They say a fool and his money are soon parted and that was sure the
case with me!! I cannot believe I was that stupid to buy one of this
Pasta Express kits that contains two large tubes which you are
supposed to be able to put pasta in and cook it. Good luck!

The package came today (I bought from Ebay) and so we decided to try
it. It said for spaghetti, cook it about 15 minutes. We did, but upon
looking I knew something was wrong when the pasta was still standing
up like a flag-pole. I took a piece out and it was hard. I told my
buddy we could save that piece and use as a toothpick! I let it "cook"
another 20 minutes and while it had softened, it was "gluby" and was
all stuck together forming one BIG piece of pasta! The only thing
boiling at this point was my body temp. We just emptied it and threw
the pasta away.

I told my buddy that he could take one of the large cylinders and use
as a large beer mug. I am sure, or so I think, that the smaller
cylinder might cook hot dogs, but I also, initially, thought this crap
would work, so that shows you how much I know. Maybe I could use it as
a goldfish bowl or a planter of some sort. Anyone have any other
ideas? I spent $5 for the crap and $8.50 to ship it. I am going to get
something out of this!!!!

Please learn from my mistake. NEVER EVER buy anything that says Pasta
Express on it and just keep cooking pasta like you always
have--rapidly boil it.

Anthony

On Mar 3, 6:47*pm, Anthony Ferrante >
wrote:
> They say a fool and his money are soon parted and that was sure the
> case with me!! I cannot believe I was that stupid to buy one of this
> Pasta Express kits .... [snip]

Thanks! So often when we simply pass by various outrageous claims and
pointless gadgets we get no positive feedback. Your post reinforces
our boring, unadventurous practice of ignoring all those "solutions"
for nonexistent problems. -aem

Anthony Ferrante wrote:

> They say a fool and his money are soon parted and that was sure the
> case with me!! I cannot believe I was that stupid to buy one of this
> Pasta Express kits that contains two large tubes which you are
> supposed to be able to put pasta in and cook it. Good luck!

What advantages does the product claim? I mean working advantages, not
just something like "AS SEEN ON TV!"


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project: http://improve-usenet.org
Blinky: http://blinkynet.net

Anthony Ferrante wrote:
> They say a fool and his money are soon parted and that was sure the
> case with me!! I cannot believe I was that stupid to buy one of this
> Pasta Express kits that contains two large tubes which you are
> supposed to be able to put pasta in and cook it. Good luck!
>
> The package came today (I bought from Ebay) and so we decided to try
> it. It said for spaghetti, cook it about 15 minutes. We did, but upon
> looking I knew something was wrong when the pasta was still standing
> up like a flag-pole. I took a piece out and it was hard. I told my
> buddy we could save that piece and use as a toothpick! I let it "cook"
> another 20 minutes and while it had softened, it was "gluby" and was
> all stuck together forming one BIG piece of pasta! The only thing
> boiling at this point was my body temp. We just emptied it and threw
> the pasta away.
>
> I told my buddy that he could take one of the large cylinders and use
> as a large beer mug. I am sure, or so I think, that the smaller
> cylinder might cook hot dogs, but I also, initially, thought this crap
> would work, so that shows you how much I know. Maybe I could use it as
> a goldfish bowl or a planter of some sort. Anyone have any other
> ideas? I spent $5 for the crap and $8.50 to ship it. I am going to get
> something out of this!!!!
>
> Please learn from my mistake. NEVER EVER buy anything that says Pasta
> Express on it and just keep cooking pasta like you always
> have--rapidly boil it.
>
> Anthony

Yeah, the Consumer Reports folks said that for pasta, it was horrible.
One of their 3 employees to test it at home did say that it worked very
well for asparagus though.

