My Latest Kitchen Gadget Indulgence

I have a weakness for those things. They're often AS SEEN ON TV! and they're almost never remotely as cool as advertised. In general, they tend to seem inexpensive for what you're getting, but mostly aren't, because they're usually cheaply made and seldom really work as well in real life as in the infomercial.

I don't by them when I SEE THEM ON TV! Usually I come across them at garage sales or thrift stores, and if the price is right I give them a try. After which I usually end up throwing them away as useless or nearly so.

This one may be an exception.

The item pictured is sold for $59.95 as the "Microhearth 1.5-Quart Nonstick 4-piece Everyday Pan Set for Microwave Cooking, Red" (not an affiliate link).

The one I bought for $3 at a garage sale, including those silicone steamer and muffin pan attachments and user manual/recipe book was sold as the "Range Mate." That product's web site seems to be gone, although there are some fairly similar "Range Mate" products sold on Amazon. The one I got looks identical to the Microhearth product except that it's orange and white rather than red and white, and doesn't have that extension on the handle.

The idea has been around forever in various permutations: A handy-dandy device that lets you cook stuff in the microwave that you'd normally bake, fry, broil, etc.

I've only tried one of the recipes, but I've tried it twice and it came out pretty well -- a pizza using pita bread as a crust, cook time of 3 to 3 1/2 minutes (prep time maybe two minutes -- brush some olive oil on the pita, top the pita with cheese/sauce/whatever). The pita actually got semi-crisp and the cheese melted, etc., so it "works." It's listed as an "appetizer," but it works as a meal for one, and it's pretty good. There are also recipes for things like vegetable stir fries, fried chicken, etc.

Between Tamara and the kids and myself, we have wildly conflicting schedules, and I often have occasion to "cook for one." This may prove a nice alternative, and possibly a healthier one, to a cold sandwich or a pre-made "toss it in the microwave and take it out" burrito, etc. Especially when vegetables start coming out of the garden. Steamed or stir-fried vegetables, maybe with a little chicken or whatever. That kind of thing.

Or it may end up in the trash if it doesn't do as good a job at those other things as it does with the little pita pizzas. I figured three bucks was a reasonable amount to risk on something like this.