Kitchen Help

by Bob Livingston | Jul 14, 2023 | Cool Gadgets, RVEXPERT

a woman places a rectangular container in an overhead RV microwave

Photos by the author

Two low-tech, inexpensive devices will change the way you hard-boil eggs and cook pasta while on the road. Forget about boiling water on a stove top and the requisite clean-up; prep-to-eating only takes a few minutes.

Preparing meals in an RV kitchen takes precise planning and organization. Many of us look to portable appliances to help with cooking, but storage is always at a premium. If we had all the room in the world, we would fill the kitchen with pressure cookers, air fryers, mixers and a host of other tools that facilitate cooking meals — not to mention all the requisite pots, pans and utensils.

In our fifth wheel, we did manage to squeeze in a pressure cooker — which has become indispensable — but finding room for other convenience items has always been challenging. That’s where smaller kitchen gadgets really shine. Admittedly, I used to poke fun at “As Seen on TV”-type products, but two items in that category we learned about from fellow RVers are game changers: The DASH Rapid Egg Cooker and the Fasta Pasta Microwave Cooker.

Sometimes, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to realize results that can make a big difference in time and energy savings.

Pasta lovers will go ape for the Fasta Pasta Microwave Cooker, which eliminates waiting for water to boil in a large pot placed over a stove burner. The simplicity of this “cooking tool” is brilliant, and even better is the $17.99 price tag on Amazon. Basically, it’s a plastic box with water level markings on the side of the box and holes for specific purposes in the lid. Spaghetti serving size is determined by measuring a bundle of the uncooked pasta inside one hole for a single serving or in the other for two servings. The slots in the end of the lid are used for draining the water after cooking. The box is BPA-free and approved by the FDA for microwave cooking.

a smaller hole at the top of the rectangular container is used to measure a bundle of spaghetti noodles in a hand

Two holes in the lid are used to measure a bundle of spaghetti; the smaller is for one serving and the larger portions out two servings. A standard measuring cup (not shown) can be used to determine serving sizes for various types of other noodles.

with the uncooked noodles resting at the bottom, the rectangular container is filled with water

Once the pasta is loaded into the box, the amount of water added is determined by the respective embossed lines on either side of the box.

Prep time takes only a couple of minutes. After determining serving size, the pasta is placed in the box and water added to the indicated level. The box is then placed in the microwave (without the lid) and the timer set to the specifications listed in the provided cooking guide. Normally, it takes 12-13 minutes to cook one serving of regular spaghetti; for this demonstration it only necessitated 7 minutes for a single serving of angel hair spaghetti. The box is sized so it can rotate in even the smallest RV microwaves.

Once the cooking is done, the lid is returned to the box and the water is drained through the slotted holes; just be aware that the box and water will be hot, so hold only the extruded edges. There is virtually no cleanup other than to rinse the box and wipe it dry.

after cooking the noodles the lid is replaced on rectangular container and the water is drained through a vent at one end of the lid

close view of cooked spaghetti noodles on a paper plate and fork

It took only 7 minutes to cook one serving of angel hair spaghetti to perfection; plan on 12-13 minutes for regular spaghetti. The lid is removed for cooking and then replaced when it comes time to drain the water. Hold only the extruded edges in the lid to prevent burns from the hot box and water. The result was a perfect plate of spaghetti, ready for the sauce. Although we usually cook only two servings for ourselves, we served five people a full Italian meal one night by staging the cooking process.

The first time we made spaghetti in the Fasta Pasta, our eyes rolled in disbelief; the pasta was perfect. Subsequent outings with this microwave cooker found us making various types of noodles with equal success; just follow the clearly presented cooking guide. It’s also possible to cook vegetables, rice and soups in the Fasta Pasta, but we haven’t tried that yet.

the Fasta Pasta comprehensive cooking guide and instruction pamphlet

A comprehensive cooking guide lists the various types of pasta, serving sizes and cooking times. You can save the guide and supplement it with the Fasta Pasta Cookbook (Spiral Bound) found on Amazon for $11.99, which has a bunch of recipes. The Fasta Pasta can also be used to cook veggies, rice and soup.

