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But wait ... there's more ... what are your experiences with "as seen on TV" cookware?

OK, so I'm tempted by "the perfect meatloaf pan" wih the special lifting tray with holes in the bottom to drain fat.

But wait ... there's more ... a special knive to cut even slices. Actually it is two knives put together. I sort of intuitively know the knife is going to be a disaster.

But wait ... there's more ... a recipe book of meatloaf recipes ... which, um, sound yucky.

Anyway, anyone buy this thing?

I feel kind of bad being tempted as I just had a hissy fit in another thread about teflon lined cookware and this is.

So, has anyone every bought something from an infomercial?

As Dr. Phil might say "How'd that work for you?"

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  1. that pan is tempting, i know :) every company from Anolon to Chicago Metallic to Wilton to Williams-Sonoma now makes a fat-draining meatloaf pan...though as far as i know the infomercial product is still the only one with those built-in lifting handles.

    i've never ordered anything from an infomercial or a shopping channel like QVC or HSN, but i did eventually buy a Magic Bullet Blender at Bed Bath & Beyond, specifically just to use when i travel. it's a piece of crap, but when you need to whip up a protein shake in a hotel room you don't have many options!

    5 Replies
    1. re: goodhealthgourmet

      Hi, goodhealthgourmet:

      I too have a Magic Bullet and you and I are of one mind.

      I also have the infomercial aluminum defroster trivet, and my wife bit on the MW-able nonstick grill clamshell/panini thingy. The former actually works well; the latter works just enough that I didn't file Consumer Protection Act and FTC complaints.


      1. re: kaleokahu

        Ah, I've secretly coveted the magic bullet. Why is it crap?

        Thanks goodhealthgourmet for the info about other meatloaf pans. Will look into those. I've been wanting to make meatlaof, don't want the knive or recipes ... or waiting 2-6 weeks for delivery ... of course, they try to sell you on more expensive, quicker shipping.

        I'll bookmark this thread and the next time I get temped, re-read it. Thanks for all the amusing stories.

        1. re: rworange

          the Magic Bullet doesn't blend well, the parts are cheap, and it gets clogged/stuck very easily. now that the price has come down it would be a fine purchase for keeping at your desk at work or for traveling...but those would be the only reasons to buy one. if you need something for home use you can get a much better full-size product for the same price or a few bucks more.

          the other pans:

          and the infomercial product for comparison (and since it's now available on Amazon you don't have to wait so long for delivery):

          1. re: goodhealthgourmet

            If there are so many choices out there made by reputable companies already, I probably wouldn't even consider the one on TV.

          2. re: rworange

            Hi, rworange:

            I wouldn't say the MB is crap. It just isn't a full-power blender. It blends smoothies OK, does a minimal amount of food processing (guacamole, etc.). But don't expect it to crush ice or puree solid foods. It used to be an outrageously poor bargain, but at $50 or so now with all the kit, not so bad. I wish I'd had one in my time in a college dorm.


      2. I received a pasta pat with a built in cover/strainer from my well meaning DH and child once, and once I ordered the pancake/flipper pan, which was supposed to make the task foolproof.

        Both were thin-walled, non-stick pieces of junk. The pasta pot knob broke immediately, and you risked scalding yourself or losing your pasta in the sink when you used it because the "lid lock" was not so good. The pancake pan was joke. What in heaven was I thinking? It is easy enough to flip pancakes on a griddle. Maybe I was thinking that my daughter could use it, I don't remember. It was ridiculously unnecessary, and cooked only one panckake at a time. It wasn't even that good a pan.

        I'd save my money. You are better off buying decent cookware in a store, even cheap stuff in stores is generally better than these gadgets.

        I did see the egg maker in Walmart last week -- the one that lets you break the eggs, fill a flat bottomed gadget, and boil eggs without their shell. I was curious, but wouldn't spend a dime on it.

        1. >>>

          You're right. I got one of these in a "Christmas Grab" one year. First of all, it's too short to be of any real use. Secondly, the front "guide" is shorter than the knife so while knife is cutting the back of the slice, the guide is shredding the front of it. It went in the trash quickly.

          1. Does the George Foreman grill count?

            If so, then it's worked out better than I could have expected.

            1. A local consumer reporter took one of the meatloaf pans to a firehouse and had the firehouse cook test it out--it was a winner. Something I bought was the Fasta Pasta--a plastic box to cook pasta in the microwave. I'm embarrassed at how much I love that thing. It's a plastic box, for Pete's sake! But it works as advertised and makes pasta for two far quicker than doing it on the stove. Something I'm tempted by is the brownie pan with the dividers, since I can't cut straight lines and portion size matters to me.

              8 Replies
              1. re: Jeri L

                Ohhhh ... and the perfect slice lasagna pan.

                Thanks for the feedback on the meatloaf pan. It's nice to hear a happy story about the smghetti maker.

                    1. re: petek

                      Ha ha ha ha. This is so awesome like Dave said. To be honest, the knife actually looks good. The TV demonstration of this knife is much better than that of Pampered Chef Sankuto, where that knife had trouble slicing the tomato:


                      A "Thank you for smoking" Santoku is awesome.

                      1. re: petek

                        Hey Pete,

                        Actually, the youtube video was mentioned on both the knifeforum in 2008 and the kitchenknifeform in 2011.


                        I am surprise. :) Because the video was upload on 2006, and how did we missed this great knife?

                        By the way, why didn't you post the second half :P


                        1. re: Chemicalkinetics

                          "By the way, why didn't you post the second half :P"
                          How did I miss that? So funny,I wish there were subtitles..

                          1. re: petek

                            I have no idea what they are talking about neither, but it is so funny. The first half looks real enough, but the second half is just over the top when he was cutting creme caramel and tofu and then a rock. :D

                            I wonder if the knife is a real product or this is a satire just like the fact that the film "Thank you for Smoking" is a black comedy/satire.

                            The knife actually looks like a good knife, not some craps. I am really thinking about buying one if it is a real product, but I cannot find it sold anywhere.

                            The phone number was listed as 0 120 393-***. So it is probably fake.

                        2. re: petek

                          I used one of these knives to shorten a Christmas tree once when I lived in an apartment. It worked well.