# Infomercial products that are actually good **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 10, 2010, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670 "2010-06-10T16:38:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/61 "2010-06-14T18:25:32Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I didn’t realize that was an “infomercial product”, but yeah, absolutely. Love that stuff! **I can even put it on in the dark in my tent and it looks fabulous** , it blends and covers so well. Please forgive me; I’ve been giggling wildly since I read this. I (think I) know you go to Renaissance Fairs, but I had this image of Prehistory Woman, applying her makeup. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/62 "2010-06-14T18:30:47Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > Please forgive me; I’ve been giggling wildly since I read this. I (think I) know you go to Renaissance Fairs, but I had this image of Prehistory Woman, applying her makeup. 😃 Exactly! lol Most of the music/pagan festivals I go to are not makeup free zones after dark. Gotsta look gooooood around the bonfire, ya know! And juggling liquid makeup, a mirror and a flashlight while bouncing around on an air mattress are not as easy as you might think! Mineral makeup rocks - looks subtle enough to pull off the “What makeup? I’m a naturally beautiful hippie chick!” that I don’t need a mirror for, or you can glam it up and go bold for party night looks. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/63 "2010-06-14T18:47:30Z")
> [@R.P.McMurphy](#): > > Check out this site: > > [http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/category.asp?C=12373](http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/category.asp?C=12373) > > Good, down home, unscientific evaluations of all of the crap that gets advertised on infomercials. It can save you a lot of aggravation and money. > > Based on the site, there was one product I saw in a store and I did buy it. It’s the **Windshield Wonder**. > > [http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=10539753](http://www.kfvs12.com/Global/story.asp?S=10539753) > > I haven’t used it often but it does seem to work well. I’ve been wondering about the **Windshield Wonder**. Modern cars, like my Fit, have this cab-forward design that makes for long shelf-like dashboard and steeply raked windshields. It’s almost impossible to clean the inside of the windshield, so this item, if it really works, looks like the ticket. I’ll try one now. ---
**Author:** ![Jet\_Jaguar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jet_jaguar/32/3562_2.png) [@Jet\_Jaguar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jet_Jaguar)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/64 "2010-06-14T18:51:50Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > I met the inventor of the Flowbee at an invention show. He cut my hair. It was a fast, good cut and zero hair on my shirt or down my back. I bought one of those back in college and it worked perfectly. My parents have one of those Ronco rotisseries and they use it all the time. It works pretty good, I’d get one myself if I had more counter space in the kitchen. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/65 "2010-06-14T19:05:20Z")
> [@MsChilePepper](#): > > I like the Bare Minerals makeup, but I don’t get why they also use the brand name “Bare Escentuals” and frankly, that purposeful misspelling makes my teeth itch. I switched to Everyday Minerals, 'cause it’s WAY cheaper, and they don’t do any automatic billing crap (although of course you can buy Bare Minerals products at places like Ulta and Sephora). > > If you’ve ever unloaded your pickup truck by backing up real fast and then jamming on the brakes … you might be a redneck! 😃 I remember when it was just plain [indian earth](http://www.indianearth.net/) … ---
**Author:** ![Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nefarious_chipmunk/32/1045_2.png) [@Nefarious\_Chipmunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefarious_Chipmunk)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/66 "2010-06-14T19:14:10Z")
> [@Arrendajo](#): > > I’ve been wondering about the **Windshield Wonder**. Modern cars, like my Fit, have this cab-forward design that makes for long shelf-like dashboard and steeply raked windshields. It’s almost impossible to clean the inside of the windshield, so this item, if it really works, looks like the ticket. I’ll try one now. I actually have one of these and it works quite well. It also fits very nicely in the glove compartment for easy storage. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/67 "2010-06-14T19:14:42Z")
It seems that a problem with these infomercial products would be long-term quality. Even if they do work well for what they say, it seems they cut every corner they can to get the $19.99 price point or whatever. For instance, I would never buy anything that has a motor under high stress such as a vacuum, blender, weed eater, etc. No doubt it works well out of the box, but I would seriously doubt it would continue working for years. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/68 "2010-06-15T03:38:25Z")
