h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Last year in student halls I didn't have a steamer so made an ad hoc one by boiling a small amount of water in the bottom of a saucepan, putting a collander over it with the vegetables in it, then a plate on top to stop the steam coming out.

This worked fine for a number of weeks and I'd recommend it as a cheap version of steaming if all the sizes measure. However one time I went to visit somebody downstairs and when I came back, because the water had all boiled away, the heat had radiated onto the plastic collander, which melted into and around the saucepan and vegetables. Mmmmmm, plasticy goodness.

So - the morale of the story is, use a metal collander. Oh... but, make sure you don't pick the collander up without wearing something to protect your hands.



The Apprentice