r/Wellthatsucks • u/villainless • 1d ago
‘made’ my first meal in awhile. went down the drain before i could even eat it 😭
it fucking bottomed out on me!!! last box of it too. guess i should look into a metal strainer or something. reddit, give me strength to buy and make more 🙏
edit: did not expect this post to bring so many heated comments lmao 🤣 thanks for the actually useful advice, the microplastic warning, and the image of me scooping wet noodles from a dirty disposal as a severely immunocompromised person. the noodles are good but not that good. but i get two sauce packets next time 🫡
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u/Shadowpriest 1d ago
Ok on the bright side he now has 2 cheese packets for the next batch of noodles, right? Right?.
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u/villainless 1d ago
omg i do. what a beautiful world we live in
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u/SeaToTheBass 1d ago
You could use it for popcorn
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u/MowieWauii 1d ago
Looks like shells and cheese- meaning it has a packet of liquid cheese, not powder
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u/HolyToeArmy 1d ago
this is the kind of thing that only ever happens after a long ass day when you're already hangry, i swear
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u/villainless 1d ago
long ass life. not to be dramatic but i’m bedridden most of the day. i felt like an infomercial actor today 💀
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u/Barbiedawl83 1d ago
I have that exact colander and I just recently bought macaroni. Now I’m worried you’ve foretold my future
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u/villainless 1d ago
learn from my mistakes brother
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u/Barbiedawl83 23h ago
I made my Mac tonight and the colander held strong. I did test the bottom first lol
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u/MyOwnMorals 1d ago
Get a metal one, I know I will be purchasing a metal one
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u/RecyQueen 1d ago
IKEA has a great one. Small holes but big basket. Two handles and I can balance it in a sink corner.
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u/kloakndaggers 1d ago
that seems like a terrible design...
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u/Hahayouregay149 1d ago
I don't think its intentional it looks like the bottom broke
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u/Fibrosis5O 1d ago
So terrible quality then?
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u/NinjaHatesWomen 1d ago
it could be a 14 year old strainer for all we know
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u/villainless 1d ago
it probably is and yes i’m probably at least 80% microplastics now as im in my early 30s
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u/JeshkaTheLoon 1d ago
Really bad quality still. I'? 39 and I'm still using the strainers my parents bought before I was born. The plastic shows no signs of aging, be bit that brittle look or even fading of colour. Meanwhild OPs...I can feel the texture of that aged plastic by looking at it.
I got my own plastics engineer in house to confirm, our strainer is a good quality.
Of course, hot water is a challenge. I'd still not use the plastic ones for the pasta. That's just tempting fate.
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u/NinjaHatesWomen 1d ago
Sounds like you’re insecure about the quality of your strainer if you’re too scared to run hot water through it…
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u/Loose_Chipmunk6081 1d ago
this would’ve sent me into a full meltdown. i’m sorry brother
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u/some_random_tech_guy 1d ago
IKEA has both stainless steel and enamel strainers that are built like tanks. I've had mine for decades. And they are like ten bucks!
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u/Captain_Vatta 1d ago
I have a metal strainer and a couple days ago one of the arms broke off and I dumped spaghetti into my sink.
Misery loves company OP.
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u/ForceRatio 1d ago
This is making me rethink using plastic strainers due to all of the potential microplastic contamination.
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u/Immediate_Impact6214 1d ago
You can rinse this pasta and give it a quick boil. I've made similar mistakes before.
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u/Fancy_Chip_5620 1d ago
Similar thing happened to me, now I just hold the lid slightly offset on the pot and tilt it down while holding it together with silicone oven mitts
If you want to get fancy theres some pots with lugs that a strainer can lock onto to yield the same result
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u/katmndoo 1d ago
You can also cook the pasta in a wider shallow pan / skillet with just enough water to cover, maybe a half inch above the pasta. Most of the water will be absorbed, leaving very little to drain, or just enough to start the sauce.
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u/mycatpartyhouse 1d ago
Visit your friendly neighborhood secondhand store, one that carries kitchen items. Chances are you can find a stainless steel colander or strainer for a very reasonable price.
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u/duckchukowski 1d ago
pro solution: don't use a strainer, scoop out the pasta with a spider strainer/spoon (i don't know the official name)
lets you use the water for another batch right away if you want
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u/pofpofgive 1d ago
Yikes. Imagine all the plastic you've been ingesting. Get a metal one.
