Fasta Pasta The Microwave Cooker
by Fasta Pasta
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Our Price: $7.99
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Category: Kitchen
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Product Summary
Manufacturer: Fasta PastaBrand: Fasta Pasta
Release Date: 2008-04-26
Model: 42769
Product features:
- Perfect al dente pasta everytime
- Saves time, energy and water
- No boil over
- Cooks evenly without sticking
- Made in USA
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Fasta Pasta The Microwave Cooker
Customer Review: I know what you're thikin'...
Summary: 2 Stars
When I research these reviews and the overwhelming majority are positive it's the negative views I always end up reading. Why? Just to get a feel for the odd-ball personality that goes 'against the grain' and can find flaws even in the most perfect utensil. Sometimes it seems brave, other times the review reads like the person has an axe to grind or it's just been a 'bad-hair' day and the fact that the reviewed product didn't shine ( much like their hair perhaps ) added to their grief. That said I'll attempt to explain in a logical way why I feel using this product is a problem for me.
I used my 'Fasta Pasta' from the first day it arrived. Full box linqini, splash of olive oil, pinch of salt and in the microwave for a good 15 minutes (stirring once after 7 ) and BINGO!, great tasting pasta that hasn't been cooked to death and drained of flavor. Best part was I wasn't using up natural gas, there was no excessive heat from the stove, no pot to clean afterwards and it was so safe my daughter could prepare and cook it. Then it happened. My microwave died. Everybody knows the feeling: it's a little like your computer going down. No cause for panic, but you panic anyway. That's when I got to thinking 'I haven't had this microwave that long ( a top-of-the-line Panasonic- the biggest and best ) for it to die so quickly'. Then I realized something that was all too apparent: the life of a microwave is finite. This was my third microwave in 15 years.
It was then that I added up the numbers and found something disturbing: if you use your microwave an average of 7.5 minutes a day ( this is how much my family uses it anyway ) over the course of five years you will have tacked on close to 230 hours of usage. It's the magnetron ( the thing that is at the heart of the oven ) that eventually dies. Yes, I'm making all kinds of assumptions here but bear with me. Assuming you make pasta using the 'Fasta Pasta' once a week ( our average ) at 15 minutes per load times 52 weeks, times 5 years that comes to 65 hours usage over the life of the ( again ours at least ) typical microwave oven. Subtract those 65 hours from the above stated 230 hours of presumed average magnetron life and you will have reduced the 'use time' of the typical microwave oven by close to 30%. Let's see, the cost of replacing the oven 30% sooner verses making pasta with gas, hmmm...
Okay, I know what you're thinking ( besides the fact that this guy has too much time on his hands to worry about this ) 'If my microwave dies I'll just get it fixed and it'll be good as new'. Been there, done that. In my experience a fixed ''wave' never lasts as long as it should for what it costs. Yes, yes, I'm sure there is someone out there who has great success with their fixed microwave (my first machine was a 'JC Penny' which I dumped simply because the power rating was too low- I used it for 20 years ) but I attest that that is not usual. These newer machines seem to have a built-in obsolescence which limits their lifespan. And the parts used to repair them don't seem to hold up as long as they should. That's an opinion based only on my experience with these new machines, but I feel there is some validity to it.
Bottom line: The 'Fasta Pasta' works great. A real '5-star' product. But what the USE of it does to your weak and fallible magnetron based oven is '1-star' at best. Believe me I really don't like the idea that just because the life of my microwave will be shortened by using this pasta maker that I have to return to using natual gas. But the hidden cost should be acknowledged. Perhaps an investigation into this phenomenon is warrented by somebody. In any event I am not a happy cook.
Ultimately I guess it's up to each individual user to weigh the above hidden costs involved when using the 'Fasta Pasta'. I didn't mean for this to turn into a rant aginst microwave-oven manufacturers but somehow it seems appropriate. The 'Fasta Pasta' is a truly great invention which allows you to make great tasting pasta quickly, easily and in a more envirnomentally freindly way. But somehow I just can't justfy the useful life it extracts from my microwave oven.
Description of Fasta Pasta The Microwave Cooker
No waiting for a big pot of water to boil. Cook pasta to al dente perfection in the microwave! Saves time, energy and water. Use with spaghetti, fettuccini, macaroni, lasagna noodles, rotini and more. Will not boil over. Cooks evenly without sticking. Great for dormitory, motorhome, boat or cabin. Dishwasher safe. FDA approved microwaveable material. Made in the USAMultipots & Pasta Cookers
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