Cooking pasta is not rocket science. Boil water, add noodles, wait the appropriate amount of time, then dump into a colander. Does it really need to be any simpler?

Maybe not, but there is room in the world for a device that makes pasta in the microwave.

For those without stoves — college kids in dorm rooms, for example — it could mean the difference between cold sandwiches and a hot pasta meal.

I have a perfectly good stove, but I prefer using this pasta maker. It means I don’t have a pot of water steaming up my kitchen and in the end I can strain the hot water out through the lid, which means I don’t have to get out or wash a colander.

Despite its name the Fasta Pasta won’t necessarily save time, unless your stove takes a very long time to boil water. Spaghetti for two will still take about 14 minutes to cook. It does take less water than a pot, though.

Cook’s Illustrated magazine gave top marks to the Fasta Pasta in a test of microwave pasta cookers in 2014. It noted no difference in taste or texture between microwaved and stove-cooked pasta and praised the device’s low price and sturdy design.

Item: Fasta Pasta

Cost and availability: $14.99 from several online sources. Compleat Kitchen sells a similar item under the Lekue brand for $45.

Pros: No need to stir. No need to keep tabs on a pot to watch for boil-over or to keep the pasta from sticking or overcooking. The guide that comes with the device is quite reliable about cooking times for various types of pasta (if you lose it you can easily find one online). The lid is great — it strains and also has pukas that measure one- and two-serving portions of spaghetti. An important warning: Do NOT cook with the lid on. This will cause boil-over (I speak from experience here).

Cons: The container will be very hot and full of hot, sloshy water, so you need to be careful removing it from the microwave, especially if your microwave is up high. This makes it treacherous for children.

Caveat: As with all microwave cooking, if you’re working with a low-wattage appliance (700 or less) you probably will have to make adjustments in timing, which will be inconvenient at first because you’ll have to open the microwave, remove the (very hot) container and check your contents. But once you have it figured out your future uses should be hassle-free.

Worth it? Yes.