There are Foodpod People at My House

Fusionbrands Silicone Food Pod

We love silicone! Not because of those…because of the great silicone products that are cropping up in kitchens these days. It’s not just hotpads and trivets, though; once in a while there’s a product we’d never thought about, products like the Fusionbrands Foodpod from HIC (Harold Imports Company). 

Description

There’s no way to be nice: this thing is weird-looking. It resembles a collapsed balloon with lots of holes torn in it plus a thick plastic stem like a pumpkin. The basket is 6” in diameter and about 3” high; made from translucent silicon. The stem is 6” long and ends in a hook.

The top comes off for an opening about 2½ to 3” in diameter. It closes simply: the stem is attached to a hard plastic disk that has prongs matching holes around the opening. The basket’s surface is covered with oval holes, some as much as 1” long.  It’s about the size of a 3-quart saucepan, but will fit into something smaller if needed. 

A foodpod is designed to use when blanching or boiling foods like greens, eggs and potatoes. Because the holes are fairly large, it doesn’t work for small vegetables. We’ve used ours to boil eggs and potatoes; and to blanch beans and sugar peas. The small pieces leak out the holes and into the pot, so a skimmer or strainer may be necessary. We clip the hook over the pot’s rim, or let it stick out the top of smaller pots.The hook doesn’t get hot, even when the pods dunked in boiling water. All those holes allow for good water circulation, and the long handle means it’s easy to swirl in hot water and then pull out the basket and drain off excess water. 

The silicone material won’t pick up color or flavor from foods boiled in it, and it’s definitely dishwasher-safe. Around our house, it’s been a useful, though not essential tool to have. 

Using the FoodPod Just drop in whatever and close the lid, then dunk the whole thing in hot or boiling water. When the time is up, pull it out by the handle. With most foods, excess water drains off quickly. I might like it better if the holes weren’t this big, but I’ll overlook the occasional floater ‘if it means fewer singed fingertips.  Summary PLUS: easy to use, strange-looking kitchen conversation starter MINUS: holes large enough that small stuff falls through What They're Saying: A Fusionbrands Foodpod can be handy for boiling and blanching. Small items will slip through the holes, however, so be prepared.

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