Cuisinart Cookfresh Digital Glass Food Steamer for Cooking, 5-Liter Vegetable Steamer with 5 Pre-Programmed Settings, Keep Warm Function, Audible Alert, Dishwasher-Safe Pot, STM-1000, Stainless Steel

This is a quality product for people who are steaming on a regular basis. It's much easier than using a steamer and a pot on the stove-top for me. I like that I can see what's going on, so I'm less likely to overcook delicate veggies. The steamer holds more than a typical stove-top one which is really helpful and steams much more evenly. I do stay close by but there is less babysitting and less ruined food. It's very easy to use. I have used distilled and spring water and haven't noticed a difference. My two complaints about the water reservoir are that a) it's plastic and b) it can't really be opened up for cleaning. Maybe that seems unnecessary but I'd like the option. It works fast. The pre-set options work well although you really have to watch it. Mostly, I have steamed potatoes, green-beans, carrots and the like. For people who appreciate 'just-enough,' steamed veggies and delicate foods you will enjoy the precision and evenness of cooking this brings. Overall I am very satisfied and I believe this appliance is helping to improve my family's and my diet and therefore our quality of life. I actually feel that most veggies are more delicious and enjoyable steamed vs other harsher cooking methods but I HATED dealing with the stove-top steamers that always seemed so fussy and too much work. I now have no excuse to NOT steam my food: it's faster and easier than any other cooking method! I have discovered some new 'recipes too,' that helped me to enjoy old favorites in new ways. For instance broccoli rabe was a bit of a delicacy in my house, not just for flavor but because of the long process for cooking. The end result was delicious but often greasy and as mentioned very time-consuming and tedious, not to mention messy. Well, spontaneously I decided to try steaming it. I just took the bunches and plopped them on the tray closed the lid and hit start. They came out tender, flavorful and ready to eat in but a few mins! No oil or salt. We can now enjoy this delicious and nutritious veggie on a much more regular basis and I never have to worry about using it in time or not. This is just the beginning. I will be enjoying and trying new things with my new favorite appliance for a long time. One more note.. if you can find appropriate heat-proof containers that will fit I have reheated food in this.. it was not entirely cold but seems to have good results. There will be moisture accumulation if the food is exposed vs closed but reminds me of when I used to use my IP for reheating foods vs microwave or stovetop, etc. this method is much gentler though. And if you are steaming veggies water does collect at the bottom of the container and you can use that as a light broth or flavoring liquid in your recipes. Just be sure to rinse after each use. I left it once for a day or two after steaming veggies and the smell was horredous. Came right out though after washing. Be careful with the tray if you are handwashing, the perforations are sharp and I did cut myself.

We absolutely LOVE this steamer!!! We love that it is glass & not plastic above everything else about this steamer & there are so many pluses. It is extremely versatile, from being able to steam so many different types of foods, custards, rice, pastas, shellfish, hot dogs, vegetables & the list goes on! We use this almost every single day of the week, the steamer basket is reversible, it’s super easy to clean. I do not put the steamer basket in the dishwasher; a soft cloth & mild dish soap does the job on all 3 pieces in a matter of minutes. I also do not fill the water tank with tap water, I use the filtered water from our zero water pitcher. It fits perfectly on the counter next to the stove, we use it too often to take it in & out of a cabinet; it’s a well made appliance & comes with a trusted name for me anyway! It comes with a manual setting, which we’ve ended up using quite a bit after trying some of the settings it comes with & learning some foods need a few more minutes & others need a few less minutes depending on your taste. Over all it’s well worth the price, I don’t like getting or giving an appliance for a present, but I know several people who are getting this for Christmas!

We are absolutely thrilled with the Cuisinart STM-1000. This steamer is truly a game-changer for anyone serious about healthy eating, and it immediately elevates our kitchen setup. The build quality is superior, especially the 5-liter glass cooking pot. Using glass instead of plastic is a huge benefit—it's super easy to clean, completely safe (BPA-free!), and it looks elegant on the counter. The capacity is fantastic; we can easily steam large portions of fish, chicken, and a whole assortment of vegetables simultaneously, perfect for family dinners. The superior top-down steaming system is what makes the difference, ensuring everything cooks evenly and quickly. The digital controls are intuitive, and the 5 pre-programmed settings (especially the seafood and grains modes) deliver perfect, worry-free results every single time. The Pause/Reheat buttons are clever additions for maximum convenience. This appliance is worth every penny and highly recommended for perfect, effortless, healthy cooking!

This took a while to ship and arrive but it is well worth the wait. The steaming platter is long and holds a good amount of vegetables that steam evenly. I like that there is a water reservoir in the back. I used it to steam rice once as well which was decent but needs some tweaking. It does take up a chunk of counter space but is a pretty product so I don't mind. Very easy to clean, just two pieces to clean and the food does not seem to stick to them.

