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they might be convenient, but ultimately they're just landfill along with whatever waste and pollution was created in making them.

I have converted entirely to microwave steaming. I use a Pyrex measuring cup, a glass casserole, or a serving bowl and go to it. Great results, no bag. I might use these if I was camping or attempting to sustain myself in a hotel room with a hot plate or something, but I very much doubt I would use them otherwise.

I don't know, if you consider the energy that goes into boiling water and how inefficient most stoves are, these bags may very well be a more energy efficient way of steaming vegetables.

We had these when they first came out - back in the 90s. It's easier to just steam veggies with a tiny bit of water in a tupperware/storage container. You cook eat and put away the same dish.

A cheaper (and less waste-ridden) way to produce perfect steamed veggies in the microwave is this:

1) place fresh or frozen veggies into correct sized cereal or pasta bowl
2) add ~ 2 T water
3) place a plate on top of the bowl (round plates with slightly slanted sides work best, you want a decent seal)
4) microwave
5) use slotted spoon to serve.

I steam my veggies in glass bowls covered with a sheet of plastic wrap with holes punched in the top--a sprinkle of salt, and a 5-to-10-minute zap, and it's done. It's especially ace when I need squash in a hurry. For most veggies, the water left on after a good wash is enough to steam them through. As for meat, I'll admit--I sometimes "bake" or steam chicken thighs, just like veggies, in the microwave under some hoisin sauce or a Worcestershire concoction, and I think it's turned out pretty well--not dry or overcooked at all.

I am a total devotee of microwave steaming veggies--I do broccoli in the microwave at least once a week. The way I do it now (in any kind of bowl or dish with a tiny bit of water, mostly covered with a lid or plate) is plenty convenient. It's not like steaming veggies produces any kind of mess to speak of, anyway.

I don't microwave plastic of any kind, so no I haven't tried these. Nor will I.

i do not own a microwave. never ever ever.

i don't have a microwave, but wouldn't use these even if i did. i don't care what the FDA says, microwaving plastic is a bad idea.
we eat steamed veggies a few times a week. the steamer and its accompanying pan are some of the easiest pans to clean. food doesn't stick to the pan when you are steaming it, so it hardly needs more than a rise with a soapy sponge.

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I've used them and they worked okay, although the times recommended on the bag were sometimes too long but that could be because we have a pretty powerful microwave. But I didn't have results any better than what I have when I steam veggies based on the directions in Francis Price's Healthy Cooking for Two (a book I love, by the way) so I never wasted the money on them again. While I was going through the box I washed and reused bags and never had any problem, although I wouldn't do it more than once since I agree that microwaves and plastic are generically not a good idea. I'm pro-microwave steaming in general though. I especially like it since I can do it in the same dish I'm going to eat off of, which saves dishwashing water, since we have neither a dishwasher nor a stoppable sink in our dorm kitchen so every washed dish requires running the sink.

you're not supposed to put any plastic in the microwave. these are not a good idea, i wouldn't try them.

Yeah, I would worry about microwaving plastic - and especially microwaving it more than recommended by reusing the bags. The tips posters have listed here are more frugal, anyway.

sillyLN - we do exactly the same thing. Veggies in appropriate ceramic or glass bowl, a T of water or so, plate on top, set microwave for 2-4 minutes (depending on the veggie). Perfect every time!!!

Please don't microwave plastic, it's terrible for you! What's wrong with doing it on the stovetop?

I have one of those Orka silicone steamers & I love it. I used, washed & re-used the steamer bags a few times before I got the Orka, but I didn't really like them. The Orka is really convenient. It steams in just a few minutes with no water needed, & no need to use plastic wrap to cover a bowl in the microwave or anything. Really easy to clean, a great size... like I said, I love it.

Chalk up another - no plastic in the microwave comment! Not even plastic wrap!

It's easy to nuke something in pyrex with a plate on top.

If I buy frozen veggies, I buy the Birds Eye "steam fresh" bags that can be microwaved. I don't have many pots or a dishwasher, so if I'm making a two-pan dish already it's super convenient to just throw a bag of veggies in the microwave 5 minutes before my pasta is done. They taste the same as frozen veggies you'd cook in water--that is, not as good as fresh, but fine for lazy nights. I would think the steamer ziploc bags are along the same lines.

