Nordic Ware Microwave Pasta Cooker, 6.4 Cup, Red

Easier than boiling water to cook pasta on the stovetop. Cooks fast in the microwave. And cleans easy.

This is Nordic Ware, so it's characteristically sturdy and very well made. Directions say to leave top off while cooking, but I didn't, and both parts are microwave safe. If you have a small microwave, as we do, you're in luck. This unit fits, but has to be put in diagonally. That means it won't turn, but it didn't matter. The top has slits so it can be used as a strainer, which is a great idea. We like thin spaghetti, and a couple strands went through the slits, but the second time I made it, I watched out for it, and I found that moving the strainer top from side to side instead of shaking up and down takes care of that problem. Also, after you strain the pasta in the clear top, you can set it on top of the red bottom, and let it finish draining there. Nice! There are also spaghetti serving guides on the top, which I appreciate because I tend to overestimate how much I need. After straining the spaghetti, I didn't even want to heat sauce on the stove lol, so I put the strained spaghetti into a small casserole, poured a small jar of pizza sauce over it, added garlic powder, drizzled some olive oil, covered it and nuked it for 3 more minutes. Didn't even stir it. What's very nice about this, too, is how the top and bottom fit together to form secure, recessed handles. You don't need to worry about the top and bottom separating or dropping this. (Be sure to wear mitts; it gets hot.) Our thin spaghetti came out perfect. And it doesn't stick together, either. You'll have to experiment, as I did, because cooking times will vary with the power of your microwave, how much you're making, whether you like it al dente, type of spaghetti, etc. Be aware, too, that pasta will continue cooking if you let it sit in the hot water. And don't forget the salt--nowhere near as much as you'd need for a stovetop pot, but you'll still want to use some. Again, once you figure out what works for you, you'll be pleased with this product, and happy to be able to make spaghetti in 10-12 minutes, without all the steam, stirring, pot-watching, etc. I appreciate that this was made with much thought, and that I was able to find it here on Amazon.

I cooked an entire package of shells in this, placed the shells in and filled water to the line and followed the directions and put the curved lid on and drained. I like the curved lid because it drains better than the straight lids I see on other pasta cookers. Easy to prepare with no mess.

This is an excellent product! I have one at home and one at work. Easy to use, handles stay cool. Start with pasta time recommendations but my experience says most pastas need a couple more minutes to be a softer Al dente and not crunchy.

Too big for my microwave. Well made. My son has one and gets good results.

A good quick easy way to good food. Pasta, ramen, etc.

This is a "must have" in my kitchen. It eliminates the task of heating salted water in a pan, waiting for it to boil, and cooking until done. It can be done in this microwave cooker to perfection and takes about the same amount of time as if you put it in the boiling water. It has a lid to drain the pasta, and is small enough to be cleaned in the dishwasher. This is the best way to cook pasta.

I love this item - it works perfectly - whenever I need some spaghetti noodles I cook for 14 or so minutes without having to pull out the big pots.