Gadget: Tefal Vitacuisine Compact

I've been searching for a steamer for quite some time and Tefal's latest effort – the Vitacuisine Compact – launched last month looked like it would fit the bill. It promises to cook a three course meal simultaneously. That's a brave claim. I've never found the thought of cooking sea bass with chocolate pudding particularly appealing, but there's a first time for everything.

It comes with a myriad of trays, bowls, platforms and containers but the fit between the three platforms wasn't as snug as I was expecting.

The Vitacuisine comes with a 130 page steam-themed recipe book with dishes as diverse as steamed red pepper frappuccino to chicken and citrus porcupine. The desserts sit in four little cups in the steamer "penthouse" level, while the meat and vegetables occupy the two storeys below. If you don't fancy fishy cupcakes, don't worry – the trays between platforms allow steam to rise while preventing juice from dripping onto the levels below.

My tuna steaks with leeks and carrots were greeted with enthusiasm by my guests. It was pretty fool proof as well – I set the digital timer and the Tefal did the rest, even automatically keeping the food warm after steaming. The "Vitamin Boost" button is designed to lock in 45 per cent more vitamins. Without a quick visit to a lab, I couldn't evaluate such a claim, however being slightly anti-vegetable, I loved the sweet and succulent leeks. I sometimes forget to send gadgets back to manufacturers – this is one that is likely to slip my mind.

(99.99, www.homeandcook.co.uk or www.argos.co.uk; www.tefal.co.uk)

This article was originally published in The Scotsman on 20 February 2010