Fasta Pasta, The Microwavable Pasta Cooker
Yes, the Fasta Pasta is yet another As Seen on TV product claiming to cook pasta faster. Since when has cooking pasta been so difficult? Some of you might remember other gems such as the Pasta Pronta or the Pasta n' More (who comes up with these names?), but apparently the Fasta Pasta might be worth a look.
At $10.36 on Amazon.com, here's how it works: You put the appropriate amount of pasta and water in the plastic container and then microwave and strain in the same container. Unlike the Pasta Pronta, there's no need to boil water at all. (Why anyone would get that when you still have to boil the water is beyond me.) According to my brother who has actually used the Fasta Pasta several times, the pasta turned out perfectly each time. I do see the convenience in not having to wait for a big pot of water to boil, but I'd like to see someone do a blind taste test before I pass judgment.
Has anyone tried the Fasta Pasta or a similar product? (On a side note: Anyone gone crazy from typing Fasta Pasta too many times?)
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18 Comments:
If this thing adds the sauce for you, and then eats it for you, I'm sold.
JudgeFudge at 11:57AM on 03/05/09
Yeah, but for $10, this thing is probably made of chinese melamine....maybe not the healthiest choice ever for boiling stuff. Just sayin....
bruisedbuddha at 12:10PM on 03/05/09
i saw this in japan about 6 years ago. my sister loves it.
lokamotion at 12:47PM on 03/05/09
Plastic in the microwave is a bad idea. I don't know any plastic that survives repeated microwaving. If this was made in ceramic and more expensive I'd give it a go though.
xutopia at 12:54PM on 03/05/09
@xutopia - I was just about to question the exact same thing. I am uncomfortable with microwaving pasta, especially when I truly have no problem making it the traditional way!
mollykate678 at 1:09PM on 03/05/09
I used to make V-Sac (Velvetta Shells and Cheese) in college by throwing the pasta into a bowl with water then putting it into the microwave until it cooked. To this day, I still know exactly how much time it takes to make one batch in the microwave, sadly.
I don't need to spend $11 for them to give me the bowl to do this however.
zaeatah at 1:56PM on 03/05/09
OK. Please. How hard is it to boil water? Might as well buy some PB Slices for an accompanying sandwich.
Adam Kuban at 4:12PM on 03/05/09
I think microwaving pasta in a cheap plastic vessel is probably NOT a good idea...like bruisedbuddha said, it's probably leaching melamine and other plastic ingredients into your food. If it was glass, that would probably be a better idea.
cafire at 4:31PM on 03/05/09
this should provide some assurance?
From the fastapasta FAQ:
Q. I’m concerned about the dangers of using plastic to cook in the microwave. Why is Fasta Pasta™ considered safe?
A. The ‘plastic’ used to manufacture Fasta Pasta™ is really a polypropylene copolymer and surpasses FDA approval for contact with food in the microwave. It also surpasses the more stringent European specification for food contact.This plastic is of a special resin that will not leak gaseous toxins at high temperatures and is classified by the FDA as approved for food contact while cooking. This material is MUCH more expensive than food storage plastics. Most plastic storage containers ARE NOT for microwave cooking. They are made of FDA approved plastic for FOOD CONTACT and intended to be used for storing food, not cooking.
Grace Kang at 4:37PM on 03/05/09
I love the taste of plastic in the morning.
sarahbeam at 5:12PM on 03/05/09
Oh. Well. If the FDA approved it...
(for the love of all that is sacred)
sarahbeam at 5:14PM on 03/05/09
I own one (that @lokamotion mentioned) for years. It's pretty convenient for cooking for just one serving because you can forget about it while it's cooking.
esp. if you have a packet of mentaiko (spicy cod roe) spaghetti sauce-- drain, dump the sauce, mix, put nori topping, done. (=my bachelorette food)
I also use it to microwave asparagus in a hurry.
hmw0029 at 5:17PM on 03/05/09
I was going to say this sounded like a good idea if you wanted it super fast and didn't want to spend money on the gas to cook it on the stove. But I just looked at the site and it seems like it would take you 12-16 mins to cook it with this Fasta Pasta in the microwave. Which right now might cost more in energy prices.
I remember a couple of winters ago in NYC, gas prices were so high it seemed like cooking anything at home was adding a couple of dollars per meal. Doesn't seem so bad now.
I guess this is good if you don't have a working stove.
chinolam at 5:18PM on 03/05/09
I bought the Pasta Express for my DH a few years ago to settle an argument (I said it would be terrible, he said it would work great). Turns out, I was right. We donated it a few weeks later.
cickert at 6:12PM on 03/05/09
Chemicals do leach out of the plastic. 'Microwave Safe' only refers to whether or not the plastic will melt down with heat. It has nothing to do with how safe the food might be after it has been cooked in plastic. Microwaving my leftovers for lunch caused Rosacea and eventually hives. But it happened so slowly it took me years to find the cause. I couldn't figure out what bad food I was eating - turned out it was everything cooked with plastic. The FDA is only concerned about things that could kill you quickly. If it might take 20 years or more then they don't bother regulating it.
feedmillgirl at 10:35AM on 03/06/09
Wow. I didn't know Serious Eats was so filled with quick-to-judge haters.
Considering you're boiling 1/4 the water for 1/2 the time, this is a great way to do one's part.
Same results in less time and less energy and all people want to do is bash it uninformed or with unbelievable nitpicks. I'll give some respect to the health concern (though this is a different plastic), but I'm not going to concern myself with a POTENTIAL 0.00001% risk factor at this time - cell phone use should probably be a bigger worry.
eschk at 11:11PM on 03/07/09
My fiance's grandparents are nuts for As Seen on TV stuff, so they gave us one of these. It works ok as far as I can tell. I mainly use it so that I don't have to dirty my big pot for a serving or two of spaghetti.
jonthegm at 2:33AM on 03/25/09
'Probably made of Melamine'??? Has anyone even bothered to try it?? I have. It works great. Sure, cooking pasta isn't rocket science, but I like that it only takes a couple of cups of water, only a few minutes to cook and it comes out perfect every time. I don't need to watch it or test it. I can have a great dinner in 15 min or less.I also like the fact that it's made in the USA. The website www.fastapastacooker.com says that the inventor won't let it be manufactured in China because he can't control the materials used. We ALL need to support American made products.
foodgurl2 at 4:18PM on 04/13/09