An As Seen on TV Thanksgiving: Products that could help
So many As Seen On TV products are so disappointing that I'm giving thanks this year for three that exceeded my expectations.
The Perfect Brownie Pan, EZ Cracker Egg Cracker/Separator and my favorite, NuWave Oven pro, all deserve a spot around your Thanksgiving prep table.
The product: Perfect Brownie Pan Set
The price: $19.95 in many retail stores.
The claims: Bake, slice and serve perfect brownies
Buy-O-Meter Rating: 4 out of 5
When I reviewed the Perfect Brownie Pan in July, I wondered aloud why the world needed everything to be so perfect. A few months -- and an atrial fibrillation drama later -- I know why: Life is short, might as well eat good-looking brownies.
The Perfect Brownie Pan is a rare As Seen on TV product that doesn't overshoot. It doesn't stop world hunger. It doesn't cure anything. It just bakes and serves perfect-looking brownies each time. Spray the pan and insert with cooking oil. Pour batter into the 11x7 inch pan (which looks a lot bigger on TV), and slip in the grid insert before baking. When the brownies cool a little, pull out the insert, and you've got 18 beautiful brownies. If you can find the 14x10 pan (it had a limited release) get that one instead.
The Product: EZ Cracker Egg Cracker/Separator
The Price: $10 in the As Seen on TV section of many retail stores
The Claims: Crack open eggs with no fuss, no mess
Buy-O-Meter Rating: 4 out of 5
My EZ Cracker Egg Cracker/Separator will be my constant companion during holiday cook-a-thons. This little tool lets me crack a dozen eggs in a snap. Sometimes a bit of shell falls into the bowl, but thanks to my loyal readers, I now know how to retrieve it -- chase it around with big pieces of shell.
I've been using my EZ Cracker for months and discovered it works best with cold eggs. I also run it under hot water immediately after cracking, so dried egg doesn't make the blade hard to clean.
Bed, Bath and Beyond is selling the tool for about $10, which seems like a fair price. Also makes a great stocking stuffer for the egg cracking-impaired.
The Product: NuWave Oven Pro
The Price: $119.97, plus $29.95 shipping and handling
The Claims: Cooks up to 50% faster than a regular oven, and cooks from frozen without defrosting
Buy-O-Meter Rating: 4 out of 5
I'm still mad for the NuWave Oven Pro, a countertop oven that lets me cook a roast or turkey straight from the freezer. The NuWave does almost everything a wall oven does, in generally less time. The only thing I still need my microwave for is to warm up coffee, and my wall oven has kept its job as chief baker: cakes rise higher there than in the NuWave.
But I use the NuWave for pretty much everything else. I'll keep it on the counter for Thanksgiving to warm up side dishes.
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The Perfect Brownie Pan, EZ Cracker Egg Cracker/Separator and my favorite, NuWave Oven pro, all deserve a spot around your Thanksgiving prep table.
The product: Perfect Brownie Pan Set
The price: $19.95 in many retail stores.
The claims: Bake, slice and serve perfect brownies
Buy-O-Meter Rating: 4 out of 5
When I reviewed the Perfect Brownie Pan in July, I wondered aloud why the world needed everything to be so perfect. A few months -- and an atrial fibrillation drama later -- I know why: Life is short, might as well eat good-looking brownies.
The Perfect Brownie Pan is a rare As Seen on TV product that doesn't overshoot. It doesn't stop world hunger. It doesn't cure anything. It just bakes and serves perfect-looking brownies each time. Spray the pan and insert with cooking oil. Pour batter into the 11x7 inch pan (which looks a lot bigger on TV), and slip in the grid insert before baking. When the brownies cool a little, pull out the insert, and you've got 18 beautiful brownies. If you can find the 14x10 pan (it had a limited release) get that one instead.
The Product: EZ Cracker Egg Cracker/Separator
The Price: $10 in the As Seen on TV section of many retail stores
The Claims: Crack open eggs with no fuss, no mess
Buy-O-Meter Rating: 4 out of 5
My EZ Cracker Egg Cracker/Separator will be my constant companion during holiday cook-a-thons. This little tool lets me crack a dozen eggs in a snap. Sometimes a bit of shell falls into the bowl, but thanks to my loyal readers, I now know how to retrieve it -- chase it around with big pieces of shell.
I've been using my EZ Cracker for months and discovered it works best with cold eggs. I also run it under hot water immediately after cracking, so dried egg doesn't make the blade hard to clean.
Bed, Bath and Beyond is selling the tool for about $10, which seems like a fair price. Also makes a great stocking stuffer for the egg cracking-impaired.
The Product: NuWave Oven Pro
The Price: $119.97, plus $29.95 shipping and handling
The Claims: Cooks up to 50% faster than a regular oven, and cooks from frozen without defrosting
Buy-O-Meter Rating: 4 out of 5
I'm still mad for the NuWave Oven Pro, a countertop oven that lets me cook a roast or turkey straight from the freezer. The NuWave does almost everything a wall oven does, in generally less time. The only thing I still need my microwave for is to warm up coffee, and my wall oven has kept its job as chief baker: cakes rise higher there than in the NuWave.
But I use the NuWave for pretty much everything else. I'll keep it on the counter for Thanksgiving to warm up side dishes.
