Date: 15 September 2015. Stone-Wave Sticks.
It all seemed like such a good
idea... you see, I'd seen advertised Stone-Wave bowls on television
a couple of times and thought the product had potential aboard
Seaweed. What I liked was that it was seemingly non-stick and I
imagined reheating something while underway with minimal clean-up
afterwards. Besides I was sucked into the promos... it sure sounded
and looked wonderful in the TV ads.

I spotted the item for $8 in a Dollar General Store. On closer
examination it appeared to be just a bowl with a handle and a
removable top with a hole in the center. That price tag seemed
expensive for an experiment so I held off.
Also, I've got bowls aboard
Seaweed. You read about them in the
In and Out (clearing
clutter) article. More really are
not necessary, especially at $8 each. I was tempted, but showed
unusual restraint.
Galley goods are a
weakness of mine. I imagine if I owned
XYandZ, I'd suddenly and miraculously become a better cook.
Then, just this past week I was in
a Dollar Tree store and spotted the item. For a dollar? You betcha!
I bought two. One Stone-Wave bowl for myself and a second for a fellow who owns the
boat I'm rafted to.
What could possibly go wrong?
Well, for one thing, the real world (mine, aboard Seaweed) found the
recipe booklet barely inspiring. There seemed to be a lot of
stirring, before, mid-way through and after nuking.
One recipe did tempt me and that was for an omelet. Add
a couple of eggs, your goodies (finely chopped) and stir like
a crazed jaguar on speed. Oh, and season with your spices
first, before cooking. I forgot that part. Nuke 1.5 minutes.
If it's not done (and mine wasn't) keep nuking and stirring.
It took two more 30 second increments for mine to become overdone.
I'd added a couple of
slices of tomato and one bud from a head of broccoli to my
concoction.
The eggs were overcooked and rubbery. That was my fault. Not seasoning made a big difference too.
The second batch was
better. The consistency was much fluffier and the taste was
definitely better. |
Why the bowl isn't a keeper became apparent immediately though.
Nothing slid out and onto my plate. The eggs had stuck to the edges.
Ugh.
The third try included adding olive oil
to the bottom and sides of the Stone-Wave. It netted
somewhat better results. Still, there was food stuck and washing the
bowl took a lot of water -- more so than simply making an omelet in
my pan like normal.
Originally, I had
the idea that I could use this snazzy bowl
in lieu of
a coffee cup for all those Mug recipes I've seen online.
Side Note: On my
Pinterest board "In the Galley" I have a recipe for a chocolate
cake that might tempt those with microwaves. It's the main reason I
opted to try the Stone-Wave bowl. A shallower dish would be easier
to get to all the scrumptious morsels....
For me however, the Stone-wave bowl was a
resounding failure. I don't need another single purpose item. It
does heat things well, and with the hole in the lid stuff presumably
won't boil over. Still, there's nothing to particularly recommend
the item either.
I'm getting rid of mine. The next
trip to a thrift store will include donating the bowl for someone
else to deal with. Aboard Seaweed, with water and space both in
limited supply, the Stone-Wave didn't make the cut.
Getting rid of clutter is as much
admitting mistakes and throwing them away as it is in not bringing
in more Stuff. This time with the Stone-Wave I failed in that regard. I added to the waterline issues I
struggle with regularly something I didn't really need.
This one is now in
the "It seemed like a good idea
at the time" heap scheduled to go to the thrift store soon.
For me it's hard to dispose of
items I paid perfectly good money for, even ones that don't live up
to their promises. The Stone-Wave is probably fine and dandy for
those ashore with access to dishwashers. It might indeed be a winner
for some. Afloat on Seaweed? Nope.
And no, I won't wait until I have
a big lot of Stuff to donate. Even a few things gone is less to deal
with.
Addendum: 18 September
2015. Today I made popcorn in the Stone-Wave bowl. I used one
heaping tablespoon of popcorn, added coconut oil and started the
microwave. Four minutes later the popping had ceased.
The handle was so hot, even
through my potholder, I thought I'd burn myself.
Yes, it works for popcorn
however I'm looking for a better solution. I'm pretty certain
the secret for popcorn is allowing some steam to escape. Thus,
I'll look at the thrift store for an original Tupperware bowl
with rounded sides. I think I can make a small, single cooking
and serving contraption... just have to locate the bowl. For
cheap!!! |
Update. December 2015. I changed my mind. See the
Popcorn for One (and Stone-wave
Update)
article for details.
Did you buy a Stone-Wave bowl?
Did you like it and do you still use it?
COMMENTS:
Categories:
Becoming Clutter-Free,
Boats,
Characters, Galley,
Recipes,
Vignettes
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