Helen's Asian Kitchen Dim Sum Food Steamer with Lid, 4-Inch, Natural Bamboo

Bamboo steamers are one of the most useful items in ANY kitchen, not just those with an Asian bent. Apart from the stock standard dim sum and steamed veg, think about everything from fresh clams to figgy pudding that needs a good steam. Cooking is of course main intent but consider a steamer for reheating things that really don't suffer the microwave well. Moist warm heat is a very good thing (especially for breads and the like) and just as fast if you have a quality steamer at the ready. Mine stays parked on my cooktop at a back burner nearly dedicated to the task. I even use mine as a frequent plate warmer and often turn the lid over as a basket to hold everything from tortillas to pitas for serving. Your kitchen will thank you for having a nice, large bamboo steamer on hand. I've used a bazillion bamboo steamers in my time sourced from all over the globe and this one from Helen Chen is of a much more solid construction than many. The temptation is to head to Chinatown and get a discount model but for the price (~$20), I think you're better off with this version that seems much more rigid to my hands. The thickness of materials used here tells me this one will hold up much longer than examples I've come across in other Asian shops. The fit (lid to rim) is also sometimes suspect on cheaper versions that are too tight or loose but this one has proportions that make the stacking a snap, even after the bamboo swells with use over hot steam which can be troublesome with ill-fitted models. Finally, the size here (12") is generous and easily fits both woks and stockpots already on my shelves without any further "kitchen engineering". The smaller diameters might be great for presentation on a dim sum cart but in my kitchen, I appreciate the extra steaming real estate. Afterall, the steam doesn't really care how much diameter it fills and in several decades of dim sum making, I've never said "I wish I had a smaller steamer." While a trip to Hong Kong might be more fun, you won't do better than this steamer for under $20. Thanks to Amazon and their free shipping, I'll have to find another excuse to head to China. A product request to the manufacturer: I'd love to see a bamboo "height extension ring" to fit this unit. Basically a bottomless ring (or two) of the same diameter to (occasionally) accomdate taller bowls and dishes or larger items for longer duration steam cooking. I've only seen such a thing once before in Hong Kong and used it often for a decade before it finally died from old age. As I recall, the extension ring had one or two support slats *at the edges* of the circle for rigidity but otherwise left unfettered access for tall items. Thanks for a quality version of a classic otherwise. EDIT: 01/2015 I just came back to this page to buy a gift steamer. The product is still just as durable and solid as I reviewed back in 2012 but I was shocked at the new price tag for the 12" model when they offered it to me for $52!! Turns out there are other suppliers that hopped in queue before Amazon somehow and that's just ridiculous. Make sure you check the other buying options and get a reasonable price. I see that even Amazon itself has almost doubled the price to around $35 (I confirmed my old price was $19) which is disappointing but it is a quality product and if they're offering you free shipping, I suppose that's fair. $19 was better, $30 is reasonable, $50+ is just silly. Happy steaming out there!

A very good purchase to use with a bamboo steamer. It fits over a lot of different size pans and pots and it allows the pan to be filled with more water which won't touch the bottom of the steamer. It is brilliant for gas hobs as well as it prevents the sides of the steamer from scorching.

Why do they keep mentioning this is for 11 inch steamers? There's a perfect indention that snugly fits my 8" bamboo steamers, holds them securely and works great. I don't know why they don't mention that - seems like maybe they have too much business to sell any more. I have no idea but I do know this works perfectly for my pans to sung in perfectly with the 8" steamers I pile on three deep.

I really like this steamer. It's great for veggies and Chinese dumplings. I discovered that for the really big dumplings that don't fit, I can get more space by turning the bottom later upside down and putting at on top of the upper layer, then the lid on top of that. It doesn't nest, but it gets the job done well.

My wife, who does the steaming in our house, loves this! It allows you to steam over pots that hold much more water than a wok of similar diameter and prevents degradation of the surface of your carefully-seasoned wok. Simple and effective!