Mainstays Stainless Steel 4 Quart Steamer Pot with Steamer Insert and Lid

This steamer is very easy to use. You put a little water at the bottom of the pot and put the insert in with the veggies, put the lid on and in about 10 minutes (depending on the vegetable) you have some perfectly steamed veggies. It is very well made and dishwasher safe! I would definitely recommend to anyone trying to eat healthier :)

Absolutely love!!! I have used it 5 times already and have not had any problems with food sticking and easy to clean. I have used it to steam broccoli and cauliflower and it turned out amazing and very easy to steam. I highly recommend this pot, it’s so useful for many reasons.

The Mainstays Stainless Steel 4 Quart Steamer Pot with Steamer Insert and Lid is a very nice quality item. While it may look a little small, it is deep enough to fit a substantial amount of food, and perfect for steaming a nice side of veggies or an entire meal for two. It's heavy enough to last a long time and look like a quality kitchen utensil. The heavy-duty handle is another plus, and it cleans-up easily. I would suggest this to anyone who wants affordable, high-quality cookware.

This Mainstays 4 Quart Steamer Pot is an excellent product! It's made of a nice and thick stainless steel and is really durable. I have made many meals and side dishes in it, and it still looks like new! The pot heats up quickly and has great heat distribution. It comes with a steamer basket that is removable, so you can use this to steam food, and you can remove the basket and use it as a regular pot as well. The lid is made of thick glass and makes a perfect seal for the pot. I have made many dishes in this pot with the steamer basket in: veggies, tamales, pasta, etc. Pasta is so easy to drain with the steamer basket; you just fill the pot with water and pasta, cook as usual, and simply pull the basket out to drain. I have also used just the pot itself without the steamer basket to make many dishes: mac n cheese, chili, soup, oatmeal, rice, etc. I have even burned a few dishes and the pot still easily washes clean with minimal to no scrubbing! I have a gas stove, so I was worried this pot wouldn't hold up since it's so affordable, but I was so pleasantly surprised. As with all pots and pans, though, I recommend hand washing to extend the life of the pot. I have never put it in the dishwasher so I don't know how it'll hold up under those conditions. The handles of the actual pot do get a little warm to the touch, but even with a medium-high heat setting on my gas stove, the handles never get too hot to handle without oven mitts. The only negative thing I would note is that the handles of the steamer basket automatically spring down into the basket, so you have to use a utensil to grab them in order to remove the basket from the pot. I wish there was a way to keep the steamer handles upright somehow. Other than this one con, I wouldn't change a thing. I would highly recommend this steamer pot to anyone looking for a great quality pot at an affordable price. Thanks Walmart! [I received this product from the Spark Reviewer Program.]

I love steamed veggies the best! Cook them until they are still just slightly crispt and they will retain all of their sweet flavors. This is by far the nicest steamer I have ever used. It holds the right amount to serve four or five people, the basket has a nice handle, and the glass lid has a small hole to all steam to escape! I layered carrots, yellow squash, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and celery. (Put the longest cooking items on the bottom.) I seasoned the veggies with garlic, salt, fresh ground pepper, and sage in between a few layers and on top. I will serve on top of chicken bouillion seasoned steamed rice, with maybe some salmon! I am never going to ever give up or put away this steamer, it will be used that often! I eat my veggies and you should too! In addition, I like to make a pasta salad and I can cook the pasta right in the same pot after steaming the veggies! Again it is a perfect size and I always like using the same pot so fewer pots to clean! By the way, that veggie peeler you see I used for the carrots is over 100 years old! It was my grandmas and you know, I do not know how they did it but it has never needed sharpening, and it has peeled a ton of potatoes and carrots in my lifetime, her's too! I still have her ice cream scoop, wood handle slotted spoon, apple dicer, measuring cup with lid, and measuring spoons! I never get anything new for the kitchen, I mean I even have her roaster! But over 40 years ago I got a rice cooker and I had someone give me a steamer insert where you had to balance it with the veggies out of the pot using a fork which never worked well at all. This steamer is great! Grab one before Christmas for anyone you know who is somewhat short on cooking tools, this is the perfect tool. Goes along well with a rice cooker too! I'd highly recommend it to anyone that should be eating more veggies or anyone who wants more flavorful veggies! Veggies can keep you healthy and that is so important right now! Get one for each member of the family and include a bag of various veggies (including fresh string beans) so they can try it out. Just a little of each veggie will go far.

When it comes to cooking and being able to try new things I'm there. This Mainstays Stainless Steel 4 Quart Steamer Pot with Steamer Insert and Lid is a good cooker. You can do many different things with this and I like that you can steam or fry with the steamer insert. When I was first cooking with it I was confused on the handles that you grab to life the steamer out. I tried all different ways to keep the handles when I could grab them but it didn't work. Finally after playing with it for awhile I found a way where you could grab them and keep them from dropping down in the boiling water. When your not using it as a steamer you can use for pretty much anything else to cook. I think it makes the perfect size for a small pot of chili or spaghetti. I have also found that if your cooking in the pot pay attention to it because it don't take much for the bottom of the pan to burn. When it comes to washing out it comes clean pretty easy and it dish washer safe. If you burn something in the bottom just let it soak for a while and it will wipe out. So after all the different things I have tried in this pot it is pretty nice but it's not something to cook in all the time.

This is just a pot. I mean shiny and cute but they should have done the handles on the strainer different. They pop in and out very easy which isnt good when you trying to remove it from hot boiling water. The handles will also get hot if you try and leave them on while steaming so you take them off and then try to put them back in to remove strainer once food is ready-not good. So I wouldnt recommend this pot for steaming just cooking.

You get what you pay for, well at least for the most part. Some Mainstays items are great values. This one I'd have to say is "so-so". It looks nice, is really handsome and cute. What struck me and disappointed me right away was that the handles are hollow and open, and a little bit sharp. I don't think you'll cut yourself on them, but it is not a sign of fine workmanship. The walls are thin and that is fine by me. I don't want or need or like a heavy pot. It has the heating element on the bottom. I used it once on moderate heat and the bottom is already stained. I don't know if that is unusual though. One reviewer pointed out that a magnet did not stick to the pot, meaning it is not stainless steel or perhaps a very small amount. So it didn't work on an induction cooktop stove. The steamer is lovely and seems well made and finished nicely. The cover seems nice. What really annoyed me though is that out of the box, I guess from the factory, the pot had a sort of "gray grime grease". I know you have to clean a pot before use, but this was stubborn and I eventually gave up and packed it up for return. To me, it is a sign of cheap construction and finishing at the factory. It is amazingly cheap though at only fifteen bucks. If $15 is the absolute highest you can spend on a pot, this is good. For a few bucks more though, you have many choices. A good one will last forever, and you might as well be happy with it. As you see, most reviews are positive on this item. It's cheap in price and cheaply made, but I'm not impressed. It's ok, that's about all, definitely not a bargain in my view.

This item arrived new with the plastic seal still intact. The stainless steel pot handles were poorly manufactured (looked like they were hammered, with dents) the steamer pot was unfinished with metal shards and rough edges (the basket handles don't stay connected to the basket and fly off every attempt to pick up the basket) The knob on the glass lid was unfinished and had a rough edge as well. Item did arrive quickly. Walmart was very understanding and is processing a refund. Walmart also allowed me to keep the item or donate / give it to someone else. I will toss the item in the trash where it belongs.

The pot had all these little black flecks all over the inside after boiling water. Thought they'd wash off, but they were actually little nicks in the metal.