"Anthony Ferrante" > wrote in message
...
> They say a fool and his money are soon parted and that was sure the
> case with me!! I cannot believe I was that stupid to buy one of this
> Pasta Express kits that contains two large tubes which you are
> supposed to be able to put pasta in and cook it. Good luck!
>
> The package came today (I bought from Ebay) and so we decided to try
> it. It said for spaghetti, cook it about 15 minutes. We did, but upon
> looking I knew something was wrong when the pasta was still standing
> up like a flag-pole. I took a piece out and it was hard. I told my
> buddy we could save that piece and use as a toothpick! I let it "cook"
> another 20 minutes and while it had softened, it was "gluby" and was
> all stuck together forming one BIG piece of pasta! The only thing
> boiling at this point was my body temp. We just emptied it and threw
> the pasta away.
>
> I told my buddy that he could take one of the large cylinders and use
> as a large beer mug. I am sure, or so I think, that the smaller
> cylinder might cook hot dogs, but I also, initially, thought this crap
> would work, so that shows you how much I know. Maybe I could use it as
> a goldfish bowl or a planter of some sort. Anyone have any other
> ideas? I spent $5 for the crap and $8.50 to ship it. I am going to get
> something out of this!!!!
>
> Please learn from my mistake. NEVER EVER buy anything that says Pasta
> Express on it and just keep cooking pasta like you always
> have--rapidly boil it.
>

Who needs one? Pot, water, salt - voila! A pasta cooker. The thing
clearly sucks because it is cooking the pasta in way too small an amount of
water and the starches secreted are forming basically library paste. It's
no secret that the secret to nice pasta is cooking it in lots of water.

Paul

"Anthony Ferrante" > wrote in message
...
> They say a fool and his money are soon parted and that was sure the
> case with me!! I cannot believe I was that stupid to buy one of this
> Pasta Express kits that contains two large tubes which you are
> supposed to be able to put pasta in and cook it. Good luck!
>

The Pasta Express device I have is a single tube, a strainer lid, and a
locking cover lid that goes over the strainer lid. It also has a fabric
holder that goes around the tube and secures by velcro, to protect hands
from getting burned from the heat of the boiling water that was poured
inside the tube.

It's supposed to work like this...

The pasta is added to the tube, the boiling water is added to the tube, the
strainer lid is snapped on, the locking lid is secured onto the strainer
lid, and then the pasta sits on the counter and cooks.

After the pasta has cooked, the locking cover lid is removed, the tube is
turned upside down and the water drains out the strainer lid. (If the
strainer lid was properly secured, the water neatly drains out while the lid
remains secured on the tube and no pasta gets lost down the drain.)

After the water has been drained, the strainer lid can be removed and the
pasta is ready to eat. Pour it into a bowl or directly onto a plate.

For the most part, it does work like that. That is, it seems to work well
enough as long as the water is actually at boiling temperature (so use
something like a hot pot to heat the water before adding it to the pasta in
the tube).

> The package came today (I bought from Ebay) and so we decided to try
> it. It said for spaghetti, cook it about 15 minutes. We did, but upon
> looking I knew something was wrong when the pasta was still standing
> up like a flag-pole. I took a piece out and it was hard. I told my
> buddy we could save that piece and use as a toothpick! I let it "cook"
> another 20 minutes and while it had softened, it was "gluby" and was
> all stuck together forming one BIG piece of pasta! The only thing
> boiling at this point was my body temp. We just emptied it and threw
> the pasta away.
>
I always add a small amount of margarine, specifically so that sticky pasta
never happens to me. It may take a little longer to get the device clean,
but not having sticky pasta is worth the extra cleaning time. I don't
remember margarine being mentioned in the directions, but it's something
that gets added to pasta cooked in a pot, so I've also added it to the pasta
being cooked in the Pasta Express device.

That said, the device saves no cooking time since the pasta itself still
requires the same amount of time to cook. It really only saves the effort of
having to stir pasta frequently in a pot of boiling water, and having to
drain the water from the pot without losing any pasta down the drain.

