Check out the products Dan reviews in this episode: Stainless Steel Manual Noodles Press amzn.to/2VKeOcH Automatic Pan Stirrer amzn.to/3xHonY2 Quick Microwave Pasta Cooker amzn.to/3i8SjFY Clip-On Kitchen Food Strainer amzn.to/3wDItkv Adjustable Dough Cutter amzn.to/3B6oUVg When you buy something through our retail links, we earn an affiliate commission.
Your reviews are great and entertaining listening to you. Thanks for the links too. Love that mandolin thing but my word that's expensive for a slicer. I would never trust that pasta strainer thing to not fall off and dump my pasta into the sink. They have made them in metal you just hold since forever.
Your problem at least on the wheel cutter is you picked cheap/poorly made versions apparently randomly chosen on Amazon. *I expect Epicurious to do a little basic research and test top quality brands before making viewers think a tool does not work.* Try the wheel cutter from Ateco.
Dan's redesign of the microwave pasta cooker makes so much sense. If the microwave pasta cooker had the changes he suggested, it would be a favorite cooking gadget in every college dorm room.
I guess you can have this one gadget instead of a decent size pot and a strainer. The pasta has to cook the same time, and the pot can be used for more dishes. I am of course assuming you have a cooking plate as well as the microwave. So I suppose yes, in a dorm room where you can put a microwave but not really a cooking plate it would work. Normally I associate microwave cooking with speeding up the process, and there is no time saving on cooking pasta in the microwave.
As a college student, there's two main reasons for cooking pasta in the microwave: 1. No access to a stove/cooking plate 2. Smaller portion size In my experience, I've got an induction pot, so I can cook pasta traditionally, but the pot is somewhat bulky and annoying to clean. (Also hot plates or cooking plates are not allowed in the dorms at my school. Induction is fine though.) If I'm just making pasta for myself, and I don't feel like messing with the induction pot, I can do a single bowl of pasta in the microwave and that one bowl is my meal. No risk of making too much or too little. If I'm cooking for me and a roommate, or if I want spaghetti, I'll get the pot, but the microwave method isn't so bad if you're a college student. The only struggles you run into are that sometimes you don't have enough water to cook the pasta as much as you'd like, or sometimes the water boils over in the microwave. But IMO these are negligible and you learn to deal with them over time. It's definitely NOT faster, but it has its perks TLDR: microwave pasta good
@@Sours56 I have no problem with cooking a lot of things in the microwave, not just in a dorm setting. Basically anything that need to be boiled is a lot faster in the microwave (rice, potatoes, beans, carrots...). I don't have a lot of induction experience, so I don't know if it would be any faster or not, it's the time to get to a boil, though veg is faster because it get heated as well as the water. By including the microwave in cooking, you free up stove space AND if it's summer, you're not adding any real heat to your space. Boil over can be dealt with, and I think that might be where this product was going...since it'd likely all be 'captured' on the top. Basically to me, it's not how you actually cook it, it's how you finish it... My philosophy in cooking is "a heat source is a heat source", you can do *anything with *anything. *I'm someone who has baked a cake in a BBQ*
in college i actually had a microwave pasta cooker and it was a lifesaver. It was very different from the one dan uses though, mine was clear plastic and rectangular and had handles on the side to make picking it up easier. I used that thing at least once or twice a week.
Years ago, I had to make pasta without access to a stovetop or a cook plate, but I did have an electric kettle. So I put the pasta in a Pyrex bowl, boiled the water in the kettle, poured the boiling water over the pasta, salted the water, and stirred to dissolve the salt; I put foil over the bowl to keep the heat in, checked on it in 8 minutes, and the pasta was just a tiny bit softer than al dente, but not over cooked. I had a colander, so draining the pasta wasn't a problem. It worked. I still use the kettle to boil some of the water for cooking pasta. I fill the pot with water to about halfway, set it to heat on the stove, and put the kettle on; the kettle reaches the boil sooner than the water in the pot on the stove. I pour the boiling water into the pot, and the pot of water reaches a rolling boil sooner than if I'd filled the pot all the way with water and set it to boil. Works for me! I love my electric kettle.
Because I think there are differences between engineered and designed goods. Engineered goods are made to do something but lack usability from the user point of view. Designed goods are made to improve efficiency and usability.
@@hermanjacobs4425 So you should design something first, and then engineer it for function? Seems like a lot of gadgets seem to lack the engineering-for-function was forgotten.
I honestly think this guy is one of the funniest and most informative people on the internet when it comes to engineering videos. I binge his videos all the time. Kudos to him!
There's an old saying I believe applies here: The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. It sounds like Dan would be someone who would design these, get working models, and pay a few related restaurants so much plus losses just to get that real world experience in finalizing a design
"it could scare your cat", "hey it's me, I'm taller", "I'm straining to come up with something ;)", "see he thinks it went well" dan is so effortlessly and low-key hilarious.
Just to point out why the pasta cooker was shaped like it was. Is to control the microwaves them selfs. Straight corners concentrate the heat and cause burning around the edges. Better-designed versions of this have external handles.
for the clip-on pasta strainer, it would be a lot easier to use if you poured away from yourself and had your hands under the handles instead of on top. you should also just strain pasta like that anyways so you dont risk drenching yourself in boiling water.
he's also making it harder by pouring into a container sitting on a counter rather than into a sink the is recessed into the counter which would also catch the liquid that doesn't pour out perfectly.
I’ll say I have a clip on strainer (not the same one) and I use it whenever I need to put the pasta back in the pot to mix with sauces. To me I prefer it over a normal strainer because I don’t have to make room in the sink.
I have to agree-the pasta strainer would be a massive improvement to my current method of pouring water out of the pot very slowly since I don't have a colander.
I have the exact strainer you saw in the video and I LOVE it 🥰 It fits both big and small pans because it flexible silicone, is dishwasher safe and soooo much smaller than a colander in the dishwasher and sink (saving me space) and you can use it for so much more than just pasta (like veggies, eggs and even draining excess oils and juices out of frying pans). I kinda feel Dan didn’t really give it much of a chance…😢
Regarding the clip on pasta strainer and the awkward pouring angle, why not clip it on closer to one handle rather than perfectly between both handles?
