Fasta Pasta The Microwave Cooker
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List Price: Our Price: $7.99 You Save: $7.00 (47%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Fasta Pasta The Microwave Cooker
Customer Review: It won't get you your own cooking show on the Food Network, but...
Summary: 5 Stars
...it will make you feel like a super star when you have more time to work on that amazing home-made sauce recipe you have. :)
Really, all you do is...
- Measure the amount of pasta (macaroni, shells, lasagna noodles, angel hair, etc. - you name it!)
- Add the water to the pre-determined and pre-marked fill line
- Add a little olive oil and salt to taste (if desired)
- Get that microwave buzzing.
It really is that easy to use the Fasta Pasta and it makes great-tasting, perfectly al dente cooked pasta. The container is well-made of a thick plastic, but small enough to fit in almost any cabinet space you might have available.
Now, I know what you're thinking, why pay for a plastic tub that you have at home that can do the same thing? I would urge you to check the materials it's made of. The Fasta Fasta is made with a plastic that is certified by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to be safe for microwave cooking. Is yours?
I must admit, when I first set out to buy something similar to this item; I was determined to get the actual "As Seen on TV" competitor...why not?
- It has a steaming rack for baked potatoes and vegetables
- Measuring & stay cool handles
- A mini recipe book
So, the skeptic in me set off on the Internet research and I started asking some of your basic questions: Won't plastic melt in the microwave or give off that weird odor? Where's it made? Who actually makes it? Am I really going to use the recipe book and steaming rack? Here's where I landed...
The Plastic - Not made with an FDA approved plastic material. (Source: No mention of this anywhere on the product website)
Where's it made/Who actually makes it - The product is heavily backed/promoted by a large company that's also the creator of the "As Seen on TV" logo and promoter of a large assortment of other 'infamous' products. However, they also sell direct to wholesalers and resellers who may independently market these items as well. Most, if not all products made by this group, are more than likely outsourced to vendors overseas. (Source: no mention anywhere on the product website or it's promoter, indicates otherwise)
What about a Steaming Rack for Veggies? - If you've taken a trip to your local grocery story (regional chain or large one with the smiley face) you've probably seen the already packaged "steam in the bag" for frozen vegetables. Why not? The cost is slightly more than your larger "cook it yourself" bag, but it's extremely convenient (for me, anyway).
What about potatoes? - Make some holes using a fork or knive and microwave it on a papertowel or paper plate.
How about the recipe book? - Considering I'm really only going to use this as an aid in recipies I'm already familiar with, why do I need a special book?
Suggestions for Improvement: If they could laminate the cooking instructions card so it could be more durable, and use an alternative method to mark the pre-fill lines so they're easier to see -- that would be my only suggestions. Otherwise, it's a solid product and well worth the investment.
In Summary - I really like the story of the product, the way everything is sourced and made in the USA, and the performance of the actual product itself. It really does work like it says it will. Most amazingly, you can get it for about half the price of the competitor (even if you factor in the Buy One Get One Free offer, not to mention the expensive shipping!).
Tell me, what did you think? Please comment!
Customer Review: Fantastic results and time savings
Summary: 5 Stars
I used to cook spaghetti in a large, heavy Pyrex pot. It was only 4 inches tall, so I had to be very careful not to let it boil over. I made spaghetti dozens of times on the stovetop and rarely had consistently good results. It was too tricky to get a strong rolling boil that wouldn't get out of control.
Tall pasta pots were too expensive for me, but I gave Fasta Pasta a try after discovering it here at Amazon. I'm very, very glad I did.
I tested it with one serving in a 1,200 watt microwave and ran it at 100% power for 13 minutes. It did not come close to boiling over. It made foamy bubbles, but they formed a hill in the center that peaked at 8.5 minutes and stayed below the top.
There was a noticeable plastic flavor for my first 2 tests, but it could have been a result of eating the boiling hot spaghetti straight from cooking. When I let it cool down and rest in the sauce for 5 minutes, there was no plastic taste. I was really overcooking the first 2 times to see what happened, so that might have been a factor.
