I enjoyed Steinberg's economics class. In fact, I took Principles expecting to hate econ but appreciate the information. Steinberg's lectures were clear, informative and engaging. Some of his jokes were funnier than others, but they all helped me remember the information and took the edge off of a late evening econ course.
I am now majoring in economics and have taken intermediate micro and macro. I felt completely prepared in both courses. I'd even say that the strong foundation Steinberg gave me in his intro course gave me a leg up over some classmates.
The keys to Steinberg's course are keeping up with the material and listening to what he says in lecture. If something is important, Steinberg will emphasize it and repeat it. I understand that some were not happy with his exams, but if you go to class, it's not hard to gauge what he will ask for.