Also it gets awkward because he’s dumping it into a huge bucket. You aren’t gonna have that height, awkward angle if you’re just dumping the water into a sink.
You could also leave the strainer in the middle and pour the pot directly in front of you, not on the side. I read in other comments that the major advantage of this strainer compared to others is that you don't need a pot and a bowl on which to put the strainer, only a pot.
I actually have this and what you say is definitely true. It’s also much easier to use on one handle pots and pots that are a smaller than the one he used. Also easier to drain in a sink that’s waist height/countertop height than a bucket at chest height.
@@oliminator In addition, if you're draining the water into the sink rather than a bucket it won't matter as much that some of the water came off the side. Any sink is large enough to catch it.
That’s the dough cutter Cracker Barrel used to make dumplins. Hate those things xD The wingnuts never held well and just like you experienced it’s difficult keeping a constant pressure in the middle once you open it a bit.
@@Kefka2010 as a uni student... If i was in a dorm.. Thatd be more useful since we dont have stoves... And you can always use he microwave in the shop outside
They use something very similar in India for rice flour batters and besan batters. Vs a dough with gluten like pasta. You have two handles to squeeze it together instead of a screw.
18:35 attaching a handle (horizontally) on the flat part of the butterfly mechanism may work. Effectively you go back and forth like you would when ironing clothes. This would spread the pressure from the middle.
my thought is just put a wooden spoon across it. if you've got an equal distance cutter, you've got a wooden spoon, and it doesn't need to be more complicated than that.
I'm Italian, and the pasta press is actually something we use to make a few types of fresh pasta. In my are is used to make passatelli, a type of egg pasta, and it actually looks almost like the one in the video. The pasta cutter is similar to what we have here, but usually it's just one or two blades, not that many. Great video as always!
First,@@robertanthonybermudez5545 I don't know where you're getting the "75% is a pass" rule from; where was that stated? When I was at uni anything over 50% was a Pass. 75% was at least a Credit. Second, that's not how star rating systems work. Of course, there's no standardisation so it depends on the specifics of the system and the interpretation of the reviewer, but I believe in this case the lowest score is actually 1? With increments of 0.5. So 1/5 = 0%, which means 3/5 is actually 50%. But what does that mean? Does Formosa regard 50% as a neutral score with positive scores above it and negative below (eg. 1 = terrible, 2 = bad, etc.)? Or does he regard any score above 1/5 as having some positive value (eg. "1 = bad, 2 = ok, 3 = good, etc.)? Neither method is more correct, which is why good rating scales include such indications.
@@thomaswood8405 china, india, japan, singapore, taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines, that kind of asia. We have a unified education rating here. No need to specify a country. Also your 50% passing rate is kind of promoting mediocrity. No wonder. US fails in math, science, and geography.
With the clip-on pasta strainer, don't pour the water out sideways. It looks better on video, but that's a terrible way of doing it due to the unnecessary strain. It would be much more comfortable to empty it towards yourself, so you can see what you are doing. Or at least away from yourself, but not sideways. I also turn on cold water in the sink slightly so I don't get burned by the steam.
Always do it away from yourself! I burned myself so badly one by doing it towards me (into a regular colander) But yes, I agree that the angle he was using was really bad
as I learned in the kitchen industry when pouring out massive multi-gallon stock pots, you have to switch your grip from above to below (so it's like you're grabbing it to hold above your head) and then you can easily pour it away from yourself with minimal wrist strain
I actually use the strainer quite regularly. The way I do it is putting water out forwards, not to the side, this makes holding it way less awkward. Of course, this wouldn't work well on a table because of its height, but it works perfectly fine over a sink.
14:28 I have that and it works perfect. I have no idea why he is holding the pot and emptying it in such an uncomfortable position. And when you drain it through the sink, you’re leaning it towards you or opposite you. I guess it’s because they’re filming but that has nothing to do with the product it self. So people believe me it works
I love the clip on pasta strainer!!! I have slightly smaller pots LOL (I’ve used it on my biggest pot no problem) your pot was I think just over the limit for the product. And your table was really high. It’s meant to be taken to the sink.
As someone who has had severe arthritis and dyspraxia my whole life, I think the left handed oil test really put in perspective how difficult it can be to use regular items when you’re physically disabled. I don’t even have it that bad because at least I still have moderate control over my body, but I hope those watching this can apply the left-handed oil test mentally in the real world and realise how inaccessible the world is to people like me who struggle with daily tasks :)
we have just discovered Dan and are watching all of his videos. He's finally reviewed something we own !! The clip on pasta strainer. I think maybe, because I am more dumping the pot straight in front of me, rather than holding it at an angle like Dan's doing - we don't have a real problem. It's easier to clean than a regular strainer, which, IMHO, is the real bonus.
I have the clip on pasta strainer. It works perfectly for me since I use smaller pots that are easier to handle and have never had a strainer to fit perfectly in my sink. There are never any gaps for pasta to slip through and I've never spilled water over the sides. 10/10, one of the best purchases I've ever made.
The only benefit is that boiling water in a microwave is faster than on a stove (2 minutes on high) and more energy efficient. But cooking pasta in it would be a huge hassle. You're going to have boil overs and I cringe at the idea of cleaning semi dried starchy pasta water out of a microwave.
@@tiacho2893 well, it seems less "hassle-ly" to clean then a big ol' pot, if anything. But it does seem to be very unnecessary if you have stove and pot.