It's amazing to quickly and easily prepare a generous serving of spaghetti in 8 minutes with 2 cups of plain water. It turns out perfectly with just the right softness. It is excellent and delicious food. It also stays warm longer than the spaghetti I used to make.
I love how the measuring guides offer convenience and consistency. It took 3 tests to optimize my technique. This could never happen with the vagaries of conventional pot boiling. Fasta Pasta makes spaghetti preparation ridiculously easy.
I use a measuring cup to add water after the dry pasta is in. The level marks are easy to see when the cooker is on the counter.
The cooker was smaller than I expected, but the "shelves" at the bottom fit boxed spaghetti exactly. It's very well designed and thought out. The plastic is thick and sturdy. Everything about it exceeds my quality expectations. The measuring / straining lid is just secure enough to work when needed and easily lift off to pour out the spaghetti. The top edges of the cooker don't get too hot to handle either, so no potholders are needed.
This product improved my life. I will save water, time, effort, and electricity. Since I can easily prepare one serving at a time, I can simply microwave some sauce and meatballs in a Corning dish, add the finished spaghetti, and serve without bothering with a plate, spaghetti serving fork, spaghetti bowl, or sauce ladle. I'll never have to deal with or have to clean a separate strainer again.
Spaghetti always stuck firmly to the conventional pot no matter how carefully it was added and stirred. Spaghetti always slides smoothly out of Fasta Pasta.
I look forward to a long future with this product. I can quickly and efficiently make excellent spaghetti meals several times a week now. It was an unrewarding hassle before. Fasta Pasta unlocks the door to fun and easy spaghetti at home. It has my very enthusiastic recommendation.
Customer Review: I never would have imagined...
Summary: 5 Stars
I love to cook. I have wonderful pots and pans and other kitchen gadgets. In fact, I rarely used my microwave before purchasing this things. Now if someone would have told me about it I would have said is it really so hard to boil some water, throw in some pasta and drain it? No, it isn't but this little gadget is perfect for me. For the last year I have been living alone and honestly, sometimes I just don't feel like cooking dinner for myself. With this device I just add the pasta, water and nuke it. It is so convenient and has often prevented me from ordering take out food. I don't have to take out my big colander or a large pot and I don't have to deal with the dishes. I don't even have to warm up sauce if I am feeling extra lazy. I either use sauce from a jar or garlic, olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes and a touch of Parmesan and I am a happy girl.
I would never have known about this if it weren't for Amazon showing it to me after I purchased some other cookware. When I saw it I clicked to see what it was because it just seemed so bizarre and then I wouldn't have considered it except the reviews were so amazing. I have had this device now for almost a year and decided its definitely time I added to the positive reviews.
I generally use linguine, often low carb (Dreamfields) but sometimes regular. I have tried almost every pasta shape. I have never had it spill over even though I thought I definitely would have this one time when I made 4 servings of angel hair. It bubbled up pretty badly but not a drop spilled over. Angel hair is hit or miss in this thing, at least for me. The dreamfields angel hair seems to turn to mush but I only tried it once and who knows, it may have been the batch or something. I have tried both whole wheat and regular barilla angel hair and 7 minutes is the perfect cook time. I use 13 minutes for linguine. I guess it depends on how strong your microwave is, I think mine is 1300 watts.
So far everyone who has seen the fasta pasta in action wants one and I recommend it to people all the time. Its great if you want a fast meal and don't feel like doing dishes.
The only 2 negatives I would have are:
1. The holes on the top are nowhere near accurate. I have a food scale and I just weigh the pasta, I find that works much better for me. I think I could probably stuff 3 servings of angel hair in the 1 serving hole.
2. I once attempted to add some tomato sauce to the fasta pasta to stir it and the plastic stained very quickly.
I managed to remove it by letting it soak overnight with some boiling water and cascade dish washing detergent but it was still a bit of a pain.
Even with those negatives I still give it 5 stars because it truly is a huge time saver and one of those kitchen gadgets that I just use all the time and can't live without. No one would think of me as the type of person to have this kind of device and yet I am probably one of its biggest fans.