I've had this steamer for a few months now but have known about it for years and know many people who have it. The reason why I held off from buying it for so long is because I already have an instant pot that I could steam with and it's so quick and easy to use. I steam potatoes more than anything else and like to do this in big batches for the week. What made me finally give in and decide to buy this steamer is the fact that sometimes my steamed potatoes in the instant pot would come out overcooked and not tasting the best and I felt like maybe the high pressure cooking was depleting them of nutrients. For health reasons it is better to do light steaming than pressure cooking. And of course glass is the healthier option. Anyway I've been using the steamer for a couple months now and I do mostly like it BUT... for anyone who, like me, has gotten very used to using an instant pot before getting this steamer, I thought I'd warn about a few things. Pros: -gentle light steaming helps retain more nutrients -glass is healthier to use than metal. And although the steaming tray is metal, I just cover that with a piece of parchment paper -I like that it starts steaming food right away. It doesn't have to take time to warm up or get the water boiling. As soon as you turn it on, it will start steaming the food at full steam within less than a minute! That is a great feature that saves time. -Don't have to worry about water running out and then your pot burning on the stove. You can just turn it on and let it do its thing, even leave the house while food is steaming and not have to worry. It will shut off on its own and if it runs out of water while steaming, it will just stop. Cons: -takes up a lot of room and is heavy because of the glass -I don't like how it's basically impossible to clean the inside of the water reservoir - there is no way to get a sponge or brush in there to scrub any kind of mineral deposit buildup over time -not as much room to steam food as the instant pot and certain big bulky vegetables cannot be steamed in here (for example artichokes or a whole head of cauliflower - I have gotten very spoiled by being able to steam these things in the instant pot in minutes!) -the instruction booklet says you have to routinely descale the mineral buildup that accumulates over time with vinegar. I have not done this yet and to be honest I don't like the extra work this is going to require. I never have to do this with the instant pot. -the handle of the steamer lid is made of metal and VERY HOT after steaming food. It stays hot for a while too so you always have to wear an oven mitt when taking the lid off and putting back on. I feel like this could be easily fixed and not sure why the company hasn't put some other kind of material on the lid handle to make it easier to use. I decided to keep the steamer even after all these cons mainly because I am trying to preserve more nutrients in my food when steaming. And so as much as I love my instant pot and think it is easier to use and way less maintenance, I do think this steamer is the healthier option.

I really enjoy this product! I’ve steamed all sorts of vegetables to perfection because I like my vegetables cooked, but still with a bit of a crunch. The nice thing is you can set a estimated time to cook by food type and not have to worry about watching a clock while the food is being steamed. When the steamer beeps, you can stick the vegetables with a fork and if they aren’t done to your liking, you can switch it to manual mode and steam another minute or so. As with any type of steamer, you want each piece of your food to be as close to possible in size. (e.g. don’t steam a whole chicken or duck, chop it up into equal pieces). The steamer takes about a minute to come up to full steam, so add a minute onto the time you want the vegetables to steam. I steamed this package of thin asparagus for six and a half minutes with the steamer set to seven and a half. Delicious and crispy! I even steamed sliced onions and enjoyed them with butter and salt and pepper. I am not a fan of chicken breasts because they always seem to be dry. I steamed several to 148 degrees (latent heat will cook them until around 160 degrees) and they were tender and moist and perfect for slicing and having warm chicken on a salad. The steamer also is great at smoking oysters or clams and crab. Or even rewarming something. While I’d never steam raw beef in it, I is very good at rewarming grilled meats of all types. I have used it to steam frozen beef brisket I purchased at one of the many local BBQ trucks. Steaming the brisket made it just like I had just bought it. Not dried out and tough like the microwave makes it. It’s nearing the holidays and we have a tradition of taking homemade tamales to someone’s home as a gift when you visit during this season. This steamer is going to make it so easy to make a batch of 100, or so, hand-rolled tamales, figuring out the time to properly steam one, and not have to worry about checking the steaming pot on the stove. You can only use water (I suggest distilled so you don’t have to descale it like any electric appliance that uses water) it it. I have a stainless steel stovetop steamer that I use occasionally if I want to use water and wine for that usage. It’s not a problem with me as I can mix as many spices I choose with melted butter because I am an engineer. Photo credit: Myself. I plated that asparagus with melted butter and minced garlic and garnished it with course-ground black pepper. It was so good. So good!

Fantastic device! Easy to use and very easy to clean. Great with fish and chicken. To reduce fat, I even cooked hamburger patties we had in the freezer then crumbled them with rice. Wife has gallbladder issues so low, or no, fat cooking is essential and this thing does the job. Probably one of the most useful things in the kitchen and I use it at least 3 or 4 times weekly. I do have some serious suggestions for Cuisinart though. 1) Tilt the display screen so I don't have to keep bending over to check times. 2) Add an option to manually set 3 or 4 times; i.e. cook 15 minutes then beep; cook 15 more minutes then beep; cook another 10 minutes then beep, for a total cook time of 40 minutes. 3) Put a speed dial on the knob. It takes a long time to crank up to 40 minutes. 4) Print approx steaming time or at least a measurement on the reservoir. I use only distilled water so that would save a bit.

Bought this steamer because it had a glass container which I thought would be better than plastic for leaching out chemicals. Unfortunately, it completely stopped working after about 30 uses. The timer malfunctioned so that it would stop steaming every 15 seconds and has to be restarted. Cusinart offered to replace the product. But the catch is I have to send this big, heavy appliance with the glass top and glass bowl that need special packing BACK to them at my own expense. Plus pay $10 additional to have a new one sent. I guess that might work for some people but I live in Hawaii and the cost to ship this back would be upwards of $60. Nearly half the price of the original product. If you live on the mainland, perhaps this might be worth your while. But, personally, I will never buy another cuisinart product. I bought a gas grill from them that failed after 4 months and should have known better but was lured in by the glass build and the reviews. less than 40 uses and it breaks? And cost more than $130? Something's rotten in the state of Denmark. Or should I say cuisinart. Obviously, I do not recommend this product. Am not to return it. Just have to eat the loss. Because it would enrage me to have the same thing happen again another 3 months down the line. Looking for a veg steamer? Look elsewhere. Personally, I'm going back to stovetop steaming with a basket. And while I'm on the subject, in case any reader's didn't know this -- steamed hard boiled eggs are GREAT. And work just as well on the stove in a steamer. Wait for the water to boil fully, add eggs to steamer basket, cover and cook 12 minutes for hard boiled and 6 for soft. Shells peel off really easily, yolk texture more creamy. Never any green.