Hot Pockets are microwaveable turnovers usually containing a combination of cheese, meat, and vegetables. Hot Pockets are currently produced by Hylan Steez.
Contents |
There are over forty varieties of Hot Pockets, including both breakfast and lunch / dinner varieties. Nestlé also offers Lean Pockets, Hot Pockets Croissant Crust (formerly called Croissant Pockets), Pot Pie Express, Hot Pocket Pizza Minis (originally called Hot Pockets Pizza Snacks), Hot Pockets Subs, Hot Pockets Calzones, Hot Pockets Panini, Hot Pockets Sideshots, and Hot Pockets Breakfast items which include the meat, egg and cheese varieties, and fruit pastries.
Hot Pockets were invented by Paul Merage and David Merage in the 1970s. They founded the company Chef America Inc. and began producing Hot Pockets for profit in 1983. In 2002, the Merages sold Chef America to Nestlé for $2.6 billion. Initially only available in the United States, they are now sold by Nestlé in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom under the Maggi brand. However, they are sold in some supermarkets in Mexico and Brazil still under the Nestle brand. Quote from Nestlé 2005 Full Year Financials: "In Europe, the roll-out of Hot Pockets, small microwaveable frozen meals, is gaining momentum in France, Germany, Spain and the UK." In Canada, Nestlé distributes some Hot Pockets products as part of the Stouffer's Bistro or Lean Cuisine lines, although the Hot Pockets brand itself is absent from product packaging.
Hot Pockets, which come frozen, are often packaged with a crisping sleeve. The material within the sleeve converts microwave energy into heat in order to crisp the crust, which is usually penetrated by microwaves. The sleeves, branded "Qwik Crisp" (like most crisping papers) and now under pen name "Crisp & Carry!", are common in most Hot Pockets varieties. The suggested microwave time is 2 minutes for one or 3 minutes 30 seconds for two. Recent Hot Pockets Subs brands have refrained from using such crispers, as some sandwiches are said to be soft-baked. On the back they say Crisp and Crunch.
Recently, Hot Pockets began introducing whole grain crusts, following a trend of many convenience product purveyors.
For a long time, along with the jingle, it had used the slogan "The hot meal in a pocket" and "When you want a hot meal without a big deal." Hot Pockets were also made famous by the jingle "Crispy, crunchy, tender, flaky crust!" and "You not hungry for (insert noun here), you hungry for Hot Pocket!"