Glad Simply Cooking Microwave Steaming Bags Review

I received the Glad Simply Cooking Microwave Steaming Bags this summer to try free of charge. They can be used to steam veggies, shrimp, and many other things in the microwave. While I don't consider them to be an absolute kitchen essential, I did buy myself a big box to use for certain occasions.

These bags look like mid-sized zip-locks baggies. They can hold 3-4 servings of broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots, beans, potatoes, corn, and even fish or shrimp! The front of the bag has serving sizes and cooking times for fresh vs. frozen foods printed to help you figure out how long to set the microwave. These bags are made of microwaveable food-safe plastic and have steam vents on each side below the zip closure. After food is cooked, you are supposed to let it stand for 30 seconds before opening, presumably to let the steam escape from the bag so you aren't burned.

I've cooked veggies like broccoli and cauliflower in the Glad Simply Cooking Microwave Steaming Bags and had good results. Unfortunately, I just find these bags unnecessary for steaming vegetables because we have a metal steamer basket that works just as well and doesn't contribute to landfills.

I do like using them for cooking eggs, though. Every Saturday and Sunday morning I make scrambled eggs or an omelet for my parrots. I am a horrible cook and usually wind up burning the eggs to the bottom of the pan which creates a huge mess that I have to clean. It is much easier for me to crack a few eggs into one of these bags, stir them up with a fork, add whatever extras (veggies, beans, etc.) that I want, and then nuke it all for 3 minutes without stressing about the scouring that I am going to have to do for the frying pan. I've tried making a cheese omelet for myself in the Glad Simply Cooking Microwave Steaming Bags and found it rubbery and unpleasant. The parrots don't have any objection to their omelets when they are cooked in these bags. The macaw even yells "Wow!" and "Mmmm!" when he gets his weekend morning breakfast.

I can totally see how these microwave steaming bags can be convenient and easy for people. Heck, they are for me too, but I choose to use my metal steaming basket instead because I hate to create more garbage to throw away. I do use them for eggs so I don't have to clean up a disaster in the frying pan, but aside from that, I could easily live without them.