'Perfect' tortilla bowls at the touch of a button

Looks can be deceiving. The basic simplicity found in a tortilla in no way conveys its potential. Not until ingredients have been added does the humble tortilla reveal its genius. Whether they are folded or wrapped up, corn and flour tortillas can transform anything and everything into delicious tacos and burritos. Yet despite all this versatility, tortillas can do even more; it just takes a little prodding.

Coaxing new forms out of ingredients is nothing new, nor is it even new for tortillas. The Nostalgia Electrics TSM100 Tortilla Bowl Maker ($19.99) says that it lets you "make perfect tortilla bowls in just minutes." They may or may not be perfect, but this fluted pan is here to form a new future.

That future may hold endless possibilities, but at the very least there's sure to be a lot of taco salads on the horizon. Clearly what would be called a unitasker, this is designed for one thing and one thing only. Plug it in, turn it on, and place a store-bought tortilla (either corn or flour) in the mold and close the lid. Within moments, a ready-to-eat tortilla bowl is ready for filling. Can it do more? Well, it only costs $19.99 (plus processing and handling) to find out.