‘As Seen on TV’ products: Do they really work?

By M.J. Stevens, Special to The Sunday

Monday, March 28, 2016 | 2 a.m.

Easy. Quick. Magic.

The claims boasted by “As Seen on TV” products sound fantastic. Banish pain. Look like a movie star with a swipe of a mascara wand. Make something old appear new.

But is it too good to be true?

We tested more than a dozen “As Seen on TV” products, explain how they are used, include disclaimers (when applicable) and determine whether they were worth your money.

Speed Out Damaged Screw Extractor

• Claim: “Remove any stripped screw in 10 seconds or less”

• Price: $19.88

• How it is used: Place the Speed Out tool inside any standard drill and begin drilling out the damaged area of a screw or bolt. Flip the Speed Out over and extract the screw from its spot. The product includes four bits and a storage case.

• Disclaimers: Not for use with impact drivers.

To minimize the risk of injury, always wear eye protection. Cutting tools may shatter or break. Follow the safety instructions and warnings in your power tool instruction manual. This product and dust created by its use may contain chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm. Wash hands after handling.

• The verdict: Wrangling with a stripped screw can be frustrating beyond words. Speed Out claims to take the aggravation out of the task, and in fact, it does — if you follow the instructions to a T. And that can be challenging in and of itself. If the bit wobbles at all, it will not work. It also isn’t recommended for work in drywall, because drywall screws often are brittle and can break easily. If you drill too fast, it’s a no go. But if you are patient, steady and slow, it does work. I also found switching bit sizes helped. That said, this product is marketed to a general audience, the majority of whom I’d venture to guess will have issues using this tool as it was intended. If someone has the wherewithal to use the trial-and-error approach this product needs to be effective, he or she likely would find a way to remove a stripped screw with or without the Speed Out tool.

• Rating: 4 stars out of 5

My Cleaning Secret by Chef Tony

• Claim: “Make something old look like new”

• Price: $12.99

• How it is used: Dip a sponge or wet cloth into the tub. Use the cloth or sponge to gently rub the surface to be cleaned. Rinse the surface thoroughly after application, then wipe dry. For delicate surfaces, rub gently and use plenty of water.

• Disclaimers: Use caution on delicate surfaces. Cleaner may etch or dull delicate surfaces.

Test a small, hidden area first. Rub gently and use plenty of water on fiberglass, plastics, anodized aluminum and brushed metal surfaces such as appliance exterior panels. Always rub in the direction of the brushed finish.

Do not use on gold, silver, polished stone or surfaces that are painted, lacquered or mirrored.

• The verdict: Depending on the item you are trying to clean, this product is hit or miss. For tile and decorative metal, it worked great. It fairly easily cleaned off mold and mildew from bathroom tiles, made my faucets shine, and with a little elbow grease, got rid of rust stains on metal. However, for heavy-duty cookware or appliance use, its effectiveness is questionable. I found that steel wool and heavy-duty cleaner work much better. Also, this product is a powder, contrary to how it is marketed. A good number of customers who bought this expected it to be a paste. In addition, it can be fairly caustic to your hands and must be rinsed off very thoroughly, so wear gloves. Some users swear by it, and for certain small projects, I agree. But for grimy, greasy kitchen duty, I’d recommend sticking to other, less expensive cleaning products.

• Rating: 3 stars

Toucan

• Claim: “World’s easiest hands-free can opener”

• Price: $19.88

• How it is used: Position the TouCan so the edge of the can is between the cutting blade and wheel. Press the power button and watch the TouCan rotate around the can. The TouCan clamps into the lid from the outside, rolling edges over themselves. Once the TouCan has rotated entirely around the can, press the power button to reverse and then stop the rotation. Once the battery-powered device has stopped moving, lift the TouCan off. The lid will be stuck to the TouCan’s underside.

• The verdict: I like this product — so far, at least — but I seem to be in the minority, based on the number of one-star reviews it has received online. My TouCan has worked great, contrary to many others’, exactly as advertised. But I find myself wondering if it will continue to do so two months, or two weeks, from now. The technology is far from novel. The TouCan simply is a new incarnation of the automatic can opener. The benefit is it really does eliminate sharp edges on can tops. If you have arthritis or other difficulties maneuvering a can opener, the TouCan would be well worth the investment. If you are able-bodied, a $2.99 conventional can opener would be just as functional, and likely would take less time. Still, compared with automatic can openers, this one is more compact — small enough to fit in a drawer — and snaps onto cans and bottles far easier.

