Microwaveable Ice Cream Sundaes
Johnston's Hot Scoop Microwave Sundae is one of those products where you have to wonder what was going through the minds of the executives who dreamed it up. Introduced in the mid-1980s, the concept was that it was an entire, frozen ice cream sundae that you could heat in the microwave, and (in theory) only the topping would melt.
In practice, the ice cream also inevitably melted, leaving consumers with a soggy mix of ice cream and topping. And yet the company went to all the effort to make this thing because they figured it would be too difficult for people to just heat the topping on its own.
A review of the product:
In practice, the ice cream also inevitably melted, leaving consumers with a soggy mix of ice cream and topping. And yet the company went to all the effort to make this thing because they figured it would be too difficult for people to just heat the topping on its own.
A review of the product:
Minneapolis Star Tribune - July 16, 1986
Comments
Speaking of too lazy, I've seen microwaveable potatoes. Apparently people are willing to spend a dollar or more for a potato that's been washed and wrapped in plastic.
Posted by ges on 07/30/18 at 09:53 AM
@ges -- They're paying for quality and convenience. It can take five minutes or more to find a decent baking potato in the bulk bin, all while looking like an idiot with a starch fetish. The individually-wrapped ones are curated: their size, weight, and other factors regarding suitability for baking are guaranteed. This is a service, and services always add cost.
It's like asking why people pay $1 for a can of sliced potatoes when they can buy a five-pound bag for $2. Personally, I buy them because they cost less in the long run and are just so much more convenient. I rarely eat potatoes, so I'd never get more than the first serving out of a bag; the rest would go bad long before I wanted more. And it's usually late in the evening when the notion of having them strikes; driving 36 miles to the nearest 24-hour market just to buy a few is impractical. Having a couple of cans of potatoes sitting ob the shelf is ideal.
It's like asking why people pay $1 for a can of sliced potatoes when they can buy a five-pound bag for $2. Personally, I buy them because they cost less in the long run and are just so much more convenient. I rarely eat potatoes, so I'd never get more than the first serving out of a bag; the rest would go bad long before I wanted more. And it's usually late in the evening when the notion of having them strikes; driving 36 miles to the nearest 24-hour market just to buy a few is impractical. Having a couple of cans of potatoes sitting ob the shelf is ideal.
Posted by Phideaux on 07/30/18 at 12:17 PM
Someone, I forget which company took the microwave sundae disaster to heart and invented microwave milk shakes. Nuke 'em then mix the boiling part with the still frozen part. I exaggerate a bit. I tried them and got a cold shake with a flavor and consistency McDonald's would reject.
Posted by eddi on 07/31/18 at 11:28 PM
And yet, omelettes Russes exist. The general public is just lazy and stupid, and would rather eat pre-prepared pig slop than cook a real meal themselves.
Phideaux: and yet, I'd rather starve to death than consume canned (canned!?) potah-toes. I dunno, you might live in a concrete desert, but in the civilised world, potatoes are sold by weight as well as in ten-pound bags.
Phideaux: and yet, I'd rather starve to death than consume canned (canned!?) potah-toes. I dunno, you might live in a concrete desert, but in the civilised world, potatoes are sold by weight as well as in ten-pound bags.
Posted by Richard Bos on 08/04/18 at 10:43 AM
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Category: Food | Products | 1980s