I have had this microwave steamer for a few years now and it has held up great. Love that it is dishwasher safe. The only downfall is that it is closer to boiling your veggies rather than steaming due to the fact that the veggies will sit in the cooking liquid. Also, smaller bits can fall out while draining liquids from the gap at the top where lit fits on. Since I have had it for some time, I no longer have the instructions. Cooking times vary and while this is called a rice cooker in this section, I have never once used it to cook rice. Maybe I should do an internet search and give that a go. I am sure there are some archived recipes using this cooker from Pampered Chef (or maybe some savvy chefs with a blog)!! Overall, I would say this item is definitely worth its price. I have cooked carrots, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, and potatoes in this. Hmmm, reviewing this item has given me renewed interest in pulling this out of my cupboards and doing more experimentation. :-)

jessica77

Chico, CA

The pampered chef rice cooker is an excellent product. It cooks the rice perfectly everytime. It is easy to clean up and cooks brown rice until tender. It is so easy to use as you boil water first in it in the microwave and after 5 minutes you add the amount of rice proportioned to the water. In 40 minutes you have beautiful rice. There is no mess on your stove and it steams it perfectly. It is affordably priced for the perfect rice that you get and it comes with a 100% guarantee if you keep your receipt. The only thing, that unless you have a pampered chef dealer you cannot get this anywhere made only by pampered chef. I like how easily it makes the brown rice which is hardier than the white rice and this makes the brown rice beautifully. It washes out easily so it makes clean up safe. It is dishwasher safe and it is a sturdy piece of plastic. So the quality is there. The rice does not stick either, comes out easily.

lauralhanson58

Cameron, WI

I wasn't sure how I would use this rice cooker plus or If I would ever use it. I have come to love this little pot. I can put the desired amount of rice in the pot and add water. Add the lid and lock it down. Put it in the microwave and set for five minutes on high. After the five minutes is done, I set the microwave for 15 minutes on power level two. After that, the rice is done and cooked perfectly. As long as I have my rice cooker, I will never cook rice on the stove top again. I have also used this pot to cook grits. The rice pot cooks that well, too. I have always hated trying to keep an eye on the rice pot on the stove. It usually ends up boiling over and I end up with a mess. Not with this pot. The easiest way to cook rice. The rice cooker is easy to clean and lightweight. The pot comes in three pieces which are all easy to clean. Caution is needed when taking the lid off after cooking as the steam is very hot and will burn fingers.

audioskill

Troy, NC

I love rice. I love baked rice, fried rice, steamed rice, fruited rice, rice with vegetables, you name it! I'm vegetarian, and I love beans and rice, but I have more eclectic, almost foodie, tastes, so I'm not satisfied with the same old rice all the time. This microwave rice cooker really does the job for making PERFECT steamed rice in your microwave oven. This is the way I make rice most of the time now, since it really simplifies the process, and isn't as messy or complicated as trying to make rice on the stove. I will admit, I still love Persian fruited rice, with the "tah dig" or buttery, crusty layer of rice that sticks to the bottom of the saucepan! If you have't had Persian rice, you don't know what you're missing. You can't make "Tah Dig" in the microwave. Sorry! Other than that, you can make plenty of steamed rice, and add pre-cooked vegetables to it, or just serve it as a side item, or as a bed of rice for your entree. To make an authentic Tah Dig, you have to use a saucepan on the stove, or a specialized rice cooker made particularly for Persian cooks. I bought a Pars brand rice cooker, to see if it would be easier than making Tah Dig in a sauce, but it isn't. The cooker didn't come with very good directions -- the "manual" is only 4 paltry pages long, and doesn't explain how to do it very well. So, for every kind of rice but Persian rice, I like to use the Pampered Chef microwave rice cooker. For Persian rice, I'm still stuck using the old faithful saucepan. No need to buy any other kind of rice cooker.

lex6819

Lexington, KY

This rice cooker is great. Really handy. Really useful. I use it often. I have not done this personally, but I do know several people who use it for a rice cooker and also as a cooker for vegatables. I have heard them say that it steams them very well. I like the sound of that because it means you can steam them in the microwave and not have to use the stove just to cook that small part of dinner. I do like the simplicity of it and that ease of clean up. I think the think I love the most is that it does not make a mess. Whoever invented the lid to function the way it does is a pure genius. Genius I tell you. It really is. I can not wait to go home tonight and to use it again. It is just that good. I really like to cook and to have another tool in my kitchen that would make cooking and clean up better and easier, I am all for it and would tell the world about it proudly. Just wish I could get a little credit for that. But Whatever.

