A prep-a-lot is very well-named. It offers advantages for a range of variously lazy cooks
for those who rebel against peeling:
In my case, since I am not a great peeler, I find mine a quick, easy peeling alternative. All you do is put the vegetable into the prep-a-lot and sort of jiggle the whole lot around. The big knobbly bits of skin are rubbed off by the knobbles inside the prep-a-lot as well as by the vegetables rubbing against themselves. The skin that’s left is paper-thin and just adds to the general flavour. New potatoes and baby carrots are obvious candidates for this type of treatment.
for those who don’t have room for a steamer:
I concede that those bamboo steamers you see everywhere in smart cookshops look the real deal, but I simply don’t have room for them in my kitchen… you can perch the prep-a-lot over a smallish saucepan and steam away. The silicone prep-a-lot folds in two and can be stashed in any cupboard or drawer corner.
for those who don’t have room for a colander:
I don’t have this problem as my colander fits neatly under my mixing bowls, but in any case, you can also use it as a colander
for those who like to cook their vegetables in the microwave:
The best way to do this is to effectively steam – put the vegetables in the prep-a-lot. find a deepish plate, put a little water in it, put the vegetables on top and microwave away.
for those who don’t have the muscles of Arnold Schwarzenegger:
Are you a seven stone weakling struggling with opening jars? Or are you superman, but you just happen to have oil all over your hands? Either way, you can save your dishcloths and just use this indestructible, super gripping piece of silicone.
for those who are watching the dosh:
If you were to buy a colander, a microwave steamer, a normal steamer, and a jar opener you would have paid many times more than the cost of this utensil – it currently costs the princely sum of £4.99 – that’s about 8 US$ or 6€
well…. I find mine quite useful! I promise I don’t get commission, but you can buy a prep-a-lot at Lakeland or on Amazon
