Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Some engineer somewhere had fun with this one!
Here's how you can be eating your meal inside 5 mins - at least how it worked for me:
1) Pull the plastic film off of the top of the container
2) Peel away the plastic wrapping that holds the strainer lid in place
3) Remove the inner plastic bowl that contains the meat sauce, and set the meat sauce aside for the moment
4) Add just enough water to the uncooked pasta so that the water level reaches the fill line (the fill line is a little tough to see at first)
5) Shake the pasta so that it's all submerged in the water
6) Replace the strainer top and then cook the pasta in a microwave on high for 3 mins 30 secs
7) While the pasta is cooking, open a corner of the meat sauce
8) When the pasta is done, remove it from the microwave and let it sit while you warm up the meat sauce for 30 secs on high.
9) While the meat sauce is warming up, drain any remaining water from the pasta and remove the strainer lid.
10) As soon as the sauce is done open the meat sauce covering the rest of the way, pour it over the pasta, stir, and eat!
Wow! That was pretty convenient, and it actually worked as advertised! It wasn't even too hot to carry!
OK, what about the food?
To start with I'm just a regular guy who usually makes my lunches of the previous night's family dinner left-overs...i.e., not a gourmet, but not taste-dead either...
I was pleased to find that the pasta cooked well, but be advised that if you don't shake the pasta down before you cook it you might find a piece here and there that still has hard spots in it. There was plenty of sauce...no skimping on sauce volume, and the portion size was great for lunchtime. I wasn't stuffed when I was done, but I wasn't still hungry either.
The meat sauce was tangy and mildly spicy. The meat sauce contained small chunks of beef (i.e., looked like hamburger), and you could tell what it was if you looked closely. The pasta and sauce consistency was good, and I enjoyed the entire meal. Be advised that the sauce contains onion and garlic. If you know you have an important meeting or date later on, you will probably want to pack some mints. Say, that would be a great addition...an after-meal mint included with each meal that you can use to fight post-meal garlic breath.
If you like the combination of convenience and pasta, this may well an excellent choice for you.
If you are also environmentally conscious, though, you should probably think twice about this unit. Once you are done with your meal there's really not much you can do with the packaging...just recycle it. If, however, the packaging included a solid lid rather than just the strainer lid, the main container could be washed and then reused as a food storage container...alas, that is not the case.
Anyway, I thought the food was flavorful, the portion was adequate, and the convenience excellent. Environmental challenges drop the rating by a star though.
Lastly, you'll have to determine whether the per unit cost makes this a good deal for you.
4 stars
Click Here to see more reviews about: Healthy Choice Fresh Mixers, Ziti & Meat Sauce, 6.95-Ounce Bowls (Pack of 6)
