Quote Originally Posted by captain
Thank you all for letting me know what that "thing" was
"nother Dumb question tho - do you open it enough to just place it OVER the water and put a lid on to trap the steam?

Michelle

Michelle, I just open it, stick it in the pot (it will adjust to the size of the pot and fits in all with the exception of a very small sauce pan). Then I pour a small amount water in the bottom of the pot, so the amount remains under the steamer but still enough to not run dry (about an inch). Add your vegetables to the steamer basket, cover the pot, and put on high enough heat to get the water boiling. The steam from the boiling water cooks the vegetables. Once the water is boiling good, you can even turn the heat down (or even off) and it will still steam enough to continue cooking. Steam cooks fairly fast, so don't over cook.