I tried them out of professional interest but I prefer to steam on my stove top.

I have one package of like 10 bags or whatever, I've had them for months and months now and I've used a couple. I liked having them on hand for nights when I get distracted and somehow forget about vegetables until the meat/entree/etc. is entirely done and ready to go on the table. Or I get home very late from work and just don't have it in me to look at a single pot.

I've only used them for vegetables though.

I never microwave plastic. Ever. I don't own a microwave at home, and when/if I use the microwave at school (or previous jobs) i would use a real dish. Plastic is likely a huge contributor to a variety of modern health issues and I wonder why anyone would choose lazy over bad health.

I love plastic! I nuke and cook everything in it and I am as healthy as a hog! Steam away freely and reuse those bags - they are convenient and seem to make tasty food. Everyone who is terrified of the Ziplocks also seem to have all the time in the world to hand craft all their clothes, eat only organic quinoa that was locally grown and shipped to the farmers' market by growers by foot, and plan to live forever in perfect health never eating tasty fatty food!

Get over yourselves, people!

I sense a good poll subject in here...

Plastics, since people are bringing this up, have several different kinds. Not all plastics are the same and some are able to sustain very high temperatures. If you guys are worried about plastics, then what do you feel about sous vide? Plus microwaves aren't deadly either. Everything can kill you.

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cookplastic.asp

I am a columnist in Boston - a parenting/humor columnist - and came across these zippy bags with the following results:

http://www.estherbaird.com/08_28_2008bcfinal.pdf

say no to microwaving plastic of any kind. its not exactly good for your health. use glass containers. this product is too gimicky how hard is it to just steam your own veggies?,

PS: to each his own and I agree there are various types of plastics but research is catching up

http://news.health.com/2008/11/03/fda-faulted-stance-chemical-plastics/


http://news.health.com/2008/11/13/chemical-plastics-may-cause-fertility-problems/

i use the bags sometimes and i use the bowl with plate method using my handy-dandy microwave button that says "vegetables".. then i can pick fresh or frozen and it always comes out perfectly!

I also steam veggies in the microwave in a bowl with a plate on top. I add just a little water to the bottom and they turn out perfectly.

I hate these bags. They are not no-mess. The mess is just transferred to the landfill. Also, I already have bowls and plates, so why waste space on a box of bags?

I'm in the no plastic in the microwave camp. I am also in the sous-vide is a terrible idea camp. I know it produces lovely food, but as chefs are not toxicologists, I don't want to be on the forefront of testing out this trend. Oh... and I also dont like boil in bag rice.

Luv em, just tried them and they work great. I usually don't buy things like this, but I have been so busy that it has helped me out. I did shrimp and asparagus took a total of 10 minutes with prep and cooking time.

I despise products likes these. Why use something once and throw it away when there are so many other perfectly good options? That is simply laziness and nothing else. How long does it really take to boil water? You put it on the stove and do other things until it's ready. Washing a pot used to steam veggies should take no more than two minutes. Plus, microwaving doesn't need special products, as many others have pointed out. There is just no excuse for wasteful products like these anymore. No one is that naive.

several people have commented on the use of plastics in the microwave, but what about the use of oil to produce and transport this product, not to mention the amount of waste! I use glass bowls with plates for lids, and don't miss the convenience of having yet one more thing to throw away...get over myself? ok.

I have used them, and personally I enjoy the convenience of them. However, broccoli does seem to get overcooked and brown. And along the lines of throwing them away, ever heard of washing and reusing them??

A friend of mine gave me some of these and I've found they steam things great! Every time the veggies came out perfectly. There are instructions on the bag as to how much to put in and how much time to zap 'em. If you follow the instructions, it will steam your veggies in no time! (My veggies have never been over or undercooked.)

these are horrible! Shame on you for even suggesting that these are an acceptable alternative to a perfectly good and reusable glass container

Microwaving your food in plastic is a really really bad idea to begin with....then there's the waste issue of all this extra plastic. For those who commented that stoves are inefficient compared to the microwave, yes, ok. But the energy and resources needed to produce each one of these bags is surely more than that needed to steam your veggies in a glass container.