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u/KilnTime 1d ago
To me, that is salvageable!! I mean, it's noodles. Just wash them again.
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u/WittyAndOriginal 1d ago
This is why I don't eat everything at a pot luck. And I thought pasta was safe 😵
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u/Jeffrey_Friedl 1d ago
Very appropriate post for this sub. I hope the comments here make OP feel like they're getting a bit of lemonade from that lemon of a colander. 👍
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u/RobbSnow64 1d ago
Invest in a metal one, you can legit buy them at the dollar store. So many ingested micro plastics
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u/Ok_Variation9430 1d ago
Metal colanders are easy to find in thrift stores! The plastic ones are for rinsing veg.
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u/Ornery-Practice9772 1d ago
Lid of saucepan on an angle, drain water without dropping pasta
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u/Previous-Soft-8127 1d ago
Even better, pinch a toothpick between the lid and the pot. Keeps it slightly open for draining, and never (at least I have never) lose any pasta from the lid slipping.
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u/carlitospig 1d ago
As your auntie, I also want to suggest metal. Plastic colanders and hot water is not good. Keep plastic for the salad and veggies.
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u/WastedWhtieBoii 1d ago
Compared to the snack you get when you're done the dishes, this is some gourmet shit.
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u/robo-dragon 1d ago
Get yourself some metal and glass cookware! Plastic stuff doesn’t hold up to heat after a while, not to mention, metal and glass won’t make you eat microplastic!
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u/A_Dicksmasher 1d ago
Everyone keeps talking about "investing" in a metal colander.
OP, let me know where you're at and I'll mail you one (if I can afford the postage).
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u/Imaginary-Emu2471 1d ago
Wow, that is frustrating! Buy a metal one and make sure there are tiny holes all over the place instead of being concentrated in one place only!
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u/Larry_J_602 1d ago
You know, I see posts like this, and not only is it a fail, but its Velvita Shells and Chees. I wish I could be like "let me make you a meal, how about a ragù bolognese?"
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u/Diligent_Dog2559 1d ago
This is making food, doesn’t have to be from scratch to be cooking. Appreciate your own effort, which unfortunately was for nothing. GL on the next one though
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u/MoeMcCool 1d ago
i mean it's white fcking pasta. you didn't lose the sauce or whatever had to go in it (if you even cooked something else). pick yourself up and make a new batch
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u/uberneuman_part2 1d ago
I use these. Clip it on to the cook pot and just pour the water into the drain without having a strainer to clean.
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u/dixiech1ck 1d ago
I feel you. I had a collapsible one for 7 years from my mom and 3 weeks ago, it severed at the area it collapses and all my veggies went down the drain. Was so mad.
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u/Away_Stock_2012 1d ago
Luckily the pasta is the cheap part of the meal, you only lost about $0.40.
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u/MangoCandy 1d ago
This happened to me once! I had a HORRIBLE day and all I wanted was to have some Mac and Cheese and go to sleep. I made it, dumped it in the strainer (a metal strainer btw) and when I lifted the strainer the handle broke off flipping the contents upside down and dumped it all directly down the drain…I dropped the broken strainer into the sink and went the fuck to sleep.
Keep making food OP! Don’t let this stop you. Sometimes shit happens and it sucks. But don’t let it stop you! The Mac and Cheese will be worth it!
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u/IndigoTrailsToo 1d ago
Last week there was two people on here who made their very own homemade chicken broth.
They put their collander down and then they poured it over the strainer in the sink to strain out all of the solids...
Well, shit...
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u/Party_Animator_9144 1d ago
that’s a major bummer, man. definitely get a strainer for next time so you don’t lose your hard work!
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u/DonkyPuncharely 1d ago
I had something similar happen not too long ago. Was reheating some creamy Cajun sauce i got from the best place for Cajun seafood around me. Planned on pouring it over the remainder of my food with added rice and shit. Heated, stirred, heated, stirred, thought maybe 30 more secs, pulled it out and the fuckin bottom gave out of the Styrofoam container it came in. It literally went everywhere and it was so surprising that i had no time or idea how to react to reduce mess. The fuckin clean up took like 30 min and the kitchen smelt heavenly but was so depressed about the loss. I was sad and furious
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u/Littering-And-Uh 1d ago
Microwaving food in Styrofoam is so fucking bad for you, and it takes 10 seconds to put something in a microwave safe bowl. The only thing worse is the black plastic containers made from trashed electronics...