• Rating: 3 stars

Swifty Sharp Motorized Knife Sharpener

• Claim: “Precision power sharpening”

• Price: $14.88

• How it is used: Hold the Swifty Sharp in your left hand and the knife in your right. If the blade is one-sided and on the right side, face the cutting edge in the inner slot to sharpen. If your blade is on the left side, insert your knife in the outer slot. For double-sided blades, insert the blade in both the inner and outer slot the same number of times. Bring the knife from heel to tip in a slow and steady continuous motion, pulling the knife toward you. Glide the blade five or more passes, then check it for sharpness. Repeat if necessary. The manufacturer says it is normal to see metal shavings on the blade, and the kit includes a catch-tray for metal shavings.

• The verdict: I do not recommend this product. If anything, it dulled my knives. And it stalled the first time I tried it. After much jiggling and tapping, I got it to work again, but it made a high-pitched, shrieking noise. (Internet reviews confirm this is “normal.”) The blade wheel appeared to be misaligned, it lacked significant power, and it was unclear how to angle the knives when I tried different sizes. Bottom line: Stay away.

• Rating: 1 star

Engrave-It Pro

• Claim: “The fast, easy way to protect your valuables”

• Price: $9.88

• How it is used: Engrave-It Pro looks like a marker, except with a “diamond infused” ­— meaning not real diamond — tip. When you place your fingers on it, the tip begins to move; the placement of your thumb triggers the “on” button. Write on the item you’d like to engrave as you would using a pen. A clip-on magnifier helps enlarge your working area if you are engraving a small item or doing detailed work. The package includes three stencils and one replacement tip.

• The verdict: If you are patient and pay attention to detail, this product works. Of course, it’s no replacement for professional etching or engraving equipment. But for $10, it’s worth the money. And it is cordless, which means you can use it anywhere. I tried it on a wine glass, a metal key and a child’s hard-plastic toy. The tool worked best on the glass, but did a serviceable job on all the surfaces. The plastic became a little frayed at the edges, but the letters still were legible. The engraving does take patience and a steady hand, so don’t try this in a hurry. Also, it’s best for small jobs. Some customers online have complained about the power button failing to turn off or, worse, the entire unit falling apart when the person opened it to try to install the batteries, but I didn’t experience either issue. The only downside seems to be finding replacement tips. The tool comes with one, but once that is spent, you will have to buy a new engraver kit.

• Rating: 5 stars

Mighty Blaster Fireman’s Nozzle

• Claim: “The rugged, powerful spray nozzle with the ergonomic comfort grip to make all your watering needs a breeze”

• Price: $14.88

• How it is used: Connect the Mighty Blaster to the outlet nozzle of your hose. Rotate the Mighty Blaster nozzle left to turn it on. Keep rotating it to adjust the stream from fine mist to powerful blast. Rotate the nozzle right to turn off.

• Disclaimer: Disconnect after use.

• The verdict: The Mighty Blaster certainly works, but not exactly as advertised. There are plenty of high-power and pressure-control hose nozzles on the market, and this product is about as good as the most average ones. It does control pressure, shifting the gush of water from a mist to a stream, but the outflow is anything but a blast. The manufacturer claims the nozzle is 50 percent more powerful than an average garden hose, which may or may not be true. But a 50 percent increase, despite how appealing it may sound, is minimal at best. The difference is likely unobservable to the human eye. Also, the nozzle leaked. Mine has remained intact so far, but many customers have complained that the device, which has interior parts made of plastic, has broken after only a few uses — and sometimes on the first try.

• Rating: 2 stars

Gadget Grab Universal Tablet Stand

• Claim: “The most versatile, hands-free stand,guaranteed to grip any tablet”

• Price: $9.88

• How it is used: The Gadget Grab is a two-sided suction-mounting device. One side sticks to a stationary surface, the other to the gadget of your choice. Stick the bottom mount to the stationary surface, then pump it twice to create a vacuum seal. Attach the opposite side to your device and pump again.

