Wednesday, October 25, 2006

More consumer product testing

As I have stated before, I'm a sucker for gadgets. Remember the Snoopy Sno Cone machine ? My friend had one, and even though you had to work your ass off for a tiny pile of ice, I thought it was the greatest thing ever invented and was suitably jealous.

Then there was the Hot Dog cooker/ electric chair that my aunt gave us for Christmas one year. I can't find a picture of it online but it looked something like this. The hot dog was skewered on the metal spikes (electrodes) and essentially electrocuted. [ I can't get it to link up, but here's what it looked like--Thanks Roy!--http://www.neighborhoodvalues.com/nv/kitchen/misc/35kc.htm ]

Well my friends, I've become victim of yet another useless but clever gadget. It's
Pasta Express ! You've seen this nifty plastic tube that when filled with boiling water cooks your pasta lickety split. Only it doesn't. It takes just as long, if not longer, to cook pasta this way, and the pasta doesn't really cook after all is said and done. How about Hot Dogs? They advertise that you can use it to cook hot dogs too. No, you can't. After boiling the water and waiting the prerequisite 15 minutes (seriously, they would have been done in half the time on the stove), the hot dogs still needed to be nuked for 30 seconds to make them edible. I haven't tried to steam vegetables. Pasta Express, like all other gadgety kitchen items before it, has failed me.

5 comments:

Oatmeal, the Bandit said...

It isn't this thing, is it?
www.neighborhoodvalues.com/nv/kitchen/misc/35kc.htm

If not, it had to be close to it. Dad found it one day. Spoke of the foul odors that hot dog-as-resistor cooking creates.

Made me think of inviting an old timer who worked in a prison with electric chairs over for dinner, then throwing some plump juicy ones in the thing and watching his face to see if it takes him back.

Of course, that's twisted, and even if I had the means, I wouldn't do such a thing. Really.

Sachi said...

I hope you call those bastards and tell them that they are retarded.

Abby Hansen said...

OMG!
I applaud your giving in to your whim to try that thing out!
Hey, I bought the hair dryer with the telescopic pole...

And thanks...I got my yarn.

:-)

dizzy von damn! said...

see, i wanted one too! but now i know.

thank you.

MonkeyGurrrrrl said...

So, I had a Snoopy Ice Machine when I was weetle, and I had completely forgotten until you mentioned it.

So. . . I guess we won't be coming to your abode any time soon for gourmet Pasta Express® meals?