Don’t you love microwavable meals?  Do you wish there was a place you could go online that would help you distinguish between the good, the bad and the nasty when it comes to this type of cuisine?

Well look no further folks…have I got a place for you!

Okay, that was terribly clichéd but the words still ring true.  If you’ve ever been stuck staring through the glass in the frozen foods section of your favorite grocery store, then you know the bewilderment that comes from not knowing anything about the names staring back at you through the glass.  HeatEatReview.com is your one-stop shop for reviews of all sort of microwavable delicacies.  Abi Jones is the editor of HeatEatReview.com, and she joins us here at onemattDOTcom for an interview.

1M:  Hey Abi, thanks for joining us here.

Abi:  Thanks for the invitation, Matt.

1M:  First off, when and how did you come up with the idea for HeatEatReview.com?

Abi:  HeatEatReview started through a mixture of frugality and adventurousness. When I started bringing frozen meals to the office it turned out there were more misses than hits. I searched for an online resource and couldn’t find one that was trustworthy and up-to-date, so I decided to make my own.

1M:  How many reviewers do you currently have at HeatEatReview.com?  What sort of foods have they reviewed?

Abi: We have 5 regularly active contributors at HeatEatReview, with a lot of one-off guest reviewers. Over the course HeatEatReview’s history, we’ve had over 30 reviewers, including a Pillsbury Bake-Off winner and some highly opinionated Weight Watchers members.

1M:  Looking through the site, I can see tons of content.  How long did you work at the content on your own before you decided it was time to get more people involved?

Abi:  I tried to start HeatEatReview on my own, but after about 5 meals in 5 days I quickly tired of eating frozen food. After a brief break and an assessment of my goals for the site, I asked my friends and colleagues to be a part of the project. I knew that the only way it would work was with help. I can’t imagine trying to do it alone, then or now.

1M:  Being an editor of an online weblog as popular as yours can be daunting and time-consuming I’m sure. How does being editor of HeatEatReview.com impact your personal and professional life?

Abi:  Professionally, after work happy hours sometimes degenerate into discussions about food and dares to eat somewhat disgusting meals (see Jess’s sampling of Amy’s Kitchen Vegetable Loaf). On a personal level, my fiancé and I have the occasional disagreement about freezer space. It means that when we go grocery shopping I’m in charge of arranging everything so that it fits, much like a chilly game of Tetris.

1M:  So what’s next for HeatEatReview.com?

Abi: This November HeatEatReview will take part in NaBloPoMo (the easier version of NaNoWriMo) for a second year. We’ll be featuring a new item every single day during the month, a huge change from the usual three-a-week schedule and a lot of work. I’m also developing the first ever video review for the site. It will be Kid Cuisine Fish Sticks. I’ve never been so apprehensive about a meal.

1M:  Do you have any new ideas for blogs or websites that we might could look forward to?

Abi:  Right now I’m in the content-building, guest-reviewer-finding stage for two new sites. The first, Imbibable.com, is solely focused on beverages. We’re taking a close look at bottled beverages and fresh-made items from major chains. The second is Snack Lounge (at SnackLounge.com) and as the name says it is snack reviews only. I’m still developing the sites, so they’re in the soft-launch phase until January 2008.

1M:  Well Abi, thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions!  Keep up the great work at HeatEatReview.com!

Abi:  Thanks for taking an interest in HeatEatReview.com, we love the attention.