If, like me, you grew up within the 90s and 00s, you will little question be acquainted with ‘As Seen On TV’ house devices. Products whose major promoting level was that they’d been demonstrated on TV gross sales networks or infomercials — as a result of as everyone knows, that is a assured marque of high quality.
Recently, I acquired fascinated by whether or not or not any of that tech continues to be knocking round, and whether or not it nonetheless holds up. Turns out the reply is sure! There are nonetheless a great deal of ‘As Seen On TV’ devices you should purchase, a few of which you’ll nonetheless get new. Surely, meaning they’re truly fairly good, proper? After all, why else would they nonetheless be being made?
So, I used up among the Tom’s Guide testing finances (sorry Editors In Chief) to purchase just a few acquainted infomercial fads from the final 20 years. Here’s whether or not they’re nonetheless value shopping for.
1. George Foreman grill
Tagline: “The Lean, Mean, Fat-Reducin’ Grillin’ Machine”
I imply, come on: there needed to be a George Foreman on the record! These grills are an absolute basic infomercial product within the 90s and 00s, and an enormous success (reputed to have bought over 100 million items).
These grills have been completely in all places after I was rising up within the mid 90s. My mother and father acquired one within the late 90s, as they took a short time to explode within the U.Ok. (the place I stay) after preliminary success within the States. Perhaps unsurprisingly then, you possibly can nonetheless purchase George Foreman grills new in 2026!
How it holds up in 2026
Back in 1998, I bear in mind our household George Foreman grill felt like a severe piece of cooking gear. Maybe that was as a result of I used to be 6 years previous — I by no means truly cooked on the George, and would not have identified the distinction between good and unhealthy kitchen tech anyway.
Still, I used to be somewhat upset on selecting up the 2026 mannequin. It feels moderately low-cost and flimsy. At $39 (or £49 within the U.Ok.), our 2026 George Foreman price $10 lower than it will’ve within the late 90s — however that is at face worth. Given inflation although, the $49 it will’ve price in 1997 works out at $104 at present. That means they’ve greater than halved in adjusted worth, so I assume it is sensible for this to really feel like an inexpensive product.
But what about efficiency? It’s a lot the identical because it ever was. In truth, utilizing the Foreman for this take a look at introduced up some repressed recollections of my childhood that I’d moderately have stayed forgotten.
I cooked a strip steak (sirloin within the U.Ok.) on the grill for two minutes, as beneficial by the directions for medium uncommon. It was undoubtedly essentially the most depressing steak I’ve eaten since my the steaks my mother and father used to prepare dinner on our household Foreman approach again when.
Despite exhibiting it was at temperature, the George did not get extremely popular. As such, it managed to undercook the surface whereas overcooking the within. Because the fats had no contact with a cooking floor, it did not render in any respect. And as a result of the lid was on prime of the steak, it acquired flattened. Yup: that is precisely how I bear in mind steaks rising up. Maybe I turned a chef (earlier than changing into a journalist) as a unconscious try and exorcise all of the awfully grilled meat I ate rising up.
The good thing about Foreman grills was at all times that they have been Lean, Mean, Fat-Reducin’ Grillin’ Machine(s). You do not want any cooking oil or fats as a result of the grill plates are nonstick. And any fats leaking out of the meals drains away because of the grill’s downward angle.
That’s such a 90s/00s approach of meals. As an ex-chef, I do know (as I’m positive you do) that fats is filled with vitamins and may be wholesome. You don’t need it all operating off, however you do need it rendered. I additionally discovered that caramelized meat juices have been operating down the grill into the fats tray, pulling frond with them, once more losing taste.
I suppose it is not a horrible grill if you happen to’re on a finances and do not care about creating good sears. But for me, it is a go. I’ll follow my Field Company No.10 Cast Iron Skillet for steaks, thanks very a lot.
