I have a love/hate relationship with my microwave. I’ve gotten to stage in my culinary life where I barely touch it, yet I really appreciate it on the rare occasion when I’m able to give life to leftovers with a quick zap. Can you live without your microwave? I know I can.
Tupperware recently released a nifty new piece of cookware called the MicroSteamer. I welcomed the excuse to use my microwave when Tupperware offered to send me a MicroSteamer to play with. If you follow me on Twitter, you will already have seen some of my experiments! :)

Tupperware Microsteamer - steaming in the microwave

Steaming is a healthy and nutritional method of cooking. Lots of people associate steamed foods with being bland, but with a bit of creativity and planning, steamed foods can be utmost delicious. The MicroSteamer comes with a fantastic little cookbook as well, so it offers some fabulous inspiration to get you cooking immediately.
Steaming in the microwave isn’t new but what the MicroSteamer offers is quite exciting. You see, old methods of steaming in the microwave basically cooked the contents where as the MicroSteamer shields food from microwaves via a protective lining in the Steamer Base, allowing food to be cooked only by the steam from the boiling water. It’s real steaming, in the microwave.
But why would you bother when steaming on the stovetop isn’t very hard to begin with?

  1. It is quick and easy – you simply need to fill the base with cold water and the microwaves heat the water, bringing it to a boiling point. Think about all the time you can save without having to wait for water to boil on the stovetop!
  2. If you are used to using Chinese bamboo steamers, you’re probably used to stacking them to steam multiple foods simultaneously. The MicroSteamer’s design enables you to stack a colander tray (provided) with the base, so that you can steam soft delicate foods as well as firmer meats, seafood or vegetables, all at the same time.
  3. It is dishwasher safe and is less chunky than stovetop steaming methods so not only is cleaning the MicroSteamer a bliss, it also takes up less room in the dishwasher.

Here’s a few things I’ve cooked in my Tupperware Microsteamer:
Mussels Provencal (Page 27 of Tupperware MicroSteamer cookbook)
These were so tender and juicy! I’d returned from a supersized shopping trip to the new CostCo at Auburn/Lidcombe with a 2kg bag of live Spring Bay mussels (amongst many other goodies). Into the MicroSteamer went the mussels – the recipe recommends cooking in 500g batches, but I managed to cook mine twice in 1kg batches – garlic cloves, cherry tomatoes, white wine, bay leaf, red chilli and a few sprigs of thyme! 14 minutes later, we had a feast!

Tupperware Microsteamer - mussels

Chilli Snapper Fillets (Page 28 of Tupperware MicroSteamer cookbook) and Broccolli with Oyster Sauce
From the same CostCo trip, I also bought a pack of two baby snappers. I filleted these by myself with the skills I learned at the recent Flying Fish sushi and sashimi masterclass. Each snapper fillet was coated with a sambal and lime juice mixture, and then sandwiched between a few coriander sprigs and a kaffir lime leaf. They’re wrapped firmly with a banana leaf and then steamed for 10 minutes. At the same time, I steamed some broccoli in the base.

Tupperware Microsteamer - steamed fish wrapped in banana leaf with broccolli in steamer

The suggested dressing for the steamed snapper was divine! It was a concoction of garlic, chilli, spring onion, palm sugar, lime juice and fish sauce. This was mindblowingly good. It was really fragrant and tasty – definitely the best microwave meal I’ve ever cooked.

Tupperware Microsteamer - steamed snapper with rice

Coconut Creme Caramel (page 34 of Tupperware MicroSteamer cookbook)
For those with a sweet tooth, MicroSteamer Ramekins are designed to allow you to steam custards, cakes and fruits in the MicroSteamer! They come in a set of eight (with lids) and fit snugly into the base. This recipe involved a bit of stovetop cooking but the steaming was done in the MicroSteamer. To make a creme caramel in 22 minutes from start to finish? Yes please!

Tupperware Microsteamer - steaming creme caramel in the microwave

Tupperware Microsteamer - coconut creme caramel

Xiao Long Bao (Steamed Shanghainese mini pork buns)
Ten minutes in the MicroSteamer is all you need to transform scrumptious frozen store-bought buns (aka soup dumplings) into a restaurant-quality meal at home! And you don’t even have to turn the stovetop on. For the ultimate lazy cook, this is as easy as it gets.
Where do I buy my frozen dumplings and buns from?
Sydney Best Dim Sim at 40 Arthur Street, Cabramatta. Other locations at 34 Railway Parade, Granville; Shop 5, 192-194 Beamish Street, Campsie; Shop 4, 203-205 Thomas Street, Haymarket; and 183-185 Rowe Street, Eastwood.

Tupperware Microsteamer - steamed mini pork buns - soup dumplings - xiao long bao

Tupperware Microsteamer

Overall, I think the Tupperware MicroSteamer is an excellent quality steamer that is versatile and convenient. Most foods can be cooked in 10 – 20 minutes, the size is sufficient for cooking for two and it fits most vegetables/meats/seafoods comfortably. Perfect for easy peasy style homecooks!
Tupperware MicroSteamer
RRP $134.90
MicroSteamer Ramekins
RRP $28
For more information or stockists, go to the official Tupperware website.
JENIUS sampled the Tupperware MicroSteamer and MicroSteamer Ramekins with thanks to Undertow Media and Tupperware.

