The 5 As-Seen-on-TV Products That Are Actually Life-Changing
Are you tired of watching loud, obnoxious infomercials? Do you find it unlikely that any of the products they’re shilling actually work? Well, what if we were to tell you that not only do some of them work, but they’re also totally life-changing in the kitchen? And wait, there’s more! (Actually, there isn’t — there’s just the rest of this story … ) Act now and keep reading!
1. The ‘Ove’ Glove, $25
When we recently decided we wanted to write about The ‘Ove’ Glove here at Kitchn, we had a mini fight over who’d get to do it! Turns out, we have multiple staffers who are totally obsessed with theirs. (Out of fairness, we let a contributor do it instead!) Made of heat- and flame-resistant Kevlar, the gloves can withstand extreme heat up to 540°F. And because they’re not bulky like less-protective oven mitts, the gloves give home cooks a free range of motion.
2. Yoshi Copper Grill Mat, $10 for two at Target
There are a lot of unnecessary grilling tools out there. The Copper Grill Mat is not one of them. Made of super-thin, flexible sheets of heat-resistant material woven with copper threads and covered in a nonstick coating, these mats are your best bet for cooking small foods or anything that would be super drippy (no flare-ups because the mat keeps oils and marinades from dripping through the grates!). Plus, because the copper conducts heat, you get those all-important grill marks and browning.
3. Spicy Shelf, $28
Unlike other tiered shelf risers meant for spices, this one is adjustable and it has a unique U-shaped design. That means not only will it fit inside nearly any cabinet, but it will also still make room for bottles of, say, oils and vinegars that you may want to store in the same cabinet. We also love that the tiers can be stacked or set up side by side. This organizer is one of the most customizable spice racks we’ve ever seen — and that’s obviously a good thing.
4. Vidalia Chop Wizard, $20 at Bed Bath & Beyond
One of our gear pros, Sharon Franke, who spent more than 30 years working in the Good Housekeeping Institute, says this is the tool to help you get through summer. (And beyond, too.) “I use it for pasta salad, summer salads, fruit salads — basically every type of salad (and salsas!),” she says. The stainless steel grid makes quick work of breaking all sorts of fruits and veggies down into evenly sliced pieces. No matter how good you are with a chef’s knife, this’ll save you a lot of time.
5. Magic Bullet Blender, $35
Basically the pioneer of the small blender movement, the Magic Bullet takes up almost no counter space, yet it’s powerful (it really can make nearly any smoothie or milkshake in 10 seconds or less) and incredibly easy to use. Our Editor-in-Chief, Faith Durand, tried it out a few years ago: “We put this blender to the ultimate test: a blended drink with big ice cubes. Our old blender struggled with this, leaving shards of ice and big chunks in any iced drinks we tried to make,” she says. “The Magic Bullet whipped through the ice; we couldn’t believe what a fine texture it had here. It was literally like ice cream! In fact, it was so fine we had to add extra ice to fill it out.”
Do you have any of these as-seen-on-TV products? What do you think of them? Do you have any others? Tell us in the comments below!