Aldi's Stainless Steel Steamer Is A Steal For Less Than $10

As every Aldi fan knows, you should always try to get the most out of the Aisle of Shame whenever you're shopping there — otherwise you might miss out on something good. Case in point: this week's Crofton collapsible stainless steel steamer, which is priced at a low $5.99. Now, you don't need a steamer to steam your favorite foods at home (I've been using a plastic colander from Dollar Tree), but it's certainly easier and more convenient if you have one. And at this price, it's pretty much a no-brainer, assuming your Aldi still has these in stock. (Mine didn't; otherwise, I would absolutely have added one to my basket.)

This collapsible design is an oldie but a goodie — I remember my mom having one, and, as a kid, I liked pulling up and down on the handle to watch the different segments fold up into a kind of open-topped dome and then expand out again into a basket. It was kind of like a 20th-century fidget spinner, albeit one that actually had additional functions. All these years later, collapsible steamers remain just as useful (and probably just as much fun), but Aldi's version has one thing my mom's didn't: a blue plastic handle that gives it a nice touch of color. It's also available in black, though, if you prefer a more neutral color scheme.

One great thing about using a collapsible steamer basket like the one Aldi is selling is that it not only takes up less storage space than a non-collapsible one, but it can also easily adjust itself to different pot sizes. To use it, put it into a pot with about an inch of water, just enough so it reaches the bottom of the basket. Put whatever it is you're steaming into the basket, then cover the pot with a lid and turn up the heat so the water boils. As the food cooks, check every so often to make sure the water hasn't all boiled away.

When you think of steam cooking, vegetables may be what come to mind first, but probably not potatoes. Yes, spuds are delicious when baked, but did you know that pre-steaming is the extra step to take for the creamiest baked potatoes? Frozen dumplings, too, are quite tasty when steamed, and you can also steam eggs in their shells instead of boiling them. (It takes about six minutes for soft-cooked and 12 for hard.) You can even steam-cook eggs out of their shells in a Cantonese dish called waat dan. The name translates from Cantonese to "slippery egg," and it is made by beating eggs with water and broth and steaming the mixture in a heat-proof dish. Cake, too, can be steamed, as a Japanese dish called mushi pan is basically a steam-cooked cupcake that can be either sweet or savory. There's a whole world of steamed foods waiting out there, and with this $5.99 Aldi steamer basket, you'll be well on your way to discovering them.