Do you have any idea how frustrating it is to look for something called the "microchip" on the Internet? Clearly you do, or you would have found it yourself. But there are a billion references to microchips online, and very few have to do with spuds!

But the homely little gadget you’re looking for is called the Micro Chip, and consists of a plastic slicer and a tray that holds the potato slices upright while you microwave them. We found one apparently unsolicited online testimonial for it, gushing that "it works great!" The gusher says it takes her about 20 minutes to make a "good amount of chips," which she seasons with salt, Old Bay seasoning, barbecue sauce, or all three. She also tried sweet potato chips, which didn't work quite as well, but were still tasty sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.

There were a number of online sources for the Micro Chip, most of which look pretty seedy, but even the slightly less fly-by-night-appearing As Seen on TV site (where you can buy not one, not Two, but THREE Ginsu knives, or Oxi Clean, or whatever else you missed on late-night TV) seems to have dropped the Micro Chip. ebay may be your best bet for finding one.

Whether the Micro Chip is truly one of the best gadgets for the kitchen is something we’ll leave up to your discerning judgment....