4/5/2026   English German

  Edition # 162  
San Francisco, 4-5-2026


Figure [1]: Here, Michael is steaming delicious shumai dumplings.

Michael My cooking skills have now reached quite impressive levels, but until now, I hadn't bought a pot for steaming due to lack of space in our kitchen. One time, Angelika even had to create an adventurous setup with a kitchen towel stretched over a pot and a glass lid just to make potato dumplings for the xmas roast duck.

Then I saw in a YouTube video how the Australian chef Andy Cooks pulled out a collapsible pot insert for the steaming of Bok Choy (In German supposedly 'Chinese mustard cabbage'), and suddenly I realized what I was missing for my kitchen happiness.

Figure [2]: With a folding mechanism, the insert fits into almost any pot.

I quickly bought the foldable steamer basket on Amazon for very little money. The device was naturally manufactured in China but (allegedly) made of stainless steel and is (very importantly!) dishwasher safe, and since I've had it, I've been steaming non-stop. Whether delicious Shumai dumplings or also Bok Choy, the basket is pulled out of the drawer in a flash, unfolded, and it readily fits into pots of almost any diameter thanks to the foldable design. Add a little water and off you go.

Figure [3]: When folded, the insert takes up hardly any space.

And, let's say, if, for example, some skin from the meatballs gets stuck in the steamer basket holes at the end, I don't worry about it and just put the item in the dishwasher. It comes out sparkling clean and won't rust. Top product!

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Latest update: 06-Apr-2026