Score: 2/5
Worth is in 2026? Nah
2. Pocket Hose
Tagline: “The Hose That Grows & Grows”
Pocket Hose launched within the early 2010, however caught on because of its excessive vitality informercials and excitable host. Fun truth, he is nonetheless doing the Pocket Hose commercials in latest occasions!
Marketed as “The Hose That Grows & Grows,” the advantage of the Pocket Hose is that, when there is no water in it, you possibly can retailer it far more simply than a standard rubber hose. As the Pocket Hose is wrapped in cloth, with a tender internal core, it coils up simply and might merely be left in a pile. Then, if you provide it with water, it grows and unkinks — this successfully removes the necessity for a reel.
How it holds up in 2026
Y’know what, I’m transformed (in idea). I experience a bike and want to wash my bike fairly a bit. It’s a ache always having to reel within the hose from my garden, go it over the facet gate, then reel it again in when I’m accomplished.
The Pocket Hose has genuinely made my life simpler. It’s approach simpler to maneuver concerning the yard and over my gate; it would not want reeling in; and it takes up a lot much less house when left on the ground than a rubber hose.
Also, this factor holds stress. So a lot that I used to be capable of shoot a jet of water practically twice the space as my regular rubber hose, utilizing the identical spray nozzle. I used to be truly kinda nervous the Pocket Hose would burst whereas testing, as you can see the stress constructing inside.
My solely subject is that I purchased an authentic retro model from the early 2010s, which makes use of plastic connectors. These actually suck and have been susceptible to leaking. I’d undoubtedly advise upgrading to the copper fashions for extra safety from leaks.
Score: 4/5
Worth it in 2026? Definitely
3. Slap Chop
Tagline: “Making America Skinny, One Slap At A Time”
Oh man. Oh lord. That tagline actually hasn’t aged nicely. It’s simply… I’ve no phrases. The 00s was a loopy, loopy time.
Slap Chop featured in some basic TV gross sales community infomercials with the blue-aproned, Britney-mic’d Vince Offer (A.Ok.A The ShamWow Guy). “You’re gonna be in a great mood all day ‘cos you’re gonna be slappin’ your troubles away with the Slap Chop,” promised Vince again in 2008.
It’s fairly self-explanatory what the Slap Chop does. Put some stuff inside it, slap the highest, and it chops immediately. And the extra you slap, the finer the cube. The Slap Chop promised to hurry up prep massively.
How it holds up in 2026
Just like that eating-disorder-plus-domestic-violence-loaded tagline, the Slap Chop would not get up at present. With sure meals, it made my life simpler. It was OK for chopping potatoes, as an example.
Anything remotely moist, although, equivalent to onions, and the slap chop would get caught on the backside. The spring beneath the slapping plunger simply is not taught sufficient. It’s messy, too. Bits fly in all places if you alter meals or elevate up the gadget to get stuff out.
On, and it additionally cuts erratically. You can get round this to some extent by slapping repeatedly till all the things is kind of minced, however you are still left with some items tinier than others. That means your meals will prepare dinner erratically.
Food will get caught in between the blades. And except you chop stuff to the right dimension, the Slap Chop will not work. The excellent dimension being fairly tiny — half an onion, a fifth of a potato, and so on.
In the tip, I needed to fiddle a lot with sizing and cleansing out the blades that it will’ve simply been faster for me to make use of a knife.
Now, granted, I’m an ex-chef and am very fast at dicing greens. If you are utterly unaccustomed to knives and chopping strategies, the Slap Chop will most likely prevent time. However, it price us $25 / £20. In the U.S. at the very least, you possibly can decide up an excellent low-cost electrical dicer for lower than that — that’ll be occasion faster, much less effort and might deal with larger quantities of meals.
Score: 2/5
Worth it in 2026? Nah, go electrical
4. JML Scrub Buddi
Tagline: “The handheld scrubber that does all the scrubbing for you”
I do not assume this one made it to the States, so enable me to introduce the JML Scrub Buddi. For my American readers, JML is a family title in Britain. Imagine each low-cost, crappy infomercial/As Seen On TV product was made by a single model, and you’ve got JML.
