Trisa Combi Steamer asparagus steaming dehydrator-baking grill
8.5.2019
Translation: machine translated
The "Trisa Combi Steamer 40l" is supposed to do everything: baking, steaming, drying fruit and making yoghurt. Although this all worked, I'm still not completely convinced.
The steamer was one of the appliances that had to be installed in every new kitchen in the early 2000s. Provided there was enough money and space. The unanimous opinion at the time was that the nutrients and vitamins should remain in the vegetables when steaming. Although this is only partly true, the supposedly unhealthy microwave has been replaced by the healthy steamer. The steaming craze has since died down somewhat and steaming has gone from hype to everyday life.
If you are not one of the lucky built-in steamer owners, there is a whole range of freestanding alternatives. The tested appliance from Trisa, for example, has a capacity of 40 litres and is therefore huge and heavy. So you need enough storage space in your kitchen.
Flexible giant
Trisa promises you almost endless functions. What I noticed when testing the hot air fryers and the cake factory is that manufacturers have lost trust in their customers. Each dish has its own mode. The function, cooking time and temperature are predetermined. If you want more control, there is the "DIY" function. This gives you full control over the "Combi Steamer". You can combine convection, top or bottom heat, rotary spit and steam almost at will and set the temperature. For my test, I want to try out three things: Steaming asparagus with the vegetable function, Japanese "Nikuman" in DIY mode and drying banana chips with the dehydrator function.
First impression
The device is solidly made. It comes with a perforated tray, a normal tray, a grid and a roasting spit. The trays can be inserted quickly and snap into place perfectly. I particularly like the fact that I can remove the spit from the oven without having to make any awkward contortions thanks to a kind of fork. To use the steam function, I have to fill the water tank in the appliance. This also works without any problems. The excess condensation runs out of the bottom of the appliance. The black plastic drip tray, which I initially forgot about, is responsible for this. The water leaked out onto the table, so perhaps I should have had a quick look to see what the black plastic part is for.
Asparagus
The vegetable function steams the white asparagus for 17 minutes at 100 degrees. This is perfect, the asparagus has a nice bite without being too fibrous.
"Steamed buns"
I love "Nikuman". These are Japanese steamed buns with a minced pork filling. Traditionally steamed in a pan with a steamer insert, they take 17 minutes. After 20 minutes at 110 degrees in the steamer, my "Nikuman" were still undercooked. After 27 minutes, they were too dry on the outside. I prefer to use the classic steamer insert here.
Dörrbananas
Now I know why you need a Dörrex if you want to dry fruit and vegetables. The banana dehydrator programme didn't work. The bananas stuck to the perforated tray. I placed some of them on baking paper. That way I could at least dispose of them all at once. I didn't expect anything else: Dehydrating in the oven has always ended in disaster for me too. Dörrex is the trump card here.
Conclusion
The appliance does what the name promises. In this case, "Combi Steamer" means that it can steam cook and is also a convection oven. The fact that there are functions such as "hot air fryer", "roast" or "dry fruit" is nice, but also unnecessary. Ultimately, I need full control, which is only available in "DIY" mode. I'm annoyed that the appliance only has touch controls. The front looks nice and tidy, but it takes ages to make any entries.
I would like to like this steamer
It looks great, it seems incredibly sturdy and it works perfectly, if a little awkwardly. If it wasn't for the size. It's a monster. You need enough space in your kitchen to accommodate the Combi Steamer. If you have a large kitchen, you'll have a built-in steamer anyway. Small kitchens simply don't have the space. Instead, there is a smaller appliance that cooks exclusively with steam.
If you are one of the few people who have a lot of storage space in the kitchen and no steamer or oven, then I can highly recommend the "Trisa Combi Steamer 40l".
Do you disagree? Or do you have any tips, suggestions or wishes? Leave a comment in the box below. If you want more honest reviews of kitchen appliances, click on the "Follow" button next to my name. Then my articles will automatically appear in your mail.
Simon Balissat
Teamleader Editorial
Simon.Balissat@digitecgalaxus.chWhen I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast.
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