<<< Ok, I ordered “it.” >>>>
The product name that shall not be spoken.
Haven’t bought any of those nasty drain cleaning chemicals since I discovered this nifty gizmo a few years back:
http://www.truevalue.com/product/Zip-It-Drain-Cleaner/29371.uts
Slides down into the drain and grabs the hair clogs ( and other slimy stuff in there). despite what the package says, it can be reused - I just slide it back into the packaging so it doesn’t snag other stuff, and keep it under the sink.
Their website lists all the stores that carry it: http://zipitclean.com/
New respect for my mom’s perfectly prepared soft-boiled things on buttered toast for breakfast in the 1970s.
I failed at soft-boiling this week.
I got the peeler mentioned up stream http://www.amazon.com/Zyliss-30600-Fruit-Peeler/dp/B0018IAH8I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439324092&sr=8-1&keywords=zyliss+soft+skin+peeler and tried it on peaches. It was fantastic!. I used to use the boiling to cold water baths but this was actually just as fast. It was easy and not as messy.
Anybody try one of those spiral vegetable spaghetti thingies (similar to the julienne cutter)?
Failed with the egg gadget: one opened, one soft boiled, two between soft and done. Cooked for seven minutes in 1200 watt microwave and then let sit for two. Discouraging.
Bummer. Did you fill the bottom container with water to the fill line and made sure the lid was very tightly snapped on? I have used mine 4 times, and so far, perfection every time I used it.
The second time I tried the egg cooker the top blew off, one egg exploded, others weren’t done. The top of mine will not snap at all. It just sits atop the base. Maybe mine is defective.
I tried the spiral veggie slicer yesterday. It’s like a pencil sharpener. You set the slicer on the counter and twist the vegetable into it. It worked very well with long, straight zucchini. I added the “noodles” to other vegetables I’d sautéed. Very little cooking needed. I wouldn’t want to boil them.
Carrot worked ok. I learned there’s less wastage if you start with the thick end rather than the thin root end.
The top of mine won’t snap on either. I purchased another for my daughter and that one just sits atop the base also.
I love that Zip it product. HD and Lowes sell it as well.
The egg cooker top doesn’t really snap, it just sits snuggly in place. I think it’s important that the water in the bottom not be above the fill line – I can see where too much water would cause a boil over and blow the thing apart. I also can see that if anything dislodges the top, then the eggs will explode – because that’s what happens when a whole egg is place in the microwave. The whole “secret” to the egg cooker is that the eggs are in a shielded metal compartment at the top, that prevent the microwaves from reaching them – so that only the water at the bottom is heated. So the microwaves are boiling heating the water, and the eggs are being steamed.
@zipyourlips When I first tried the egg cooker, I tried to “snap” the lid on, but couldn’t seem to do it.
I emptied the water and then tried it and then realized that there is a “snap,” but it’s not really “snapped tight” on there. So, I put the water back in, “snapped it,” then cooked and it was fine.
Are you hearing a “snap”?
uh oh. Getting worried about “the” product. Due to arrive tomorrow.
@ignatius How old is your MW?
I saw another trick for peeling eggs. Recommended putting a lemon slice in the boiling water (pan method). I wonder if a squirt of Real Lemon would do the trick?
Eggs never explode when H peels them for me. Just sayin’.
I’ve had a spiral cutter for quite awhile --bought it probably a year or two ago. It does work, but I after the novelty wore off I quit using it, simply because I’m not particularly into eating my veggies that way.
This was my egg-thingy experience, others can chime in with their own. I was expecting the top to either “screw on” of really “pop tightly” on, but that’s no the case.
After playing with it empty and realizing that it doesn’t pop on tight like, say, a Tupperware lid, I popped it on and cooked it. I really don’t know what the effect “popping” it on there does, since it can easily be lifted off afterwards.
Someone upthread mentioned an issue, but it sounds like she didn’t pop the lid on first.
I’m the one whose cooker blew the top off. When I place the top on the base it is seated firmly but there is no way to make it snap or seal or “pop” if popping produces a sound or distinct feel. I don’t remember if there was such a sound when I tried it the first time the other day with good results.
I did measure the water carefully and checked to be sure the top was completely seated on the base before cooking the eggs that resulted in one exploding and the top blowing off. There are several similar experiences recounted in Amazon reviews.
I said that my failed attempt was my second use of the product because I wasn’t counting two trials yesterday that didn’t result in edible eggs. The eggs cracked during one trial; and I forgot about the cooker after the other trial, leaving it in the microwave for a few hours after the eight minutes of cook time were up. I wonder if the failure to promptly remove it and cool it with water warped the plastic or something, leading to the exploding egg the next time I used it.
In deciding about the cooker, I read a lot of reviews (for that and similar products) and they really recommend distilled water, to prevent corrosion, and nearly all said they had to experiment with time and discussed the age of the eggs. ALSO, that they are not made for super powerful microwaves. Who’s using what wattage?
About the lantern, look at the web site, mpowerd.com. Neat. They also have a pics gallery. You can use it outside. packs easily and lightweight, just a few ounces. They even say waterproof, floats and show it in a pool. I got 3, D1 took 2 to her grant country. There may now be similar, low price units. But I like what this company is trying to do and didn’t mind $15 each. I got them 2 years ago (she left in Aug 2013) and the one I have handy still works. Low light, stronger light, and a flashing light.
adding: and some said the egg this is really not for jumbo eggs, tho others said they had success with them. I hope we get the advice straight before mine comes.
Interesting about the wattage. Mine is a 1300 watt microwave with a turntable. Successful trial was with older eggs; the exploding egg trial with fresh eggs; large organic in both instances. The exploding egg occurred with time remaining on the 8-minute clock but I failed to note how much time was left.