The Scrub Buddi is a motorized scrubbing brush from JML, and a kind of merchandise they’d present being demonstrated on daytime purchasing channels. It’s supposed for cleansing sinks, bogs, kitchen surfaces and even automotive alloy wheels. Basically, it gives effort free agitation of cleansing merchandise, in addition to gentle abrasion.
How it holds up in 2026
I completely love the Scrub Buddi. It’s genuinely actually, actually helpful. My spouse and I stay close to Bath Spa within the South West of the U.Ok., which is constructed on prime of a limestone seam.
As such, we have now a few of (if not the) hardest water in Britain. Indeed, Bath has been a spa city since at the very least Roman occasions exactly due to the minerals within the water. Little did the Romans know, these minerals are horrible in your hair.
Anyway, all meaning we have now a limescale downside right here. Our home equipment die except they’re descaled. Our electrical kettles have literal stalagmites rising up inside them earlier than lengthy. And our sinks and toilet surfaces are normally tainted by limescale residue.
The Scrub Buddi has been completely superior for eradicating limescale on taps and chrome surfaces. Even with out utilizing limescale remover, it gives sufficient abrasion to go away steel surfaces sparkly. I’m undecided how lengthy it will’ve taken me to get the identical outcomes by hand.
Admittedly, it is not as efficient on glass as on steel. But hey, something that’ll lighten the burden of housekeeping at the very least somewhat is ok by me. The Scrub Buddi can also be water-proof and today it is rechargeable by way of USB-C!
We paid £11 for our Scrub Buddi, and I feel that is a discount. In the U.S., you possibly can decide up an Amazon-special model for like $25 at Amazon.
Score: 4.5/5
Worth it in 2026: Hell yeah!
5. SodaStream
Tagline: “Get Busy With The Fizzy”
OK, that is an oldie! The SodaStream truly launched within the 50s, and I do know a great deal of individuals who nonetheless use these within the U.Ok. and Europe (my mother and father included). I’m undecided whether or not these have been successful within the States, although.
Sodastream had some iconic advertising campaigns within the 80s and 90s, and I bear in mind them having a resurgence in reputation within the 00s right here in Britain. If you are unaware, SodaStream makes use of fuel canisters to carbonate your drinks and make them fizzy. Homemade soda.
How it holds up in 2026
Y’know, there is a motive the SodaStream has caught round for the reason that Fifties. I’d by no means truly used one earlier than testing for this text, however I’m a convert for positive.
If you do not like glowing water, the SodaStream is not value it. Even if you add flavorings (you should purchase big-brand syrups from the likes of Pepsi), you continue to get that bitter glowing water style.
If, like me, you’d moderately drink glowing than regular water, the SodaStream is for you. Why spend cash on store-bought fizzy water when you possibly can simply make it your self in seconds? You can even add pure flavorings like sugar, lemon and so on, to make your water style how you want, protected within the data that no synthetic components or flavors have been used.
Best of all, carbonation is an analog course of. You merely load in a fuel tank and also you’re prepared to attach the bottle and go. That means there is no have to plug the SodaStream into energy, so you possibly can put it wherever. I take a look at quite a lot of kitchen devices for work, so my worktops are already full. I merely caught the SodaStream on a facet stand.
We paid $52 / £59 for our primary SodaStream, which features a single fuel canister that is good for 60 liters of drinks. Each 60L canister prices round $34 / £20. That means every 500ml glass of glowing water prices you about 28 cents / 16 pence. Goodbye, San Pellegrino.
Score: 5/5
Worth it in 2026? Hell yeah (if you happen to like glowing water)
What’s subsequent?
You inform me! There’s no approach I might cowl all of the As Seen On TV merchandise on the market. Are there any essential ones I’ve missed? If so, I’d love to listen to about them. I do know the Ronco Rotisserie is an apparent alternative. It’s tough discovering one right here within the U.Ok., however that is subsequent on my agenda.
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