I don’t know if someone already suggested this but to make an argument for some of these (yes, often hilariously ridiculous and single use only) gadgets would be to do the left handed oil test also when doing it the ‘traditional way’ as with a knife etc. I think many gadgets are supposed to be at least a bit easier for someone who might not be able to use both their hands or who doesn’t have good knife control/strengt/a steady hand anymore. I think even though some gadgets might be less effective than the traditional method when you’re still fully able, when handicapped in some way they might make the task at least doable (e.g. just needs one hand etc) for the person. So yeah, compare the left handed oil test of the gadget to a left handed oil test of the traditional method too! Go pinapple cutter! 💪🏻
I’ve seen the pot stirrer in other videos, and MAN i wish it worked. I’m someone who has tendonitis and my wrist gets sore and tired having to consistently stir something, something like an auto-stirrer would be perfect for me
I need to get a kitchenaid pasta attachment. I'm pretty sure my meat grinder attachment just needs the pasta dyes and it can make pasta... that was one of the reasons I got the pro over regular. That manual pasta press though... it looks like if you got a good one it would last for a century. But... a good one would have the improvements he mentioned. A solid grippable custom molded Aluminum or steel shape instead of just generic tubes. Like the 100+ year old cast iron meat grinders that still work just as well as brand new ones do. A screw, dye, and press aren't the most complex machines, but they need to be done right.
I am so glad Dan didn't hurt himself on any of these because every time he was pouring hot water out with these gadgets I was just seeing how dangerous some of these are to use
0:35 My mom uses it to make noodles and the dough is alot more liquid-like than pasta dough. And the tool is supposed to use with hot water beneath. PS: it's a great toy tbh
I have the clip on strainer and love it. I use it with a smaller pot than you used, though. It helps a lot when I am draining pasta and have a sink that has dirty dishes in it- so I can strain the pasta into the sink without setting a strainer into the dirty sink.
I love Dan for judging these in very practical, realistic ways. He thinks about alllll the little things I could see in a bad review for various products like "it's so flimsy I had to really hold it down" or "blade doesn't cut all the way through, had to use a knife anyway", " water just spills out the side anyway, careful of the mess", "caps already falling off after one use", you know, stuff you'd see on a lot of gadgets. The whole point of being a designer for tools like these is considering all of those outcomes and possibilities and improving the design!
My mum uses the adjustable dough cutter gadget, she's a professional cake 🎂 decorator and uses it to get even strips of sugar paste, it's the best way. She's had the same one for decades, all my life anyway and I'm basically 30 now
On the manual pasta extruder you should be flouring the pasta as it comes out to prevent the pasta sticking together, you do this to all pasta as it comes out of an automatic or manual pasta extruder. Hope this helps! :)
I have the clip on pot strainer and I find it works so much better and is easier to use on one handle pots and pots that are smaller than the pot you used. I’d say the “as seen on tv” brand Pasta Boat has a better design as a microwave pasta cooker than the one you tested. The pasta boat has side handles that can also be used to measure a serving of spaghetti and a plastic lid that slides on the top for draining.
I have one of the clip on strainers and I've gotta say it works great for me. My sink is pretty much never clean/empty enough for a strainer and I don't have a ton of cabinet space and a strainer takes up a lot of space.
I've used a larger version of the adjustable cutter in a commercial bakery. We'd usually just use it to score things and then cut with a knife, just making sure the cuts are even.
I would love to see Dan review some gadgets from the Japanese 100 yen store (DAISO) because they have a variety of easy-cooking goods including a better microwave pasta cooker😅
We have the clip on pasta strainer at home. I usually use a medium pot rather than a large one which helps to avoid the side spillage. And using a 1 handled pot also works better
The manual pasta press is used in India since decades if not centuries. It also comes with slides with different shape of holes for different food items.
Interesting about the last one! I’ve got one and it’s easier to pull than push (most things are), and you fan out your fingers to apply pressure evenly - easy! I love that thing.
Have one of the clip on strainers. for me its a 5/5.. so usefull, gets used all the time. I never use it on a large 2 handed pot like he's using, but on a 1 handed sauce pan (perfect size for pasta for 1)... its great for making kraft dinner or that.
That pasta press looked like a cheap rip-off of a traditional torchio bigolaro, which is used to make bigoli, a traditional pasta of the Veneto region. You can see a real torchio used here. ruclips.net/video/omAyW7baAk4/видео.html
The manual pasta press is just someone straightup stealing the idea of an Indian utensil called 'Idiyappam press' meant to press rice string for steaming and then made it into a less efficient design and decided to pass it as pasta maker which it absolutely is not meant to be for
That’s unfortunately very common these days. Companies buy old machining or parts for manufacturing a certain product and try to make it work as something more marketable. It happens all the time and you see it often in products like that, made of metal. Simple use.. Manufacturing machines and forms are very expensive to make so if a company discontinues a product the factory might sell the equipment needed to make it, or just continue to make it and sell it under a different name or use. So yeah, you’re absolutely right.
@@DanteYewToob Nah....in this case they don't even have to buy anything. Like I said, the Idiyappam press is kinda like a utensil like pressure cooker or a seave produced by several manufacturers with the same design, rather than a machines with patents and rights
Interesting. I immediately related it to a caulk gun. I also thought about a manual meat grinder. It's such a simple and efficient concept. I wonder how many other tools work from the basic idea?
For the clip on spout you set up a bad test-usually you would pour down into a sink, not into a taller container. Also, you can easily pour straight into the container, by pouring away from yourself which removes whole twisted arm issue. As for the cutter, it’s designed to be used to mark sheets of baked goods, not as cutter at all. They take a bit of practice to get good with. User error doesn’t make a bad product.
I love the oily hands test! I have poor desterity and hand strength due to arthritis so those tests really help me understand how usable a gadget would be for me.
When making pasta we need to rub flour or oil to make the pasta don’t stick together when it came out, it’s not a problem when it stick, because you forgot to rub it with flour or oil, same strategy when boil them, they’ll stick again (packed pasta) when cooked can stick together
Oh, phew! Thanks for letting us know it was still you. Was super confused when a taller person wearing the same clothes appeared, suddenly! I was comforted by your reassurances.
I don't know about you, but I've seen kitchenettes where the sink is just too small to do anything (unfortunately), or that they'd save the pasta water in a bowl to add in sauces, so using the strainer at a certain height is def a factor in here.