Tee hee. These are all funnier when you still think it’s a vibrator. > [@congodwarf](#): > > My boyfriend’s mom has a Magic Bullet and she loves it. She uses it every day, multiple times a day. She says it’s the best coffee grinder she’s ever used. She also uses it for other stuff. > [@Moonlitherial](#): > > I love the magic bullet. It’s 7-9 yrs old and gets used 2-3 times a week. This is down from daily use when the kids were still at home. > [@heraldgwena](#): > > I had a magic bullet and I HATED that thing. It was a gift from my MIL. I think I was using it for the wrong things. > [@Superhal](#): > > My wife uses the magic bullet all the time. The secret to getting the big pieces is to pick it up and shake it. I teased her a lot when she got it, so she makes a point of buying things just to put into it. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/69 "2011-12-25T16:18:35Z")
I don’t think it would be fair to neglect the Micro Touch. [https://www.asseenontv.com/micro-touch-magic-max/detail.php?p=294405&v=best-sellers](https://www.asseenontv.com/micro-touch-magic-max/detail.php?p=294405&v=best-sellers) These things work perfectly-at least on ears/noses. One time makes it worth the purchase price. hh ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/70 "2011-12-25T16:43:38Z")
Damn zombie threads. I saw this and was going to talk about my Foreman Grill and Ronco Egg cuber. And what did I see? A post from me talking about my Foreman Grill and Ronco Egg cuber! ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/71 "2011-12-25T17:04:17Z")
My magic bullet finally died and I had to replace it this year. Not a bad lifetime for such a well used piece of equipment. So far MBv2.0 is doing an excellent job. \*Wording chosen to enhance \*\*Cat Fight’s \*\* enjoyment. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/72 "2011-12-25T17:50:45Z")
I’m sure I could do without it if I needed to, but my [FlipFold](http://www.flipfold.com/) has made doing laundry so much easier. I got it like 5 years ago, and it’s still going strong. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/73 "2011-12-25T22:41:32Z")
The Jack LaLanne juicer makes excellent juice but is a son-of-a-b to clean. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/74 "2011-12-26T03:34:39Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > Proactiv skin care is really good, especially if you’re under 35 or so. Now that I’m getting toward my mid-30s, my skin is more delicate than it used to be, so the cleanser is kind of irritating and I think I’ll have to discontinue it. I don’t know if it’s hormones or age or what. But when my skin was more elastic, that stuff eliminated any acne I had and made my face incredibly smooth. It even worked better than Retin-A, which I had by prescription. It didn’t work at all for my daughter. She may have just as well sprinkled water on her face. Retin-A and Accutane finally worked. Are Sham-wows made of chamois, or an imitation? I know my dad had a chamois, but that was before polyester and micro fleece and such. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/75 "2011-12-26T03:45:01Z")
> [@Pai325](#): > > Retin-A and Accutane finally worked. Same here. Sorry to be off-topic, but this is really close to my heart. Roaccutane literally saved my life, saved me from becoming just another teenage suicide. There are acne cases where topical treatment, be it Proactive or anything else, is just not gonna cut it. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/76 "2011-12-26T03:46:39Z")
How about the Bass-o-Matic? ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/77 "2011-12-26T03:58:57Z")
> [@Gagundathar](#): > > How about the Bass-o-Matic? I don’t know. Is it actually any good? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/78 "2011-12-26T04:09:15Z")
I’m still using my Miracle Blade II knife set years after buying it… They are fantastic knives. Compared to my dad’s $300.00 knife set, I can’t tell a difference. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/79 "2011-12-26T14:54:16Z")
How about the Amish Heatsurge fireplace? Anybody have one? They claim it only costs 9 cents per hour to operate. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670/80 "2011-12-27T03:42:34Z")
> [@What\_the](#): > > How about the Amish Heatsurge fireplace? Anybody have one? > > They claim it only costs 9 cents per hour to operate. That is what you should expect from an electric heater. Apparently it is a 1 KW electric heater. $.09/KWH would be about the going rate: [http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epat7p4.html](http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/electricity/epa/epat7p4.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/infomercial-products-that-are-actually-good/542670.md?page=5)