The main disadvantage that I find it that the Pasta Express is too large to
fit in a smaller kitchen sink, and it's almost too large to place on the
bottom dishwasher rack without some sort of interference with the top
dishwasher rack (though it does appear to be dishwasher safe as long as the
drying cycle is set to heat dry = off).

[snip...]

One time on Usenet, Blinky the Shark > said:
> Anthony Ferrante wrote:
>
> > They say a fool and his money are soon parted and that was sure the
> > case with me!! I cannot believe I was that stupid to buy one of this
> > Pasta Express kits that contains two large tubes which you are
> > supposed to be able to put pasta in and cook it. Good luck!
>
> What advantages does the product claim? I mean working advantages, not
> just something like "AS SEEN ON TV!"

Heh! The only ASOT item I've ever really liked is the Ped Egg. Not
really a kitchen item though. Although I'll bet you could use a new
one as a citrus zester...

--
Jani in WA

"Daniel W. Rouse Jr." > ha scritto nel messaggio
. ..
> The main disadvantage that I find it that the Pasta Express is too large
> to
> fit in a smaller kitchen sink, and it's almost too large to place on the
> bottom dishwasher rack without some sort of interference with the top
> dishwasher rack (though it does appear to be dishwasher safe as long as
> the
> drying cycle is set to heat dry = off).

You just described a nightmare to me. Is this something that only cooks
long noodles? Actually, cooks is the wrong term, because it is being
rehydrated, not cooked. It also sounds like every other kind of pasta would
still have to be cooked in a pot of salted water. Why would anyone think
this was a good idea? And why would anyone add margerine to anything, let
alone cooking pasta? Don't add fat to cooking pasta!

--
http://www.judithgreenwood.com

In article >,
Anthony Ferrante > wrote:

> Please learn from my mistake. NEVER EVER buy anything that says Pasta
> Express on it and just keep cooking pasta like you always
> have--rapidly boil it.
>
> Anthony

I occasionally cook macaroni by bringing a pot of water to boil, adding
the macaroni (shells, ditalini) and letting it stand, covered, for 5-10
minutes. Test for doneness and drain. Works a treat.
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; I Think I've Seen it All, 2/24/2008

"Little Malice" > wrote in message
...
> One time on Usenet, Blinky the Shark > said:
>> Anthony Ferrante wrote:
>>
>> > They say a fool and his money are soon parted and that was sure the
>> > case with me!! I cannot believe I was that stupid to buy one of this
>> > Pasta Express kits that contains two large tubes which you are
>> > supposed to be able to put pasta in and cook it. Good luck!
>>
>> What advantages does the product claim? I mean working advantages, not
>> just something like "AS SEEN ON TV!"
>
> Heh! The only ASOT item I've ever really liked is the Ped Egg. Not
> really a kitchen item though. Although I'll bet you could use a new
> one as a citrus zester...
>
> --
> Jani in WA
>
Ha! I saw one of those at the drug store and had the same "zester" thought!

Jill

"kilikini" > wrote in message
...
> Little Malice wrote:
>> One time on Usenet, Blinky the Shark > said:
>>> Anthony Ferrante wrote:
>>>
>>>> They say a fool and his money are soon parted and that was sure the
>>>> case with me!! I cannot believe I was that stupid to buy one of this
>>>> Pasta Express kits that contains two large tubes which you are
>>>> supposed to be able to put pasta in and cook it. Good luck!
>>>
>>> What advantages does the product claim? I mean working advantages,
>>> not just something like "AS SEEN ON TV!"
>>
>> Heh! The only ASOT item I've ever really liked is the Ped Egg. Not
>> really a kitchen item though. Although I'll bet you could use a new
>> one as a citrus zester...
>
> Did you get the peg egg? I've been wondering about that. My feet could
> use a gentle rub.
>
> kili
Doesn't look "gentle" to me. I didn't inspect it closely when I saw it at
the drugstore but the "blade" (for lack of a better word) is stainless
steel. It probably *would* make a very good lemon zester Try a pumice
stone if you want to remove callouses. Try TFM if you need a foot massage!
<G>