A lot of people are gluten free. All of these products should also be designed for people who are racist towards Italians. My dog doesn’t have opposable thumbs I think he would really struggle to use most of these products. Why can’t a product exits to pour water into a sink and just do that one thing. If it isn’t good for pouring into a bowl, don’t use it for that. It’s not the designers fault if they set out to make one thing easier and their product doesn’t work for all applications.
🇮🇹 I’m Italian and we would use the adjustable dough cutter only to get perfect squares to shape into different formats of pasta. 🤓 As Dan said the issue is the lack of pressure in the middle: for that we use a ROLLING PIN WITH FIXED DISTANCED PLASTIC BLADES and cut twice on rolled out pasta dough perpendicularly. Some rolling pins are adjustable but, in general, the fixed distance one is the most common because you make regular size squares and shape them in countless ways. Traditionally we don’t make tagliatelle/pappardelle like you would with the narrow setting on the adjustable dough cutter: if you went through the effort of making perfect rectangular pasta dough sheet like that, just roll it on itself along its width and slice out the pasta. 🔪 Most of the pasta have ruffled edges anyway, so we mostly use a manual wavy blade wheel cutter.
The speed test on the clip-on pasta strainer is flawed. You would have to transfer the pasta BACK in to the original cooking pot while using the traditional colander whereas the clip-on keeps the pasta in the original pot. This would allow you to quickly add oils & sauces to your cooked pasta immensely improving the flavor.
I am just binge watching your videos 😂 I need to find a playlist!! There are so many gadgets I've thought about buying! This pasta gadget for instance, just buy a legit italian pasta roller machine 🤌💋 I got it, never used it 🙃 BUT you did talk me into not buying the lettuce washer!!
I actually have one of those clip-on pasta strainers that collapse in on itself to save space. It takes up FAR less space in my tiny kitchen and I guess my pot isn't as big so it works perfectly for me.
The one thing I love about these videos is how all those people out there keep saying "Every gadget you think is dumb and pointless is an accessibility device" Far too much of this stuff was clearly not designed for accessibility or ergonomics or even able-bodied usability. Novelty gadgets might be fun, but the landfill space they take up not so much.
For the quick pasta cooker I would put a hole at the bottom of the side covered by a grid and a sliding mechanic to open close it (with a wide enough handle to not burn yourself when open it) and maybe a retractable stand on one side. That way you just can put it on the edge of a sink, open the slider and the water drains out without even having to lift it up.
I’m really enjoying your videos. I have a Tupperware microwave pasta cooker. It does have a lip to hold it and a colander on one of the short edges. Your design idea is SO MUCH SMARTER!!!! It’s useful as it is now, but the other thing is that the lid on mine doesn’t secure on, so all the water bubbles out all over the microwave, and you have to hold it in place tightly while draining.
All your videos are slightly quieter than every other video, so in order to hear them, I have to turn my volume up so when an ad comes out it is VERY loud. Please adjust.
Check out the products Dan reviews in this episode:
Stainless Steel Manual Noodles Press
amzn.to/2VKeOcH
Automatic Pan Stirrer
amzn.to/3xHonY2
Quick Microwave Pasta Cooker
amzn.to/3i8SjFY
Clip-On Kitchen Food Strainer
amzn.to/3wDItkv
Adjustable Dough Cutter
amzn.to/3B6oUVg
When you buy something through our retail links, we earn an affiliate commission.
Qpicurious was first lmao
Hey, what music do you use at the beginning of these gadget videos. I cant be the only one who needs to know.
I love it
Your reviews are great and entertaining listening to you. Thanks for the links too. Love that mandolin thing but my word that's expensive for a slicer. I would never trust that pasta strainer thing to not fall off and dump my pasta into the sink. They have made them in metal you just hold since forever.
Your problem at least on the wheel cutter is you picked cheap/poorly made versions apparently randomly chosen on Amazon. *I expect Epicurious to do a little basic research and test top quality brands before making viewers think a tool does not work.* Try the wheel cutter from Ateco.
If Dan has taught me anything with this series, it's that everything is better with a few curves 😏
👁️👄👁️
Just like real life :)
That is a fact. In most stuff in the world
Easier to hold when slippery
Yessir
Dan's redesign of the microwave pasta cooker makes so much sense. If the microwave pasta cooker had the changes he suggested, it would be a favorite cooking gadget in every college dorm room.
I guess you can have this one gadget instead of a decent size pot and a strainer. The pasta has to cook the same time, and the pot can be used for more dishes. I am of course assuming you have a cooking plate as well as the microwave. So I suppose yes, in a dorm room where you can put a microwave but not really a cooking plate it would work.
Normally I associate microwave cooking with speeding up the process, and there is no time saving on cooking pasta in the microwave.
As a college student, there's two main reasons for cooking pasta in the microwave:
1. No access to a stove/cooking plate
2. Smaller portion size
In my experience, I've got an induction pot, so I can cook pasta traditionally, but the pot is somewhat bulky and annoying to clean. (Also hot plates or cooking plates are not allowed in the dorms at my school. Induction is fine though.)
If I'm just making pasta for myself, and I don't feel like messing with the induction pot, I can do a single bowl of pasta in the microwave and that one bowl is my meal. No risk of making too much or too little. If I'm cooking for me and a roommate, or if I want spaghetti, I'll get the pot, but the microwave method isn't so bad if you're a college student. The only struggles you run into are that sometimes you don't have enough water to cook the pasta as much as you'd like, or sometimes the water boils over in the microwave. But IMO these are negligible and you learn to deal with them over time.
It's definitely NOT faster, but it has its perks
TLDR: microwave pasta good
@@Sours56 I have no problem with cooking a lot of things in the microwave, not just in a dorm setting. Basically anything that need to be boiled is a lot faster in the microwave (rice, potatoes, beans, carrots...). I don't have a lot of induction experience, so I don't know if it would be any faster or not, it's the time to get to a boil, though veg is faster because it get heated as well as the water. By including the microwave in cooking, you free up stove space AND if it's summer, you're not adding any real heat to your space. Boil over can be dealt with, and I think that might be where this product was going...since it'd likely all be 'captured' on the top. Basically to me, it's not how you actually cook it, it's how you finish it... My philosophy in cooking is "a heat source is a heat source", you can do *anything with *anything.
