, 25-40 minAsparagus, Whole spears, thick spears peeled lightly, 7-13 minAsparagus, Cut into 2-inch pieces, 4-7 minBeans, green, Whole beans, 6-10 minBeans, wax, Whole beans, 6-10 minBeets, small or medium-sized, Whole, unpeeled beets scrubbed clean; peel off the skins after steaming, 35-50 minBeet greens, Cleaned and coarsely chopped, 7-9 minBroccoli, Trimmed stalks, 8-12 minBroccoli, Trimmed stalks split in half or florets, 5-7 minBrussels sprouts, Whole, trimmed, 8-15 minBrussels sprouts, Trimmed and halved, 6-8 minCabbage, Cut in wedges, 6-10 minCarrots, Cut into ¼-inch thick slices, 7-10 minCarrots, baby, Whole baby carrots, 10-12 minCauliflower, Florets, 5-10 minCelery root(celeriac), Cut into ¼-inch thick matchsticks, 5-7 minCelery stalks, Cut into ½-inch thick slices, 4-9 minCorn on the cob, Whole, husks removed, 7-10 minDaikon, radishes, Peeled and cut into chunks 8-12 minChicory (endives), Cut in half lengthwise, 5-10 minFennel bulbs, Cut crosswise into ½-inch slices, 8-10 minJerusalem artichokes(sunchokes), Peeled or scrubbed; sliced, 5-8 minJerusalem artichokes(sunchokes), Whole tubers, peeled or scrubbed, 20-25 minKale, Trimmed, 4-7 minKohlrabi, Peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes, 5-8 minLeeks, Trimmed, cut in half, 5-8 minOkra, Fresh whole okra, trimmed, 6-8 minOnions, pearl, Whole onions, peeled, 8-12 minParsnips, Peeled and cut into ½-inch slices, 7-10 minPeas, green, Fresh, shelled peas, 2-4 minPeas, sugar snap, Whole pea pods, trimmed, 5-6 minPotatoes, all, Peeled or scrubbed clean, cut into ½-inch slices, 8-12 minPotatoes, new, Whole, scrubbed clean, 15-20 minRadishes, Whole radishes, trimmed, 7-14 minScallions, Cut into ½-inch slices, 3-5 minSpinach, Cleaned, whole leaves, 3-5 minSquash, butternut, Peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes, 7-10 minTurnips, Cut into 1/2-inch cubes, 8-12 minTurnip greens, Cleaned and coarsely chopped, 4-6 minSweet potatoes, Cut into large chunks, 8-12 minSwiss chard, Coarsely chopped leaves, 3-5 minZucchini, Cut into 1-inch slices, 5-8 minSorry it's kind of messy but you should be able to read through it. Take care.