User Manual Morphy Richards 470006 Plastic Intellisteam Food Steamer

The metal containers do not have a solid bottom, which is to allow the steam through to cook the food, as such I would be wary personally of cooking directly in the metal containers.

Food / Juices could drop through into the tray beneath, however if you are comfortable with that then no reason that couldn't cook directly in the metal container if the plastic inserts not big enough.
For instance wrap a fish/chicken breast in foil, place the foil into metal container directly no problem. Wouldn't cook the fish/chicken directly on the metal as juices would spread into the machine beneath which for me would be messy.

I use as cooking for 1 person and the two smaller inserts are perfect for individual veg portions, and a I do potatoes and meat in the back larger container, meat in foil to keep juices with the meat for flavouring. Plastic also cooler to lift then the metal tray

This machine does not have a delay timer. Whatever you are steaming you set the steaming time for each compartment according to what vegetable, meat or fish times you require. After pressing the start button it immediately starts to steam the item where you have set the longest time, it then begins the next compartment when the time has elapsed to that setting and so on until it reaches zero minutes when all your foods are cooked. On reaching zero it switches to a 40 minute keep warm period.

To cook eggs in their shells is similar to boiling them. Put them in one compartment, which one you use depends on how many eggs. And set the time you want, I add on 3 minutes to allow steam to get up. Alternatively, if you want a more precise result, before putting the eggs in, set a long enought time, wait for steam up, then put the eggs in the selected compartent, taking care not to scold yourself. Turn off the steamer at the required time