*I'm someone who has baked a cake in a BBQ*
in college i actually had a microwave pasta cooker and it was a lifesaver. It was very different from the one dan uses though, mine was clear plastic and rectangular and had handles on the side to make picking it up easier. I used that thing at least once or twice a week.
Years ago, I had to make pasta without access to a stovetop or a cook plate, but I did have an electric kettle. So I put the pasta in a Pyrex bowl, boiled the water in the kettle, poured the boiling water over the pasta, salted the water, and stirred to dissolve the salt; I put foil over the bowl to keep the heat in, checked on it in 8 minutes, and the pasta was just a tiny bit softer than al dente, but not over cooked. I had a colander, so draining the pasta wasn't a problem. It worked.
I still use the kettle to boil some of the water for cooking pasta. I fill the pot with water to about halfway, set it to heat on the stove, and put the kettle on; the kettle reaches the boil sooner than the water in the pot on the stove. I pour the boiling water into the pot, and the pot of water reaches a rolling boil sooner than if I'd filled the pot all the way with water and set it to boil. Works for me! I love my electric kettle.
"Engineered but not designed" is an amazing quote
Because I think there are differences between engineered and designed goods. Engineered goods are made to do something but lack usability from the user point of view. Designed goods are made to improve efficiency and usability.
@@hermanjacobs4425 So you should design something first, and then engineer it for function? Seems like a lot of gadgets seem to lack the engineering-for-function was forgotten.
I think it's a similar difference as between a fashion designer and a dressmaker
Wait until you hear about human factors engineering
I honestly think this guy is one of the funniest and most informative people on the internet when it comes to engineering videos. I binge his videos all the time. Kudos to him!
Try Veritasium.
"This would have been relatively easy to do if someone actually tried cooking with this when they were designing it" DAAAAMN
There's an old saying I believe applies here: The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.
It sounds like Dan would be someone who would design these, get working models, and pay a few related restaurants so much plus losses just to get that real world experience in finalizing a design
"it could scare your cat", "hey it's me, I'm taller", "I'm straining to come up with something ;)", "see he thinks it went well" dan is so effortlessly and low-key hilarious.
"Why does it taste better left handed?" *tries sauce "not stirred enough"
Imagine how soft and smooth his hands are after applying oil soooo many times
fetish?
Just to point out why the pasta cooker was shaped like it was. Is to control the microwaves them selfs. Straight corners concentrate the heat and cause burning around the edges. Better-designed versions of this have external handles.
As an owner of one of the clip on strainers, I've got to say the thing is amazing. Best feature? It takes up almost no room in the cupboard.
for the clip-on pasta strainer, it would be a lot easier to use if you poured away from yourself and had your hands under the handles instead of on top. you should also just strain pasta like that anyways so you dont risk drenching yourself in boiling water.
he's also making it harder by pouring into a container sitting on a counter rather than into a sink the is recessed into the counter which would also catch the liquid that doesn't pour out perfectly.
yeah, that was a bit of a disingenuous test
I’ll say I have a clip on strainer (not the same one) and I use it whenever I need to put the pasta back in the pot to mix with sauces. To me I prefer it over a normal strainer because I don’t have to make room in the sink.
I have to agree-the pasta strainer would be a massive improvement to my current method of pouring water out of the pot very slowly since I don't have a colander.
I have the exact strainer you saw in the video and I LOVE it 🥰 It fits both big and small pans because it flexible silicone, is dishwasher safe and soooo much smaller than a colander in the dishwasher and sink (saving me space) and you can use it for so much more than just pasta (like veggies, eggs and even draining excess oils and juices out of frying pans). I kinda feel Dan didn’t really give it much of a chance…😢
DON'T ever stop this series. Mr. Dan and what he does is such a delight to watch.
I used to sell the microwave pasta cooker, and you’re actually supposed to flip the lid over to strain it, so that it hugs the bowl
They don't show this on HSNtv Lekue Microwaveable Pasta Cooker Jun 3, 2019.
And get my hands super close to steaming water?
@@ahhh4117 you can wear oven mitts, that’s what I do
Regarding the clip on pasta strainer and the awkward pouring angle, why not clip it on closer to one handle rather than perfectly between both handles?
Also it gets awkward because he’s dumping it into a huge bucket. You aren’t gonna have that height, awkward angle if you’re just dumping the water into a sink.
You could also leave the strainer in the middle and pour the pot directly in front of you, not on the side. I read in other comments that the major advantage of this strainer compared to others is that you don't need a pot and a bowl on which to put the strainer, only a pot.
I actually have this and what you say is definitely true. It’s also much easier to use on one handle pots and pots that are a smaller than the one he used. Also easier to drain in a sink that’s waist height/countertop height than a bucket at chest height.
@@oliminator In addition, if you're draining the water into the sink rather than a bucket it won't matter as much that some of the water came off the side. Any sink is large enough to catch it.
I was screaming this at the screen! lol Also, the ridiculously large pot was unnecessary as well!
That’s the dough cutter Cracker Barrel used to make dumplins. Hate those things xD The wingnuts never held well and just like you experienced it’s difficult keeping a constant pressure in the middle once you open it a bit.
My dad got me the microwave pasta cooker for Christmas, the instructions actually tell you to flip the lid upside down to strain the pasta off.
Does that help? Would his design changes actually make it more helpful?
Honestly if you only have a microwave I think that pasta cooker seems pretty damn useful.
@@Kefka2010 as a uni student... If i was in a dorm.. Thatd be more useful since we dont have stoves... And you can always use he microwave in the shop outside
The manual pasta press looks like it would be better suited for Spätzle dough IMO
I was thinking that too! Nothing beats the good old Spätzlespresse tho
Or passiatelli
They use something very similar in India for rice flour batters and besan batters. Vs a dough with gluten like pasta. You have two handles to squeeze it together instead of a screw.
@@oblivionnpc3313 wopden cutting board and knive does
He said it was commonly used for another purpose.
