Steaming is a high-heat, low-fat method of cooking that ensures great flavor with minimal nutrient loss. A vegetable steamer can also double as a colander; wash vegetables or fruit and set them aside on the steamer to drain during the prep stages of cooking.

The Trudeau stainless steel vegetable steamer has a familiar, blossom-shaped design that folds to look rather like a flying saucer. It sits on three sturdy steel legs that keep the basket out of boiling water during steaming. Most steamer baskets of this type have a small, hard-to-reach handle that makes extricating the steamer from a hot pan difficult. The Trudeau vegetable steamer handle, however, extends up like a plunger providing a broad grip and large oval loop that help keep hands away from scalding steam.

The Trudeau vegetable steamer is made of dishwasher-safe steel and heat-resistant plastic. Allow the tool to dry completely before folding for storage. The steamer is 9 inches across when unfolded, and stands 5-1/2 inches tall with handle fully extended. Trudeau guarantees this product with a five-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.