Mrs. Nott came home from Tar-zhay with something almost identical to the one with the twist lock lid a few weeks ago. We’ve used it several times, and it’s now the default pasta pot (except for spaghetti, which would sneak through the holes. With our old enameled steel pot and a colander, we seldom, I say seldom, lost any pasta down the disposal. However, I almost always had a piece or two that got stuck inside the old pot. With the big, wide-spaced handles, I don’t need pot holders. It’s really a pretty solid item for a cheapish pot.
I got my comeuppance for making fun of that commercial. I said it’s for people too stupid to use a colander. Really set myself up for the karmic smackdown. A few days later I make a big batch of pasta. My pots and pans are Calphalon commercial anodized. I’ve got an 8 quart stock pot with the pasta strainer insert. As I lift the insert out of the hot water one of the potholders slips. Splash. Scalding water on my stomach just below my chest. Ow! I pulled my shirt away from the skin as quickly as I could but the knit shirt I was wearing held the water to my skin long enough to get a mild second degree burn. *&@$%!!! that hurts. It wasn’t too bad and only about 12 square inched of skin effected. Only a small portion of teh blister peeled so I treated that with antibiotic. The scab just recently fell off that little bit and the dead layer of skin has peeled from the rest of it. I guess this means I have to ride the special short bus to culinary school.
Yes, but the cheap, Chinese made ones are junk. Even the Braun doesn’t work that well IMHO. LadyLion and I got a Bamix and it absolutely rocks.
I have actually never understood the whole thing about using lots of water for pasta. I started cooking pasta for 4 in college in a two quart sauce pan cause that was all I had. And I honestly can’t figure out what the benefit of all that extra water is. I guess you have more heat around so the water doesn’t cool off so much when you add the pasta, but the specific heat of water is so much higher anyway It’ll come back to a full boil in 30 seconds. Anyway it’s probably less of a difference in water temperature than I get from living at high altitude anyway. as long as you have enough water to still cover the pasta at the end of cooking I really don’t see the problem.
Woo! I’m going to check out Target now that I know this, AskNott, thanks!
I’ll admit, I want one of the goofy things too.
wolfman: I agree with you. In fact, for some types of pasta, I just “cook it til the water is gone” and then it’s done.
As for them being cheap pots… they’re still probably better than what I have. The stuff I have is from those “800 peice pot and pan set for only $14.37” sets that you get at WalMart.
Plus they’re old.
Those quick-chopper things are a waste of money (I’m sure there’s one brand out there that’s okay, but it’s the exception to the rule). On Thanksgiving I had to help my Aunt chop pecans for her cheesecake. She gave me her quick-chopper to use. The nuts kept getting stuck on the “blade” and when I looked, there was half nut DUST and the rest were untouched.
Seriously, I could just break apart the nuts by hand, individually, faster than I could get the right amount of “quick chopped” nuts.
I rarely cook anything, but sometimes I make pasta. That thing looks great. To me it’s in the catagory of what the hell took them so long to “invent” it. I’m not sure why someone wouldn’t want it.
Go for the grater and pasta fork. The chopper’s not all that great.
I got one at Target (As Seen On TV!!!) and some things don’t chop very thoroughly with it and other things get stuck and jams it.
While we’re on the subject, my folks bought the handy dandy kitchen knife set that’s hawked by the Chef Tony looking guy. There actually pretty cool but don’t buy any of the other stuff they throw at you when you call 
bouv, is this what you want?http://shop.store.yahoo.com/candochefs/easloccomton.html
The chopper thing sucks. My mom got one, used it once, and gave it to Goodwill.
Or perhaps this: ChefWizard
I’ve got one. Useful for chopping onions(which is good becuase I’m an onionholic),and it breaks into 3 peices to stick in the diswasher.
The Pasta Pro is nice, but nothing particulary special.
It works, but if mine somehow broke, I wouldn’t cry over it.
They’re selling those choppers at a kiosk in the mall now. They have two demonstrations going at the same time, and they rarely chop anything but onions.
Funny. I’ve been laughing at that commercial too. I even jokingly pondered whether there were actors who specialize in making simple household chores (like draining pasta) look incredibly difficult.
But this thread just reminded me of a nice burn I got one time while draining pasta. I have the same kind of pots as Padeye, heavy anodized aluminum Calphalon. I dropped twelve quarts of boiling water on my foot which soaked into my canvas shoe and gave me a huge blister.
I’m not gonna buy one of those pots, but I guess I can’t scoff at anyone who does.
Heck, I’d like a pasta pot too. I’m having a blast with my quesadilla maker, so why not?
But then, I’d also like one of those hair brushes that rolls your hair straight or wavy, and one of those Roombas (robotic vacuums). And some more blue gel pain reliever emu oil stuff.
Thank you all for making me feel like less of a freak for being tempted by those. Now I know there are plenty of other freaks like me out there. 
I’ve also been tempted by the fancy Wearever pot and pan set with a similar type of lid, including a lip to catch boil-over water.
One question about the Pasta Pot and its ilk, though: wouldn’t the lids be useless for keeping things inside hot because of all those holes?
Before you order the combination pasta pot & strainer, I recommend looking through all your local department and specialty stores that sell cookware. You’re likely to find something similar (or even the same product) at a better price.
And you won’t have to wait 6-8 weeks for delivery.
Hooray! Suddenly I feel like so much less of a lame-bot spending a whole thirty minutes of my precious free time in a Target debating back-and-forth whether or not to get this clever little time saver.
I don’t eat enough pasta to even have the small one.
Heck, the strainer works for me, just fine.
Don’t get me wrong because I love all kinds of kitchen gadgets, this aint one I am willing to pick up anytime soon.
Besides, my strainer get’s out more water for when I am cooking pasta so the sauce actually sticks. I don’t think this would allow enough water to escape, only to end up with watery pasta sauce. Blech. Right there, I would prefer to not eat pasta. I make yummy pasta sauces and to have it watered down just makes the effort seem worthless.