I watch mainly for Dan. He’s informative but wholesome as well :) with a side of sass
18:35 attaching a handle (horizontally) on the flat part of the butterfly mechanism may work. Effectively you go back and forth like you would when ironing clothes. This would spread the pressure from the middle.
my thought is just put a wooden spoon across it. if you've got an equal distance cutter, you've got a wooden spoon, and it doesn't need to be more complicated than that.
I'm Italian, and the pasta press is actually something we use to make a few types of fresh pasta. In my are is used to make passatelli, a type of egg pasta, and it actually looks almost like the one in the video.
The pasta cutter is similar to what we have here, but usually it's just one or two blades, not that many.
Great video as always!
The adjustable cutter is just a wider version of a tool we use alot as pastry chefs
My favourite show of this channel^^ Not gonna lie. I like a lot of the others, but I love Dans humor and how he test outs these products.
Some extremely generous ratings on this episode. "Doesn't work: 3/5." What do numbers even mean?
in percentage 3/5 is actually 60% hardly a passing rate of 75%
First,@@robertanthonybermudez5545 I don't know where you're getting the "75% is a pass" rule from; where was that stated? When I was at uni anything over 50% was a Pass. 75% was at least a Credit.
Second, that's not how star rating systems work. Of course, there's no standardisation so it depends on the specifics of the system and the interpretation of the reviewer, but I believe in this case the lowest score is actually 1? With increments of 0.5. So 1/5 = 0%, which means 3/5 is actually 50%.
But what does that mean? Does Formosa regard 50% as a neutral score with positive scores above it and negative below (eg. 1 = terrible, 2 = bad, etc.)? Or does he regard any score above 1/5 as having some positive value (eg. "1 = bad, 2 = ok, 3 = good, etc.)? Neither method is more correct, which is why good rating scales include such indications.
@@MathewWalls oh sorry i live in asia. Our standard passing rate here is at 75%. Some schools use 85%. Guessing you from america?
@@robertanthonybermudez5545 "Robert Anthony Bermudez" from Asia. Not even a country, just Asia.
@@thomaswood8405 china, india, japan, singapore, taiwan, Indonesia, Philippines, that kind of asia. We have a unified education rating here. No need to specify a country. Also your 50% passing rate is kind of promoting mediocrity. No wonder. US fails in math, science, and geography.
With the clip-on pasta strainer, don't pour the water out sideways. It looks better on video, but that's a terrible way of doing it due to the unnecessary strain. It would be much more comfortable to empty it towards yourself, so you can see what you are doing. Or at least away from yourself, but not sideways. I also turn on cold water in the sink slightly so I don't get burned by the steam.
Always do it away from yourself! I burned myself so badly one by doing it towards me (into a regular colander) But yes, I agree that the angle he was using was really bad
@@emmab5424 Like I said, run cold water to nullify the chance of a steam burn.
as I learned in the kitchen industry when pouring out massive multi-gallon stock pots, you have to switch your grip from above to below (so it's like you're grabbing it to hold above your head) and then you can easily pour it away from yourself with minimal wrist strain
I actually use the strainer quite regularly. The way I do it is putting water out forwards, not to the side, this makes holding it way less awkward.
Of course, this wouldn't work well on a table because of its height, but it works perfectly fine over a sink.
omg! "It was engineered but not designed" that's so good! You can really tell with Dan's work that he tries to think about the user.
14:28 I have that and it works perfect. I have no idea why he is holding the pot and emptying it in such an uncomfortable position. And when you drain it through the sink, you’re leaning it towards you or opposite you. I guess it’s because they’re filming but that has nothing to do with the product it self. So people believe me it works
Another dan video, yes!! This is your best series guys, pure gold.
I love the clip on pasta strainer!!! I have slightly smaller pots LOL (I’ve used it on my biggest pot no problem) your pot was I think just over the limit for the product.
And your table was really high. It’s meant to be taken to the sink.
That snap at the start scared the hell outta me.
Considering the durability of most of these gadgets, it might be working exactly as designed (binned after a couple uses).
As someone who has had severe arthritis and dyspraxia my whole life, I think the left handed oil test really put in perspective how difficult it can be to use regular items when you’re physically disabled. I don’t even have it that bad because at least I still have moderate control over my body, but I hope those watching this can apply the left-handed oil test mentally in the real world and realise how inaccessible the world is to people like me who struggle with daily tasks :)
we have just discovered Dan and are watching all of his videos. He's finally reviewed something we own !! The clip on pasta strainer. I think maybe, because I am more dumping the pot straight in front of me, rather than holding it at an angle like Dan's doing - we don't have a real problem. It's easier to clean than a regular strainer, which, IMHO, is the real bonus.
I have the clip on pasta strainer. It works perfectly for me since I use smaller pots that are easier to handle and have never had a strainer to fit perfectly in my sink. There are never any gaps for pasta to slip through and I've never spilled water over the sides. 10/10, one of the best purchases I've ever made.
The fast pasta maker
*takes 10 minutes*
…that’s like the same or longer than a normal pot and stove lol
they should really drop the "quick" from the product's name lol
The only benefit is that boiling water in a microwave is faster than on a stove (2 minutes on high) and more energy efficient. But cooking pasta in it would be a huge hassle. You're going to have boil overs and I cringe at the idea of cleaning semi dried starchy pasta water out of a microwave.
It might also be useful to college students who may not have access to stoves
@@tiacho2893 with induction stoves the first two points are fortunately not true anymore.
@@tiacho2893 well, it seems less "hassle-ly" to clean then a big ol' pot, if anything. But it does seem to be very unnecessary if you have stove and pot.
I don’t know if someone already suggested this but to make an argument for some of these (yes, often hilariously ridiculous and single use only) gadgets would be to do the left handed oil test also when doing it the ‘traditional way’ as with a knife etc. I think many gadgets are supposed to be at least a bit easier for someone who might not be able to use both their hands or who doesn’t have good knife control/strengt/a steady hand anymore. I think even though some gadgets might be less effective than the traditional method when you’re still fully able, when handicapped in some way they might make the task at least doable (e.g. just needs one hand etc) for the person. So yeah, compare the left handed oil test of the gadget to a left handed oil test of the traditional method too!
