David52, we have used very juicy plums (Methley, Beauty, and yellow Shiro) and they've done very well. I also use a "potato masher" and squash down the fruit every once in a while. (Know, of course, that every time you lift up the lid you're losing some of the valuable heat/steam.) The prune plums we have don't contain a lot of juice -- so maybe yours are the same. Also, you mentioned that they were "just-ripening" so maybe they hadn't achieved their full, juicy state. You can place the fruit in the basket whole, or you can also make a slice or two in the fruit or puncture it with a fork here and there to aid in the release of juice. We never need 3 hours of simmering. But then I don't always fill the basket completely full at first. If you haven't tossed the pulp you can keep trying. It's an easy procedure (usually), and, depending upon what fruit you've chosen, can yield a nice juice. Good luck, and keep trying.

I had to look for model numbers to see. The model you pictured is #619. Besides some very slight differences in capacity sizes, Norpro says the #619 berry pan (the one you linked) has 498 holes, and the one I bought, the #624 has only 312 holes in the berry pan. I didn't know the difference before I bought this one, but it's the only rodeo in the area. I would assume the more holes the better, but I didn't have much choice. It is still the 18/10 gauge stainless steel. I think it will be just fine. I would not have bought aluminum. Can't wait to use it. Grapes are on the counter now. I've been saving them in the freezer since I did the last batch a couple of weeks ago. We have 5 different varieties of muscadines, which are about the only type that grows well in our area. They do have seeds and tough skins. So tough that even though the grapes are sweet and tasty, they are too tough and seedy for me. My husband likes them, though. These will be the last of the season here...the birds are busy poking their beaks into them now. Maybe related to our drought...using it as a sourse of water. Oh yeah...I don't have to stem these grapes anyway. The varieties we have don't all ripen at the same time, so they are selectively picked. They come into the house stemless! Of course, with the steamer, I wouldn't have to stem them anyway. Do you think I ought to go ahead and slip the skins on these by squeezing them? Or just leave them whole? I don't see how all the good juice could come out without crushing them a little at least? I'll let you all know how it turns out! Jill

I bought a steam juicer at a yard sale and was wondering how to use it and if anyone had recipes for it.

Anyone made their own recipes for using the juicer that they can share a few with me? I'm trying to stop eating at night and I think just drinking some type of juicer recipe will help me a lot. Hope I'm at the right site for this question. Thanks so much for your help.