covers for microwave dishes

I have these, and I wish everyone did, but I've never seen them in a store around here.

I read somewhere recently (maybe here?) that it was important that you vent a dish in the microwave, because microwaves have moisture sensors that help determine when to end a heating cycle. Upon reading this I was eager to dig through the boxes I shipped back from my apartment in Chile and find the plastic dish covers that I bought there for use in the microwave. It's a nested set of three sizes, and around the perimeter are vents, so that even if a particular size fits snuggly on the bowl or plate, air can still circulate around the food. I presume this is because of the aforementioned moisture sensors in the microwave.

Back when I lived in Chile, I found these covers so useful (in addition to helping control a dish's moisture content, they also contain splatters), that I used them constantly. I must have bought them in the Jumbo or some other supermarket in Santiago.

Now I wonder why I've never seen these for sale in a supermarket, Bed/Bath/Beyond, Linens/Things, or any other sort of cookware supply place here in the US?

I have mine so I don't need them, but I think everyone else should have a set.

I swear I just saw these at the Target in Evanston - right in the middle of housewares, along the aisle that separates the frou-frou stuff from the actual kitchen widgets.

I have a set these, but I got mine in Michigan, so I don't know if they're available anywhere around here. But they are very useful -- don't melt and pucker like wax paper or plastic wrap did. I don't use my microwave often, but when I use it, I'm glad to have these.

HI,

Did you look over at e-Bay? I saw a number of microwave dish covers and such over there. You find precisely what you desire or something darn close to it. When you do, please link so I can see what you are talking about.

Regards,

I just saw these at Walmart a couple weeks ago. I almost bought one, but then realized I would use it maybe 5 times a year and wasn't sure where I would store it. They were $3.99 and they had a larger size for $4.99.

Mhays wrote:I swear I just saw these at the Target in Evanston - right in the middle of housewares, along the aisle that separates the frou-frou stuff from the actual kitchen widgets.

Yes, mine is from Target. It was no more than $2, and definitely saves me from cleaning up potential messes when something splatters. When it's clean, I just store it in the microwave b/c I use it almost every time I nuke something.

You know, if you just put the lid that came with the dish on it, and leave it up at one corner, or loosely set on the dish, it works fine.

My roomate brought us home one from the Container Store-
More expensive than the Target one, but seems to do its job perfectly!

I got mine at IKEA in Schaumburg.
Maybe a buck-fifty.?
Then, last week, I spotted a similar one at TARGET on Elston.
Just don't cover it w/ Plastic Wrap!

leek wrote:You know, if you just put the lid that came with the dish on it, and leave it up at one corner, or loosely set on the dish, it works fine.

About 9 out of every 10 dishes and bowls I have didn't come with a lid. Many a time I've balanced a plate or the wrong size lid on a bowl, which just leads to steam condensing all over the floor of the microwave. What's nice about these plastic covers, particularly the set, is that one's bound to give a good fit, while still allowing air to circulate and the moisture sensors to do their thing.

Microwaves have censors that tell them when to stop the heating cycle? So do they stop cooking before the time you punched in is up? I never knew this.