Whether you are cooking a full Italian meal or just craving a small serving for a quick lunch, the Fasta Pasta will have you saying “goodbye” to filling a big pot with water, waiting for the water to boil and cook the pasta, straining the pasta through a colander and finally cleaning the pot and colander.

Meanwhile, the DASH Rapid Egg Cooker also allows you to leave the big pot for boiling water stashed at home. It’s hard to imagine how a less-than-$20 (Amazon and other outlets) 8- by 6- by 6-inch plastic device can be so practical — much less work as advertised — but it is. And if you hate to wrestle with peeling the shells for hard-boiled eggs, you’ll be elated with the DASH egg cooker.

Weighing in at just one pound, the egg cooker comes with a lightweight base (available in eight colors), a clear lid, measuring cup and boiling, poaching and omelet trays. Depending upon the model purchased, it also will include a piercing needle — a key attribute to the cooker — attached to either the cup or the base. It packs away nicely and only uses 360 watts of 120-volt AC power. While it has the ability to poach eggs and make omelets, we have only used the hard-boiled-egg feature, which has worked flawlessly under frequent use over many months. It can hard-boil up to six eggs at one time in minutes (a larger two-tiered version can accommodate up to 14 eggs).

the parts of the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker sit on a counter

The diminutive Dash Rapid Egg Cooker hard-boils six eggs in around 15 minutes. It’s only 8 by 6 by 6 inches and can be stored in very little space. The kit comes with a measuring cup with a needle punch and trays for boiling, poaching and making omletes.

Prep is easy: Fill the measuring cup with the amount of water specified for the number of eggs being cooked and pour it into the base. Once the boiling tray is placed on the base, each egg is pierced on top and placed in the cradle; the piercing provides a “vent” for the eggs, so they don’t explode or even crack during cooking. You have to use a light touch when punching the hole to avoid breaking the egg, but acclimation comes quickly. From here, you simply place the clear lid on the base without locking it down, plug in the device and push the button; a blue light will illuminate.

close view of the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker measuring cup filled with water

the measured water is poured onto the heating plate

The first step is to fill the measuring cup with water to the level indicated on the side of the cup based on the number of eggs to be hard or even soft boiled. The water is poured onto the heating plate and determines cooking times; the unit has an auto-off provision and plays a chime when the eggs are ready. The water can be added either before or after you attach the boiling tray and place the eggs.

using the needle built into the base of the measuring cup, a whole is lightly punched into an egg before placing it on the boiling tray

Before setting the eggs on the boiling tray, the tops are punched with the needle built into the base of the measuring cup (don’t push too hard); once the eggs are placed on the tray atop the heating plate, they are covered with the plastic dome.

the singular power button is pressed, signified by a bright blue indicator light

close view of the Dash Rapid Egg Cooker in action as the cooking cabin bubbles and steams up

The cooking process is started by pushing the button on the side of the base where a blue light indicates the cooker is On. The lid is only set on the base over the eggs and not locked in place. As the water boils and evaporates, you can see the steam and bubbles.

Cooking time is dependent on the how much water is added to the base. Once the water is completely evaporated, a chime will announce that the eggs are ready. There’s an auto-stop feature to prevent damaging the heating plate and pushing the button again turns off the light. The cooking time is around 15 minutes for six eggs. And the eggs cook perfectly.

It’s best to allow the eggs to cool off for a few minutes; we found that placing the eggs in cold water after cooking will allow the shells to just about fall off. Use a paper towel to remove the hot eggs to prevent burning your hand. Wipe out the base with a clean paper towel to prevent calcium build up from hard water and it’s ready to store.

top view of a red bowl filled with boiled eggs and ice in a sink

hands begin removing the shells of the boiled eggs

Placing the eggs in a bowl of cold water (with ice) will make it even easier to remove the shells. This is a step we added; the shells still come off without this step, but not as smoothly.

hands hold two halves of a perfectly cooked boiled egg

Hard-boiled eggs cooked to perfection — with no fuss or muss.

Enjoying hard-boiled eggs has never been easier — or more fun.

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