• The verdict: I have a love-hate relationship with the Gadget Grab. It comes in a two-pack: one small gadget, presumably for phones; the other a large gadget for tablets. Two minutes after I took the small gadget out of the package, it sat broken in my hand. But I had much better luck with the larger version. On the upside, the Gadget Grab is really — and I mean, really — sticky, which is useful for holding heavy devices. On the downside, if you have an embellished case for your phone or iPad, or you plan to stick the gadget on a painted or otherwise delicate surface, beware: It will pull off rhinestones, stitching, paint and color. The product, at least the larger version, worked as advertised. It stuck well to several surfaces that I tested — glass, wood, plastic, even my car’s dashboard — and easily held my iPhone 6 Plus and Kindle. However, the angle at which it held the devices was weird — not quite unusable but certainly not ideal. And the hinges aren’t adjustable. This product might be well suited for stationary use — in other words, stick it one place and leave it — but I’d be cautious about relying on it on the go.

• Rating: 3 stars

Quick & E-Z Defrosting Tray

• Claim: “A scientific solution to defrosting all your frozen foods”

• Price: $19.99

• How it is used: Arrange the items you’d like to defrost on the defrosting tray. That’s all it takes. The tray is simply a piece of metal with a high coefficient of heat transfer (such as copper) — meaning, the tray transfers its heat to the item being thawed. Once the tray gets as cold as the object it’s thawing, the rapid thawing stops. If you’d like to speed up the process, run the tray under hot water to warm it up before defrosting foods.

• The verdict: This product works. It’s a great addition to any household that doesn’t want making dinner to be an hourslong process. As advertised, it thaws foods much more quickly than they would on their own. Large, thick steaks, for example, were ready to be cooked in about two hours. Burgers and chicken breast, 30 minutes. The thinner and flatter the food, the quicker the thaw. The best part was eliminating my microwave for thawing foods. No more dry edges and overcooked bits.

• Rating: 5 stars

EZ pockets

• Claim: “Perfect, personal pies and pockets ... every time”

• Price: $23.99

• How it is used: Spray the EZ Pockets pie pan with cooking spray, then lay the dough (pie crust, pizza dough or puff pastry), homemade or packaged, over the EZ Pockets pie pan. Gently shape the dough into each pocket and fill with the stuffing of your choice. Lay a second sheet of dough over the top and use the tools provided to seal and trim the edges. Pop it in the oven and cook until golden brown. Let the pies cool thoroughly for easy removal. The pan kit includes cutting and trimming tools, as well as a recipe book.

• The verdict: This isn’t exactly a novel product. It’s essentially a fancy baking sheet, but it does simplify the process of making small pies and individual-size pockets. And that’s a good thing for people looking for healthier alternatives to the processed frozen variety. The pockets are a bit small — perfect for kids but more appetizer-sized for adults — and they could stand to be deeper to fit in more stuffing. But the pies were a breeze to put together, cooked evenly and thoroughly, slid out of the pan easily and were a hit with my family. We tried both savory and dessert varieties. Next up: ravioli.

• Rating: 5 stars

Max Lash 3D Fiber Lash Mascara

• Claim: “The brush-on lash extensions”

• Price: $14.99

• How it is used: The Max Lash kit comes with two products: a gel and 3-D fiber lash extension. Prime your eyelashes by applying the gel, then apply the 3-D fiber lash extensions. Follow with another coat of gel to seal the extensions. The 3-D fiber lashes are supposed to latch onto your real eyelashes during application and lengthen as you continue with brush strokes. The more brush strokes you apply, the longer your eyelashes become.

• The verdict: Max Lash aims to replace false eyelashes with a product that is quicker and easier to apply, and looks more natural. The product is a hit, if you have the time to invest to perfect the application technique; it’s definitely more complicated than simply brushing on some CoverGirl. My initial attempts ended with my eyelashes looking like long, feathery clumps — not attractive. Also, the fibers can be messy. After several days of trial and error, I mastered, albeit far from perfected, the correct application method. The key is multiple thin coats. In other words: gel, fibers, gel, fibers, gel. Even then, I recommend using an eyelash brush to smooth away clumps. My eyes definitely shined brighter and my eyelashes looked more lush after using Max Lash. I’ll likely keep it in my makeup bag for date nights and special occasions. But I’m not sure the results justify the 20-minute application process for everyday use.