Jill

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> Anthony Ferrante > wrote:
>
>> Please learn from my mistake. NEVER EVER buy anything that says Pasta
>> Express on it and just keep cooking pasta like you always
>> have--rapidly boil it.
>>
>> Anthony
>
> I occasionally cook macaroni by bringing a pot of water to boil, adding
> the macaroni (shells, ditalini) and letting it stand, covered, for 5-10
> minutes. Test for doneness and drain. Works a treat.
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
> http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; I Think I've Seen it All, 2/24/2008
>
>
That's pretty much how I do it. And be sure to salt the water well. Can't
see buying a special gadget for cooking pasta (although I do like the pot I
have with the built-in strainer on the lid).

Jill

www.infomercialratings.com has tons of those As Seen On Tv products.
Some are good and some are just plain junk. You can go in and rate a
review whether you deem it to be true or false. Those gushing "can't
live without this product" reviews are always from the manufacturer
trying to get into your billfold. You can also post a review of a
product whether you found it great or lousy.

Just a few weeks ago the girls from the Canadian tv show "The Shopping
Bags" reviewed the Pasta Express and gave it a resounding lousy
rating.

Easy with the Ped Egg, it seems some are a bit too zealous in it's
use. Also, they're warning diabetics against it's use. I'm not a
diabetic, but I am wary of any device that is going to slice skin off
me. I think I'll stick to the good ol' pumice stone.

This is why I think most people are morons;


"Daniel W. Rouse Jr." > wrote in message
. ..

> The Pasta Express device I have is a single tube, a strainer lid, and a
> locking cover lid that goes over the strainer lid. It also has a fabric
> holder that goes around the tube and secures by velcro, to protect hands
> from getting burned from the heat of the boiling water that was poured
> inside the tube.
>
> It's supposed to work like this...
>
> The pasta is added to the tube, the boiling water is added to the tube,
> the
> strainer lid is snapped on, the locking lid is secured onto the strainer
> lid, and then the pasta sits on the counter and cooks.


And all this so far is much easier than boiling a few quarts of water in a
large pot?


> it seems to work well enough as long as the water is actually at boiling
> temperature (so use
> something like a hot pot to heat the water before adding it to the pasta
> in
> the tube).


Anyone with the slightest understanding of cooking would know that pasta
MUST be cooked in water that is boiling - not heated to boiling and then
removed from the heat. Basic, basic, basic. And exactly what is a "hot pot"
to heat the water? Why not simply cook the pasta in the frigging boiling
water?


> I always add a small amount of margarine, specifically so that sticky
> pasta
> never happens to me. It may take a little longer to get the device clean,
> but not having sticky pasta is worth the extra cleaning time. I don't
> remember margarine being mentioned in the directions, but it's something
> that gets added to pasta cooked in a pot, so I've also added it to the
> pasta
> being cooked in the Pasta Express device.


Of course, you'd put margarine, which is an abomination to any
self-respecting cook, in your pasta. NO Italian would EVER add margarine to
their pasta while cooking, or even once cooked. NEVER.

Then you now have to clean a stupid tube from all that greasy margaring.
Once again, a pot of boiling water would be so much simpler.


> That said, the device saves no cooking time since the pasta itself still
> requires the same amount of time to cook. It really only saves the effort
> of
> having to stir pasta frequently in a pot of boiling water, and having to
> drain the water from the pot without losing any pasta down the drain.


The "effort" of having to stir? Are you serious? You find stirring a spoon
in a pot to be "effort"? Why not save yourself all that horrible "effort"
and simply go to a McDonalds, which would be much more in line with you
culinary level anyway.


> The main disadvantage that I find it that the Pasta Express is too large
> to
> fit in a smaller kitchen sink, and it's almost too large to place on the
> bottom dishwasher rack without some sort of interference with the top
> dishwasher rack (though it does appear to be dishwasher safe as long as
> the
> drying cycle is set to heat dry = off).