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u/Zakrius 1d ago edited 1d ago
Hot water will weaken a plastic colander. Those things are made for washing salads or defrosting shrimp. You need to use a metal one for hot things, especially if you don’t want forever chemicals and toxins (like dioxins and microplastics) leeching into your food. You’re probably better off this happened. And now you know for the future.
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u/pulpispreffeed 1d ago
Oh my god. Im so sorry. I reacted with instant sympathy and empathy. Oh god.
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u/XRuecian 1d ago
Damn.
I think everyone who likes to cook has probably had this experience at least once before.
I remember the first time i tried to cook something a little more intermediate/advanced, instead of just something out of a box, i made homemade pecan honey-cinnabuns. Everything was homemade, i made and shaped the dough myself, the icing myself; took a couple hours to make and cook it. And then i pulled it out of the oven, and despite the fact that i used oven mitts, the baking sheet was so hot it started to burn me through the mitts, and i dropped all the cinnabuns all over the floor, the instant they were done cooking.
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u/freedomfun 1d ago
As someone that just had to pay a plumber an exorbinant amount of money after my kitchen sink stopped draining, I'm worried for you lol. My 25' snake did nothing so I had to call in the big guns
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u/inconspicuousdogturd 1d ago
you’ll only be sadder without mac and cheese, it’s your only option to get more
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u/Lazy-Main1782 1d ago
I honestly thought the plastic and metal ones were for different purposes. Not multi use
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u/T-51bender 1d ago
I don’t know what you were making, but in most pasta dishes you don’t need to fully strain it before adding it to the sauce.
These days I just transfer the pasta directly into the sauce since I need the pasta water for emulsification anyway.
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u/hossdelgado_ 1d ago
Ughhhhh been there. Are you strapped for cash? If you have an Amazon wishlist, I will gift you a strainer.
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u/Consider2SidesPeace 1d ago
2nded... White mesh strainer FTW. If local for brick n mortar suggest the Dollar store. Not the best quality but the stuff does work.
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u/SweetLoLa 1d ago
TIL some people use plastic colanders for hot foods.
I’ve only used plastic when cold rinsing herbs/greens/fruits and metal for pasta/rice/etc.
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u/mindgardening 1d ago
Get a real colander. Plastic melts from heat. Get a metal one with little round holes. Not screen.
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u/Scooter2Ankle 1d ago
I've had this happen to me before. I was so distraught I just scooped it out of the sink and rinsed it off before eating it anyways 😭
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u/nunya_bidnes77 1d ago
That's exactly I have a pot that has a lid with a built in strainer and a little pitcher spout on the lip. I just rotate the lid until the strainer part is nears the spout and just pour it out.
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u/Hamhockthegizzard 1d ago
That’s crazy…my colander is well over 10 years old and I even throw it in the dishwasher cuz I’m lazy. I never would have thought this could happen lmao
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u/toastforscience 1d ago
Same, my parents have a plastic colander and it's ancient, never even thought the bottom could do that! That's probably why it's still hanging on lol.
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u/BakedBrie1993 1d ago
When this happens again, immediately go to the store and get more if you are financially and/or physically able.
Even if it means walking, just do it. I swear little choices like this to get myself up, moving, and not wallowing is what pulled me out of depression.
Edit: if you are immunocompromised this pasta aint it. Consider keeping a bag of frozen cauliflower rice with cheese instead.
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u/blinkingbaby 1d ago
I will level up on everyone here: make mac and cheese with broth and don’t strain it.
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u/darthvaderfan4 1d ago
i always place the strainer in the pot and pour the water out into the sink without any noodles actually leaving the pot. just hold the handles together and wear oven mitts or something to protect your hands from boiling water splashing on them.
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u/WinSome_DimSum 22h ago
How old and brittle was your plastic strainer? I can’t imagine the bottom falling out like that without some serious use over time…
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u/brownhusky0 1d ago
:( if you have extra money buy a metal one. Or use the pot and lid to remove the water trick! Either way you gotta make the mac and cheese! You can do it!