Hot Pockets are called Hot Pockets due to the hot filling (Hot) inside of a crust encasing (Pockets). However, there is a misconception that the Pockets part of Hot Pockets is due to the sleeve that one uses to cook the tasty treat.
The “sleeve” acted as a susceptor, which inhibits the heating process in microwaves. It also made the treat portable, as one could walk around with the Hot Pocket, holding onto the sleeve portion. But unbeknownst to many fans of nostalgic snack, Hot Pockets did away with the sleeve in June of 2024. The news came as a shock to popular TikToker Alex Parris (@parriseemo).
Parris, who has over 120,000 followers, made a video demanding answers from Hot Pockets after noticing they went sleeveless. The video now has over 900,000 views.
“So, Hot Pocket, where do y’all bake the pockets?” TikToker Alex Parris (@parriseemo) asks, whipping out the sleeveless, frozen Hot Pocket. “How am I supposed to bake this now?”
“Unopened pockets with no pockets,” the content creator says, showing a few more of them. “They’re just ‘Hot! The reason for your name is because it’s hot in a pocket.”
“I went grocery shopping, got some Hot Pockets to be more convenient, so I don’t eat out as much,” Parris continues. “Now I gotta put it on a paper towel?”
“Fix it, now!” Parris demands, angrily putting a Hot Pocket on a paper towel into the microwave and slamming it shut.
The Daily Dot reached out to Parris via Instagram direct message and TikTok comment.
This was news to viewers
Parris’ video is how many people learned that Hot Pockets went sleeveless.
“As a broke college student who eats hot pockets religiously , my flabbers were definitely gasted,” one viewer wrote.
“So I’m not tripping. I thought I had got a defective box. WTH Hot pockets??!!” another remarked.
Why did Hot Pockets ditch the sleeve?
In June, the company officially made the microwavable treat sleeve-free. However, the intention of the revamped Hot Pocket was to enhance the flavor, not diminish it.
“After decades of perfecting Hot Pockets, we’ve achieved a breakthrough that allowed us to remove the sleeve, while delivering an even better tasting product. By eliminating the sleeve, we’re reducing 3,300 tons of waste and improving our product by giving you more of what you love, like 30% more pepperoni,” Nestlé’s website notes.
Update 11:30am CT, Dec. 12: A spokesperson for Hot Pockets confirmed this with the Daily Dot, saying, “Hot Pockets no longer need the microwave susceptor ‘sleeve.’ This packaging update helps reduce waste, speeds up the cooking process and enhances the overall Hot Pockets snacking experience.”
@parriseemo Im pissed. 😒 @Hot Pockets ♬ original sound – Alex Parris
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