Again, so much easier and less "effort" than a damned pot of boiling water!
This is why we're a nation of morons.

One time on Usenet, "kilikini" > said:
> Little Malice wrote:

<snip>

> > Heh! The only ASOT item I've ever really liked is the Ped Egg. Not
> > really a kitchen item though. Although I'll bet you could use a new
> > one as a citrus zester...
>
> Did you get the peg egg? I've been wondering about that. My feet could use
> a gentle rub.

Also, itsjoannotjoann > said:

> Easy with the Ped Egg, it seems some are a bit too zealous in it's
> use. Also, they're warning diabetics against it's use. I'm not a
> diabetic, but I am wary of any device that is going to slice skin
> off me. I think I'll stick to the good ol' pumice stone.

And Jill also expressed her doubts about it, but I lost her post.
Anyway, here is my answer to all:

I bought a Ped Egg because I could never remember to use the
pumice stone when my feet were still wet from the shower. Also,
I hated the flying dead skin -- my house is dusty enough. The Ped
Egg doesn't slice, it gently grates. I find it easier to control
than a pumice stone. I'm sure some people overdo it, but that's
true of many things, IMO. You just have to follow the instructions.
As for diabetics -- they're supposed to avoid ANY callus removal
system unless they've spoken to a doctor first. Even corn pads have
a warning label, IIRC.

Christy, if you decide to get one, try eBay. They can be a lot
cheaper there. Although I do like Jill's suggestion that you
get TFM to rub your feet -- wish DH would do that... :-)

--
Jani in WA

Giusi wrote:
> "Daniel W. Rouse Jr." > ha scritto nel messaggio
> . ..
>> The main disadvantage that I find it that the Pasta Express is too large
>> to
>> fit in a smaller kitchen sink, and it's almost too large to place on the
>> bottom dishwasher rack without some sort of interference with the top
>> dishwasher rack (though it does appear to be dishwasher safe as long as
>> the
>> drying cycle is set to heat dry = off).
>
> You just described a nightmare to me. Is this something that only cooks
> long noodles? Actually, cooks is the wrong term, because it is being
> rehydrated, not cooked. It also sounds like every other kind of pasta would
> still have to be cooked in a pot of salted water. Why would anyone think
> this was a good idea? And why would anyone add margerine to anything, let
> alone cooking pasta? Don't add fat to cooking pasta!
>
The mind boggles thinking about it, eh?
I do not understand how in the hell some people are cooking pasta if it
comes out "sticky" or something?
USE A BIGGER POT WITH A LOT OF WATER, FOLKS!! STIR IT!
It ain't brain surgery. Geesh.

On Mar 4, 1:33*pm, (Little Malice) wrote:
>
> Christy, if you decide to get one, try eBay. They can be a lot
> cheaper there. Although I do like Jill's suggestion that you
> get TFM to rub your feet -- wish DH would do that... :-)
>
>
> Jani in WA
>
>
Bed, Bath, & Beyond have these for sale and I've seen them in
Walgreen's, too. She might want to try any of these two places before
ebay. If she doesn't like it she can always return the item. With
ebay, she's pretty much stuck with her item. Also, some of the other
drugstores such as RiteAid (formerly Eckerd's) and CVS may be stocking
these, also.

>>
> The mind boggles thinking about it, eh?
> I do not understand how in the hell some people are cooking pasta if it
> comes out "sticky" or something?
> USE A BIGGER POT WITH A LOT OF WATER, FOLKS!! STIR IT!
> It ain't brain surgery. Geesh.

and the people that add oil to the boiling water...................the sause
is going to slide off........

joe

"Goomba38" > ha scritto nel messaggio
. ..


> I do not understand how in the hell some people are cooking pasta if it
> comes out "sticky" or something?
> USE A BIGGER POT WITH A LOT OF WATER, FOLKS!! STIR IT!