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http://jenniferlam.com
Jennifer is the founding blogger of I Ate My Way Through (originally, Jenius.com.au). Growing up in the multicultural melting pot of Sydney’s Inner West as a second generation Australian (of Vietnamese refugee parents of Teochew Chinese ancestry), Jen has always had a deep curiosity about global cuisines, culinary heritage and the cultural assimilation of immigrants. For Jen and her family, food is always at the centre of all celebrations, life events and milestones. A lover of the finer things in life, as well as cheap eats, her blogging ethos is all about empowering and inspiring people to expand their culinary repertoire. When not running her two companies (she is also the Managing Director of The Bamboo Garden online marketing agency), Jen can be found exploring old-world charms at vintage markets and delving into local eats around the world. She has a weakness for fried chicken.

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  • sharonshenberg

    It is safe to use in the microwave. Check it ouy at my.tupperware.com/sharonshenberg

  • MahmudaParvinSoniya

    Hi, i want to use this steamer, but bit confused with the product material, is it kind of plastic which may melt while streaming? As u know we can’t consume plastic sure to health concern, plz suggest as soon as possible.

    • The Microsteamer has been specially designed for use in the microwave so it won’t melt if you use it correctly. I know that on the official website, they state that all products currently sold by Tupperware Australia and New Zealand are BPA free.

  • Jen

    What a great idea, adding herbs/garlic into the water! I’ll have to give that a go for sure!

  • Amy Edgerton

    Hi all~
    I just wanted to share.. .I LOVE the micro steamer!!!!
    and when steaming your vegies etc… you can add herbs or garlic in the water, this then infuses your food! tastes AMAZING~! also, adding honey to the water to make honey carrots without the added fat of butter.
    ITs such a great product!

  • Toni

    I am a Tupperware Demonstrator, but prior to was a lucky Host and purchased the Microsteamer at just $35. I use it most days, and because the microsteamer is metal encased in tupperware, the microwaves have no effect on our food. the cost is minimal, on average 75% cheaper to use microwaves to cook vs an oven, stove or electric steamer. In summer, it does not heat the kitchen or house up, and it cooks our foods in less time!! Happy Mummy, and happy kids.
    If you would like some more info on the microsteamer, rice cooker (it rocks – never spills, always perfect rice) or any of the Tupperware range, either email me on danandtoni.nelson@hotmail.com or call on 0421851543
    Excellent review, I am craving some yummy mussels and creme caramels now!
    Toni

  • Trish

    Hi Kay, I’m a Tupperware Demonstrator and the MicroSteamer has been new to all of us too – it’s been interesting to get our head around it and try some new recipes. Based on research that our distributorship has conducted, the MicroSteamer saves up to and approx. $5500 on electricity costs alone (over approx. 45 years) in comparison to an electric stove top or electric steamers. I’ll have to get exact figures, but they were the rounded figures that I can remember. I know it sounds like a lot of years, but the MicroSteamer is designed to last that long! Naturally I have some bias when it comes to Tupperware products, but the lifetime guarantee is a common ‘positive’ for many of my customers. Happy steaming! :-)
    Trish

  • The microsteamer looks like a good idea, but I’m just not comfortable using a microwave too often – my partner did an experiment on how using a microwave affects water molecules, and when he saw the results he threw our microwave out. Great review though, I like that you were able to do so many things with it.

  • Jen

    My main concern with a standalone steamer is that it requires more bench space which i don’t have. I quite like the stainless steel tiered steamers but it does take more time as you need to firstly boil water on the stove top. The Tupperware MicroSteamer reaches boiling point itself during the cooking process so it’s more instantaneous.

  • Kay

    The 3 tiered steamers are made from stainless steel and sit on the stove top. I’ve also seen the electrical (stand alone) 3 tier steamers from Tefal/Breville which cost half the price.

  • Jen

    Oo, a microwaveable rice cooker? I always forget there are other methods of cooking rice aside from the electrical rice cooker!

  • Jen

    Oooh, then have you seen my pizza pockets recipe? You can make them from scratch. Totally beats store-bought ones in terms of taste and value!

  • Jen

    I agree, it’s pricey for a steamer but it’s so durable. What type of 3 tiered steamers are you referring to? The Tupperware steamer in general is more compact and easy to clean. The main pro is that you can use cold water!

  • Kay

    I like the food you’ve made with the steamer but the biggest surprise was the PRICE. yikes! Must be the Asian in me – I think I can make a steamer for under $20.
    What do you think are the pro and cons over using a Tupperware steamer and a 3 tiered steamer?

  • I love my microwave (maybe a little too much). I try to steam food where I can, but you’re right in that it can get a little bland. Your examples look anything but though!

  • my love for pizza pockets means i’ll never be able to live without a microwave

  • This looks good Jen. Thanks for an in depth review .. might be worth checking out just for the creme caramels, ha ha. I have the Tupperware rice cooker and it is a tad under utilised at the moment. But I really like the sound of this steamer.

  • This looks great! I saw your mussells on Twitter a little while back and was wondering how you got them so awesome! Tupperware can be a little exxy but its def worth it in the long run because of the quality. Its totally an investment :)