Customer Review: Recommended
Summary: 5 Stars
After looking at the Pasta n More reviews, which were average, I decided against getting that one, plus I didn't like those dorky looking handles, and I didn't want all those pieces. I saw this one and was swayed by the compact size, and it's actually made in the USA. The Fasta Pasta is slender enough to tuck on a pantry shelf or in a cabinet without sacrificing a lot of space, and it isn't flimsy.
The cooker holds enough pasta for 4 servings, which in most cases will be fine for me. I decided to make macaroni and cheese using 4 cups of water and 2 cups of elbow macaroni, which according to the pasta chart is 4 servings. I started the macaroni before I started making the cheese sauce, and the pasta was done before I finished the sauce! What a timesaver. The user guide suggests a cooking time of 10 minutes for macaroni and that's what I used. The pasta was al dente and just right for my baked macaroni and cheese. It says in the product description that you don't have to stir, but that's not the case. The pasta cooking chart instructions say to stir midway through the cooking time for hollow shaped pastas like macaroni and penne.
The cooker is easy to use and being able to strain and rinse the pasta in the same bowl is a plus. Just add the pasta to the bowl, and the appropriate amount of water, and pop it in the microwave. It doesn't get any easier than this. The bowl has markings on it to indicate the amount of water to be used for various pasta servings sizes which are included on the pasta cooking chart. The lid/strainer is only used when measuring pasta like spaghetti and when straining, and it has handles on it to assist with removing the bowl from the microwave and when straining. The lid should not be used while boiling the pasta as this causes the water to boil over. The user guide indicates that the Fasta Pasta is dishwasher safe.
The cooker comes with a user guide, which is just a single sheet of paper with step by step photo's, and a recipe guide that has a few recipes. I ordered the Fasta Pasta Cookbook with mine. Fasta Pasta Cookbook I'm not a fan of cooking in the microwave, but I will make an exception with the Fasta Pasta. This is a worthwhile product that performs as claimed and will get a lot of use in my kitchen!
Customer Review: High-Altitude folk, it's a KEEPER!
Summary: 5 Stars
Well, I don't know how we've all lived without this contraption all these years, *lol*. It cooks the pasta perfectly, and in a jif. No kidding.
I live at a High-Altitude, (7,500-feet), and water takes forever to boil here. A ton of water in a stockpot to cook pasta? You're looking at about 40-minutes to boil. And that's just the water. Once you add the pasta to the pot, you can count on about another 30-minutes of cooking time. That's an hour-ten. UGH. No wonder I don't make pasta too much. Indeed, when I do, it's quite the treat around our house, *lol*.
But this Fasta Pasta makes it so easy, and so fast... saving both time and energy.
When I make pasta in the Fasta Pasta now, it's always an entire 16oz box whether Angel Hair, Linguini, Fettucini, Macaroni, Egg Noodles... whatever. And the method is always the same--->
Put the pasta in the Fasta Pasta;
Fill to the bottom rim with hot water, (a comfortable 'hot' that you would wash your hands in);
Put it in the microwave for 14-minutes, (except for Angel Hair... that takes 11-minutes, otherwise it's too mushy).
Open the microwave door and put the lid on the Fasta Pasta; grip the sides and gingerly take the whole thing over to the sink to strain out the water.
Voila! Perfect al dente pasta every time. No muss, no fuss. FOURTEEN MINUTES! as opposed to 70-minutes using the stove.
I had the Chart laminated over at Office Max so it wouldn't get ruined over time. Alas, I have found that no matter what I'm making, (except Angel Hair), that 14-minutes does the trick, no matter what the Chart says. Perhaps it's because I'm always cooking the same amount of pasta all the time-- 16oz. Alas, if you're getting vastly different results with cooking times, then I would definitely have the card Chart laminated.
All-in-All, I would never be without one of these again. The 'Fasta Pasta' is just what the pasta doctor ordered... especially for High-Altitude residents. Needless to say, we're eating a lot more pasta these days because pasta is such a no-hassle deal now to make. I LOVE THIS THING!
Oh, and it's top-rack dishwasher safe as well. Go get one... you'll be glad you did.