You don't even need to stir it much if you've used enough and it is really
boiling hard. Just stir it until the rolling of the water recommences to do
it for you. The exception being stuffed pastas, of course, which should
simmer and not boil.

Pasta becomes sticky only if it is left around to cool instead of being
sauced and eaten immediately. "People wait for pasta, pasta does not wait
for people."
--
http://www.judithgreenwood.com

In article >,
"just joe" > wrote:

> and the people that add oil to the boiling water...................the sause
> is going to slide off........
>
> joe

Do you have that experience, Joe? I've never noticed. Every once in a
while I'll add a splash of oil to the boiling pasta but that's to reduce
foaming and boilover, not to prevent sticking.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com; I Think I've Seen it All, 2/24/2008

On Wed, 5 Mar 2008 10:55:14 +0100, "Giusi" >
wrote:

>
>"Goomba38" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
>
>
>> I do not understand how in the hell some people are cooking pasta if it
>> comes out "sticky" or something?
>> USE A BIGGER POT WITH A LOT OF WATER, FOLKS!! STIR IT!
>
>You don't even need to stir it much if you've used enough and it is really
>boiling hard. Just stir it until the rolling of the water recommences to do
>it for you. The exception being stuffed pastas, of course, which should
>simmer and not boil.
>
>Pasta becomes sticky only if it is left around to cool instead of being
>sauced and eaten immediately. "People wait for pasta, pasta does not wait
>for people."

I was talking to a buddy last night, telling him about my experience
with Pasta Express and he says he cannot make good pasta ever. I asked
how he cooks it. He stated that he puts the pasta in the pot. Adds
cold water, and then brings it to a boil. I almost choked from
laughing!!

I have a good feeling that finally he will be able to make good pasta.
And I told him to make sure he adds salt to the water. Nothing quite
like bland pasta...

Anthony

>> and the people that add oil to the boiling water...................the
>> sause
>> is going to slide off........
>>
> Do you have that experience, Joe?

yes. and not just as a momily or having an italian wife. if you have a
purpose for adding it, fine. but, otherwise, oil is not needed or good.

joe

"Melba's Jammin'" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "just joe" > wrote:
>
>> and the people that add oil to the boiling water...................the
>> sause
>> is going to slide off........
>>
>> joe
>
> Do you have that experience, Joe? I've never noticed. Every once in a
> while I'll add a splash of oil to the boiling pasta but that's to reduce
> foaming and boilover, not to prevent sticking.

My mom always added oil because she thought it prevented sticking. But I've
read that what really causes sticking can be a variety of things including
water not being at a boil when you put it in. But the most common cause is
really old pasta. Not a problem these days with pull dates, but could have
been a problem when I was a kid. I remember having a friend over for dinner
one night and we had spaghetti. It all stuck together in one big clump and
it was horrible.

On Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:43:49 GMT, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>On Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:05:07 -0800, Abe wrote:
>
>> I never would have even tried it. It doesn't take much to know that
>> pasta in a small volume of rapidly cooling water won't turn out well.
>
>Ahh, but you overlooked the fact that it's made out of MAGIC
>Plastic.
>
>-sw

How utterly silly of me not to have know that. Now I know how Dorothy
felt when the Good Witch told her that she always had the power to
return to Kansas...

Anthony

On Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:25:12 -0500, Anthony Ferrante
> wrote:

>On Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:43:49 GMT, Sqwertz >
>wrote:
>
>>On Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:05:07 -0800, Abe wrote:
>>
>>> I never would have even tried it. It doesn't take much to know that
>>> pasta in a small volume of rapidly cooling water won't turn out well.
>>
>>Ahh, but you overlooked the fact that it's made out of MAGIC
>>Plastic.
>>
>>-sw
>
>How utterly silly of me not to have know that. Now I know how Dorothy
>felt when the Good Witch told her that she always had the power to
>return to Kansas...
>
>Anthony

come to think of it, those shoes kinda looked like they were made from
plastic.

your pal,
blake