Prep Solutions by Progressive Microwave Food Cover and Colander

Husband uses this to microwave ground sausage (on a plate of course), it drains a lot of the grease and fats out of it but the meat isn't dry.

We've owned this microwave cover for over three years now and it does a great job keeping our microwave clean. It's tall enough (just under 5") that it doesn't touch the food even if you have a ton piled on your plate. It completely covers most bowls as well. It's not quite big enough around (10.25" diameter) to completely cover your plate - our plates are exactly the same diameter, so it sits on the very lip of the plate all the way around, which works great as long as the food on the plate isn't all the way up to the edge of the plate.The little holes in the top let some of the steam out, so you don't burn yourself when you're taking it out of the microwave. It has little raised corners on top that you can grab it by (they never get hot), and I've often balanced a plate on top of the corners while other food warmed up below it (because I'm just that impatient). I suppose that the corners would also make this usable as a colander, but we've never used it for that.Because it's a smaller space than the entire interior of the microwave, the area inside gets steamier than when you cook without it - I think this is an advantage, especially if you're warming up foods-like leftover rice-which can get a little dried out.It's sturdy and dishwasher safe (the only reason it's not in mint condition still is that we left it out on the stove once while the stove was hot, and it melted a little - whoops!). It pretty much just lives in the microwave, so it doesn't take up any extra space.We looked at a lot of different covers before we bought this one, and we've never regretted it.

I used to have a dome shaped cover I loved because it accommodated chunky food and big bowls. Unfortunately, I broke it, but this one is better is several ways. For one thing, it also acts as a colander given the steam holes grouped together at the base/top depending on how you're using it. The fins that allow it to sit like a bowl for colander use can also be used to grasp the cover for placement or removal when used in the microwave. The dome cover I used to have didn't have those and required two hands to remove, plus it couldn't sit on its rounded top. All other microwave covers with flat tops are limited in what they can do because even the tallest is only about 3" which means they frequently rest on the food which seems like a bad idea.I've looked and looked to find a replacement for the dome cover and was cautiously thrilled when I saw this one. Turns out it's even better than expected. It fits over a standard size dinner plate or generous bowl, accepts splatters so the microwave stays cleaner and lets the steam out well while also allowing the food to stay moist. I'm delighted to have found this and will be more careful to protect it.It's generous sized and might not fit in a small mircowave so that's something to think about. I use it to wash berries and like that I can swirl them around to make sure all are clean. That doesn't work in a standard colander. I store the cover in the microwave so it's out of the way. I haven't put it in the dishwasher and won't just in case. These dome shaped covers are just too hard to find.

Update 2019 - After 5+ years this thing is still always out on the kitchen counter near the microwave or drying rack, and it still looks new. I use it at least 2-3 times a week. A note, I always hand wash mine.---I've had this colander/microwave lid for over 2 years now, and it still looks new. I was worried that it would stain or warp with use, but it hasn't, and it's still going strong. Really one of the best kitchen purchases I've made. It's large enough to cover most anything you'd put in the microwave, and the strainer works well even if you have a lot of liquid with whatever you're straining. The holes are smaller, so stuff won't get through, and although the liquid might pool a bit because of the smaller holes in this colander, it hasn't ever clogged up on me. It's a bit bulky, but since it serves a dual purpose I don't mind. It's a product that just simply works, and works well.

The bowl-shaped, tall design is a great improvement over the typical microwave food covers, which tend to be shallow and sometimes touch the food.Absence of indented "handle" - because it's smooth on the inside, this food cover is super easy to clean. No more gross spots where the food has exploded into the "handle" area like on my old cover! And the "feet" sticking up on the outside of this cover make it easy to lift up and off of your dish.

I bought this on a whim while I was outfitting my kitchen recently. A food cover and a colander? Sure, why not. It works great. Some questions you may have:* How does it work as a microwave food cover? A: I have a cabinet-mounted microwave about 2.0 sq foot volume. The Progressive International Microwave cover fits inside over a medium size-plate or bowl with room to spare. However, I'm confident this would be too large for the smaller microwaves available at work. The bowl is deep and the colander legs stick up a little. Avoid if you have a small, dorm-size microwave. Get a flatter microwave cover instead.* How does it work as a colander? A: Perfectly. This is a medium-sized colander perfect for washing fruits/vegetables, cleaning rice, or small amounts of pasta. If you cook lots of pasta this will be too small to serve as a primary colander.

This is the best splatter guard I have owned. I regularly warm food in deep soup bowls and this cover doesn't touch the food like other ones I have owned. I haven't had soup splatter beyond the of cover onto the inside of the microwave. I can see how it could happen but it hasn't been a problem for me. Soup and some other foods will splatter the inside of the cover, but I just rinse it and dry it after every use so that is not a problem. I wash it in the dishwasher once a week. It has not stained or yellowed after several months of use. I think so highly of this cover that I'm thinking of getting some more as presents for family and friends.

WHAT I LIKE:➠ Awesome height - The top doesn't touch your food unless it's piled *really* high➠ Great that it serves double duty as a strainer➠ Easy to clean - I usually just wipe it down quickly with a soapy sponge and then give it a quick rinse➠ Does a great job at minimizing splatter in the microwaveWHAT COULD BE IMPROVED:➠ The diameter is a bit smaller than I'd like - It doesn't cover the larger plates I have, and therefore rests on the outside part of the plate. As a result, it will touch your food on a larger plate unless you push all the food towards the center.

We specifically looked for a microwave cover that had some good height to it but still had a good width to it - as the ones in stores sometimes were not high enough to fit over the food/dish.

Great product, purchased the product twice ,for both of our properties.Delivered on their promise, would recommend this product to anyone.

Great. Fits nicely around the outside of a standard dinner plate, and plenty tall enough to go over a mound of food. Seems good quality.

Really good. Finally found something tall enough not to touch the food.The colander part also works well, although I don't use it almost.