Go pinapple cutter! 💪🏻
I’ve seen the pot stirrer in other videos, and MAN i wish it worked. I’m someone who has tendonitis and my wrist gets sore and tired having to consistently stir something, something like an auto-stirrer would be perfect for me
I need to get a kitchenaid pasta attachment. I'm pretty sure my meat grinder attachment just needs the pasta dyes and it can make pasta... that was one of the reasons I got the pro over regular.
That manual pasta press though... it looks like if you got a good one it would last for a century. But... a good one would have the improvements he mentioned. A solid grippable custom molded Aluminum or steel shape instead of just generic tubes. Like the 100+ year old cast iron meat grinders that still work just as well as brand new ones do. A screw, dye, and press aren't the most complex machines, but they need to be done right.
I am so glad Dan didn't hurt himself on any of these because every time he was pouring hot water out with these gadgets I was just seeing how dangerous some of these are to use
0:35
My mom uses it to make noodles and the dough is alot more liquid-like than pasta dough. And the tool is supposed to use with hot water beneath.
PS: it's a great toy tbh
I have the clip on strainer and love it. I use it with a smaller pot than you used, though. It helps a lot when I am draining pasta and have a sink that has dirty dishes in it- so I can strain the pasta into the sink without setting a strainer into the dirty sink.
I love Dan for judging these in very practical, realistic ways. He thinks about alllll the little things I could see in a bad review for various products like "it's so flimsy I had to really hold it down" or "blade doesn't cut all the way through, had to use a knife anyway", " water just spills out the side anyway, careful of the mess", "caps already falling off after one use", you know, stuff you'd see on a lot of gadgets. The whole point of being a designer for tools like these is considering all of those outcomes and possibilities and improving the design!
The pasta extruder redesign should include an extruding mechanism based on a caulk gun. I believe that would lower the energy exchange.
My mum uses the adjustable dough cutter gadget, she's a professional cake 🎂 decorator and uses it to get even strips of sugar paste, it's the best way. She's had the same one for decades, all my life anyway and I'm basically 30 now
The adjustable dough cutter, you could just put weights on the spokes, I can't imagine it would take much to push through some rolled pasta.
On the manual pasta extruder you should be flouring the pasta as it comes out to prevent the pasta sticking together, you do this to all pasta as it comes out of an automatic or manual pasta extruder. Hope this helps! :)
I have the clip on pot strainer and I find it works so much better and is easier to use on one handle pots and pots that are smaller than the pot you used.
I’d say the “as seen on tv” brand Pasta Boat has a better design as a microwave pasta cooker than the one you tested. The pasta boat has side handles that can also be used to measure a serving of spaghetti and a plastic lid that slides on the top for draining.
omg we've been blessed by the the man, the legend, the tester Dan Formosa again
I have one of the clip on strainers and I've gotta say it works great for me.
My sink is pretty much never clean/empty enough for a strainer and I don't have a ton of cabinet space and a strainer takes up a lot of space.
I have a clip-on like that and it's much more convenient to use than regular strainers.
Thats what I thought when he was doing it all weird I was like “that’s a you problem buddy”
casting agent of epicurious should get a raise. Seriously, there are very interesting people who are fun to watch in every series
Love the set dressing for this video... all that dried pasta
I've used a larger version of the adjustable cutter in a commercial bakery. We'd usually just use it to score things and then cut with a knife, just making sure the cuts are even.
I would love to see Dan review some gadgets from the Japanese 100 yen store (DAISO) because they have a variety of easy-cooking goods including a better microwave pasta cooker😅
11:45 I'm Italian and I can confirm that you REALLY don't want the pasta gods seeing you cook pasta in a microwave
We have the clip on pasta strainer at home. I usually use a medium pot rather than a large one which helps to avoid the side spillage. And using a 1 handled pot also works better
The manual pasta press is used in India since decades if not centuries. It also comes with slides with different shape of holes for different food items.
Interesting about the last one! I’ve got one and it’s easier to pull than push (most things are), and you fan out your fingers to apply pressure evenly - easy! I love that thing.
his voice is really soothing and his comments, even if they are critiques, are soft.
Have one of the clip on strainers. for me its a 5/5.. so usefull, gets used all the time. I never use it on a large 2 handed pot like he's using, but on a 1 handed sauce pan (perfect size for pasta for 1)... its great for making kraft dinner or that.
These are my favorite. Great youtube to watch while I have my lunch.
That pasta press looked like a cheap rip-off of a traditional torchio bigolaro, which is used to make bigoli, a traditional pasta of the Veneto region. You can see a real torchio used here. ruclips.net/video/omAyW7baAk4/видео.html
We in india also use similar gadget in steel to make traditional food called as murukulu - ruclips.net/video/kHzBOqg5_pE/видео.html
It's used in India since decades if not centuries. It also comes with slides with different shape of holes for different food items.
This is one of the best episodes of this show so far. The suggestions for fixing the products were pretty clever.
Gadget test videos with Dan Formosa are always the highlight of my week!!
The manual pasta press is just someone straightup stealing the idea of an Indian utensil called 'Idiyappam press' meant to press rice string for steaming and then made it into a less efficient design and decided to pass it as pasta maker which it absolutely is not meant to be for
Imagine not even copying a design correctly.
Ahahaha, that gadget was born even before me 🤣
That’s unfortunately very common these days.
Companies buy old machining or parts for manufacturing a certain product and try to make it work as something more marketable. It happens all the time and you see it often in products like that, made of metal. Simple use..
Manufacturing machines and forms are very expensive to make so if a company discontinues a product the factory might sell the equipment needed to make it, or just continue to make it and sell it under a different name or use.
So yeah, you’re absolutely right.
@@DanteYewToob Nah....in this case they don't even have to buy anything. Like I said, the Idiyappam press is kinda like a utensil like pressure cooker or a seave produced by several manufacturers with the same design, rather than a machines with patents and rights
Interesting. I immediately related it to a caulk gun. I also thought about a manual meat grinder. It's such a simple and efficient concept. I wonder how many other tools work from the basic idea?
