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$19.99 + $7.99 = $27.98
Promise: "The lid is actually a built-in colander -- the best new idea since spaghetti and meatballs!" It allows you to drain pasta and numerous other things "without all that splashing and scalding."
Results: It works like they say, but a tester wondered, "Who has so much trouble draining pasta that they need this?" Pot makers must think everyone does: There are at least three other pasta-pot ads on TV, and you can find this type of pot in stores.
Ultimate Chopper
$59.90 + $14.95 = $74.85
Promise: Food processor is conveniently small, so Chef Tony says "you'll never put it away and use it every day." It has 750 watts of "MegaPower" (ooh, what's next, GigaPower?) and can chop bits of brick, glass, even concrete.
Results: "My onions minced very quickly," said one tester. Another reported, "It did work its way through smaller brick chips, but not medium ones, though it tried its damndest." Others said it's too small to be useful, and that the directions say to chop everything into one-inch pieces first. "So why bother?"
FlipFold
$19.99 + $13.90 = $33.89 (for 2)
Promise: "Fold an entire basket of laundry in under two minutes" with this folding tool. "It folds any size clothes," can "transform an entire closet," and "little ones love FlipFold."
Results: True, it's a "cheap plastic thing" that's harder to use on long sleeves. But "it gives a nice, flat fold" and is astounding in cluttered closets and dressers. "I couldn't believe how many more T-shirts I could fit," said one tester. A grateful mom said, "My three- and four-year-olds could fold the laundry very neatly. They're excited that I'm going to buy them one." Kids folding willingly? A bargain at any price.
Kaboom Cleaner
$19.99 + $7.50 = $27.49
Promise: Porcelain, tile and grout restorer from the OxyClean folks that'll "put the shine back in your shower." You get two 32-ounce bottles.
Results: Worked "very well" on mineral deposits, stainless steel and tiles, though it disappointed on grout. One tester said, "I tried it side-by-side against Fantastik on grout, and they worked about the same -- except Fantastik costs less than three bucks for a 22-ounce bottle."
Handy Stitch
$14.99 + $5.99 = $20.98
Promise: Handheld gadget will "sew anything, anywhere, at any time," and is so easy that experienced and beginner sewers alike can use it to "get a secure, strong and even stitch."
Results: The small size was a plus, and it was "very easy to move across the fabric." But two of our testers complained that it was hard to sew in a straight line, "since you're holding it in your hand, as opposed to using a traditional machine." And two beginners failed to master it.
Ding King
$29.95 + $5.95 = $35.90
Promise: "The do-it-yourself dent and ding remover with professional results" can save you from costly repairs, or from driving a junky-looking car. "Just turn the wing nut and watch that awful dent disappear."
Results: "It pulled the dent right out," though sometimes it "takes a few tries." To affix the Ding King, you glue it directly to your car, so "be careful of the paint job." Biggest quibble? "It's hard to get the glue off," so you'll need your own solvent.
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