• Rating: 4 stars

Original Genie Bra

• Claim: “Comfort all women wish for”

• Price: $19.97

• How it is used: Step into the bra as you would a skirt; don’t pull it over your head. Remove the pads for machine washing. Wash them separately by hand.

• The verdict: As a woman, I can say it’s hard to find a great bra. The Genie Bra almost fits the bill but falls a bit short. If you’re small- or average-busted, the bra likely will offer up the support you need. Large-busted ladies might find it a bit lacking. The straps and chest band are comfortable and breathable, and the pads add an extra bit of oomph and coverage. However, it is more of a sports bra than a cup bra. Well-endowed women may experience some uni-boob. It certainly isn’t fit for working out, but it does the trick for everyday, casual wear. My biggest warning: Order big. The advertised sizes run small.

• Rating: 3 stars

Stretch Genie

• Claim: “Shoes and gloves fit better — magically; comfort all day long”

• Price: $14.99

• How it is used: Spray the inside of the shoe in the area where it is tight. Wear the shoe as you would normally to stretch it. For even tighter fits, spray the inside of the shoe and insert an expander. Leave it overnight for full stretching effect. The Stretch Genie kit Includes a 4-ounce spray pump solution and two expanders.

• The verdict: This product won’t turn a size 8 into a size 10, but it does stretch shoes to make them a bit more comfortable. However, both stretching methods have downsides. The spray-and-wear option left my feet slimy, smelly and black from shoe dye that seeped onto my foot. The overnight approach was less messy, but accessing the device to stretch the expander once it was inserted into the shoe was difficult. It is hard to get to and hard to turn. I did see results, but they weren’t mind-boggling. Also, the spray solution appears to be just water and alcohol, which could be purchased much more inexpensively.

• Rating: 3 stars

Baxter Bunny Thermal-Aid Therapeutic Zoo Animal Heating and Cooling Pack

• Claim: “The cuddly, cooling and huggable heating packs”

• Price: $14.39

• How it is used:

— Cooling: Place the animal in the freezer for approximately five hours.

— Heating: Place the animal on a clean surface in the center of the microwave for 30 seconds. Heating time may vary depending on microwave settings, desired temperature and product type. Do not overheat.

• Disclaimer: The zoo animals can get extremely hot when microwaved, and if heated for too long, could melt, smoke or otherwise injure the user.

• The verdict: Large. Soft. Cuddly. Organic. Keeps its temperature for a long time. In short, Baxter is a keeper. The therapeutic zoo animals essentially are trumped-up hot-water bottles and ice packs, but try giving a kid a chunk of rubber to cuddle. Baxter is a much easier sell. And he’s just as effective for adults, particularly because of his large size. I had no issue when heating Baxter, but I recommend zapping him in short bursts to be sure he doesn’t overheat. He is filled with corn and gives off an odor much like popcorn. And while he is advertised as being washable, he cannot be soaked or put in a washing machine or dryer. He must be hand washed. That could be problematic when dealing with someone who is sick. Also available in: Happy Hippo, Tiny Elephant, Ollie Koala, Buckley Bear, Jo Jo Monkey and Bella Bear.

• Rating: 5 stars

Party in the Tub Lighted Bath Toy

• Claim: “Turn it on, drop it in. Makes bath time ... fun time!”

• Price: $19.99

• How it is used: Turn it on and drop it in the bath. Batteries must be installed beforehand, and the process can be cumbersome.

• Disclaimer: Small parts, not for children under 3.

• The verdict: This isn’t much of a party. And for whatever fun it offers, it is short-lived. My biggest surprise was that the Party in the Tub did nothing but light up. Based on how it is advertised, I expected it to spin, dive or do something. The light show is fun, and my daughter enjoyed it, especially when we turned out the lights, but the claim that it emits six light shows is pushing it. The orb certainly changes colors, but it simply alternates between red, green, blue and combinations of the three. I imagine any child much older than a toddler would tire of it quickly. More troubling, after about six or seven uses, the device took in water and refused to turn off. At first, only the red lights glowed, but as the night carried on, the blue and green chimed in too. By morning, the party was over, and the toy, even when I inserted new batteries, was dead.

• Rating: 2 stars