Tefal VC101616

...circuit, and settled on the Tefal 'simply invents'. How much invention is there - can there be - in a humble kitchen steamer? Obviously not much - but read on!

The Tefal VC101616 is a conventional three-tiered kitchen steamer which can perform all the usual functions. The base has a brushed stainless steel finish, and the baskets are clear plastic. Preparing the steamer for use, one notices that it is light - an important consideration ...
...to be said that the Tefal does vegetables very well. Things like carrots, cabbage and broccoli turn out well - and quickly - retaining good flavour and texture. It took its time doing spuds though although they, too, turned out well, so obviously they should always go in the first basket! At the time of writing I've not tried to cook rice, though a bowl for this purpose is provided, or fish.

After use the Tefal is easy to clean. The ... more

I recently had to replace an old steamer which had a short circuit, and settled on the Tefal 'simply invents'. How much invention is there - can there be - in a humble kitchen steamer? Obviously not much - but read on!

The Tefal VC101616 is a conventional three-tiered kitchen steamer which can perform all the usual functions. The base has a brushed stainless steel finish, and the baskets are clear plastic. Preparing the steamer for use, one notices that it is light - an important consideration if it's going to stored in a cupboard between uses. The device can of course be collapsed for storage by placing the three steaming baskets one inside the other - the height of the device is 24.5cm collapsed, 40cm assembled. The mains cable is only 70cm long, which is quite adequate for a modern kitchen with power outlets around the worktops but might be a nuisance otherwise. The plastic baskets are a little fiddly to locate one on top of the other (and on the base) but a few weeks' use shows that this isn't really a problem. The device has to be filled using a jug with the baskets removed - there's no spout for filling it while in use. Once this is done, setting the 60-minute clockwork timer starts the heating element and also illuminates the water level window - a nice touch which was missing on my previous steamer. There are rough-guide illustrations to assist with cooking times on the base of the appliance, so many minutes for rice, fish, vegetables and so on. Also, there is a 'keep warm' function which does exactly what it says - after the food has cooked, it can be left to keep warm for up to an hour by means of the steamer coming on every now and then.

So it's easy enough to use, but the proof of the pudding, or in this case the vegetables - is in the eating. It has to be said that the Tefal does vegetables very well. Things like carrots, cabbage and broccoli turn out well - and quickly - retaining good flavour and texture. It took its time doing spuds though although they, too, turned out well, so obviously they should always go in the first basket! At the time of writing I've not tried to cook rice, though a bowl for this purpose is provided, or fish.

After use the Tefal is easy to clean. The baskets come apart readily if needs be and apparently they can go in the dishwasher - though I'm a bit nervous about putting acrylic plastics in there! Stowing it away after use is also simple enough. Treated sympathetically I see no reason why this steamer should not give many years of good service:

In brief:
Tefal Simply Invents model VC101616 steamer.
Power Consumption 760-900W. Features: Mechanical 60-minute timer, 60-minute keep-warm device, 3-tier baskets, rice cooking bowl, illuminated water level gauge. Height: 24.5cm collapsed, 40cm assembled. Weight (empty): approx. 2.4kg. Price: around GBP 45 (October 2009)

 

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