Tovolo Microwave Cover: Collapses for Storage

Microwave splatter is one of those small annoyances that becomes a cleaning job later. The Tovolo Collapsible Microwave Food Cover is designed to stop sauce, soup, and reheated leftovers from hitting the microwave walls while using far less cabinet space than a rigid dome. The medium charcoal version is 10.5 inches across, so the first buying question is simple: will it actually fit the plates and bowls you reheat most often?

Measure your plate before you buy the cover

The medium cover is listed at 10.5 inches wide. That makes it a practical match for many dinner plates, but it is not a universal lid for every bowl, casserole, or oversized plate. Check the widest dish you regularly put in the microwave and make sure the cover can sit over the food without resting on it.

Height matters too. The collapsible design expands when in use and folds down for storage, but tall bowls or piled food can still need more clearance than a low plate. If your microwave is compact, measure the usable turntable area rather than assuming a “medium” cover will fit.

That quick size check is more important than any clever feature. A splatter cover is useful only when it is easy enough to reach for every time you reheat something messy.

Vents contain splatter without sealing in steam

Tovolo uses a perforated top so steam can escape while the cover blocks most food splatter. That is a better fit for reheating than a sealed lid, because steam still has somewhere to go.

The center handle gives you a place to lift the cover without grabbing the hot rim. Even so, steam can be hot when you uncover food, so lift it away from your face and hands rather than treating the vents as a guarantee that no heat has collected underneath.

The cover is made from silicone and BPA-free plastic and is intended for microwave use. It is not an oven lid, so keep it out of conventional ovens and away from direct heating elements.

The collapsible body earns its space in a crowded cabinet

The main advantage over a rigid microwave dome is storage. Tovolo’s medium cover collapses down to about one inch high, which makes it easier to slide into a shallow cabinet or stack with other flat kitchen items.

That matters if you already avoid bulky microwave accessories because they take up more space than they save in cleaning time. A cover that folds flat is easier to keep close to the microwave instead of burying it in a deep cupboard.

The same design also lets the cover expand for use without adding hinges, latches, or removable vent pieces. Fewer loose parts means there is less to misplace between meals.

Cleanup is simple, but the cover still needs routine care

Tovolo marks the cover dishwasher safe, and the smooth plastic and silicone construction can also be washed with soap and water. Cleaning it soon after a tomato-sauce or oily-food spill is easier than letting residue dry inside the vent holes.

The manufacturer also notes that the cover can be placed underneath a plate in the microwave, which can give you another barrier between a hot dish and the turntable when you remove the meal. That is useful only when the plate sits securely, so do not turn the cover into an improvised tray for a dish that does not fit flat.

Because the cover is vented, it should be thought of as a splatter guard rather than an airtight storage lid. It is meant to make reheating cleaner, not replace food-storage containers.

Buy it if reheating messes are common in your kitchen

The Tovolo cover makes the most sense for households that reheat sauces, soups, rice dishes, and leftovers often enough that microwave cleanup is a recurring chore. Its strongest combination is the vented top plus the flat-folding storage design.

Skip it if your most-used dishes are larger than 10.5 inches, unusually tall, or if you want a sealed lid for food storage. Also skip it if a rigid cover already fits your microwave and cabinet without causing any inconvenience.

For the right microwave and plate size, this is a simple gadget with a clear job: catch the mess before it reaches the microwave walls, then collapse out of the way when dinner is done.