*smack smack*
Not stirred enough
😂
i still think it would be great to see him make an actual prototype for at least one of these in a video.
You could put the clip on pasta strainer closer to one of the handles to fix that "90 degree angle" problem
Also probably just use a colander
I love how he keeps warning us that we should use all of these with caution in case we anger any italians 😂
Looks like making the pasta by hand is more efficient 😂
For the clip on spout you set up a bad test-usually you would pour down into a sink, not into a taller container. Also, you can easily pour straight into the container, by pouring away from yourself which removes whole twisted arm issue. As for the cutter, it’s designed to be used to mark sheets of baked goods, not as cutter at all. They take a bit of practice to get good with. User error doesn’t make a bad product.
10:30 lets redesign the quick-pasta cooker. designs a pot.
I love the oily hands test! I have poor desterity and hand strength due to arthritis so those tests really help me understand how usable a gadget would be for me.
When making pasta we need to rub flour or oil to make the pasta don’t stick together when it came out, it’s not a problem when it stick, because you forgot to rub it with flour or oil, same strategy when boil them, they’ll stick again (packed pasta) when cooked can stick together
Oh, phew! Thanks for letting us know it was still you. Was super confused when a taller person wearing the same clothes appeared, suddenly! I was comforted by your reassurances.
It's for new people
I wonder when there will be an episode where Dan tries his designs
I actually really love the idea of the clip on strainer....so much easier to clean than a colander!
I have a Tramontina "lock and drain" pot with a colander insert that I highly recommend.
The pot stirrer is probably made for smaller pots. The clip on strainer can be moved so its your fault for not moving it not the designs fault.
if the strainer was used in actual kitchen with an actual sink, half of those issues would go away.
Your sink has counters and not everyone has big sinks
Enough people don't have an "actual kitchen" and an "actual sink" that the product should be designed differently to accommodate for them
I don't know about you, but I've seen kitchenettes where the sink is just too small to do anything (unfortunately), or that they'd save the pasta water in a bowl to add in sauces, so using the strainer at a certain height is def a factor in here.
Not only that, a lot of people use that water often as the water for stock
A lot of people are gluten free. All of these products should also be designed for people who are racist towards Italians. My dog doesn’t have opposable thumbs I think he would really struggle to use most of these products.
Why can’t a product exits to pour water into a sink and just do that one thing. If it isn’t good for pouring into a bowl, don’t use it for that. It’s not the designers fault if they set out to make one thing easier and their product doesn’t work for all applications.
I never miss a Dan Formosa video!
Dan has the best moisturized hands of any industrial designer
"I bet this would scare your cat!" I laughed way to hard there.
🇮🇹 I’m Italian and we would use the adjustable dough cutter only to get perfect squares to shape into different formats of pasta.
🤓 As Dan said the issue is the lack of pressure in the middle: for that we use a ROLLING PIN WITH FIXED DISTANCED PLASTIC BLADES and cut twice on rolled out pasta dough perpendicularly.
Some rolling pins are adjustable but, in general, the fixed distance one is the most common because you make regular size squares and shape them in countless ways.
Traditionally we don’t make tagliatelle/pappardelle like you would with the narrow setting on the adjustable dough cutter: if you went through the effort of making perfect rectangular pasta dough sheet like that, just roll it on itself along its width and slice out the pasta. 🔪
Most of the pasta have ruffled edges anyway, so we mostly use a manual wavy blade wheel cutter.
I think the clip on strainer has some value since it takes up less space than a colander. That's definitely valuable in some living situations.
The only tip I have for designers is, don't make a bad thing, and make it so that your left hand doesn't slip from the gadget
You guys should include the prices of these gadgets! I feel like it would add another factor for our favorite tester to complain about!
Description
Dan is the best
He makes my day so much better
Dried pasta is fine...If I have a craving for fresh pasta, I'll go out and support a local restaurant.
5:26 "...not stirred enough" 😆
The speed test on the clip-on pasta strainer is flawed. You would have to transfer the pasta BACK in to the original cooking pot while using the traditional colander whereas the clip-on keeps the pasta in the original pot. This would allow you to quickly add oils & sauces to your cooked pasta immensely improving the flavor.
I am just binge watching your videos 😂 I need to find a playlist!! There are so many gadgets I've thought about buying! This pasta gadget for instance, just buy a legit italian pasta roller machine 🤌💋 I got it, never used it 🙃 BUT you did talk me into not buying the lettuce washer!!
I actually have one of those clip-on pasta strainers that collapse in on itself to save space. It takes up FAR less space in my tiny kitchen and I guess my pot isn't as big so it works perfectly for me.
Automatic Pot Stirrer. That was my nickname in college!!!
The one thing I love about these videos is how all those people out there keep saying "Every gadget you think is dumb and pointless is an accessibility device"
Far too much of this stuff was clearly not designed for accessibility or ergonomics or even able-bodied usability.
Novelty gadgets might be fun, but the landfill space they take up not so much.
I have used the adjustable dough cutter years ago when working as back up cook at cracker barrel to make the "famous " biscuits
For the quick pasta cooker I would put a hole at the bottom of the side covered by a grid and a sliding mechanic to open close it (with a wide enough handle to not burn yourself when open it) and maybe a retractable stand on one side. That way you just can put it on the edge of a sink, open the slider and the water drains out without even having to lift it up.
Binge watching Dan testing gadgets, really worth it 👍👍
Dan's one liners are so good.
I’m really enjoying your videos. I have a Tupperware microwave pasta cooker. It does have a lip to hold it and a colander on one of the short edges. Your design idea is SO MUCH SMARTER!!!! It’s useful as it is now, but the other thing is that the lid on mine doesn’t secure on, so all the water bubbles out all over the microwave, and you have to hold it in place tightly while draining.
All your videos are slightly quieter than every other video, so in order to hear them, I have to turn my volume up so when an ad comes out it is VERY loud. Please adjust.
Weird, I don’t have this issue at all
He finally went from 39 years to 40 years. Yay