sarahguidi

Roanoke, VA

I love this rice cooker! I used to use the micro cooker to make my rice and that made a big mess in the microwave so I was so excited when pampered chef came out with a microwave rice cooker! We use it about once a week and the rice always comes out perfect. Never hard. I make 3 cups dry rice everytime and there's still room if I wanted to make more. It cleans up easy. I always wash it by hand. Have never had a boil over or any mess in the microwave from it. The only issue is that when you open it you need to open it away from you because the steam is trapped in there. That is something I never experianced with the micro cooker. I like how i can make my rice in 10 minutes or less. And it always comes out perfect. No guessing if it's done or not. I would like to see an even bigger version of it. We have a family of 3 and it works great but if you had 5 or more people I think you would have to make two batches of rice.

shannagebhard

Shakopee, MN

I have owned this rice cooker/steamer for several years and I really like it.  This is a great product to steam vegetables in the microwave for a fast meal yet it gets them very tender.  I have a family of 4 and this steamer works good for us.  It is made of a black plastic and cleans well and holds up well.  You can put it in the dishwasher to clean and I love that about any product.  The lid goes on easily and stays on good in the microwave.  I have had problems with things getting bent out of shape after a while but this steamer has held up good and I haven't had any problems with it.  The price was really reasonable for a microwave steamer.  It is a pampered chef product so you can only find them if someone is having a pampered chef party or if you know someone who sells pampered chef.  Well, I'm sure you can find them on the internet also.  I would definitely recommend this product and have many times.  I use mine several times a month.

momof2wonderfulboys

Corydon, IN

I LOVE THE PAMPERED CHEF RICE COOKER PLUS. I RECIEVED THIS FROM HOSTING A PARTY AS ONE OF MY GIFTS AND I HAVE GOTTEN ALOT OF USE OUT OF IT. THEY INCLUDED SOME RECIPIES WITH IT AND ALSO MY CONSULTANT GAVE ME EVEN MORE IDEAS! IT IS SO VERSATILE. I HAVE MADE EVERYTHING FROM RICE TO VEGETABLES TO MASHED POTATOES AND EVEN A CAKE IN THE MICROWAVE, AND IT ALL TURNED OUT DELICIOUS!!! IT SAVES ALOT OF TIME. YOU MUST BE CAREFUL WHEN LIFTING THE LID OFF AFTER COOKING AS THEIR IS ALOT OF VERY HOT STEAM. THE LOCK ON THE LID IS VERY TIGHT AND IT SEALS VERY WELL. IT IS VERY EASY TO CLEAN. IT IS VERY DURABLE AS THE PAMPERED CHEF PRODUCTS ARE. THERE HAVE BEN A FEW DIFFERENT MODELS AND I AM NOT SURE OF THE DIFFERENCES IN THEM ,BUT I KNOW MANY PEOPLE OVER THE YEARS WHO HAVE THEM AND HAVE NEVER SAID ANYTHING BAD ABOUT IT. IT IS NOT EXPENSIVE FOR AS MUCH USE AS YOU CAN GET OUT OF IT, BUT HOSTING A PARTY YOU CAN GET IT FOR FREE OR VERY VERY CHEAP!!

stocktons1016

Coatesville, PA

I love my Pampered Chef Rice Cooker Plus.  Using the Rice Cooker Plus saves so much time when I am serving rice.  I put the rice in, add water, put it in my microwave and walk away.  After the first five minutes, I reset for the additional time on medium power and when the microwave goes off I know I have perfect rice waiting to serve.  I do not have to use space on my stove countertop for a pot of rice to cook when I can be cooking something else in that place.  The rice tastes as good as rice cooked in a pot on the stove.  I like to cook white rice and brown rice in my Pampered Chef Rice Cooker Plus.  I have not tried to cook anything fancy with it, but I have heard from friends and family that it works well to cook other rice dishes as well.  I will try this the next opportunity I get.  The only problem I have ever had with my cooker is that my brown rice sometimes seems overcooked.  I do not think this has to do with the Rice Cooker Plus though because I have purchased different brands of rice, but always cook it the same time and power and in the same microwave.

mommyyoung

Fletcher, NC

I purchased this Pampered Chef Rice Cooker from a friends show that she had.  Our family eats a lot of rice and we have always wanted a rice cooker and this one was suggested to me as a good one.  When we got it home we were surprised at how large it was.  The directions that were included with the rice cooker were very detailed and easy to understand.  You can cook as much or as little rice as you would like in it.  This rice cooker is very easy to wash and just as easy to store.  The price on it is a little more than a regular rice cooker, but that is expected since it is a Pampered Chef item.  As with any other Pampered Chef item, this comes with a warrenty so if it does break or something you can return it.  There are a few things that I do not like about it.  First, although the instructions have how to cook the rice, I have found that you have to add a little more water and cook the rice a little longer than it says, otherwise the rice is crunchy.  The only other thing I didn't like about it is that it gets very hot and the steam doesn't escape easily so be careful when opening the lid.

babyfordawn1983

Castle Hayne, NC