Tefal Vitacuisine Compact VS400315 Steamer, 10.3 Litre, Metal Finish

We have owned a succession of steamers from Tefal and others and they all led a fairly hard life as you would expect in a family situation, constantly in use for veg,rice,some meat dishes, occasional desserts etc. Hence we also have developed a bit of a sceptical view on the latest 'new' replacements with features that have often seemed better in print than in practice!

So, after a lot of of deliberation when our previous Tefal started to play up, we finally plumped for this unit. Previous steamers from all manufacturers have variously been a pain to store/slow/difficult to remove baskets from etc/unreliable timers etc.

This one has been a bit of a revelation and a real step forward for us. Smaller in footprint than our previous unit but still able top cook the same volume,it immediately ticks the box in terms of using the least possible space on the worktop. Also , thanks to an ingenious stacking design, it takes up the smallest space yet when stored -a must for us!

Performance is excellent, easily the best yet and faster than our previous Tefal model.Vitacuisine button certainly seems to make a difference.Digital timer accurate.

We particularly like the four steaming cups. A first for us and they also work beautifully and we have used several of the recipes in the rather good recipe book that comes with the steamer.

Only downside is that you have to remove the water tray to top up with water if you need to do so whilst cooking. Mind you, last Tefal had a special spout for this that didn't work so perhaps this is progress!

Baskets well designed and easy to remove to clean.

Oh and it looks good with a high quality appearance and will happily grace any worktop....

So, all in all, an excellent product, can't fault it to date and, although one of the more expensive models, I think you do get what you are paying for in this instance. Heartily recommend it. Read more ›

This my 4th or 5th steamer now, and although I have only had it for a short time I love it! Not only does it look funky but it cooks beautifully. The recipe book has some great ideas in, even gives you starter, main and dessert for a meal to cook in the steamer and the timings. The chocolate puddings are divine! So quick and easy to make and better than anything you can buy.

I have tried the cheaper steamers and they were but flimsy then a few years ago I bought the Tefal with the Vitacuisine button and it did cook extremely well but it was very large on the side and the lid handle broke off. I then purchased the Morphy Richards Intellisteam which I hated due to the sheer size and room it took up on the kitchen side and in the dishwasher, it's a monster. Within a couple of months the handles on the lids just came apart so I sent it back. My only hope is that the same doesn't happen with this one.

This certainly ticks all the boxes for size, space taken up and ease of cleaning, and although expensive, I don't regret the purchase.

I only purchased the Vitacuisine about a month ago, but it has been in constant use since then. The timing for vegetables needs some getting used to, so that they have just the right amount of crunchiness, but once you've mastered that, it's a breeze. I never thought eating healthily could be so easy. I'd recommend it wholeheartedly.

After I lot of research, I decided to go ahead and purchase this steamer, It has taken me a month to make up my mind, was it worth the price? the answer is Yes, it takes a bit of getting used to, but I can honestly say that the food maintains its flavour, fish tastes great. I still however have not mastered the cooking cups that come with it. I have 2 complaints, the trays appear flimsy and I am worried that they will not stand up to constant use also if you do need to refill the water during cooking you have to lift out the tray which can be tricky, so be careful.
It is very easy to store and looks great on my kitchen shelf.

this is a fantastic steamer, it seems to have all of the old niggling problems removed.Its large enough to cook for a large family and can use just 1 basket if cooking for 2

Tremendous value,it cost us £20 less than Lakeland and other retailers

highly recommended steamer

This is a great steamer. Very efficient and works well with all kinds of foods.

My only criticism, which stops it getting the 5 star rating is the base of the baskets. You get one plastic base which clicks into the main basket using two lugs which eventually break off. The other two baskets have trays with handles. Although this sounds a good idea, you have to be carefull lifting the tray due to the steam and unless the food is evenly balanced the trays are unstable and the food can tip off - which has happend to me a couple of times.

i have had about 4 tefal steamers but although happy with the way they cook i have not been happy with the item the way it is made for instance the last 3 i have had the lid has come apart and that makes it hard to remove the lid from the steamer. so i thought i would give the tefal vitacuisine a try and the compartments are a lot better made and the handle is also better on this model so hope fully this one might last longer than my previous ones. they way they cook food is so good and you never loose taste on anything.